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Harvest

  • Vintage Report 2007
    An early bud break meant an early harvest; we were finished by mid-October. Sadly, it also meant several days of 80 degree weather, shoots four inches long, and then an Easter freeze which plunged the vineyard to 28 degrees. All the white wine was affected, to a tragic degree. There will be very little Viognier/Roussanne, little Riesling, and it may not even be worth bottling the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Syrah was also heavily affected. The good news is the long dry ripening season was outstanding for Cabernet; small berries, high sugars. These wines will be reminiscent of Calistoga, higher in alcohol than our general practice.
  • Vintage Report 2006
    As this is written (January 2007), I've had the opportunity to both reflect on the vintage past and taste the wines as they have begun to develop. Going into harvest season, the vineyard was in excellent condition. Crop load and canopy management was on target. Weather deteriorated in mid-September and some of the harvest conditions were as difficult as I've ever experienced. October in particular was troublesome as cold temperatures and excessive rainfall limited maturities. Despite the above, white wines are turning out surprisingly well. Red wines, however, are questionable and many may end up as second label when released in 2008. So far we have had a mild winter and I look forward to a spring with little winter damage and overall good growing conditions in 2007.
  • Vintage Report 2005
    2005 in the vineyard was a vintage of extremes. Unlike 2004 where moisture, heat and humidity were well distributed, it seemed like the heat and humidity would never end. Rainfall came either not at all or in a deluge. Fortunately, harvest turned out mostly dry with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot caught by rain at the end of October. In the winery, most of the fruit came in low in acid and high in sugar. Adjustments were made and fermentations, though quirky, finished well. Overall, the wines show good promise, and for some, 2005 may prove to be the best vintage yet.

Photo Album

  • View from the farmhome

« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »

Kinkead Ridge Winery Celebrates Fifth Anniversary and Famous Whisky Fruitcake Dessert Recipe

The last post of 2007! The vineyard was planted in 1999; the winery was established in Ripley in 2002; and we just celebrated the winery's fifth anniversary. So, it was time to make another vineyard cake... this time Marshmallow the cat is on the left side of the "trellis" and Ron's on the right side. My very favorite Christmas whisky fruitcake recipe is after the list of accomplishments below.
Cake
Happy Ronnnancy It took some time to contemplate these accomplishments in the last five years. It's a pretty amazing list for a young vineyard! We have been very fortunate to receive international and national press coverage, and some big medals in competition.

  • 2003 Viognier/Roussanne named one of the Top 100 Exciting Wines in the World, Tom Stevenson, British editor of the New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia
  • 2004 Cabernet Franc, same list. Only 11 other American wineries made this list in the 2008 Wine Report
  • 2004 Cabernet Franc, Double Gold Medal, American Wine Society competition. 1000+ international entries, only 2 Double Gold Medals for vinifera.
  • 2006 Viognier/Roussanne, Gold Medal, American Wine Society competition
  • 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold Medal, Finger Lakes Wine competition. The only vinifera wine from Ohio to win a gold medal. Only 15 medals were awarded to the field for Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2005 Petit Verdot named 2007 Wine of the Year by Ann Boucher, Serendipity, Columbus
  • Featured on nationally-syndicated PBS TV program, America's Heartland
  • Featured on Ohio-syndicated PBS TV program, Our Ohio
  • My video "The Romance of the Vineyard" one of five finalists in the Wine Spectator video contest
  • Cover feature, Ohio magazine
  • Cover feature, Our Ohio (Farm Bureau) magazine
  • Listed in Kevin Zraly's American Wine Guide (former sommelier of Windows on the World, World Trade Center)
  • Mentored local winegrowers in Ohio and Kentucky, including Harmony Hill, Meranda and LaVigna
  • Featured on the Dish TV show with Chef Jean Robert de Caval
  • Featured in Ladies Home Journal and Country Living (ad courtesy of the Farm Bureau)
  • 2006 Viognier/Roussanne rated one of the top 2007 favorite wines of the Cleveland-based WineBuzz magazine
  • Featured in Ohio Wine Country Excursions and Fodors Guide to Ohio
  • Featured in From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate, Food and Farms of Ohio
  • Featured in national wine publications Wines and Vines and Vineyard and Winery Management
  • Reviewed by Mark Fisher, Dayton Wine Blog
  • Reviewed by Jon Christenson, Columbus Dispatch
  • 2005 Cabernet Franc currently poured at Pigalls and JeanRo Bistro
  • 2006 Viognier/Roussanne and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon poured at Nectar Restaurant, Chef Julie Francis
  • Ohio wine dinners, Kinkead Ridge has been featured at Rhapsody, Sturkeys, Daveeds, Bexleys Monk, Lindeys German Village, Iron Horse Inn, Chins Ginger Grill, Cuvee
  • Wines reviewed by Lenn Thompson, New York wine writer
  • Wines reviewed by Sandra Silfven, Detroit Daily News
  • Newspaper articles and features, too numerous to itemize
  • Wine poured at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. and by Senator Voinovich
  • Invited to pour at Gourmet Sensation
  • Invited to pour at Fleur de Fetes, Dayton
  • One of four wineries featured in Cincinnati Magazine, January 2008
  • Featured in Taste Cincinnati
  • 2004 Viognier/Roussanne bested a Chateauneuf du Pape in the first Ohio wine challenge, which pitted Ohio wines against European and California wines. Only 3 of 10 wineries bested their competition.
  • Wines rated over 90 by Andrew Jones, British Wine Writer
  • Wholesale wine store and restaurant accounts expanded from 15 in the Cincinnati area in 2001 to over 100 all over the state
  • Many many times told: "We can't believe these wines are from Ohio!"

In summary: "Why go for those long distance relationships when you can find love in your own back yard!"

Well, if you made it through that list, thank you. Here's a favorite cake recipe of mine for the holidays:

Fruitcake WORLD FAMOUS CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water, 2 cups dried fruit, 1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 8 oz. mixed nuts
4 large eggs, 1 tsp. baking soda, juice of 1 lemon
1 bottle whiskey

METHOD:
Sample the whiskey to check for quality.

Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add 1 tsp. sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another tup.

Turn off the mixerer. Break two eggs and add to the bowl and check in the dried fruit.

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, prise it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity.

Next sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?

Check the whiskey.

Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees.

Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whiskey again and go to bed. Good luck with this.

_____

But wait... there's more! I took a few minutes over a glass (or two or three) of wine to write a "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem, and here it is. Thank you to everyone who has supported us, enjoyed our wine, and told their friends!

Twas the night before Christmas, overlooking the vineyard
Ronald and Nancy turned their thoughts inward
The vineyard was planted eight years ago
The wines show the promise they dreamed would be so.

Wmedalsnov052 The vintages stacked in the winery with care
In hopes more gold medals soon will be there
When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter
We just had to wonder, well what is the matter?

Away to the window, we flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave lustre of mid-day to objects below
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear
A 15 point buck and eight little deer

Happily, this time of year they can't damage
The grapes or the vines or the garden we manage
The finches are happy to see the bird feeders
The cardinals frolic among the red cedars

Cat1_2 Our cats are all nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of tuna fish dance in their heads
While visions of sugarplums cut it for most
A new French oak barrel please, medium toast!

So we happily toasted a wonderful year
With Cabernet Sauvignon, always good cheer
To friends old and new, and those yet to come,
Happy Christmas to all... now this poem is done!
Catgigi

 Kukla Cats




December 22, 2007 | | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)