My Wine Education

Weingut Affentaler Riesling (or the Purple Monkey)

First off, let me state that we received a bunch of sample Rieslings from "Destination Riesling" in New York in the hopes we'd get around to reviewing them. Since it's summer, and I prefer whites in summer, and we love German Riesling in this house, well, reviewing isn't going to be a hardship.

We started with the coolest bottle in the box: a 2006 Riesling Trocken (dry) from Weingut Affentaler near Baden, Germany. Why was it the coolest bottle? It has an embossed, hand-painted purple monkey, complete with fingers, toes, and tail. I commented that even if I hated the wine, I'm keeping the bottle forever. It's incredibly cool. The other thing we noticed the minute we took the bottle from the box was the sediment. I've never seen such a large amount of sediment in a Riesling. Between the monkey and the sediment, I had to make a little movie to show you, so here it is, with a caveat.

Caveat: I'm bad at filming and just playing with iMovie for the first time. I suspect my videos will progressively improve.

The materials we received show that this Purple Monkey is available for around $14.99 and imported by Niche Import, Co. Is it available around here? I'm not sure, but I doubt it. I hope I'd have noticed the monkey.

We chilled the wine, as one is wont to do with whites. But I actually preferred this wine as it warmed up a bit. The aroma was pungent, laced with petrol and green apple. The taste, while chilled, was extremely acidic with a really tart finish. The green apple trumped all other flavors. At this point, Kevin was kind of ho-hum on the wine.

Then it warmed up a bit. Once some of the chill wore off, the wine opened up. The acidity seemed a bit more controlled, and a lot of citrus started to peek through. In particular, I noticed orange peel and lemon.

We drank this wine as a standalone, but I suspect it would improve even more with food. The acidity would cut through a spicy or fatty dish with ease. The wine itself is filling; while not heavy exactly, it's not a light easy wine either. It's definitely got a bit of fullness to it, filling your entire mouth.

We both gave this wine a , but I suspect our "score" might improve by pairing this with food or even, perhaps, aging the wine a bit longer.

American Homebrewers Conference: Pro-Brewer Night

This is the last of the AHA posts. Next week - back to wine and wine reviews! In fact, watch on Monday for a cool Riesling review, complete with multi-media.

At the pro-brewer night, there were over 20 breweries serving over 75 different beers. This brave blogger attempted to try them all, but sadly my notes slowly degraded over the night. Most of what I can make out is that all the beers were good, but most of my notes seem to concentrate on updating our top three selections from across the different breweries. So I present the top three from both Michelle and myself.

Michelle's Top 3:

1. Festina Peche from Dogfish Head Brewing Company
2. Matlida from Goose Island Beer Co
3. Zoomer from New Holland Brewing Company

Kevin's Top 3:

1. Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout from Barley Island Brewing Co.
2. Oaked Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing Co.
3. Oro de Calabaza from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

We learned a lot about the use of brettanomyces (brett) in beer. In wine, brett is often accidental and not wanted (although it can be used judiciously). It can often cause a barnyard flavor in the wine. We were surprised to find it used in several beers, most notably from Goose Island and Jolly Pumpkin. Jolly Pumpkin specialized in using brett, lending a purposefully sour note to their beers. Michelle, however, accustomed to some poor uses of brett in wine, had trouble getting past the aroma. Not so with the Goose Island Matilda, a reserve beer that uses brett without cultivating the sour. It all added to a full and complex beer.

Looking at the list, I was apparently in the mood for a dark heavy beer, while Michelle was looking at the lighter summery offerings. Sadly, neither of us were able to try all the beers offered, but I think we covered a good amount between the two of us. I'd also like to thank New Holland for providing an extremely full final glass of Dragon's Milk to close out my night once they learned I was not driving. 

AHA Conference Wrap-up

The conference finished this past weekend and I have been trying to make sense out of some of my notes that I took during the various sessions and about the conference as a whole. The only negative was the lack of Wi-Fi in the conference area, but after Michelle added a little beer to my laptop, I believe I can understand why no one else was trying to take digital notes. In her defense, she was holding about 4 glasses of sample beer and trying to pass them to me as I was getting another set of refills. Which leads me to my list of very cool things about this conference, which is a list of random thoughts:

• The conference center has a robust yeasty smell that is noticeable when you walk in the door, no matter what time of day. It's not a bad smell at all and is a great indication of what the conference is about.
• Any session where beer is provided in a well loved session.
• Examples are great, in this case various recipes and styles of beer were provided to help illustrate the points made during the sessions.
• "Homebrewers," my friend Bill said at the conference, "like really good beer. It's just too expensive to buy really good beer all the time and that's why I brew my own."
• Saison was originally made in the East of Belgium and referred to a season, not produced in the West in a specific style.
• Pro-Brewers night had over 20 brewery's represented with over 75 different beers. Club night, amazingly, puts the pro-brewer night to shame.
• Sam Adams really did start off as a true home brew.
• The Hospitality Suite is open to everyone and has a lot of really good beers.
• When determining what barrel to use to age beer in, wine barrels tend to have more tannins and vanilla flavors remaining as opposed to bourbon barrels.
• When you age a beer in bourbon barrels, the type of beer needs to be taken into consideration. A lighter beer has a great balance at 90 -180 days, with more oak and less bourbon as time progresses. A darker beer, like a porter or stout, tends to do better earlier, in the 90 day range as a maximum before the beer becomes too sweet.
• People who brew, love to share and challenge themselves to create the best beer possible, not just to copy styles and tastes that others have already created.
• Brettanomyces is not a bad thing in brewing.

I really enjoyed seeing the people who were getting recharged listening to the different discussions and asking very detailed questions about the various steps in order to go home and try some of the new techniques learned during the conference. On Thursday I'll post a review of the different beers we tried during the conference.

I'd like to wrap up with a thank you to the Brewers Association and encourage anyone who is interested to attend the 2009 Conference in San Fransisco. This is a conference where people are passionate about their hobby and willing to share information and stories with anyone, oddly enough, over a beer. Even a non-brewer like myself was welcomed and ended up learning a lot about various styles, beer history and what goes into making high quality beer.

Featured Cincinnati Wine Events 6/20 - 6/26

It's a slow week as far as wine tastings go, but I do recommend checking out the Downtown Big To-Do on Friday. It's "a progressive happy hour that winds through the 10 member restaurants of the Do Downtown Group for cocktails and sample tastes."

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Image by Flickr user darajan via Creative Commons.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is also hosting a Wine Tasting in the new National City Pavilion at Riverbend this Sunday at 6pm. After the tasting, a concert featuring music from several European wine regions will ensue - performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Eric Dudley conducting.  Guest violinist Mikhail Simonyan will perform on this concert with works by Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Respighi and others.

For the full list of Cincinnati tastings, both one-time and recurring, refer to our Google Calendar on this page. For information on what's going on in Dayton, you can refer to Mark's blog at Uncorked.

Tell the retailers we sent you, and have a great weekend!

Friday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

Saturday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

Featured wine (and beer) events are after the jump.

Cheers!

American Homebrewers Association Kickoff

Shel and I went to pick up our press kits for the American Homebrewer's Association convention, which is happening in Sharonville, just north of Cincinnati this year. We received the regular press kit handouts: speaker lists, author schedules, press pass, beer glass and specially brewed beer. The last one might not be part of the standard conference welcome package, but after getting it home and chilling it off for a few hours, I'm happy to provide a quick write up on: Bosmo's Brewing Down the Haus in Zinzinnati Imperial Cream Ale and Fireball Mead.

The conference goes through Saturday and I will try and provide a few updates along the way. I'm not sure if there will any opportunity to live blog the events, but we will see what the next few days hold. Full reviews of the two conference beers after the jump.

Eat for the Cause!

I know I'm slacking this week - I've been down with a cold (no wine for me!) and trying to make The Switch to a Mac from a PC. It's not as easy as they make it sound. So forgive me.

A quick post now about the benefit tomorrow in memory of my sister. This one is easy to participate in. You just show up sometime between lunch and dinner and then eat. That's it. Here's all the information:

We invite you to come out and eat for our cause! On June 19, simply take this flyer to the Max & Erma's Crestview Hills location. When you order, present the flyer to your server. The Scholarship Fund receives 20% of every order with an attached flyer.  It couldn't be easier!

There are a few catches:

• We need to bring in around $5000 in sales over the course of the day to receive the proceeds. So grab your friends, family, and co-workers!
• You may not pass out flyers on Max & Erma's property. Any solicitation automatically forfeits the Scholarship proceeds.
• You MUST have the flyer in order to qualify for the donation.

If you need additional flyers you may make copies. We want you to share it with your friends!  If you can't make it, as I realize the Kentucky location isn't ideal for everyone, please forward this on to your friends and family who might be willing to eat at Max & Erma's on Thursday. Every little bit helps a lot!

Max & Erma's Crestview Hills is located near the Crestview Hills Town Center at 2905 Dixie Highway, Crestview Hills, KY, 41017.

Thanks again for your support and we hope you join us anytime on June 19! It's time to eat for the cause!

Featured Cincinnati Wine Events: 6/13-6/19

The lazy and hazy days of summer are definitely here. With that come some great outdoor tastings!

In addition, we have another event for my own charity this week. It couldn't be easier to get involved this time - all you need to do is eat. On Thursday, June 19, take this flyer to the Crestview Hills location of Max & Erma's. Give your flyer to your server. Order and eat. That's it!  The scholarship fund, in memory of my little sister, gets an automatic 20% of any table with that flyer in hand. So help out the Wine-Girl, and go have some cookies & ice cream at Max & Erma's Crestview Hills.

For the full list of Cincinnati tastings, both one-time and recurring, refer to our Google Calendar on this page. For information on what's going on in Dayton, you can refer to Mark's blog at Uncorked.

Tell the retailers we sent you, and have a great weekend!

Friday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

Saturday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

Featured wine (and beer) events are after the jump.

Cheers!

The New Summit Restaurant at Cincinnati State

It's a fun day for news around here - three posts in one day!

The Summit Restaurant has opened at Cincinnati State. I think this is a really cool thing, which is why I'm sharing it. The press release pretty much says it all though, so I'm just pasting it in:

The Summit Restaurant at The Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State now serves dinner to the public. Gourmet dishes are prepared fresh daily and served by well-trained students under the expert direction of Executive Chef Matthew Winterrowd, formerly the Chef de Cuisine of Daveed’s and a Cincinnati State culinary program graduate.

This is no ordinary restaurant. The goal of The Summit is to “entertain, communicate and educate all those who share an interest in the culinary arts by combining our passion for fine dining and guest centered service” says Kathleen Ruppert, spokesperson for The Summit. We serve our guests high quality foods, creatively prepared, and wines at a very reasonable price. Our culinary and hospitality students get a unique training opportunity with a top-quality chef and professional Dining Room Manager, Donna Schmitt, while our guests enjoy a fine-dining experience in a relaxed environment.

The Summit is open Thursday through Saturday evenings with reservations being taken on the half-hour beginning at 5:30pm. We are available for private parties and corporate functions. Complimentary valet is available. To make reservations at The Summit, call 513-569-4980 or www.opentable.com.   

Chateau Thomas Offers Slender, a Sugar Free Wine

Welcome!  You can also view our more recent post where we try a large number of wines - including Slender - at the Chateau Thomas tasting room in Nashville, Indiana.

I have to admit I'm curious about this.

Chateau Thomas is right up the road, really, with a tasting room in Nashville, IN (outside of Columbus, IN) and the winery in Plainfield, IN, close to the Indianapolis Airport. I've visited the Nashville tasting room, but it's been a few years. I remember preferring their wines to another tasting room I visited in Nashville, but that's as specific as I can get.

I can say that my experiences with Indiana wines are as hit and miss as my experiences with Kentucky wines. Some are great; some are (insert fruit of your choice here) fruit juice. So my curiosity is piqued with the announcement of Slender, a new sugar-free wine from Chateau Thomas.

Slender comes in White, Blush, and Red and claims to have no sugar, no carbs, no fats, and no aftertaste. All three are blends and contain Splenda.  If anything, this wine offers a great alternative for people like my mother, who suffer from Type I/juvenile diabetes.

Slender retails for $9.99 and is available at the winery, tasting room, and at several Indiana Crown Liquor stores.

Update: In the comments, Dr. Thomas notes that they have discontinued the wine with Splenda. They now carry "the new Slender wine which contains Erythritol, a no-calorie, zero glycemic, natural sweetener which tastes just like dextrose and has no aftertaste. Erythritol is the same sweetener used in Orbit gum." You can learn more on their web site. This new blend would also work nicely for my mom.

Jungle Jim's 3rd Annual BeerFest

Jungle Jim's is holding their 3rd Annual Beerfest on Friday, June 13. We can't go and I am so sad - it's a great price and a great time.

For $30 advance/$35 at the door, you get to enjoy beers from all over the world,  including world-class, gourmet, strong beers. Details on beer brewing and styles are stressed at the event; it's a great way to learn more about both the beers and the thoughts behind the brewing. Attendees can also enjoy live music, non-alcohol drinks, and purchase delicious food items.

Date: June 13, 2008
Time: 7pm-midnight
Cost: $30 Advance / $35 @ Door
Contact: http://www.junglejims.com or 513.674.6000
Jungle Jim's Int'l Market
5440 Dixie Highway
Fairfield, OH 45014