Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, is offering a special series of wines tastings called, “World of Wine Wednesdays.” This is a series of one-hour wine seminars designed to introduce you to the places responsible for some of the world's most interesting wines. During the hour you will get a quick overview of the area, a tasting of two or more wines from the region, and an opportunity to get your questions answered.
The programs start promptly at 7:00 PM most Wednesdays this fall. The cost is $15 per person. Programs are limited to 20 people. These will take place at the seating in the front of Walt Churchill's Market Maumee and be lead by either Austin Beeman or Jim Krusinski of the Churchill’s wine department. You must prepay to reserve your space.
The schedule is as follows: October: 22 - Piedmont, Italy, 29 - Santa Cruz Mountains, California. November: 5 - Carneros, California, 12 - The Mosel Valley, Germany, 19 - Priorat, Spain. December: 3 - Bordeaux, France, 10 - Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France, 17 - Porto, Portugal.
Call for more information.
Wine service pouring a glass of the Italian sparkling wine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A gourmet Prosecco brunch will be held Sunday, August 24, at Walt Churchill's Market Maumee, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. The wines of the Bisol family will be featured.
Prosecco is a white wine grape grown primarily in the eastern part of Italy’s Vento region. It is famed for its sparkling wine. The best-known Prosecco comes from the wine region of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. The finest Prosecco is labeled Superiore de Cartizze. The Bisol family has farmed since the 17th century, making wine on their estate since 1875.
A five-course meal prepared by celebrity chef Bill Kolhoff will be served. The cost is $75 and the event begins at 12:00 noon. Call Austin Beeman for reservations. Seating is limited.
Another Columbia Valley wine was next, the 2011 Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon. Chateau St. Michelle has always been a leader in QPR (quality price ratio) and this didn’t disappoint. It has rich cherry flavors and is a nice “pop
We discussed whether this was actually too young, being just a 2012 vintage. For me the first sip dispelled that notion. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 18% Cab Franc, 6% Malbec and 5% Petite Verdot, I consider it a party in a bottle. The emphasis is on silky texture and red fruit flavors. Cab curmudgeons might say there’s too much Merlot – bit this hits all the right notes for me. At $29.99 it’s at a great price point too. Yes, I purchased this one.
"The Storming of the Bastille", Visible in the center is the arrest of Bernard René Jourdan, Marquis de Launay (1740-1789), Watercolor painting; 37,8 x 50,5 cm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A five-course gourmet wine dinner will be held 6:00 PM Monday, July 14th at Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, as part of its 9th Annual Bastille Day Celebration. The dinner will feature the food of celebrity guest chef Bill Kolhoff.
The cost is $75 per person and pre-paid reservations are required. the event will be limited to 20 people. The dinner will be held outdoors on the patio, weather permitting.
It’s your change to celebrate France with a gourmet dinner that highlights the inequality between the peasants and the kings that brought on the French Revolution. This will be done through the juxtaposition of French country cooking and haut cuisine. Each dish will be perfectly paired with two small glasses of wine (one humble and one luxury) selected by our Wine Manager Austin Beeman.
Here’s the menu (wine pairings to be announced):
1. Galantine of Duck / Chilled Watercress Soup
2. Trout Meuniere / Coquilles St. Jacques
3. Poulet Chasseur / Quail Périgord Stuffed with Chantrelles
4. Seared Steak with Herb Butter / Beef Tenderloin Roulade
5. “Let Us Eat Cake!”
Call for more information or to make a reservation.
French wine from the left bank Bordeaux wine region of Pauillac (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In what Wine Manager Austin Beeman terms “dramatically the greatest wine seminar we have ever had,” Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, will focus attention on the world’s premier wine region – Bordeaux, France – and taste some of its greatest wines.
The wine seminar 100 Point Perfection from Pontet Canet and 1996 Mouton Rothschild will be held 6:00 – 8:30 PM Sunday, May 11. The cost is $150 per person and it is limited to 20 participants.
Pontet Canet is the only organically-certified wine among the Great Growths of Bordeaux and in 2009 and 2010 Pontet Canet did the impossible. Robert Parker, arguably the world’s most important wine critic, gave Pontet Canet a perfect 100 out of 100 points for back-to-back vintages. Seminar participants will taste both wines side-by-side.
How do you follow up on that? Well – great Bordeaux is meant to be consumed with lots of bottle age, so also on the tasting menu is the elite First Growth Mouton Rothschild from the glorious 1996 vintage.
The tasting group will be joined by Importer/Distributor Mark Maher of Cutting Edge Selections who will be bringing a nice surprise as well.
Here’s more about the featured wines:
1. Pontet Canet 2009 Pauillac - $349.99 - 100 points, Robert Parker. "An amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically - a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries. A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. ...This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009."
2. Pontet Canet 2010 Pauillac - $349.99 – 100 points, Robert Parker. "An absolutely amazing wine, ... It comes from one of the few biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux...An astounding, compelling wine with the classic Pauillac nose. The wine has off-the-charts massiveness and intensity but never comes across as heavy, overbearing or astringent. The freshness, laser-like precision, and full-bodied, massive richness and extract are simply remarkable to behold and experience... it is really a privilege to taste something as amazing as this. ...Is there anything that proprietor Alfred Tesseron is not doing right? Talk about an estate that is on top of its game! "
3. Mouton Rothschild 1996 Pauillac - $999.99 - 96 points, Wine Spectator. Incredible nose of ultra-ripe fruit, it's yet subtle and complex. Full-bodied, with very ripe fruit and a long, long caressing finish. Superb. This is edging out the 1995.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010.
The seminar must be paid in advance and the registration is non-refundable. For more information, contact Wine Manager Austin Beeman at austin.beeman@waltchurchillsmarket.com or call the store at (419)794-4000 and speak to either Austin or Jim Krusinski.
Flight 1 (Photo credit: Heather F)
Introduction to Wine 101, a a two-week wine course for beginners will be offered at Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, at 6:30 to 8:30 PM on Monday, March 24, and Monday, March 31. The cost is $35 per person.
The Wine 101 Class is for you if:
This two-week course is geared towards novice wine drinkers who wish to expand their knowledge and experience. There are no judgments and no such thing as a stupid question. Both domestic and imported wines will be sampled and the course will cover a variety of topics including:
The course is taught by Jim Krusinski - the newest addition to the Walt Churchill's Market Wine Team. He is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and a 20-year veteran of the wine industry.
Each week you will taste 6 wines as part of the wine course and each participant will leave with a special gift each week that will help them continue their wine journey.
The course is limited to 20 people. Tasting starts promptly at 6:30pm each week. Both weeks are included in the price. You must prepay to hold your place.
Contact Austin Beeman or Jim Krusinski at the store or email at Austin.beeman@waltchurchillsmarket.com
(Photo credit: jenny downing)
Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, has scheduled a not-to-be-missed event for lovers of great French wine. An Evening with Master Sommelier Matt Citriglia and the Wines of Jean Louis Chave is scheduled 6:00 to 8:30 PM Wednesday, February 26, 2014.
The cost is $75.00 per person. The event is limited to 20 people. Wine Manager Austin Beeman said the tasting is filling up rapidly, so our suggestion is to call right away to lock in your place. You must prepay to reserve your place and the fee is non-refundable. The tasting starts promptly at 6:00.
Matt Citriglia is one of only 211 Master Sommeliers in the world and helped create the new Certified Sommelier Exam. His knowledge and expertise will make the event special indeed.
World-renowned wine authority Robert Parker says, “Jean Louis Chave is a small, but world-class wine enterprise that is truly inspiring. The Chave family have been doing this since 1472.”
The key to success has been perfectionist organic/biodynamic farming, low yields, full ripeness, minimal new oak, minimal intervention, and no filtering. This is the result of five generations of high quality winemaking and respect for their terroir. The Chave family could easily be called the royal family of French Wine.
Wines scheduled to be tasted are:
Contact Austin Beeman at (419)794.4000 or at Austin.beeman@waltchurchillsmarket.com
Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield, Maumee, (419) 794-4000, will feature a visit from a very special winemaker 12:00 – 5:00 PM Saturday, June 1. Mac McDonald is two things that are extremely rare. He is an African-American winemaker and one of the finest producers of Pinot Noir in the entire world. 
New Zealand wine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Wine lovers will have a chance to “grill and chill” at a tasting at Maumee Wines and Bistro, (419) 893-2525, 2556 Parkway Plaza, Maumee. The event is scheduled Tuesday, May 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.
The grilling season will begin with Chef Bill Kolhoff grilling on the
patio in front of the shop. Four crisp white wines and four reds will be featured, or there is an assortment of craft beers available for non-wine drinkers. There will be plenty of grilled vegetables and various delectables.
The cost is $25 per person and reservations are appreciated.
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Wines from Argentina will be the focus of a wine tasting at Maumee Wines and Bistro, (419) 893-2525, 2556 Parkway Plaza, Maumee. The event is scheduled Tuesday April 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.
Three Sip and Savor events during the month of March will benefit Central City Ministry of Toledo Schools – Queen of Apostles and Rosary Cathedral campuses. The events are scheduled March 5, 12 and 21 and feature wine or beer tasting and grazing. Food is provided by The Andersons and all proceeds will benefit tuition assistance at the schools. Tickets are $25 per each event.
