It is very easy to become a creature of one’s habits.  It’s convenient and comfortable to eat at the same places, do the same weekend activities, and of course, drink the same wines.  A couple years ago a good friend of mine had started dating a new girlfriend and decided to spend the summer doing something new every weekend to break out from their normal routines.  They found lots of new places to picnic, hike and eat around Ohio.  They really enjoyed picnicking at some sites like The Seven Caves, Great Serpent Mound and John Bryant State Park.  My friend said they typically didn’t spend a lot of time planning the trips.  They just hopped on Google, did some searches and used sites like www.OhioTraveler.com to find new places, hit the road with a cooler and filled it up with picnic supplies on the road.  They still talk about the fun they had on those trips that summer.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Zinfandel is a great wine to have at your Tuesday night barbecues, Saturday afternoon French bread, salami, and cheese conversations, and the Friday night dinners with old friends.  Nearly as stylistically versatile as Chardonnay it has only achieved popularity in America since 1980, as a pink, slightly sweet wine.  However, the wines we introduce here are dry and provide big bold flavor yet are still very approachable.   Consumer whims have tested Zinfandel’s ability to play the chameleon.  It has delivered zesty berry-fruity reds, spicy tannic beasts, vin nouveau, and tart, intriguing roses, unusual sparklers, dessert styled fortified wines, and nearly combustible versions.

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Popularity: 62% [?]

I love the social aspect of summer, spending time with family and friends and trying new wines. Owning a wine shop I have the pleasure of sampling wines every week. When presented with a new bottling at a value price point, I wonder if it’s going to be a “homerun” or a “foul ball”. Why do some wines succeed and others fail?   I believe it’s the winemaker’s winning philosophy that is crucial to the creation of great wines.  Shoofly, A to Z, D’Arenberg and Innocent Bystander are all wineries that exhibit different winning philosophies and each of them succeed in creating great value wines.

Each of these summertime sippers hit one right out of the park.  I hope these wines make your time with friends and family more memorable!

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Popularity: 81% [?]

Wine is so much more than just a beverage. It is an agricultural product that is constantly evolving. Not only does your favorite wine change from vintage to vintage but it also changes while it rests in the bottle. Once you uncork the bottle you wake it from its restful state and it starts to bloom; minute-by-minute, its personality changes as it mixes with the warm air.

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Popularity: 67% [?]

I thought it would be fitting to share a tradition I’ve recently started at my house for my first blog post for The Wine Cache.  I’ve recently begun to serve Sauvignon Blanc at the start of dinner parties or when inviting friends over to our house.  I used to just open a bottle of Cabernet since that is what we most often have at the house.  It wasn’t until a recent trip to Napa that I would have thought of serving Sauvignon Blanc.  At private wine tours of Chateau Montelena and Hall Winery we were welcomed with  a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. It was a very nice way to be welcomed into their establishments and left a lasting impression on my wife and me.  I hope my guests feel the same sense of hospitality from me as I did at Hall and Chateau Montelena. 

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Popularity: 100% [?]