Cleveland's International Wine Show

Cleveland has a new wine event. Encouraged by the enthusiastic turn-out for the wine pavilion at last November's Fabulous Food Show, the Cleveland Wine School and the I-X Center have joined forces to create the International Wine Show. The inaugral event will be held at the I-X Center on May 2 and 3, 2008.

More than 500 wines from around the world will be available for tasting. There'll also be wine seminars, food and wine pairings, and live jazz music.

Tickets are $60 per person and include all tastings and activities as well as a crystal shot glass. Advance tickets are available from the show's Web site.

Wastin' Time Thinking about Wine

If you, like me, are already tired of stores, holiday songs, and the many demands of the holidays, here's a brainless wine-related time-waster to help you relax. Enjoy!

Very Cool Wine Trail - December 1 and 2

You’re invited to a weekend wine excursion in northeast Ohio! The Third Annual Very Cool Wine Trail will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, at six wineries near Akron, Ohio. Four of the wineries also will host trail participants on Sunday, Dec. 2.

Along the route, while supplies last, you’ll collect a Very Cool Wine Accessory Kit, complete with wine thermometer, a stopper/pourer, two decorative bottle stoppers, a cork screw, a foil cutter and a drip stopper. The kit is nestled inside a wooden box designed for the accessories. It makes a perfect holiday gift for the wine aficionado in your life, or you can keep it and enjoy it yourself.

Participating wineries include Candlelight Winery of Garrettsville, Maize Valley Winery of Hartville, Myrddin Winery of Berlin Center, Mastropietro Winery of Berlin Center, Winery at Wolf Creek and Viking Vineyards of Kent. All six will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 1. Myrddin, Mastropeitro, Winery and Viking also will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2. The cost is $35 plus tax per couple or $30 plus tax for a single ticket. Free wine samples will be available at each winery.

by Pat Mack

Gifts for Ohio Wine Lovers

As the holidays approach, it's time to think about what to buy for those Ohio wine lovers on your gift list. Here are some of my favorites:

Riedel Glassware. Any wine tastes better in the proper glass and Riedel makes some of the best. These lead crystal stems come in a variety of sizes -- for red, white, and sparkling wines.

Laguiole Waiter-Style Wine Opener. Every season seems to bring a new, outlandish and/or clever wine opener, but the best--to me--is still the traditional waiter-style pull opener with the little knife on the end for cutting the foil. This one has a pearl handle and a pouch in which to keep it.

Wine Cork Wreath. Decorate your wine cellar, kitchen, or wine nook for the holidays with this stylish 12" wreath, made entirely of wine corks. Plus: unlike wreaths made of greenery, you can use it again next year.

Happy Holidays!

(photo courtesy of Wine Enthusiast)

More Wine Quotes

Writers, statesmen, and philosophers have been talking about wine almost as long as history has been recorded. Here are some more notable wine quotes:

• "The wine cup is the little silver well, where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell." ~ William Shakespeare
• "A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in the retrospect." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
• "Wine.The intellectual part of the meal." ~ Alexandre Dumas
• "Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil." ~ Lord Byron
• "Beer is made by men, wine by God." ~ Martin Luther

(photo credit: istockphoto)

Ohio Wine Grapes: Chambourcin

This is the first one a series of posts about grape varietals that thrive in Ohio, but are rarely found in other parts of the world.

We'll start with the Chambourcin grape, a hybrid first introduced in French's Loire Valley in the early 1960s (an infant by grape varietal standards). Chambourcin is a favorite of Lake Erie wine growers as well as those in the mid-Atlantic regions, especially Virginia. Here's a few facts about this hearty grape:

• Chambourcin wines have a high level of tannins and a deep ruby red color.
• This grape is extremely disease-resistent
• It was first planted in the United States in the early 1970s, in an Ohio vineyard.
• Chambourcin is also popular in Australia's Hunter Valley and in its home region of the Loire Valley in France.
• The exact lineage of the Chambourcin hybrid is unknown. Its creator died suddenly and his notes have never been found.
• Among the Ohio wineries producing Chambourcin wines are Chalet Debonne, Henke Winery, Terra Cotta Winery, and Myrddin Winery.

^{(photo © Flickr user: miss tiffy/cc license)}

No More Wine by Mail

Effective Monday, October 1 (2007), a new Ohio state law goes into effect that bans direct wine shipments from wineries that produce over 150,000 gallons of wine a year (about 63,000 cases). All of Ohio's more than 100 wineries fall into this category.

The provision, supported by Ohio's powerful Wholesale Beer and Wine Association, was attached to the state budget without a public debate. In my opinion, it's a huge step backwards for Ohio wineries attemping to compete with their California and Pacific Northwest counterparts.

It's also a loss for consumers who will have to pay the wine wholesaler's up to 33% mark-up rather than buying directly from the winery. (Of course, you can still buy from the winery in person.)

The Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning quoted Donniella Winchell, executive directory of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, as saying the ban will be good for Ohio's wine industry, allowing it to grow. Personally, I don't see that artificially protecting the smallest growers will help the industry or wine consumers.

Do you have an opinion? Leave a comment below.

^{(photo credit: istockphoto)}

Ohio Wine Tours

Looking for a way to enjoy Ohio's Lake Erie wine district without having to find a designated driver or forego tasting the wine? Consider Ohio Wine Tours' tour of the "Grand River Valley." The eight-hour tour includes visits to a selection of the region's best estate vineyards, a gourmet lunch, cellar and vineyard tours, and a talk about how grapes are grown and harvested in Ohio and what makes the Grand River Valley ideal for wine grapes. Four-hour tours are also available.

The tour is $150 per person with a maximum of four persons. They will also pick you up at your hotel, residence, or business for a rate of $40/hour. Reservations and information can be found by calling 440 228-8941.

Ohio Wine Tours are offered by Western Reserve Touring Company, with more than 17 years experience in creating NE Ohio group tours.

^{(photo credit: istockphoto)}

Loudonville Wine Shop Hosts Sweetest Day Ohio Wine Night

It's only fitting that Loudonville's 39 East wine shop should host a Sweetest Day Ohio wine night, since the Valentine's Day-like, romantic holiday is a Northeast Ohio creation. The event, to be held on October 20, will feature a variety of wines, including those from Rainbow Hills and Shawnee Springs Wineries. In addition to the tastings, there will be a dessert bar, with chocolate-covered strawberries, miniature cheesecakes, and other delicious creations, and a selection of appetizers.

Tickets are $25 per person, which includes wine tasting plus food. Designated driver tickets are available at $20 per person (includes non-alcoholic drinks instead of wine).

Reservations are recommended. Visit the 39 East Web site or call 419 994-4479 for information and reservations.

39 East is located at 16427 State Route 39 in Loudonville, in Mohican County.

^{(photo credit: istockphoto)}