Children's Hospital Fund Raiser @ the Avalon Inn

On Saturday Feburary 10th I was a guest pourer for the Childrens Hospital Fund Raiser at the Avalon Inn in Howland, Ohio. The event was very nice and had a great turnout. This year the event was arranged by Micheal Scannell from Tri-County Distributors. In total, seven wholesale companies donated wine for the event. One of the highlights of the evening was a toast given to the recently deceased Richard Alberini, who through his personal drive and hard work built a wine community in the Mahoning Valley.

Before I begin i'd like to make a note on the schematics of wine tastes. While there was no rhyme or reason to the order in which I tasted these wines, I've decided to arrange them as if I would in a flight night. There were alot of nice wines at the event, however, being the novice writer that I am, I only chose a few to write about. Besides, with these larger tastes my palate gets pretty stressed after the first 8-10 wines. So I don't feel it would be a fair to anyone if I reviewed all thirty or so (I don't think anyone would want to read that anyway). I did, however, narrow the list down to six fantastic wines.

The first wine I'd like to review is the La Palma Sauvignon Blanc 2004 from the Viña La Rosa Winery.Viña La Rosa is one of Chile’s oldest wineries set in the beautiful Cachapoal valley (La Palma is named for the scattered natural palm trees that spot the vineyard), South of the capital city Santiago. This wine truely was unique. The deep hay color is the first indication of the bold fruit flavors of this wine. Its' light, crisp granny smith apple and light grapefruit tones led to a subtle refreshing effervescence in the finish. La Palma Sauvignon Blanc proved to be elegant and refined for a wine under $10. Try this wine with oysters Rockafeller or a roasted butternut squash soup drizzled with roasted red pepper puree. For more information on Viña La Rosa Winery and the rest of their products check out: www.larosa.cl

Next I tasted another Chilean wine, Montes Reserve Chardonnay 2005. Montes is a brand formed in 1988 by four Chilean wine veterans with vineyards in the Colchagua and the Curico valleys South of Santiago. The winery is known for some of its high end Bordeaux blends (Montes Alpha M). This Chardonnay is pale yellow in color with buttery hints of vanilla, tropical fruits (banana & pineapple), & slight floral tones. A fruity palate, with a good body leads to a semi-smooth creamy elegant finish (45% malolactic fermentation). The 75% oak cask (six months in American oak barrels) & 25% stainless steel fementation lend this wine an added balence and elegance that most cheap chardonnays lack (this retails at about $10). Try this wine with a Pecorino cheese bruchetta bread or a date, goat cheese, and mesculin salad. While they do have an interesting website I couldn't find anything in their product list that indicated this wine was theirs. This may be an oversight on their part or perhaps they discontinued this line. In any event feel free to check out their website at: www.monteswines.com

Next on the list of notable wines was Belle Vallee Cellars Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2005. This Pinot Noir resides from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The winemaker, Joe Wright (formerly of Willamette Valley Vineyards), uses 100% whole cluster fermentation to create a deep ruby (nearly opaque) appearance in this Beaujolais mimic. I felt that Belle Vallee was the most unique wine of the taste. The nose is light and earthy with fruity tones of strawberry and prune. Semi-full on the palate this 100% stainless steel fermented wine has floral tones mid-palate and leaves the tongue slightly tingling with a long black pepper finish. Retailing at around $14, Belle Vallee is a very easy drinker ringing in at a modest 12.5% ABV. Try this wine with a blackened chicken cobb salad with a lightly drizzled balsamic viniagrette dressing or a goat cheese, pesto, and sundried tomato flatbread pizza. For more information on the wines from Belle Vallee check out: www.bellevallee.com

While I know Penfolds is a common name as far as Australian wines is concerned, I decided I would review the Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2003 on account of my recent facination with Shiraz and Syrah. For those of you who don't know, Penfolds is one of Australia's oldest wineries in the South Australia (along with Lindeman's). It was founded by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold in 1845. He had originally started his winery for a supply of wine that he prescribed to his patients. Over the years Penfold's has been a name that is associated with quality wine. His infamous Grange wine has recieved awards and sells for around the $160 range. However, the wine I was drinking is in the Bin portfolio. This is their middle-of-the-road series of wines (the big seller being the Cab/Shiraz blend Bin 389) retailing around $20. Bin 28 is named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend, with the Barossa Valley always well represented, providing over 45% of the fruit for this vintage. Bin 28 is 100% shiraz exhibiting a big earthy nose with berry & cassis. With a robust full-bodied mouth it's fruity and sweet in the mid-palate with a long rounded semi-dry finish. Try this wine with shrimp kebobs and long grained wild rice or an Italian antipasto salad. For more information on this winery and their products click this link: www.penfolds.com.au

The fifth wine I'd like to review is Ridge York Creek Zinfindel 2003. First off I'd like to state that I love Zinfindel (It was my gateway wine). Not only do I love Zinfindel, but I love Ridge Zinfindel. The reason is simple: blends. Ridge understands that every year is different in the world of wine. Growing conditions change and with it so does the flavor and intensity of the wine. I suppose that's why they beat the French in a great 1971 upset that launched the US wine program into a world market (Click this link for details:1971) Ridge blends are among the best in the world at a moderate price (this one retails around $25). The 2003 York Creek Zinfindel is 84% Zinfindel 16% Petite Sirah. Deep red in color the nose lends offerings of black cherry & currant with just the smallest hint of petrol. The tongue is full-bodied & nicely balenced with chocolate tones and a nice clean cherry finish. I have yet to find a Ridge product that doen't spark my interest. try pairing this Zinfindel with steak tartare or a chocolate-raspberry torte. Not only does Ridge make great wines but they give back to the environment. Cumulatively since system operation began, Lytton Springs' renewable energy production helped avoid the release of 88 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or 25 acres of forest saved or not driving 219,702 miles. Check out their website at: www.ridgewine.com

I decided to finish this post with a Cabernet Sauvignon. Coming from a "Cab drinking town" the Trinchero Chicken Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (sorry, no picture) proves to be a great representation of a elegant single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for a low cost (retailing around $25). The Chicken Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is the sister wine to the Main Street Cabernet Sauvignon. Their differences are so subtle they are unmentionable. Chicken Ranch is a classic fruit-forward full-bodied Cabenet Sauvignon with a heavy palate that proves to be spicy and complex, balenced with a lightly oaked finish. The Chicken Ranch (and the Main Street) is one of the most elegant Cabernet Sauvignon's I've drank recently and certainly can hold up against the Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest in that price point. Drink this wine with a 22oz Porterhouse steak covered in sauteed mushrooms and onions or try it with a Cowboy burger and fries. Check out their website at: www.trincherowinery.com

Thanks again for reading this blog. If there are any questions or comments on any of the beverages I review please post them. I will try my best to get back to everyone in a timely manner. Just a reminder that this Thursday we will be featuring the wines if Masteropietro Winery. Dan is a local guy trying to make it in this crazy business. So come out and try his wines & he'll be there to answer any questions. See you on Thursday and remember to keep an open mind and an open eye.