• West Chester Wine Festival, Friday (tonight!) and Saturday at VOA Park
• Northern Ky Wine Festival at the Alexandria Fairgrounds in Alexandria, KY. This festival is closer, and better, than you think. We’ll be there, and hope to see you there too. You can read more about the festival here.
• Fleur des Fetes in Dayton. It’s not cheap, but the money goes to a good cause and you get to try some great wines and food. You can read more about the Fleur des Fetes here.

Also of note – The Liquor Cabinet in Hebron is having a special Australian Adventure night on Thursday, complete with wine, food, and a guest speaker. Cost is $20 and you need to make sure you RSVP by Monday. It sounds like fun!

Tuesday is election day in many places. In Kentucky, we’re doing something about the governor situation. Because of that, liquor stores won’t open until 6 pm.

As usual, it’s a big list, so we’ve compiled it on one
page for your reading pleasure. (For information on Dayton, you can
refer to Mark’s blog at Uncorked.) If you know of tastings or events that we missed in the Cincinnati area, please email us
and we’ll add it to the list.

You may note that the tastings in KY are mostly free, and the
tastings in Ohio charge at least .25. It’s illegal for a retailer to
give alcohol away in Ohio, so they charge you, but many times it’s a
nominal fee.

Tell them we sent you, and happy tasting!

Follow the "Continue reading" jump at the bottom for Friday, 5/18 -
Thursday, 5/24 tastings. Upcoming events that require
reservations or attracted my attention are listed at the end.

Friday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

Saturday Interactive Wine Tasting Map

 Download 0518.pdf
(An easy-to-print PDF of all the events in this blog post)

You can also click the map icons in the detailed listings to view the maps.

Cheers!

FRIDAY 5/18 

Awakenings Coffee & Tea Company
2734 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.324.2525
Wine Tasting: Organic & Biodynamic Wines (Green Wine)
6:30-8:30 pm, $18

Bigg’s Hypermarket – Mason
9600 Mason-Montgomery Road
Mason, OH 45040
513.459.8809
Schmitt-Sohne German Wines
6:30 – 8:30 pm, $5

Bridgetown Finer Meats & Wine Shop
6139 Bridgetown Road
Cincinnati, OH 45248
513.574.3900
General wine tasting
4-7 pm, $5

Chateau Pomije
2021 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.871.8788
On the deck, weather permitting
Casual Friday: Andrea Elliott Vintage Wines
5:30-8:30 pm, $15/ 5 wines

Cork-n-Bottle
Two locations:
501 Crescent Ave, Covington, KY 41011
859.261.8333
2446 Anderson Rd (Buttermilk Pike location),
Crescent Springs, KY 41017
859.341.9600
Casual tastings: Fresh Picks & Varietals
4 – 8 pm, Free

Daveed’s
934 Hatch Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.2665
Tapas and wine tasting
Wine provided by Jennifer Petrey of Tramonte and Sons.
6 pm, $35 food only. Wine available for purchase.
Reservations required.

Henke Winery
3077 Harrison Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45211
513.662.9463
General tasting
3 pm – 11 pm, $5/7 pours or $1 each
Reservations required: 5-9 pm

Kroger Liquor Store – Ft. Mitchell
2156 Dixie Highway
Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017
859.331.0078
General Tasting
5-7 pm, Free

Kroger – Miami Township
6388 Branch Hill-Guinea Pike
Cincinnati, OH
513.697.4800
General Tasting
5-8 pm, .25/pour

Liquor Direct Covington 
670 West 3^rd Street
Covington, KY 41011
859.291.2550
Prospero
4-8 pm, Free

Liquor Direct Ft. Thomas
90 W. Alexandria Pike
Ft. Thomas, KY 41075
859.781.8105
White Bordeaux
4-8 pm, Free

Little Sonoma
6078 West Chester Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.942.WINE
Wine Trends Favorite 5, with Melissa Rush
7 pm, $15
Reservations recommended.

Ludlow Wines
339 Ludlow Avenue
Cincinnati (Clifton), OH 45220
513.751.3727
New Zealand Wines
7 pm, $20
Reservations requested.

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
Cellar Tasting: Pinot Noir
6:30 pm, $60/pp
Reservations required.
ALSO
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

O’Bryan’s Wine & State Liquor Agency
8972 Columbia Road
Loveland, OH 45140
513.683.2082
Wine Tasting: Springtime Favorites with Don Wetterer (O’Bryan’s Wine Manager)
5-8 pm, .50/taste

Piazza Discepoli
5872 Cheviot Road
Cincinnati, OH 45247
513.923.1300
AND
23 Village Square
Glendale, OH 45246
513.771.6611
Wine Tastings
5 pm, $7

Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Kentucky
wines
5-9 pm, $8 (includes 6 wines and a souvenir glass)

The Liquor Cabinet
1900 North Bend Road
Hebron, KY 41048
859-586-9270 
Blind tasting: Reds and whites
4-8 pm, Free

The Wine C.A.R.T
6206 Mulhauser Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.860.WINE
Wine Tasting: Summer wine needs, from spritzers to big reds, with Devin Sena from Lion Group   
5:30-8 pm, $10

The Wine Cellar
1101 St. Gregory Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.241.9009
Weekly Wine Tastings
7:30 pm

The Wine List
7731 Tylers Place Blvd
West Chester, OH
513-755-3300
Casual Tastings
Friday afternoons, .25 per taste

The Wine Merchant
3972 Edwards Road
Cincinnati, OH 45209
513-731-1515
Barbeque wines
6-8 pm, $15/8 pours

The Wine Store 
9905 Montgomery Road
Montgomery, OH 45242
513.984.9463
Wine Bar Tasting
4-7 pm, .50/taste

West Chester Wine Festival, with Ohio-made wines
Voice of America Park
Tylersville Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.759.7304
12 – 9 pm, Free admission.
Tasting tickets: .50, Parking: $5

Wine World
7737 Five Mile Road
Cincinnati, OH 45230
513.232.6611
French wines, with Joe Clark of Cutting Edge
6 pm, $10/person

SATURDAY 5/19

Awakenings Coffee & Tea Company
2734 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.324.2525
Wine Tasting: Tour de France
2-8 pm, $15

Bigg’s: Hyde Park
3872 Paxton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH
Beer Tastings & Wine Tastings
1-4 pm, .25/pour

Bridgetown Finer Meats & Wine Shop
6139 Bridgetown Road
Cincinnati, OH 45248
513.574.3900
General wine tasting
1-5 pm, $5

Cincinnati Wine Warehouse

6611 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45227
513-272-2666
General tastings – refer to web site for themes and cost
1-4 pm

Cork-n-Bottle
Two locations:
501 Crescent Ave, Covington, KY 41011
859.261.8333
2446 Anderson Rd (Buttermilk Pike location),
Crescent Springs, KY 41017
859.341.9600
Casual tastings: Fresh Picks & Varietals
1-5 pm, Free

Dilly Deli
6818 Wooster Pike
Mariemont, OH 45227
513.561.5233
Saturday wine tastings
12-3 pm, .50/taste

Liquor Direct Covington 
670 West 3rd Street
Covington, KY 41011
859.291.2550
White Bordeaux
12-4 pm, Free

Liquor Direct Ft. Thomas
90 W. Alexandria Pike
Ft. Thomas, KY 41075
859.781.8105
Prospero
12-4 pm, Free

Little Sonoma
6078 West Chester Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.942.WINE
New Finds! Wines recently arrived on our shelves.
3-6 pm, $5/4 pours

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

Northern Kentucky Wine Festival
Alexandria Fairgrounds
100 Fairgrounds Lane
Alexandria, KY 41001
For more information, contact 859.643.1010
2-9 pm, $15/person (includes 5 sampling tickets) or $5 general admission
Read our preview.
Read our experience judging.
We’ll see you there!

Party Town
6823 Burlington Pike (at Turfway)
Florence, KY 41042
859.371.4466
Casual tastings
3-5 pm, Free

Piazza Discepoli
7754 Camargo Road
Madeira, OH 45243
513.561.6956
Wine Tastings
12 pm, $7

River’s Bend Wine & Spirits
The Shoppes at Grandin
6052 S. Ohio 48
Maineville, OH
513.494.9420
Phil’s Casual Tasting
4-6 pm

Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Kentucky
wines
1-6 pm, $8 (includes 6 wines and a souvenir glass)

The Liquor Cabinet
1900 North Bend Road
Hebron, KY 41048
859-586-9270
Blind tasting: Reds and whites 
4-8 pm, Free
ALSO
Tasting in the Courtyard
5:30 – 8 pm, Free

The Party
Source
95 Riviera Drive
Bellevue, KY 41073
859.291.4007
The Wine Importer Tells All: France’s Greatest Hits, with Steve Gaucher
2-4 pm, $20
Includes a $12 Party Source gift card
Reservations required.

The Wine List
7731 Tylers Place Blvd
West Chester, OH
513-755-3300
Casual Tastings
Saturday afternoons, .25 per taste

The Wine Store
9905 Montgomery Road
Montgomery, OH 45242
513.984.9463
Wine Bar Tasting
4-7 pm, .50/taste
ALSO
Spring Wine & Food Fest
1-6 pm, $3/4 pours

Top Shelf Sports Grille
1990 North Bend Road
Hebron, KY 41048
859.534.5910
Bourbon Tastings: Food and tastings of Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Old Forester, and Jim Beam Black
Begins at 3:30 pm, $15/pp
Reservations required.

West Chester Wine Festival, with Ohio-made wines
Voice of America Park
Tylersville Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.759.7304
12 – 9 pm, Free admission.
Tasting tickets: .50, Parking: $5

Woodstone Creek Winery &
Distillery
3641 Newton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45207
513.569.0300
Sample 16 wines. Includes dry to sweet varietals, mead, port, and keepsake wine glass.
ALSO
Mead tasting for Festival of Beltane
1 – 5 pm, $10

SUNDAY 5/20

Awakenings Coffee & Tea Company
2734 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.324.2525
Wine Tasting: Tour de France 
4-10 pm, $15

16th Annual Fleur de Fetes
benefiting the Wellness Connection
Under the Big Tent, rain or shine
Carillon Historical Park
Dayton, OH
For more information, contact 937.223.4117 x 107
1-4 pm, $50 in advance/$60 day of
You can read more about the Fleur de Fetes on Mark’s blog.

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

Party Town
6823 Burlington Pike (at Turfway)
Florence, KY 41042
859.371.4466
Casual tastings with JP
3-5 pm, Free

Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Kentucky
wines
1-6 pm, $8 (includes 6 wines and a souvenir glass)

MONDAY 5/21

Henke Winery
3077 Harrison Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45211
513.662.9463
General tasting
5-9 pm, $5/7 pours or $1 each

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

The Wine C.A.R.T
6206 Mulhauser Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.860.WINE
Monday Magic
6 – 10 pm, Free

TUESDAY 5/22

Don’t forget! Tuesday is election day! Liquor stores in Kentucky will not open until 6 pm.

City Cellars
908 Race Street
Cincinnati, OH
513.621.9463
Regular discussions & tastings
5:30 pm, $6
Reservations requested.

Glendale Pub Wine Dinner
269 East Sharon Road
Cincinnati, OH 45246
513.984.9463
Four-course dinner featuring international wines
Presented by the Association for Affordable Great Food & Wine
7 pm, $40
Reservations required by May 21.

Henke Winery
3077 Harrison Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45211
513.662.9463
Winemaker’s tasting
5 – 9 pm, $5/7 pours or $1 each

La Petite France
3177 Glendale-Milford Road
Evendale, OH 45241
513.733.8383
Tuesday Evening Winter Weekday Special
1 bottle of fine wine for $10 along with
purchase of 2 special prix fixe dinners at $30/person

MicroWines

7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

The Wine C.A.R.T
6206 Mulhauser Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.860.WINE
Finale Party: Dancing with the Stars Season Finale
Includes all-you-can-eat pizza and one glass of wine
8 pm, $12
Reservations required.

WEDNESDAY 5/23

Awakenings Coffee & Tea Company
2734 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.324.2525
Regular Tasting
6:30-8:30 pm, $18

Henke Winery
3077 Harrison Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45211
513.662.9463
General tasting
5-9 pm, $5/7 pours or $1 each

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week.

The Party
Source
95 Riviera Drive
Bellevue, KY 41073
859.291.4007
Dry Sherry: Spain’s Classic is World’s Best Wine Value, with Jay Erisman
(Read a post Jay wrote for this blog.)
Includes a tapas sampler.
6-8 pm, $20
Includes a $12 Party Source gift card
Reservations required.
Cancelled due to prospective low attendance.

The Wine C.A.R.T
6206 Mulhauser Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.860.WINE
May Birthday Party: Celebrating those with birthdays in the month of May
6:00-8 pm

THURSDAY 5/24

Cork-n-Bottle
Two locations:
501 Crescent Ave, Covington, KY 41011
859.261.8333
2446 Anderson Rd (Buttermilk Pike location), Crescent Springs, KY 41017
859.341.9600
Casual Tastings: Fresh Spring Picks
5-8 pm, Free

Kona Bistro
3012 Madison Road
Oakley Square, Oakley, OH
513.842.5662
Wine Appreciation Night: 20% off all bottles

MicroWines
7292 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH
513.794.9463
2 flights of 4 wines at their Tasting Table, all day, 7 days a week

Oriental Wok Cooking Class & Wine Tasting
Oriental Wok
317 Buttermilk Pike
Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017
513.331.3300
6-8:30 pm, $46/pp
Reservations required.

The Liquor Cabinet
1900 North Bend Road
Hebron, KY 41048
859-586-9270 
Australian Adventure: Wine & Food Event
Guest Speaker: John Evans from Ravensdale Group
6:45-8 pm, $20
RSVP by Monday, May 21

The Party
Source
95 Riviera Drive
Bellevue, KY 41073
859.291.4007
Bourbon Tasting: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, with Drew Kulsveen
6-8 pm, $20
Reservations required.

The Wine C.A.R.T
6206 Mulhauser Road
West Chester, OH 45069
513.860.WINE
Singles Night Happy Hour: Participants are split into four teams, where they will each do a blind
tasting of red and white wines. The team that correctly identifies the
varietal, aromas, body style (light, medium, full) and retail price
range wins. An array of appetizers will be served for your pleasure in
pairing your wine and food choices.
7-9 pm, $25 advance, $30 night of event
Registration required.

The Wine Store 
9905 Montgomery Road
Montgomery, OH 45242
513.984.9463
Thursday Wine Tasting: Lingenfelder Winery, Germany
7 pm, $15
Reservations required.

UPCOMING EVENTS: MAKE RESERVATIONS SOON!

May 25
La Petite France
3177 Glendale-Milford Road
Evendale, OH 45241
513.733.8383
Taste of France Monthly Wine Dinner
Last Friday of each month
Includes a 3-course menu and aperitif from the featured region
Reservations required.

May 26
Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Winery Dinner: BBQ ribs or chicken
6:30 pm, $20/person
Reservations required.

Taste of Cincinnati
5th Street from Race to Broadway
Downtown Cincinnati
12 pm – 12 am
Also Sunday and Monday.

May 27
Taste of Cincinnati
5th Street from Race to Broadway
Downtown Cincinnati
12 pm – 12 am
Also Saturday and Monday.

May 28, Memorial Day Monday
Taste of Cincinnati
5th Street from Race to Broadway
Downtown Cincinnati
Food, drink & live music
12 pm – 9 pm
Also Saturday and Sunday.

May 30
Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.ARTS
In Wine There is Truth: What’s the Connection?
Learn how wine has inspired art through the ages: with Dr. Carl Bryant
Followed by a wine tasting with Paul Ortiz, Cincinnati Wine School
7 pm, $20 public/$10 members
Reservations required.

Encore Bistro and Bar - Loveland
Wine Dinner
9521 Fields-Ertel Road
Loveland, OH 45140
513.683.2082
Wine provided by O’Bryan’s Wine & State Liquor Agency
6 pm, $40/pp
Reservations required.

June 1
National City Ohio Wine Festival
2nd Street Public Market
MetroPark, Downtown Dayton
5-10 pm, $13-$15 admission (includes glass, 10 tasting tickets)

June 2
Iron Horse Inn Monthly Wine Dinners
40 Village Square
Glendale, OH 45246
513.771.4787
1st Saturday of each month, 7 pm
3rd Tuesday of each month, 6:30 pm
$60 per person, all inclusive
Reservations required.

National City Ohio Wine Festival
2nd Street Public Market
MetroPark, Downtown Dayton
Wine by the glass or by the bottle
11 am – 8 pm, Free

June 7
17th Annual Taste of Duveneck
Cincinnati Art Museum
Eden Park
Cincinnati, OH
Signature dishes and international wines from Cincinnati’s finest restaurants and wine distributors in the Biergarten
For tickets, call 513.721.ARTS.
Tickets (per person): $200 benefactor, $125 patron, $75 general

June 8
Concours d’Elegance Grand Gala
Peterloon Estate
8605 Hopewell Road
Indian Hill, OH 45242
513.321.1951
Catered old world dinner, classic entertainment, and vintage wine auction. Benefits the Arthritis Foundation.
6-11 pm, $125/pp
Reservations required.

Lore of the Vines
Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve
3455 Poole Road
Cincinnati, OH 45251
513.521.7275
Henke, Harmony Hill, and Vinoklet will be showcasing their wines. Hors d’oevres, souvenir glasses, and wine tasting.
6:30 pm, $20
Reservations required by June 1. Online registration available.

June 9
In Wine There is Truth
Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.2787
Beverage-inspired gallery stroll and wine tasting with Paul Ortiz, Cincinnati Wine School
1 pm, $20 ($10 members)

June 12
Chefapalooza
Midwest Culinary Institute
Cincinnati State
3250 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45223
513.569.1568
Benefiting 7 Days for SIDS.
Jean-Robert de Cavel, Nathalie Depree, and David Cook of Daveeds
Includes prepared food samples paired with wine.
5:30 – 9:30 pm, $125 VIP/$75 General
Reservations required.

June 14
Bacchanalian Society
Spring Wine Tasting
June 14 – more details to come later.

June 15
7 Days for SIDS Benefit Luncheon
Jean-Robert at Pigall’s
127 West 4th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
5-course luncheon with wine
12 pm, $100/pp
Reservations required. Contact Richard Brown at 513.721.1345.

June 16
Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Winery Dinner: Chicken or Steak
6:30 pm, $20-$22/person
Reservations required.

June 19
Bronte Cafe at Joseph-Beth
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.731.7770 x145
Corks & Courses: 4 course meal with paired wines
3rd Tuesday of each month
7 pm, $39.95/person or $350/table of 10
Reservations required.

Iron Horse Inn Monthly Wine Dinners
40 Village Square
Glendale, OH 45246
513.771.4787
1st Saturday of each month, 7 pm
3rd Tuesday of each month, 6:30 pm
$60 per person, all inclusive
Reservations required.

June 30
Stonebrook Winery
6570 Vineyard Lane
Camp Springs, KY 41059
859-635-0111
Summertime Grill-out
6:30 pm, $20/person
Reservations required.

Technorati tags:Cincinnati Wine, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Wine Events, Cincinnati Wine Tastings, Cincinnati Wine Dinners, Wine Tastings 

Last week we posted our Northern Kentucky Wine Trail of retailer tastings as well as a map of Cincinnati-area wineries. Friday, we posted two interactive Google maps of the most common retailer tastings from our weekly event listings.

Google MyMaps allows you to save your interactive map and share it with others. Here’s what we want you do:

1. Play around with Google MyMaps and create your own wine trail in the local area. (We’re open to Cincinnati and Dayton area wine trails.)
2. Submit the URL to me.

I’ll put them all together in a series of links on a constantly updated page, easily accessible from a link in the sidebar of this site. Basically, we’ll end up with a compendium of local wine trails. You can already see the link on the left hand side – it’s right there near the top.

Thanks for your participation!

There are a lot of wineries within an hour’s drive of the Cincinnati area. In fact, I came up with 14 of them today. Many of these wineries specialize in vinifera (as opposed to other fruit) and have brought back numerous awards from international and domestic wine festivals. Don’t you think it’s time you went to visit?

An interactive Google Map is available here.
Let me know if I missed any local wineries and I’ll add them.

Notice a lot of Google Maps popping up on this blog? It’s only the beginning. We’ve got a great idea using all these maps and we’ll unveil it on Monday morning.

I assume there is a similar trail, or two, or three, on the Ohio side of the river, but we haven’t searched for it yet. (If you know of one, post it in the comments below.)

Our trail is after the jump …

A Google Map of our Northern Ky Wine Trail is here. Green displays the trail inside the I-275 loop, blue is including Hebron on I-275.
 

1. Liquor Direct, Ft. Thomas
 90 W. Alexandria Pike
Ft. Thomas, KY 41075
859.781.8105
4-8 pm

2. Liquor Direct – Covington
670 West 3^rd Street
Covington, KY 41011
859.291.2550
4-8 pm

3. Cork n Bottle
501 Crescent Ave, Covington, KY 41011
859.261.8333
4-8 pm

4. Kroger Liquor Store – Ft. Mitchell
2156 Dixie Highway
Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017
859.331.0078
5-7 pm

5. Cork N Bottle
2446 Anderson Rd (Buttermilk Pike location)
Crescent Springs, KY 41017
859.341.9600
4-8 pm

6.
The Liquor Cabinet
1900 North Bend Road
Hebron, KY 41048
859-586-9270 
4-8 pm

Most of these folks also hold tastings on Saturday afternoons. On
Saturdays, however, you have to remove Kroger and substitute the
tasting at Party Town on Turfway Road. Of course, you can also do the
trail in reverse, depending on where you want to end up. We currently
live near Buttermilk Pike, so we start in Ft. Thomas. We’re probably
moving to the Ft. Thomas side later this year, so then we’ll start in
Hebron and work our way back.

Depending on time and mood, we might skip the Cork n Bottle
tastings. We’re getting to know the folks at Liquor Direct pretty well,
which is why they rarely get dropped from our travels.

Now you know where to find us almost every Friday after work. It’s
funny though. We’re not the only ones to hit the trail. We often see
several of the same folks, every week, at multiple locations. Tasting
is one of the great ways to try wines you might not normally get to
taste. This is free – why not?