Come Drink with Me for Valentine’s Wines!

I’m in town again, for a few weeks, and thought I’d celebrate by drinking pink.

I’ll be hosting a wine tasting at Water Tower Fine Wines over in Mt Washington on Friday night, 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Cost is $15 for 6 wines, although if you get there early, there’s a bonus sparkler. There’s also a premium pour for an additional cost. (The premium pour I picked out retails for around $70/btl.) Dave & Jan at Water Tower usually put out a pretty impressive spread of appetizers, included in the price.

Here are the stunning rosés we’ll be trying:

• Early Bird Sparkler Selection: Alice Osé Brut (glera and marzemino blend – Italy)
• Skouras Zoë (agiorgitiko and moschofilero blend – Greece)
• Isabel Mondavi I’M (cabernet sauvignon – California)
• Montes Cherub (syrah – Chile) previous review
• Etude (pinot noir – California)
• Five Star Cellars Kynzie (sangiovese – Washington)
• Belle Glos (pinot noir – California) previous review
• Premium Pour: Vilmart & Co Cuvée Rubis (sparkling pinot noir with a splash of chardonnay)

So bring your sweetheart – or come by to pick out a wine for your sweetheart – and drink pink with us on Friday night (and we can toast to my actually being in town!)

Water Tower Fine Wines is located just up the hill from Riverbend, right across from the Mt Washington Water Tower.

Photo by JoliSoleil via Creative Commons.

Unique Gifting: Create Your Own Wine Glasses

Mary Jane Riggi has had a stained glass studio in Cincinnati for over 25 years. She has also been an adjunct professor in various aspects of stained glass at the University of Cincinnati’s Communiversity program for almost as long.

What does that have to do with the wine blog? Well, Mary Jane is hosting a wine glass painting class. Imagine painting your own stained glass wine glasses and giving them as Christmas gifts? I’m sort of in love with this idea.

You have just one opportunity to take this class, on Saturday, December 4, 12-4 pm. Classes are located at Mary Jane’s studio in Mt Airy. Class fee is $35 plus a supply fee of $25, which is payable to Mary Jane at the time of the class.  The supply fee includes up to 4 wine glasses, glass paints, etching cream, jewels and nuggets to make wine charms, and a refreshments after the class. Students will have the opportunity to paint/etch a large glass ornament at no additional charge, if there is time.

For more information, you can contact Mary Jane at 513-633-2788. You can register by calling Mary Jane or through the Communiversity program.

Annual Southern Ohio Barrel Tasting Returns!

It’s Thanksgiving and time to start shopping for gifts and, well, wine – not that we ever stop shopping for wine! If you are somehow mall-ed out (how is that possible?) on Saturday, Nov 27, you can relax in some of our fantastic local wineries.

Each year, a group of southern Ohio’s wineries open up their cellars for barrel samplings of unreleased vintages. I think this is the third year (don’t quote me on that) and I’ve yet to attend. We’re never in town for Thanksgiving weekend. But if you are, and if the weather cooperates, go visit some or all of the participating wineries.

Barrel Sampling at Kinkead Ridge

It’s a great opportunity to visit local wineries that are often closed in the winter and snatch up their latest releases … not to mention trying some of their unreleased samples. For this year’s Annual Ohio River Valley Barrel Tasting Tour, you can visit

• Kinkead Ridge Estate Winery in Ripley
• Meranda-Nixon Estate Winery in Ripley
• Harmony Hill Vineyards & Estate Winery in Bethel
• LaVigna Estate Winery in Higginsport
• Burnet Ridge Winery in Cincinnati
• Henke Winery in Cincinnati
• Woodstone Creek Winery in Cincinnati

Hours and tasting fees vary by winery, so make sure to check the web site for more information.

Enjoy!

More Tino Vino …

First an explanation, then an update.

I had to take down the post with Lindsay’s letter. I know, I know, perhaps I erred on the side of too much caution. I was treading a line I wasn’t personally comfortable with and, well, there were a myriad of other reasons as well. You had only to read the comments to figure some of them out.

I did correspond with Lindsay after I removed her letter and she updated me on some happenings on Tuesday. She let me know that as of October 13, the winery was evicted. Left with no recourse, the landlord dumped all the wine. Unfortunately, if you had wine at Tino Vino, it’s now gone.

My apologies to those of you who are genuinely interested in what is happening with Tino Vino. I wish I hadn’t had to take the letter down. I’m working things out, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to re-post it later.

Cheers,

Michelle

Northern Kentucky Wine Festival

I was sitting at the Cock & Bull in Covington last week when I saw the signs for the 2010 Northern Kentucky Wine Festival. Since it has moved to Mainstrasse, it’s been held in October on weekends when I am out of town. So I can’t go, but I hope you can!

This is the 5th annual event and it’s this Saturday, October 16, from 3-10 pm. Admission is only $10, which includes a souvenir wine glass and 4 tastings. Tickets for additional tastings and glasses of wine will also be available at $1 ea or 6 for $5 for additional tastings / $5 for a glass of wine.

This year, twelve wineries are confirmed, making the Northern KY Wine Festival the largest in the Commonwealth! Participating Wineries include the following:

• Lover’s Leap – Lawrenceburg, KY
• Acres of Land – Richmond, KY
• Stonebrook Winery – Camp Springs, KY
• Wight-Meyer – Shepherdsville, KY
• Black Barn Winery – Lexington, KY
• Elk Creek – Owenton, KY
• Baker-Bird Winery – Augusta, KY
• Atwood Hill – Morningview, KY
• Iron Pig – Union KY
• Horseshoe Bend – Willisburg, KY
• RiverBend Winery – Louisville, KY
• Seven Wells Winery – California, KY

In addition to the wine, there are always local artisans with booths. I used to always come home with at least one new piece of unique jewelry.

Take advantage of the autumn weather this weekend and head to Covington!