My Wine Education

Dream Job: I Need Your Help to Get It

What a week!  First the redesign, then the Cincinnati.com news. Now I've got one more bit of news, but this one requires YOUR help. A lot of your help.

You don't have to donate anything except about a minute of your time to click on something safe. I think you'll get a chuckle out of the whole thing too.

Murphy-Goode Winery is offering a 6-month, $60,000 position to someone who wants to promote the winery via social media. They'll even provide you with a rent-free home in Healdsburg. Seeing as how I'm a wine blogger and a social media consultant, it seems amazingly up my alley. I want this job. Really bad.

In order to get this job, I had to create a 1-minute video. I thought about embedding it below, but really, I want to drive you to the site to vote. You get a screen cap instead.

So many people seemed to just sit and talk about wine. I think wine is part of the job, but understanding social media and marketing is more important. So I tried to tell a story, and I used the Wizard of Oz to do it. Of course, it's also an excuse to dress up like Dorothy.

WinemeDineme readers will notice a guest appearance by Julie as the wonderful Glinda the Goode Wine Witch. The video was shot at Harmony Hill, so my HUGE thanks goes out to Bill, Patti, & Evan for letting us traipse through the vines and borrow their dog. Kevin, his brother Steve, and Steve's girlfriend Sarah round out the cast. Filming was done by recent foodie blogger, Bryan.

I created an accompanying web site at http://www.rainbowgoode.com. It's fun because it hosts the extended version (after all, it's hard to tell a story in a minute) and the blooper reel. The blooper reel still makes me laugh. Dogs are fun to work with ..

On the RainbowGoode site, you can view the various ways I'm trying to market the video, trying to drive votes. I am using every bit of social media I think is relevant - from my LinkedIn groups to this blog, from Facebook to Twitter. I picked up some Google AdWords and grabbed some bit.ly URLs. I'm amazed at the things that were available still. I'm also not discounting traditional media, sending press releases to everyone I can think of. Want one?

I'd love to make the Top 50 folks, and hopefully, the Top 10. At the very least, maybe I'll land a social media job of some sort from all this effort. But in order to do any of that, I need your votes. The contest ends June 19, so vote soon, vote often, and tell your friends!

... That's Fit to Print

Today I've got two big things to announce, so we'll start with the new partnership. I'm happy to say I've entered a partnership with Cincinnati.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer as one of the first members of their blogging network.

Julie and I met some folks from Cincinnati.com when we spoke several weeks ago at a Cincinnati Women Bloggers session. Cincinnati.com has been really reaching out to embrace social media in the last two years, and from my perspective, a partnership seems like a great way to drive new traffic. Julie and I will both be featured on the Living, Blogs, and Food pages. We've got other big ideas cooking with Cincinnati.com, so it should be an exciting year.

Now, in case you're worried, I haven't "sold out" to the Enquirer. You'll always find me at wine-girl.net. There's a badge over in the far right column of the site showing that I'm in their blog network, but that's it. That's the only change, except hopefully we'll see more readers and get some more conversations going in the comments.

For readers who are new, you can check out my policies and disclaimers.

•  I'll always let you know when I get a free bottle, meal, or class.
• Getting something free doesn't always mean I'll give it a good review.
• I reserve the right to delete your comments if you are rude or crude or are a spammer.
• I will still write what I want, when I want. Cincinnati.com isn't handing out story ideas or anything.

This is a fun new adventure. I look forward to meeting new readers and continuing the dialog with my loyal readers.

Cheers!

Michelle

Winery Week: Harmony Hill

Harmony Hill is by far my favorite place to end a day. They now have a farmer's market on Saturday afternoons, as well as live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

We've been here so many times that we didn't really have anything new to taste, but we did get a special treat. The Ovation is one of my favorites at Harmony Hill and winemaker Bill Skvarla let us try some right out the tank. The Ovation 2008 was going to be bottled last Wednesday.

Ovation is a blend of traminette (there it is again) and cayuga. It's was bright and fruity, with some spice behind it. This is a back-porch / back deck white if there ever was one. I have always wanted to buy a case of this for summer, but it hasn't happened yet. I really want a case of this particular wine. Why? Because Kevin and I helped harvest the grapes!

Bill told us that he ran into the high alcohol issues as well. What I love about Bill is that I can ask him a winemaking question and he'll answer me in regular old English. He loves to share the knowledge and he is great at explaining things. He told me that high alcohol tends to result from a long, hot growing season, coupled with a drought. It crankes up the brix, cranks up the alcohol. What's brix? I like this definition from Wines of Canada:

The measurement of soluble solids in grapes at harvest, taken with a refractometer and expressed in degrees. In unfermented grapes, degrees of Brix are approximately the same as percent of sugar. After fermentation, the alcohol concentration is roughly half the sugar concentration of the juice. Thus, grapes harvested at 22.5 degrees Brix will produce a wine with an alcohol content between 12.5 to 13.5%.

While we were at the winery, we also tried the 2006 Rhapsody, which is a blend of 94% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. I have no doubt we've tasted this many times before. This time, however, it surprised us. It seems to be turning into something similar to a Sangiovese, softening up the tannins and retaining the structure. Who knew? I love wine because it's dynamic, and this was the perfect example.

Opening weekend, Harmony Hill was packed. If you plan on going one evening this summer, make sure you get there early and bring your own picnic. With all the people, you might want to bring your own lawn chair or blanket as well. And even your dogs (on leashes) and kids if you want.

Winery Week: Meranda-Nixon

We'd met Seth and Tina, winemakers and proprietors, at the Wine Festival this year but hadn't had a chance to get to the winery. Since they're also in Ripley, not that far from Kinkead Ridge, we popped in before heading to Harmony Hill.

The first thing I learned is that Meranda-Nixon is wonderfully scenic. I got some great photos, despite the rainy, cloudy weather.

The next thing I learned is that Meranda-Nixon is open year-round, except for January. On weekends, they also offer dinner. Their tasting room/restaurant is lovely, decorated in a decidedly Tuscan style.

Like any winery after my heart, they have a couple vineyard dogs hanging around as well.

The last thing I learned? They make a large variety of wine. Whether you like sweet or dry, red or white, they've got it. I know we tried at least 10 different wines, of varying vintages, although I didn't get notes on all of them. Once again, I get busy chatting and my note-taking skills suffer.

As usual, a good endorsement is the fact we left with some wine. In this case, we took home 2 bottles of 2008 Traminette and 1 bottle of the Red Oak Creek red blend. Not that there weren't others we wanted -it's just that by winery #2 we were already up to a case.

After the jump, you'll find notes on several of the wines we got to try.

Winery Week: Kinkead Ridge

I never hide how much I love our local vineyards. We always try to put in appearances several times over the course of a summer. When the wineries opened this year on Memorial Day weekend, we were there. Of course, we chose to go on a rainy Monday, but that was alright. Even the rain couldn't dampen the fun.

Our first stop was Kinkead Ridge in Ripley. If you haven't been to Kinkead Ridge, the winery is in a little house on a residential street. The first time we went, we thought we were at the wrong place. Then you walk in and you see barrels and tanks everywhere. And people. The winery always seems to be filled with happy people mingling, tasting, and enjoying the wine.

This year they were able to release a bunch of new whites, including a Riesling, Traminette, Viognier-Roussanne, and the Revelation blend. Since their whites are actually my favorites, I was excited to try them. We were also lucky enough to get to taste the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the tank, and even two 2008 reds from the barrel.

I thought I'd taken better notes. When I sat down to write them up, I realized they're terrible. So my apologies on that. The best endorsement of all, of course, is what we went home with: 3 bottles of Viognier-Roussanne, 3 bottles of Revelation White, and 2 bottles of the River Village Cellars Traminette. We're thrilled enough with these that Kevin is taking a bottle of Revelation White and a bottle of the Viognier-Roussanne to the Wine Bloggers Conference with him in July.

Rob Barrett, the winemaker, creates what the grapes tell him to make. These releases are slightly higher in alcohol than you might expect. I heard that from several local winemakers this year though. The wines are balanced, however, so the alcohol will sneak up on you, as opposed to banging you on your head.

My absolute favorite of the Kinkead Ridge wines is the Viognier-Roussanne. The 2008 is 14.8% AbV, which means that I'll happily drink an entire bottle and then probably happily fall down. I am usually fairly sensitive to high-alcohol wines, but this one isn't hot at all. Ron may have contended with high alcohol, but he dealt with it superbly.

After the jump are the few notes I managed to scribble down. Did I mention how poor my notes were this time?

Party Town Adds a Tasting

We're about to brave the possibly inclement weather and head to Kinkead Ridge, Meranda-Nixon, and Harmony Hill for the day. Cross your fingers that the rain holds off for us.

Before we leave, I want to tell everyone about a new tasting that Party Town has added. It's on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 6-7 pm. This is in addition to their popular Saturday/Sunday tastings and their Friday night beer events.

I was told that soon, these Tuesday night tastings will become wine and food pairing events. They're starting off small, gauging interest. Since I know we all want these to evolve into pairing events, please go!

As always, wine tastings at Party Town are free!

Party Town is located at 6823 Burlington Pike, Florence, KY‎, right off Turfway Road. I'll see you there!

The Palace: $60 Thursday is back!

Ooo! One night only (and of course I'm busy). But you should go. Kevin and I had an amazing meal at the Palace the last two times they offered this deal and you should really treat yourself.

Not long ago, Julie and I got to interview the new Chef at the Palace, and test drive some new desserts for Pastry Chef Extraordinaire Summer Genetti. Chef Jose Salazar has some great ideas for the restaurant. He's lowered the prices and has created an approachable but classy menu. I'm a picky eater, but there is a lot I would eat on that menu. I've embedded a slideshow of some of my more recent visits to the Palace:

And of course, the desserts. Note that in the photos, some of the desserts have eyes. Summer knows I hate to eat things that look at me ... so no worries. You will probably not have cupcakes staring at you. But what good cupcakes they are!

Here's the deal. You and your date each enjoy a two-course meal, plus an amuse bouche to start and mini-pastries that arrive with your check. Dessert was a bonus that seemed to always be wrapped in as well, but no promises on that one. You also get a bottle of wine, and usually there is a decent selection from which to choose. The total - for the two of you and the bottle of wine - is $60, notwithstanding tax and gratuity. Trust me, it's a great opportunity to try a new restaurant that's always been a little intimidating in the past.

I love that this isn't a regular thing, but random and spur-of-the-moment. When you call to make reservations, tell them you read it on Wine-Girl. Reserve your spot by calling 513-381-3000.

The menu for this Thursday night is after the jump:

Harmony Hill Opens This Weekend

I talked about Kinkead Ridge last week and said that as I heard from each winery, I'd let you know their schedule. Looks like this weekend you can go visit Kinkead Ridge and Harmony Hill. I imagine you can throw in a stop at Meranda-Nixon and Lakeside as well.

Harmony Hill has changed their hours to make their weekends a bit more accessible to those of us who aren't morning people. You can now spend your afternoon well into your evening relaxing on their patio with a bottle of wine. Not only is the winery open on Friday evenings, but you can hang out on Saturdays from 2-9 pm. That also applies to Memorial Day and Labor Day Mondays.

Harmony Hill also has live entertainment on the patio sitting atop their wine cave. You can check the musical guests at their new online calendar. The first act plays from 2-5 pm and the "headliner" takes the stage at 5 pm until close.  

As always, Harmony Hill is dog and child friendly. They offer cheese plates, but you're welcome to bring your own picnic lunch and buy a bottle of wine. Don't forget to bring blankets or lawn chairs, as the place can get packed on Friday (and now probably Saturday) nights.

The winery was actually chock full of news in their latest email missive but this might be the best of the news flashes. They're going to be hosting The Market on The Hill - a farmer's market "in the truest sense" - from May 23 through Oct 3. The farmer's market is

... a one-stop shopping destination featuring grass fed beef, Icelandic lamb, free range poultry, eggs, seasonal fresh vegetables, artisan breads, cheeses and of course, wine. Our farmers are proud to offer only home grown, raised and processed food from within a 30 mile radius of Harmony Hill. We are the LOCAL that farmer markets SHOULD be all about. No reselling of bulk produce-yard vegetables here. The market will run every Saturday , rain or shine, from 2-6 on the winery grounds.

Kevin and I will be doing our best to get to Kinkead Ridge, Meranda-Nixon, and end our day at Harmony Hill on either this upcoming Sunday Saturday or Monday. If you see us, make sure to say hello!

'Tis the Season for Ohio Wineries

Kinkead Ridge, 2008

In a few weeks, our Southern Ohio wineries will open for summer business. Kevin and I love to head out to Ripley and visit Kinkead Ridge, then take backroads and swing by Meranda-Nixon, then finish up at Harmony Hill. Harmony Hill has that lovely patio and live music to accompany your wine. It opens for summer on May 22.

Kinkead Ridge re-opens on May 23 and May 25, from 10 am - 6 pm on both days. You can meet winemaker Ron Barrett and taste their 2008 vintage: Viognier-Roussane (my absolute favorite), Revelation blend (Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon), Riesling, and Traminette. They'll also be offering their 2006 River Village Cellars Cabernet Franc. The rest of the reds will be released on Labor Day weekend, Sept 3 and 5.

If you can't make it on May 23 or 25, Kinkead Ridge will be open on Saturdays throughout the summer (a change from last year) from 11 am- 5 pm.

As I get more information from the other local wineries, I'll keep you updated.

Don't Miss It: Who's Coming and What You Can Get

I know, I've been a lousy blogger in the last few weeks. I haven't done the weekly events round-up and daily posts aren't really happening. Because I'm one of only four people on the organizing committee for the Krystal Pepper Memorial Scholarship - and the big benefit is this coming weekend - I've been a bit distracted. I'll be back to normal after Saturday.

So, who's coming?
Our benefit can't help but be good when folks like Monika from Such a Redkat Blonde, Bob & the Mrs from 5chw4rtz, and Amy & family from Amy in Ohio are in attendance. Twitterer Chris Bergman is serving as our resident photographer for the night, wandering around and snapping photos of everyone and everything.

What'cha got to drink?
My living room has been overtaken by the wine portion of the Silent Auction. I can't wait for the event to be over just so I can have the room back.

As you can see, we've got a lot of wine.  Here's just a sampling:

• 5L bottle of Steele Syrah, with thanks to Kevin Keith
• 3 bottles of high end wine, including Chester Kidder, thanks to David Lazarus
• 3 bottles of Marilyn Merlot from Hyde Park Wine & Spirits
• 6 different bottles of Harmony Hill wine, including a hard to find and yummy dessert wine
• 2 bottles of Kinkead Ridge (in which we've also included wine glasses and a gift certificate to the Wildwood Inn)
• 1 bottle of Pommery Champagne from my Twitter friend Amy, basketed with a bottle of 1998 Bordeaux from wine blogger David
• A half-case of wine from Tim at CheapWineRatings.com
• 2 fantastic "Better Beer" baskets from Tom & Carla at Hoperatives
• a French wine basket from The Party Source
• 2 bottles of Spanish wine from Kevin & I, paired with a Paella Party from Paella at Your Place
• An amazing (seriously amazing) picnic basket from Tricia at Napoleon Ridge Farm and Nature Center that includes a nice bottle of Pinot Gris