Wine

Sneaking An Idea Through The Alley

​Back in 2001, wine sales guy Matt Licklider and Spago wine director Kevin O’Connor had an idea for a wine, and unlike most off-the-hip ideas in back alleys, this one took and LIOCO was born.  Fast-forward to today and Matt along with his wife, Sara, run LIOCO, a winery born of great vineyards and great varietals.

We met recently with Sarah Harshaw, the National Sales Director for LIOCO, and tasted some of their latest releases:

LIOCO Chardonnay Anderson Valley Demuth Vineyard 2014.

Random Fine Wine Driveby

​Sometimes it seems as though all we do around here is taste wine.  If you held that assumption, you’d most certainly be wrong a lot of the time, yet every so often, yeah it comes with the job.  

The other day, we had a few gems that definitely made the day a little better:

Groth Sauvignon Blanc 2015.  I always overlook this Sauvignon Blanc for no reason at all.

It’s A Family Affair

​Undergoing something of a transformation with some replanting, Gamble Family Vineyards is the brainchild of Tom Gamble, a Napa native who proclaims himself a “farmer first.”  Indeed it seems only obvious that a winery is only as good as the vineyard or vineyards that supply it, and Tom Gamble wears this notion proudly on his sleeve.

We were able to taste four of the wineries latest offerings:

Gamble Family Sauvignon Blanc 2015.

Two For The Show

Recently we hosted a tasting in our Eastgate wine cellar with Alfredo Arribas, owner and winemaker of Portal del Priorat, a great new producer from Spain and a new addition to the portfolio of Elixir Wine Group.  Our good friend from Elixir – Janine Poleman – was also on hand to show off a few other terrific wines from the book, including wines from Portugal, Chile and Argentina.

Dubbed Latin Night in the Cellar,

Wine Department: Your 60-Second Primer For One Of The Most Complex Wines On Earth

It has been a long struggle for me and Sherry – the venerable fortified wine produced from what is known as the Sherry Triangle (which are the regions Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María) in the Spanish province of Andalucía. It’s taken me most of my time in this business to come to appreciate, and even enjoy Sherry. Not sure what it was initially.

Chooser Van Duzer

​​This part week, we had a visit from Van Duzer, a great producer out of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  This winery was always a bit difficult to find in my other life across the river, so it’s good to know they are more than within our grasps here in Ohio.

Founded in 1998 in and around the foothills at the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor (rumor has it the newest AVA in Oregon),

Road Trippin’

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Ever since I participated in a little thing called Road Trip Washington Wine back in 2009, I have had this torrid love affair with the state of Washington.  Whether it was standing atop the hill within Red Willow Vineyard modeled after the La Chapelle Vineyard in the Northern Rhone, the one that is tucked in between Mounts Rainier, Adams and St. Helens, or walking along a dirt road just down from Spring Valley Vineyards near Walla Walla watching little dust devils tear across the fields,

Une Breve Rencontre Avec Le Cin De Bourgogne

​Recently I tried some excellent Burgundy wines from Domaines Albert Bichot.  A family that can trace its lineage back to the early 1200s, their foray into wine began in 1831, from a wine trading business to the winery it has become today.  With holdings in Chablis, Nuits-St.-Georges in the Côte de Nuits , Pommard in the Côte de Beaune, Mercurey in the Côte Chalonnaise and Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais, this producer turns out some terrific wines that are pretty affordable (relative to the region).

We Come From A Land Down Under

Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2015.  Tart, steely Chardonnay with only the slightest hint of malo.  A great aperitif for those patio parties this summer.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2016.  The grapefruit is subtle, dialed down to almost a whisper.  It’s bright and fresh,

Ride of the Valkyries, The Spanish Version

​Recently Todd and I had a chance to check out the newest releases from Valkyrie Selections – the importing venture by the producers of California’s Banshee and Rickshaw wines.  Vintner Select wine mavens Danielle Redder and Lauren Wiethe dropped in to try us on some of their Spanish wines:

Mercat Brut Nature NV.  Bright, crisp, dry style Cava.  A blend of Macabeo, Paralleda and Xarel-lo.  Tart with hints of green apple skin,