SpringfieldNewsSun.com

26 wineries will pour at Vintage Ohio

By Uncorked | Friday, July 25, 2008, 07:02 AM

Before we let you know what’s happening around here this weekend, let’s take a look at what’s happening on the other side of the state next weekend.

The event is called Vintage Ohio, and it enters its 14th year this year. That link will tell you a bunch of what you need to know about the festival, which organizers call “the most acclaimed summer wine and food festival between the Appalachians and Rockies.” (Hmmm. Still contemplating that.)

Anyway, Vintage Ohio will be held Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 (1 p.m. to 10 p.m. both days) at Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland, Lake County, OH, east of Cleveland. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the gate, with two-day taster tickets $40. They’re available on the web from the Ohio Wine Producers Association or by calling 800-227-6972.

Head north and see what Ohio wines are all about — next weekend. But this weekend, take a look at what’s happening right here in the Miami Valley, courtesy of the Dayton-based wine listserv that compiles the following tastings and events list:

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‘It’s just too bad we can’t undo the consequences of those violations’

By Uncorked | Thursday, July 24, 2008, 01:34 PM

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined the company that employed a pregnant teenager who died of heat stroke this spring after working in a California vineyard $262,700 yesterday for violating eight workplace safety requirements.

It was the highest fine ever issued to a California farming operation, the Associated Press reported.

Here’s a quote from the story to remember:

“There was virtually a complete absence of shade or water, two of the very few tools that employers and employees have to fight the heat,” said Len Welsh, chief of the division known as Cal-OSHA. “It’s just too bad we can’t undo the consequences of those violations.”

True that.

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L’Auberge wine auction will feature France’s finest domaines

By Uncorked | Thursday, July 24, 2008, 06:33 AM

Here’s an early look at two upcoming wine events that might tickle your fancy.

L’Auberge, 4120 Far Hills Ave., will host a wine auction and five-course dinner at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 27. The event will include dinner, music and dancing, along with a silent auction of wines, including offerings from Bordeaux first-growths, Burgundy and Chateau d’Yquem across multiple vintages. Click here for a full list of the wines. The cost of the event is $100. Proceeds will benefit the Guild of Sommeliers to promote local wine education. For more information or to make a reservation, call (937) 299-5536.

Wine Gallery to host public radio fundraiser

The Wine Gallery & Cafe, at East Third Street and Wayne Avenue just east of downtown Dayton, will host a wine-tasting fundraiser for WDPR Classical 88.1 FM from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 28. The event will feature summer wines, food and live classical entertainment by The Ballester Trio of Oakwood. The cost of the event is $25 ($20 for WDPR station members). For additional information or to make reservations, contact Jill Bishop at (937) 222-9377 or jillb@dpr.org

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Next week’s Restaurant Week attracts some new, high-profile participants

By Uncorked | Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 06:48 AM

Some rather high-profile restaurants have joined the list of eateries participating in the summer 2008 Restaurant Week that starts Sunday, July 27, and extends through Friday, Aug. 1. Restaurants offering the special meals for the first time include Rue Dumaine, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, J Alexander’s Restaurant and Barleycorn’s. Two other first-timers have opened in recent weeks: Rudy’s Churrascaria in Germantown, and Kohinoor Palace in Miami Twp. The Caroline in Troy and Fairlawn Steakhouse in Greenville have also signed up to offer the three-course meal deals for the first time.

Most of you know the drill: Restaurant Week diners enjoy a three-course meal for $20.08, with restaurants donating $1 for each meal to local charities. This year’s beneficiaries are The Food Bank and the Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation. The twice-a-year promotion has proven popular with diners, some of whom map out a five-day plan to take full advantage of the low prices.

“Guests love this promotion because it’s priced so reasonably, restaurants like it because it comes at the end of what is traditionally a very slow business month for the industry, and the non-profits we partner with love it because it’s some of the easiest fundraising they do during the year,” said Lisa Grigsby, executive director of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association.

“Each time we’ve done this promotion is has grown a little,” Grigsby said. “This year with the economy we are cautiously optimistic. I think that many people who have been cutting back and cooking at home may be willing to go out and enjoy a three-course meal for just $20.08, especially knowing that a portion of the proceeds will be going to the Food Bank.”

The restaurant association held a “sneak peek” event last night (7-22-08) in downtown Dayton at which 10 restaurants — Bahn Mai Thai Cafe, Bullwinkle’s, Barleycorn’s, Chappys Tap Room & Grille, Chin’s Ginger Grill, Coco’s Bistro, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Jay’s Restaurant, Madison’s Bistro and The Chimneys Inn — prepared and served some of the courses that will be part of their Restaurant Week menus.

I wasn’t able to sample every restaurant’s offerings, but the highlights included the Sweet & Savory Pork Tenderloin topped with Tomato & Onion Chutney from Coco’s Bistro; Salmon Ravioli with Wild Mushrooms and Spinach from Jay’s Restaurant; Ginger Lime Ahi Tuna atop a black bean-corn-rice mixture from Bullwinkle’s; and Panang Shrimp atop Burmese Rice from Bahn Mai Thai Cafe.

Reservations for Restaurant Week are a must. Restaurant owners strongly recommend calling to check on availability and hours.

Be aware that some restaurants are closed Sunday or Monday — or in some cases, closed both days — so calling ahead will avoid disappointment. And remember that tax, tip and beverages are not included in the $20.08 price.

Two restaurants that are otherwise open to members only — the Dayton Racquet Club and Greene Country Club — will be open to the public during restaurant week.

Click here to take a look at the all-important menus, which also show what nights the restaurants are closed.

And to view a list of participating restaurants and their phone numbers, click on “continue reading.”

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Cos d’Estournel buys Napa’s Chateau Montelena

By Uncorked | Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 01:42 PM

Decanter.com is reporting today that Cos d’Estournel will buy Chateau Montelena, perhaps for $110 million.

Okay, this probably shouldn’t surprise me … and yet, it does.

Is it just me?

The more I think about it, though … I think it could be kinda cool.

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Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards have a familiar ring

By Uncorked | Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 09:07 AM

Wine Spectator has released its 2008 Dining Guide, and the results, well, will come as no surprise.

There were no changes — no additions, no subtractions — from last year among Dayton-area restaurants. And Wine Spectator still insists on calling it a dining guide — actually, in the magazine, it is headlined “The Dining Guide” (emphasis mine) — even though the magazine makes no effort to evaluate the dining at the vast majority of the self-nominated restaurants it bestows awards on.

(Two years ago, when I wrote about Wine Spectator Restaurant awards, it triggered quite a response. I was called a tripe-monger, among other things, and even the magazine’s publisher, Marvin Shanken, waded into the swamp.)

Don’t get me wrong, the Miami Valley restaurants that paid the $250 application fee and were given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence last year and again this year are deserving of recognition. They include:

— Carvers in Washington Twp. (yes, it’s owned by a parent company named Paragon, although that’s confusing in the Dayton market);

— Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at The Greene in Beavercreek;

— Jag’s Steak & Seafood in West Chester.

— Jay’s Restaurant in Dayton’s Oregon Historical District;

— Mesh Restaurant in West Chester;

— Michael Anthony’s at the Inn at Versailles in Darke County;

— The Pine Club in Dayton.

I’ve got no argument with that list, although I have been terribly disappointed several years back when I chose a restaurant in the Carolinas based on its Wine Spectator award only to be shocked at how bad the food was there.

In its current issue, Wine Spectator publishes essentially the same disclaimer it ran last year, saying, “It’s important to note that our awards evaluate wine lists, not restaurants as a whole. While we assume that the level of food and service will be commensurate with the wine lists entered by award winners, this unfortunately is not always true. We cannot visit every award-winning restaurant (although all Grand Award winners and many others are inspected by Wine Spectator editors), so we encourage you to alert us to disparities and disappointments.”

Which I still translate into: “You suckers can do our job for us for free, while we laugh all the way to the bank.”

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Will smoke from wildfires taint California’s 2008 vintage?

By Uncorked | Monday, July 21, 2008, 07:42 AM

Sometimes, a hint of smokiness can be a desired attribute of certain wines — French syrahs come to mind.

But in California, when the source of that smokiness are the smoke and soot from the state’s wildfires, well — let’s just say that smokiness is not so desirable.

Some in California are worrying that smoke could taint California’s 2008 vintage, according to this story from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Of course, it should be noted that one person who is pushing the panic button just happens to sell a filtration system designed to remove smoky flavors from tainted wines.

You don’t suppose he has something to gain from this, do you?

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