The Wineries of NE Ohio

Coming soon to oe•no•phile will be in depth looks at a number of the local wineries located in and around the Grand River Valley AVA.

I'll be creating a special "section" here on the blog where you'll find tasting notes, photos, and winery history. Hopefully this will be a project that helps those outside our area - and maybe even those inside it! - learn more about our local grape growers and winemakers.

Links will be posted in the coming weeks.

Cheers!

Wine tasting & fun in chilly Massachusetts

Furnace Brook Winery
Location: Richmond, MA
Owner: John Vittori

Currently I'm trekking through the cold and snowy landscapes of western Massachusetts with my friends Lindsay and Danielle in what is known as the Berkshires. We've been looking at bed & breakfasts for their March wedding, and having spent the entirety of Thursday with that I decided that today we needed some wine! From our "base" in Pittsfield, MA we drove about 10 miles to visit Furnace Brook Winery and Hilltop Orchards.

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Owner, John Vittori, welcomed us into Furnace Brook's tasting room located on the orchard property. With all the drifting snow outside we hastily rushed inside only to find that the furnace had blown. John was busy building a roaring fire in another area of the building but was more than happy to help us warm up with a few tastings. Furnace Brook began producing hard cider with Johnny Mash Hard Cider being their flagship brand.

Armed with Danielle's "good" pen and a tasting card I was ready to take notes on everything Furnace Brook had to offer. Lindsay joked that that little card "never stood a chance." Here's a brief overview of my tasting notes:

Chardonnay Special Reserve - Softly oaked and full bodied this wine offered mild acidity and soft finish. Citrus and apple balance the oak flavors.

Charval- A blend of Seyval Blanc (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) this wine was softer than the Chardonnay. A little more citrus/apple fruit and lighter oak for more of a medium body.

Dry Riesling - Even with 1.3% residual sugar (RS) this is certainly a dry wine. Aromas and flavors of peach, apple, and lime the moderate acidity would pair well with food. My favorite white.

Johannisberg Riesling - With 2.7% RS, this wine boasts a lot of the same fruitiness of the Dry style but with more noticeable sweetness and an added element of tropical pineapple.

Merlot Special Reserve - Medium bodied dry wine with soft tanning and cinnamon and blackberry notes. Soft oak and red fruit on the finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve - Full bodied dry red wine with spice and blackberry, higher tannin levels and moderate acidity would make this a great food wine.

Shiraz Special Reserve - Chocolate, cherry, and spice! Full bodied, juicy, fruit-forward wine with smooth notes of chocolate and coffee compliment the palate and leave a long lingering finish. My pick of the reds.

Sparkling Blanc de Blancs - A fun dry sparkling wine with medium acidity and crisp apple characteristics.

Sparkling Muscato - Apple, peach, apricot, and pineapple made this wine a lusciously sweet after-dinner treat.

"Bee My Honey" Mead - Made from honey this had interesting herbaceous qualities with a lot of floral aromas. Sweet and fruity, but not overbearing.

Johnny Mash Hard Cider - light with mild acidity. Fresh fruit juice is added after fermentation to give the cider an additional sweet and fruity profile.

Furnace Brook's complete wine list

While John helped some other patrons who had come to snowshoe around the property, I had an opportunity to speak with Rob Todd one of Furnace Brook's winemakers. Rob has a background in brewing beer and came from a local brewery to lend his experience to Furnace Brook. He explained that while beer making can have more complexities - where as wine is made from grapes, beer can be brewed by any number of materials - the physical process isn't anywhere as involved or complex as that of winemaking.

We really enjoyed our visit to Furnace Brook Winery, and it was fun to try wines made in Massachusetts - had you asked me I would have never suspected to find any in the first place given all the snow! I should also say that John owns a really cool B&B in nearby Lenox, MA called the Garden Gables Inn. This was one of the locations we visited on Thursday, and given the utter charm of the village it is one of the top locations Lindsay and Danielle are considering for their ceremony in March. Managed by Brande and her husband Dan (check out their blog!), an enthusiastic young couple, this place was really knock out and would be a definite must for anyone visiting the area. Cozy rooms, beautiful grounds, and common areas filled with a sense of utter relaxation are just some of the inn's best features. They are also working on becoming a green B&B which is really great.

Regardless as to the inn though Lindsay and Danielle have already decided on local Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar for the post-ceremonial dinner. Being the only place open on New Years day we had an amazing lunch there. A foodie-friendly menu, reasonable prices, and a formidable wine selection made them a perfect choice. I sampled some great red wines - Garnacha, Syrah, and Malbec - along with a savory veggie panini.

Our trip continues before we head home on Sunday. Snow or not I'm definitely having a great time in this beautiful state and would highly recommend making a detour if you're passing by. There are countless things to do whatever your tastes, and you can even come when it's not snowing!

Cheers!

Picking Grapes in the Snow

Earlier this afternoon I was surprised to find that my power of thought was stronger than I had assumed. I've been wondering for the last week or so when the weather was going to drop to that perfect temperature - 18°F for 6+ hours, aka "Cold" with a capital C - that signaled the time to rush out and pick frozen grapes for ice wine. Usually the volunteer group that goes out isn't notified until well into the evening, and the harvest is more of a midnight till early morning hours rush to avoid the sun's thawing affects. This year the call came early in the afternoon and our glove-bearing hands were requested to be present at around 6pm.

This was my first year picking Vidal Blanc and I convinced my roommate Dan to come along to help. We met up with the other volunteers out in Madison, which included a couple dedicated ice wine drinkers I had met earlier in the year, Kate and Michelle. The final group was comprised of well over twenty people including staff from Grand River Cellars, Debonné Vineyards, South River Vineyard, and other volunteers. Below is a map of where we picked grapes - you can look at the satellite image to see the actual vineyard.


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Being dark by 6, there were large lights placed on tractors bearing stacks and stacks of yellow and grey plastic bins. The four rows of grapes stretched into the darkness, snow six inches deep between the rows, each netted with black mesh put up to deter birds and other animals from snacking on the sweet fruit. We worked in sections, cutting the netting, plucking the cold solid bunches in handfuls and dropping them in our bins. As each was filled it was picked back up and taken to South River's nearby pressing room.

Traditionally made from grapes frozen on the vine, ice wines are a unique specialty the best of which come from Germany (Eiswein) and in North America from the vineyards of New York, Ohio, and parts of Canada. In warmer climates, like California, similar wines can be produced by flash-freezing fruit, but to those picking frozen grapes this is regarded as cheating. A dessert wine made from a number of different white varietals - and also a few red varieties that create really interesting wines - Eiswein is one of the Prädikat levels that make up part of the insanely complex German wine regulations, which indicates a certain level of ripeness.

Back at South River we joined Gene, the vineyard manager and winemaker, who was monitoring the slow pressing process. The grapes are dumped from their bins into a large round container which is placed on the press. A mechanical process slowly crushes the grapes, allowing the sugar-rich juices to flow into a trough below but leaving behind most of the frozen water as well as all the deflated skins, stems, and seeds, or pomace. This mass, called a "puck" - just imagine a giant grapey hockey puck - is later discarded in the vineyards where it decomposes as fertilizer.


The juice is continuously tested for sugar content, or Brix, which for this particular harvest was within their goal range at around 38°Bx. Gene allowed us each to sample the fresh juice which was sweet but at the same time possessed amazingly bright fruit flavors including peach, tangerine, and other citrus. The burst of aromas and tastes was almost surprising, and it's clear how the finished product can have such intense characteristics. The juice is then pumped into new containers where it will ferment. Aging will be completed in either casks or stainless steel tanks before it is bottled in the tall slender, oftentimes blue, 375mL bottles that seem like so little for so much. However, this experience really supports the $30+ price tags on many bottles of ice wine. The risk of leaving fruit to freeze, the hand picking in below 20°F temperatures, the slow and diligent process of pressing and testing the juice, and the significantly smaller yields are all contributors to cost - all before the wine is even made!

If you've never tried an ice wine I would certainly recommend picking one up. It really is a magnificent treat, and while enjoyable all on their own they can also make great compliments desserts like crème brûlée and cheesecake or even rich starters such as foie gras! Additionally, some wines will be affected by Botrytis cinera, or noble rot, and have unique honeyed characteristics and most likely a higher price tag. If you need any help justifying the expense drop me an e-mail and I'll make sure you're on next year's volunteer call list.

Cheers!

Check my Web Album to see all the pictures from our excursion.

Enter the Keystone State

Flickerwood Wine Cellars
Location: Kane, Pennsylvania
Owners: Ron & Sue Zampogna

This weekend my friend Libby and I found ourselves outside Flickerwood Cellars on a crisp fall morning in western Pennsylvania. On a road trip through the rolling hills of western NY and PA, we made a small detour to check out some of the local wine offerings. Shortly after arriving, we were met and warmly welcomed into the wood-sided winery by owners Ron and Sue Zampogna, along with a few grandkids and pups.


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The winery itself is a beautiful building with many windows and high open ceilings and was completely constructed by the Zampognas and their family. Wine tastings, $3 for six samples and a souvenier glass, are handled at a small bar within the large gift shop. Shelves behind the bar display the numerous awards and accolades that Flickerwood has earned for their wide range of wines. Not only is there a sense of pride in the wines produced here, but also an immense sense of pride and love for their family.

Of twenty-four wines ranging from dry to sweet, as well as three fruit wines, it was a chore to decide on just six. Luckily, a promise to "swish and spit" - and certainly a dash of charm - was all I needed in order to taste through a larger selection. Sue was delighted to have us at the bar, telling us all about the family, the businesses history, and plans for the future. Following is a brief synopsis of the wines I sampled.

• Oaked Chardonnay - buttery with yellow apple and mellow acidity
  
• Un-oaked Chardonnay - fruit forward, crisp and lively acidity, fresh apple
  
• Pinot Grigio - light oak, pear, lemon and grapefruit
  
• Riesling - apricot, peach, and apple
  
• Gewürtztraminer - honeyed nose, peach and apple with spice and citrus on finish
  
• Syrah - soft oak, smoke and sweet tobacco, dark fruit with a smooth finish
  
• De Chaunac - smoky aromas, with raspberry and bacon flavors
  
• Rose Bud Red - blend of Merlot & Cab Sauvignon, medium dry with red fruit including cherry and red raspberry
  
• Semi-dry Marechal Foch - fresh grapes and blackberry, with light tannin
  
• Semi-sweet Marechal Foch - fresh grapes but with more lively sweet berry
• Whitetail Country White - Vignoles, tropical fruit including banana and pineapple
  
• Sweet Angel Red - blend of Concord and Baco Noir, sweet grapes with tart raspberry
  
• Sleepy Hollow Red - blend of Concord and Niagara, a light bodied marriage of sweet and tart fruit
  
• Ruby Z - the "original" blush, Concord, Niagara, and Catawba, fruity and approachable
  
• Geisenberry - raspberry on the nose, lemon and rhubarb
  
• Flickerberry Dew - raspberry dessert wine, jammy and stewed fruit
  Flickerwood's complete wine list
  

Okay, so I actually tasted through more than two-thirds of the wine list, but it offered a good sense of what Ron, who has been making wines for 30+ years, has worked so hard to achieve with the wide range of styles and choices available to Flickerwood patrons. Both Libby and I singled out the recently bottled 2006 Syrah as our favorite, which as it turns out is also Ron's wine of choice.

After our tasting we took a short tour of the wine cellar to see a number of large stainless steel vats, eight oak barrels, and the bottling line. Ron and six other workers who help in the cellar bottle everything by hand, filling six bottles at a time and then corking, capping, and labeling each one. He said they could get through about 100 gallons in an hour. Their production is average for a winery in Pennsylvania - apologies for failing to remember the exact amount - and the business is soon to expand to a wine tasting room and retail shop just outside of Philadelphia, which will be run by two of their daughters.

I can't speak highly enough of the Zampogna's hospitality and eagerness to share their passion for wine. I would highly recommend making a stop to visit them if you find yourself in the area, as their extensive selection is certain to have wines for every taste - red, white, dry, sweet, light, and full.

Cheers!

To see more photos of our trip visit my Web Album.

Family-owned winery, leader in Northeast Ohio

In northeast Ohio's wine world, there are a couple names that are known to most visitors even before visiting - though to a first time visitor, Debevc might not be one of those names. However, Debonné Vineyards (owned and run by the Debevc family) is definitely a leader within our small but growing niche in the country. This family oriented winery provides structure and value to the local community with their long established vineyards and expansive wine list, community events, and innovation within the industry.

With vineyards dating back to pre-Prohibition days in 1916, Debonné got it's official start in March of 1972. Tony Debevc, Sr. and son Anthony began the business after realizing the potential for French-American hybrids in the Grand River Valley growing region. Expanding plantings from the original Concord, Niagara, and Catawba to include Seyval Blanc, Baco Noir, Chancellor and DeChaunac was just the beginning. Today the winery owns 127 acres of grapes also including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc. Being a cool climate region, the Grand River Valley is a perfect host for these varieties.

With all of these different grapes to choose from, it's no surprise that the selection of wines and styles at Debonné is one of the largest in the region. With up to twenty four current choices the list continues to grow and evolve each year outside of the flagship wines.

Following are some notes in brief of a selection of wines.

Pinot Gris: full bodied, dry white; citrus zest and grapefruit aromas; creamy on the palate with floral and citrus flavors. Good to pair with food including fish, pork, and green vegetables.
Chardonnay (Reserve): golden color; butterscotch with light citrus on the nose, oak from barrel fermentation; subtle acidity and similar flavors make this wine rich and savory.
Grand Bélo: Bright and clear; fresh fruit including pear and yellow apple; soft acidity but ample citrus and apple flavors. Blend of Seyval and Vidal Blanc, very approachable and refreshing.
Other white wines: Chardonnay, Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Jazz White (blend)

Cab/Cab: blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah - deeper red color; dark fruit and vegetal aromas; dry and full bodied with nice tannins and flavors of oak, plum, and green pepper.
Classic Red: Medium bodied, dry red made from a blend of French-hybrids; cherry, plum, and dried fruit characteristics with soft tannins.
Grand Dolína: Bright red in color; aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry, and cranberry; off-dry with light tannin and acidity.
Other red wines: Pinot Noir/Syrah, Merlot, Chambourcin, Harmony (blend), a Cab (blend)

Riesling Reserve: Clear and golden in color; aromas of stone fruit and floral; 3 percent residual sugar gives this wine some sweetness and compliments the peach, apricot, and minerality.
Ice Wine: a rich dessert wine with notes of honey, floral, and citrus; nice acidity balances the sweetness so it isn't overwhelming.
Other semi-sweet to sweet wines: Delaware, River Blush, River Rouge, River Blanc, Pink Catawba, Classic Rosé, Razzberry Riesling

With so many options you could spend an afternoon simply tasting through the wines available. However, Debonné also offers a variety of menu items year round.

Additionally the winery is host to numerous events. Annually the hot air balloon rally, classic car show, and ice wine festival draw crowds from Ohio and beyond. Debonné also works with other local wineries to host progressive dinners.

Fostering a sense of innovation and creativity the winery also offers a full micro-brewery, CellarRats Brewery. Also a host of unique blends of wine will be offered in the coming vintages. Still a family venture Tony Debevc is current President, his father having retired and mother acting as Treasurer. Mr. Debevc's wife, Beth, is Secretary and runs retail sales. Their son, another Tony, is part of the trio that founded Cellar Rats Brewery with wine maker Ed Trebets and assistant wine maker/brewer Brian Burns.

Debonné Vineyars is located at 7743 Doty Road, Madison, Ohio 44057. You can contact the winery by phone at (440) 466-3485or via their website, www.debonne.com. Winery hours are Monday and Tuesday from 12-6pm, Wednesday and Friday from 12-11pm, Thursday and Saturday 12-8pm, and Sunday 1-6pm. You can get a bite to eat throughout the year, and in the summer The Grill is open for expanded dining options.

Community centric winery advocates good wine and good times

Sitting back under a large green umbrella with some friends, sunlight pouring around us, was how a tasting at Grand River Cellars began. A number of other customers were enjoying the sunny afternoon on the expansive patio attached to the winery, set back from Route 528 amidst a grove of trees. Inside a large dining room, comfy seating surrounding a custom built fireplace, and a wrap-around tasting bar signal that the experience at this winery is definitely focused around the atmosphere.

Grand River Cellars was established as the Grand River Wine Co. in 1976, owned and operated by Bill and Carol Worthy. For over twenty years the winery built and established a reputation for producing classic varietals. A change of ownership occurred in 1998, creating Claire's Grand River Winery, and a short seven years later the winery was transferred to the current ownership. Tony Debevc, owner of Debonné Vineyards, took over production with wine maker Ed Trebets, greatly increasing the quality which had lapsed since the Worthy's sold the business. Cindy Lindberg, psychologist from Mayfield Schools, oversees the winery's operations.

It should be noted that regardless of the connection with Debonné Vineyards, Grand River offers a diverse and unique wine menu to visitors. Additionally, the winery offers a full lunch and dinner menu, as well as live music every weekend. Wines include a selection of reds and whites that range from cool climate dry styles to fruity and recognizable native varieties. Following is a brief selection of some of the wines we sampled.

2006 Grand River Valley Pinot Grigio: full bodied white with citrus and pear characteristics; grapefruit, lemon, and apple on the nose, paired up with the artichoke asiago appetizer this is a great food wine.
2007 Grand River Valley Riesling: light, and fruity - this is certainly a Riesling made in a drier style with crisp green apple on the nose and palate; refreshing acidity makes it a wonderful bottle to sip on a hot summer day.
Other white wines: GRV Chardonnay ('07), Austin's White (blend)

Austin's Red: medium bodied blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah; Soft tanning and full fruit characteristics make this wine very approachable; cherry, raspberry, and subtle oak are perfectly paired with a hearty meal or your favorite chocolate dessert.
American Merlot: toasted oak, tobacco, and plum on the nose; a dry, medium plus bodied wine with black fruit on the palate round this wine out with a nice finish.
Other red wines: Stonewood Red (blend)

Stonewood Blush: a fruity blend of Riesling, Seyval Blanc, and DeChaunac; semi-sweet wine with citrus, raspberry, and strawberry.
Other sweet wines: Stonewood White Fox (Niagara), Stonewood Wine Hound Red (Concord), 2006 GRV Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

In addition to wines for all tastes, Grand River Cellars is deeply involved in serving the community at large. Lindberg, who is a member of the Madison/Perry chamber of commerce, also organizes and participates in local fund raisers, charities, and advocacy organizations. There are even two wines dedicated to raising money towards finding a cure for Autism - Austin's Red and Austin's White. Proceeds are given to the North East Ohio Autism Group. Lindberg is serious about community involvement, and supporting the local business, and hopes that customers can "come out and enjoy themselves, and forget about their daily worries."

The winery will be soon introducing a red Zinfandel, and also the newest release of last year's very popular American Merlot Reserve. These will definitely be of interest to wine drinkers who enjoy full bodied, rich reds.

Grand River Cellars is located at 5750 South Madison Road (SR 528), Madison, Ohio 44057. You can contact the winery by phone at (440) 298-9839 or via their website, grandrivercellars.com. Winery and restaurant hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 12-8pm, Friday and Saturday 12-11pm, and Sunday 1-8pm. Over the summer the winery plans to expand their hours on Monday and Tuesday for wine and appetizers.


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Author's note: as full disclosure, please note that I am employed by Grand River Cellars, However my review is based on my personal tasting notes, and this connection bears no influence on the writing of this article.

Boutique winery produces saintly vintages

Turning down the drive to St. Joseph Vineyard in Thompson, you might think you've mistakenly intruded on some one's private residence. In fact, while not intruding, the cozy tasting room for this boutique winery is located behind the home of owners Art and Doreen Pietrzyk. Follow the gravel drive all the way to the back and you'll be rewarded with some amazing wines.

Art and Doreen, an engineer and accountant by trade respectively, opened their doors to the public in 1997, ten years after purchasing and tending to their private vineyard. The Pietrzyk's take great pride in their product and have put many years into developing the necessary skills and technique to craft their estate-grown wines. Having worked for a local wine producer, taking courses at Ohio State University, and conducting extensive research the couple were encouraged to start their business.

Our visit to St. Joseph was on a busy, sunny Saturday afternoon, but even amidst all the bustling Doreen was happy to take the time to speak with me about the wines. Christina, the wife of one of the winemakers, helped with our samples and provided helpful insight on the individual varietals and styles. The personal attention for every visitor who came through while we were there really spoke to their passion for wine and sharing it with others. Though St. Joseph's facility is not as large as some of the other well-known area wineries, there is a strong sense of welcome, and the added attention to the wines definitely shows through.

Currently with sixteen wines (8 whites, 6 reds, and 2 dessert wines) there is a wide range of options to choose from. Quantities of some bottles are limited, so if there's something you absolutely love I'd recommend getting it - last year I really enjoyed the Gewurztraminer, but now it is out of stock. From the full tasting, here are several of my favorites:

2006 Sauvignon Blanc: aromatic with fruit and floral notes; dry white with good acidity and soft flavors of citrus and fresh herbs.

2006 Chardonnay: oak and yellow apple on the nose; full bodied white with lime notes and refreshing acidity.

2007 Riesling: tropical fruit and apple aromas; crisp and tart green apple, pineapple, and lemon, just a touch of residual sugar.

Other white wines: Fumé Blanc, Chardonnay ('07), Viognier, Pinot Grigio, and Vidal Blanc

2007 Reserve Pinot Noir: old-world with olive, black cherry, and earth in the nose; soft oak, cherry, and smoke with gentle tannin and lively acidity.

St. Joseph Noir (12+1): proprietary blend, light oak and fruit on the nose; flavors of raisin, plum, chocolate, and spice. Sourced from newly acquired Pinot Vista vineyard.

St. Joseph Noir (Sangiovese): spicy nose combining black pepper with red fruit; long lasting acidity, good tannin structure, red fruit and spice on the palate.

Other red wines: Pinot Noir Select ('07), Shiraz, and Merlot

Vidal Blanc Ice Wine: honeysuckle aromas with citrus; flavors of bergamot orange and honey with a pleasant acid level.

Cabernet Franc Ice Wine: A unique wine well-made in the area; aromas of dried fruit; raisin, prune, tart cherry, and citrus.

Every wine produced at St. Joseph shows a well-based knowledge of wine making and also merits the pride that Art and Doreen take in their work. With many inspirations from old world France and Italy the end-product takes advantage of the Grand River Valley's unique micro-climate. Both agree that "good wine starts in the vineyard," which is why they put so much time and effort into their vines. You can always taste good quality.

Doreen encourages visitors to "come out and see the vineyards and taste the quality of wine we're producing." As for Ohio wine she insists that the "quality has improved one hindered per cent" over the years, and new wine-lovers or those who may have dismissed Ohio wines in the past alike will hopefully be surprised. St. Joseph in particular is beginning to experiment with other Italian varietals which should prove for exciting wines given their already very good Sangiovese.

St. Joseph Vineyard is located at 6060 Madison Road (SR 528), Thompson, Ohio 44086. You can contact the winery by phone at (440) 298-3709 or via their website, saintjosephvineyard.com. Tasting room hours are Friday from 5-7pm and Saturday 1-7pm, or at other times by appointment.

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Wineries of NE Ohio

Welcome to oe•no•phile's first special feature. Here you'll find in depth profiles of a number of the wineries located in northeast Ohio. These profiles are meant to give you a better look at the wines and those who make them in and around the Grand River Valley AVA. Please leave your thoughts and comments about your experience with the individual wineries. Cheers!

St. Joseph Vineyards
Grand River Cellars
Debonné Vineyards

Special: Local Micro-brew - Cellar Rats Brewery

Coming Soon

Ferrante Winery
Laleure Vineyards
Laurello Vineyards
Maple Ridge Vineyard
Old Firehouse Winery
South River Vineyard