Hiking for Winers

Forget mowing the lawn or running errands this Saturday morning. Instead rise, shine, hike and drink. Sounds like my kind of good time. The unlikely pairing of activities is organized by The Ohio Wine Producers Association and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The two organizations are sponsoring a series of guided explorations of nature preserves and forests not open to the general public followed by visits to nearby wineries.

Meet up at 10 AM for the May 22 outing at the North Kingsville Sand Barrens, about a half mile from Lake Erie in Ashtabula County. The protected area is what’s known as a fossil beach, and I hear that this time of year its rolling savannah and surrounding swamp forest are alive with migratory birds and blooming wildflowers, including purple lupine.

After two hours of walking, everyone will caravan to MarkkoVineyard for lunch, a talk by winemaker Arnie Esterer, and a sampling of the Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Sauvignon that he produces.

Cost is $35 per person, and you must be registered to participate. Sign up here or call 216-231-1177. Once you're on the list, you'll get directions and details. Space is limited. If you like the concept but get shut out or are unable to clear your calendar for this weekend, three more trips planned for July, September and October.

Winemaker Arnie Esterer

A Grape Story

It was 11 AM and I’d already been drinking for half an hour. Yes, that IS rather early, and no, I don’t have an alcohol problem. I was sipping chardonnay and cabernet professionally, a participant in a seminar led by Georg Riedel. His family company, Riedel Glas Austria, makes wine glasses, but these are not conventional stemware. These “vessels," as he calls them are varietal specific: one shape and size for Pinot Noir, something quite different for Zinfandel. Glasses, he tells the audience, are tools for transforming the perception of what’s in them. His goal was to demonstrate that wines drank from the appropriate glass taste better.

I started out a skeptic and finished a true believer. It was an absolutely mind blowing experience – and not because I was intoxicated. This was physics at work and the intentional engineering of the interaction between molecules and senses.

We sniffed then sampled a dry Ohio Riesling made by Debonné Vineyards from a plastic cup. It was okay, nothing special. Then we pour it into Riedel’s Riesling glass and try it again. I would not have believed this was the same wine if I hadn’t transferred it from one to the other myself. A heady aroma of white peaches, apricots and a hint of honeysuckle was pronounced. The flavor was beautiful- stone fruits, acidity balanced by minerality Then we poured it into a quality generic glass (also made by Riedel). The wine went a bit flat, losing much of its intensity on the nose and the palate.

We repeated the experiment with other wines and the results were always the same. The Riedel glasses helped the wine express itself and enhanced my ability to distinguish all the nuances of taste and aroma that form its distinctive character. I can’t afford to go out and buy multiple sets but I’m thinking that I’d like to slowly acquire a few for our favored varietals. And I definitely have a new respect for restaurants and winery tasting rooms that use them.

The session was part of a conference sponsored by The Ohio Wine Producers Association that was held last week in Geneva (as in nearby “on-the-Lake”, not Switzerland.). Representatives from twenty wine producing states between the East Coast and the Rockies showed up to swap ideas and show off their products. I tried lots of red and whites from many lesser known American wine producing regions and two varietals new to me - Traminette from Indiana, and Missouri Norton. I also learned about some destination wine trails around Ohio and in New York, Maryland and Iowa, and met many passionate promoters and vintners.

I also picked up information about a local event scheduled for Saturday, April 24th. Around the World in the Grand River Valley Wine Region is a progressive, drive-yourself, eat and drink fundraiser for area foodbanks. Five wineries within 10 minutes of each other, and just a short drive from Cleveland, will be offering their European style wines paired with hearty appetizers. Sounds like a delightful way to while away a few Saturday afternoon hours.

Grand River Cellars, Madison