You've heard of Bud Bowl, right? Well, panels of wine tasters in Ann Arbor and Columbus recently gathered to judge over 60 selected consumer-selected wines from Michigan and Ohio. It was the first purely consumer-selected judging of wines in either state and also unique by being limited to wines from grapes exclusively from Ohio & Michigan wines.
Ohio and Michigan share a centuries-old tradition of viticulture which was wrecked by Prohibition but has re-emerged in recent times. From the Ohio River Valley to the upper shores of Lake Michigan, growers and winemakers are once again crafting unique and quality wines. In light of the growing concerns about the carbon footprint of transported products, Slow Food Columbus created this event to showcase regional efforts in the context our storied gridiron rivalry. The top wines were:
- Sparkling Wine: Shady Lane Cellars Blanc de Blancs 2000 (MI) [order]
- Aromatic White: Ferrante "Golden Bunches" Riesling 2007 (OH) [order]
- White Wine: Black Star Farms "Arcturos" Chardonnay Sur Lie 2006 (MI) [order]
- Pinot Noir: Black Star Farms "Arcturos" Pinot Noir 2006 (MI) [order]
- Red Wine: Kinkead Ridge Revelation 2006 (OH) [order]
The real winners are the consumers of Michigan and Ohio who have an array of quality local wines to enjoy, these wines emerged as the MVPs for their respective teams. "I would consider any of these winning wines to be on a par in quality to their peers from California and elsewhere," said organizer Andrew Hall, "and at very consumer-friendly prices."
"There were a lot of good wines from both states," echoed one of the judges, "and I hope that people will give them a chance. Restaurants and consumers are starting to care a lot about local produce and wines should follow."
Amen to that - think about putting a bottle or two of excellent Michigan wine on your table this Thanksgiving (and all year long!). There are a bunch of Michigan wineries and wine sellers on our Michigan wine page to get you started!
3 Comments
Looks like Michigan won three to two!
Thanks for posting this! I was one of the organizers of the Michigan side of this event and it was a lot of fun. I think the best news out of this was that there were so many top-notch wines to choose from. Not just wines that were good “for a Michigan or Ohio wine,” but really good on their own merit. We had to limit the number tasted so some really great wines didn’t even get included. For example, we didn’t include a Mawby sparkler in the Michigan tasting, but the Ohio tasters liked their Mawby Blanc de Blanc the best. So while the winners in this list are sure bets, don’t be afraid to try lots of different local wines! Everyone has their own tastes so one person might like a sweeter Riesling, while another might like a dry Chardonnay. Lucky us to have the full array of good local wines to choose from! If wine isn’t your thing, don't forget we also have good hard cider, beer, and liquors all made in Michigan.
Right on Julie - I hope that everyone realizes what Michigan is bringing to the table in the 21st century. Our 50+ Michigan wineries are winning medals across the country and provide a wide range of great reds like pinot noir, cabernet franc and merlot and some of the best riesling, pinot grigio and chardonnay and otehr aromatic white wines in the world!
http://www.michiganwines.com/page.php?menu=about
Post a Comment