"Nancy,

On Wednesday, I attended a winemaker dinner at Dorothy Lane Market with Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta. (The ones with the Dürer Rhino label)
Last night I returned for their holiday show where Giorgio was pouring his wines and, after having such a great night previously, I gave him two of your wines: 2010 Viognier/Roussanne and 2008 Petit Verdot. He had not had any Ohio wines and was very happy to get them. I don't know if they will make it back to Italy but he will be tasting the best that Ohio has to offer."

Kinkead Ridge 2008 Syrah on a lake in Michigan with Aaron and Dana and a cookout!

Kinkead Ridge at Keuka Lake: The comment:  "We spent last week on Lake Keuka in the Finger Lakes kayaking and hiking and drinking wine. Enclosed is a picture of the wine we brought with us... your CF is inkier and meatier than any CF or CS we tasted there"

On 2007 Cabernet Franc:

From one of our wholesale customers: "We have had your cab franc on our flight menu for about a week now. I cannot begin to tell you the remarkable response we are getting. If I had the supply, I would have already sold more than 3 cases of it! The flight has your cab franc, another Ohio cab blend (made from California grapes) and a Napa Cabernet. Every single person who has tried the flight has picked yours as the favorite--most of them have asked to buy at least one bottle. Two people asked to buy a case.

You wouldn't believe how thrilled I am to have some that I can offer people on our flight menu! I am so grateful that you were able to bring those to me!

_____

"From Dan McGrew's blog, November 2009:

"On Friday night we opened a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and couldn't have been happier with the results. This wine is doing great in the bottle - and is doing better out of the bottle and in the glass. Great Cabernet structure with some forward fruit, good body, nice acid and tannins and oak that have integrated into the fruit. The nose was fruit, wood and tannin and smelled like Cabernet should smell. It was extremely food friendly. Very good wine that has to be at its peak, but not showing any signs of fading."

From Dan McGrew's blog, February 2009:

"The wine of choice for last night was a local wine, a 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon.

There was a really nice bouquet when the cork came out with dark fruits and sweet oak. The color was medium dark and after a few swirls and a sip there were definitely some cassis and black cherries and just a hint of tobacco. A little more swirling and the tobacco faded. This was the first time for this wine other than tasting it at the winery when it was purchased on release. It has settled and matured nicely in the bottle into an extremely drinkable wine. There is nice acid, and there's a tremendous balance between the fruit and the oak. It's a sweet oak taste with soft tannins that sort of envelop your tongue. There's enough in this wine to last a few more years, but it is excellent right now."

From the dogswine.blogspot.com in November 2009 while Dan was in California.

"Earlier in the week there was a rib eye roast that was seasoned simply and cooked in in a moderate oven. I always make it a habit to take a bottle of wine with me so this year for the first time I took an Ohio wine, Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2004 vintage. Like the title of this piece says, taking an Ohio Cabernet to northern California is rather like carrying the coals to Newcastle to help the city burn a little more. It was a very good wine that is now at its peak. The tannins have matured and softened a little but the wine retained good acid and its currant flavors. Good match with the rib roast and not out of place in any way in some very good company."

From Chris Dillman, Sommelier, Rosendales, Columbus Ohio, quoted in CMX magazine.
You like some Ohio vineyards. That may be surprising to some.
"There were wines that surprised me at first, too. My wife and I helped judge the Ohio versus Michigan wine tasting a few months ago. The quality of the average wine was nothing short of abysmal. A few of them should have earned a flogging for the person who put it in bottle – really, shamefully bad, incompetent wine making. The few that do it well, do it really well. Ron and Nancy of Kinkead Ridge are doing great things. All estate bottled, all Vitis vinifera (European common grape) and all good wines, regardless of where they were made."

Rarely, we get an extraordinary phone call. Jeremy gets it... how hard we work; how passionate we are about fine wine.

From Jeremy, wine store employee, MacClarens, Columbus Ohio.

"Hello there Nancy and Ron. This is Jeremy who works at MacClarens in Grandview in Columbus, and I just want you to know that I just tried this wine; I tried the Revelation and I thought to myself immediately, Ron Barrett must be really, really happy that he can make wine like this. This wine is an epiphany. It's absolutely fabulous, as is the Cab Franc, the second label, and I just want to thank both of you for pursuing and making this stuff; and I am at a crossroads deciding whether to tell anybody about this wine and sell it, or drink it all with my friends. So I'm just telling you that maybe you should hear once in a while just how delightful that wine that you make, makes people like me so happy. Thanks very much. I'm sure you're out busting your tails doing more, but please take my sincere congratulations on a really nice pair of wines."

Unsolicited testimonial from David, Powell, Ohio:

Kinkead Ridge in France! Nancy's best friend Norma visited friends in France and brought a bottle of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was pronounced: "un tres bon vin!" I like that blue tablecloth!

"I am having a blast with the Kinkead Ridge wines! I have poured them blind to various "experts" and love to watch the results; 'ah yes this is probably the Cheval Blanc 03' " 
--Melvyn Masters, wine author, importer of  Tortoise Creek wine (France) and Denver restaurant owner, on Kinkead Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc.

At a private wine-tasting in mid-February, a large group chose Kinkead Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc in a blind tasting which included a $47 Veeder and an Alexander Valley.

Bernard Portet, the founding winemaker of Clos Du Val in the Napa Valley and of Domaine Nizas in France says this about the 2004 Viognier/Roussanne:

"Finally did I find the opportunity to open up your bottle of Viognier-Roussanne with a couple of friends and then with John Clews, the VP, Director of Vineyard and Winery Operations of Clos Du Val. I did like it very much. I did find it very fragrant but not shouting “Viognier” all over the place, elegant, with plenty of charm. Balanced and equally elegant and charming palate. Much of the character of its aroma could be found in its taste. There was a great balance of fullness, freshness, and good complexity, along with a good finish. Definitely a very enjoyable wine. John did concur with the above. Congratulations!"

An April review from TJ:

I wanted to share with you my excellent winedrinking experience as we opened a bottle of the 2003 Cab Franc. Fantastic wine. What a great acid profile (like a great Pinot Noir) but with ripe fruit throughout!

From DH, Cincinnati

From Sandra Silfven, wine writer Detroit Daily News:
"The Viognier/Roussanne was another home run. The Cab Franc was an utter delight. I called it a "happy" wine. The nose was so bright, the flavors so over-the-top correct. In my mind, I compared the body and mouth feel to a French red burgundy. It was not the high-extract deal, but very powerful for not having that concentration that is so popular in California. Three days later, the nose was just as sassy."

Kinkead Ridge in Canada. A fishing lake, 1000 miles from the border, courtesy of Brian of Cincinnati.

Perry, Cincinnati, says: "Do you still have the 2004 Cab available at the winery?  I went to a local vendor and they were out.  We went to your "opening day" tasting and bought a 3 bottles of your cab. That night, I made a nice flank steak on the grill and the cab was AWESOME!  It was as good if not better than Grgich Hills and Jordan I have had on business trips."

Review from Bridget in Cincinnati:
"WOW, your 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was spectacular! I have to admit, I was "all about" the California wines and did not think that an Ohio wine could wine me over, but after smelling and tasting this gem... Well, let's just say that there is a new kid on the block in my wine cabinet these days! Great job! Thank you for making such a wonderful wine!"

Kinkead Ridge in Cleveland
From Lou Dorazio

October 2006

September 2006

Kinkead Ridge in Florida
 
We were on holiday in Kauai and of course I brought only the best wine to compliment the turkey (well, chicken actually-seems there's no such thing as a turkey there) I probably carried that bottle 6000 miles, and it was worth it!

Brian and Jaci 

Kinkead Ridge in Bordeaux, 2006
Allen and Patti Dale, Jean-Luc and Marie Christine Gallardo along with our friends from Washington CH, Dan and Bobbie Stahl. The bottle of Kinkead was autographed by the winegrower, and inscribed "A votre sante"... To your health!

January 2006, from JS, Virginia:

Dear Kinkead Ridge,
For the first time in three or four years I took out a little wine dog and pony show, touring what, in my view, are the top wine shops in Washington D.C., showing off what are to me, wines made in the eastern U.S. that could fit comfortably into an international wine list in a top restaurant. Of course, there are many more now than when I started doing this 30 years ago. This outing started at Jim Arsenault's "vineyard" shop in McLean, VA. The wines I was showing were Kinkead Ridge Syrah and McPherson Syrah from Lubbock, Texas. Both are fine efforts, but wherever I went, with one exception, your wine was preferred. The other shops were Silesia Liquors, Mike Tilch, Silesia, Maryland, Cleveland Park, Tony Quinn, Washington D.C., Wide World of Wine, Elliot Staren, Washington D.C. and Tom Hanna, MacArthur Beverage, Washington, D.C.  They all liked your wine. Several mentioned the idea that because of your overlapping names, you would be a natural match up with Kinkead's Restaurant (our city's best seafood house). They have one of the city's best wine lists (operated by Michael Flynn). Happy new year.

Many many miscellaneous people at tastings:

"We can't believe these wines are from Ohio!"

Andrew Jones, (England) says the following about the 2002 Revelation: 
Rating: 91

"Kinkead Ridge excels again. Just when I thought winemaker Ron Barrett should be best known for white wine, he has produced an exciting Bordeaux-style red blend. Comprising 53% Cabernet Franc, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and just 2% Petit Verdot, its origin would fool many experts in a blind tasting and could easily be confused for a Médoc of the Cru Bourgeois level.

If Kinkead Ridge can do this with young vines, the future looks very promising indeed...

Revelation tempts one with its vanilla and cherry notes on the nose. These are confirmed along with bramble and blackcurrant on a middleweight palate that leads to a long, smooth finish.

Small volume means full order books, so be brave and order in advance. That will give you a chance to enjoy a rising star from Ripley, Ohio."

Topic: Ohio makes a real wine: Kinkead Ridge Vineyards 2001 Syrah

Posted October 03, 2003 / eRobertParker.com / Mark Squires' Wine Bulletin Board
Author: Edward Hatfield, Executive Oenophile Member #813

"Southern Ohio has a new vineyard started by a guy who has spent a lot of time in Oregon growing wine. Finally someone has gotten serious about making wine in Ohio. Rot Barrett planted and raised 40 acres of pinot and other grapes in Oregon that was eventually sold to Soter vineyards in 1997.

I have visited this vineyard and was anxious to try their first release.

2001 Syrah.
100% American Oak, grown on young vines (4-5 years old?) on ancient Limestone hills overlooking the Ohio river). Great on the nose reminiscent of an Aussie Shiraz, oak apparent and classic fruit bomb Syrah characteristics. I would have guessed Aussie if presented blind. Dark ruby verging on purple color. Sweet and approachable with medium density. Does not seem to deliver the punch that is promised on the nose. Moderate length and sweet ripe tannins on the finish. A very good wine from a difficult vintage in Southern Ohio. This is very impressive given the age of the vines. 88 points.

But I am expecting big things and I know the owners have the dedication and skill to bring out the best that this excellent Terroir has to offer.

It is really exciting to find a real vineyard producing real wine in Ohio. Just remember you heard it here first. Ohio is on the map! I will keep you posted."

********* Follow-up posting next day

"I was very surprised that this wine seemed to add depth and weight overnight. It was even better the next day.
Upgrade of score to 89 points."

Recognizing Wine's Taste of Place
Linda Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Editor

"One of wine's finest attributes is that it can taste of the place where the grapes were grown... Climate, soils, drainage, elevation, slope, sun exposure, availability of water -- even air pollution -- affect how a vine grows and thus the wine it produces. Although winemakers can influence the aroma, flavor and texture of their wines by their choices of barrels, yeasts, fermentation techniques and aging regimes, few argue that the environment in which the grapes are grown -- the French call this terroir -- is key in determining how distinctive a wine will turn out, how it will separate itself from the pack of like varietals. It does this by expressing a sense of place, or as my colleague W. Blake Gray wrote last week about old-vine Zinfandel, a taste of history and distinct personalities in a glass."