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.
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:
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.
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
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!
can anyone help me find persimmon wine for sale? my son-in-law is all about persimmons and i would love to get him this treat. thank-you! jo, from michigan
Posted by: josephine johnson | February 05, 2008 at 08:16 PM
Congratulations on all the successes this year! I've been finding your wine at lots of wine shops around Cincinnati -- it's fun to open a really good bottle of wine and then halfway through it, after someone has mentioned what a nice wine it is, say "Oh, yeah, the Kinkead Ridge? That's in Ripley." :D
Posted by: valereee | December 23, 2007 at 07:35 AM
Hey fellow fruitcake fans, check out MUNCHCAST on www.twit.tv for a fruitcake friendly webisode
Posted by: jean | December 22, 2007 at 11:54 PM
check out Munchcast, a foodcast on www.twit.tv for a great Fruitcake webisode.
Posted by: jean | December 22, 2007 at 11:52 PM