Friday, September 5, 2014

Grand River Valley Wine Region to Host 3rd Annual Cask Tasting On September 13

Wine cellar in Burgundy

Wine cellar in Burgundy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley are pleased to announce their third annual tasting event, “Cask 1014”, on September 13 from Noon-5:00 PM. Debonné Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, Laurello Vineyards, and St. Joseph Vineyards are participating in this drive-yourself tour.

The wine tasting, which includes the limited release of the Cask 1014 red wine, will be paired with food samples to compliment the wine perfectly. The cost is $6 at each winery.

The Cask project was a joint effort of the 5 different wineries to each purchase a 500-gallon cask barrel, using oak from different countries. Each location then put only regional red wines from their winery into the barrel, resulting in wines that are smooth, dry, and full of flavors. The first vintage in the barrel was in 2010 and a second vintage was added in 2011 and the 3rd in 2012. This years' blend was bottled in 2014, thus the name Cask 1014 -- the year the project started “10” and the year the wine was bottled “14”. Each year, 100 gallons will be bottled from these amazing barrels, making room for the next years harvest.

All five participating wineries are within 10 minutes of each other, making this a very convenient excursion for travelers. Each winery will feature their cask wine and another regional wine paired with an appetizer. The cost is only $6 per person at each winery.

"This is truly the elite tasting event of the year," says Nicholas Ferrante, owner and winemaker of Ferrante Winery and Ristorante. "The cask wines from the five area wineries are all about bottling the best that we have. The blends are amazing and the consumer can really taste the difference an oak barrel can make."

With the event being in mid-September, during harvest season, it is highly likely that grape pickers will be in the fields and grapes being pressed at some of the wineries. The smell of grapes is sure to permeate your senses as you drive around to the different wineries.

While visiting the area the group encourages travelers to take a mini-vacation and spend their weekend in wine country. There are lots of shops to visit and beautiful covered bridges to check out in the area. For those looking for other things to do contact the Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.visitashtabulacounty.com) or the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.lakevisit.com).

The Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley formed a group several years ago when they began to realize how quickly their wine region was growing. The Grand River Valley Wine Region is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the United States and has the quality wines to prove why. Member wineries have achieved national and international recognition with award winning wines. These wineries must adhere to strict standards.

The Cask Tasting is just one of a series of events The Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley host each year. Other events include the ever-popular Ice Wine Festival and The Turkey Trot.

For more information about the Cask Tasting call 440-466-3485 or go to www.grandrivercellars.com and click on events listing.

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