Kinkead Ridge Winery

OK, to be fair...I have not actually visited the winery. Want to be honest up front. This is simply a review of the wine. I was at North Market yesterday and decided to pick up a bottle of wine. I've been wanting to try an Ohio wine for years but have always hesitated. How can Ohio have good grapes? Plus, I've heard from many sources that Ohio wines are gross. Anyway, one particular bottle stood out to meand it was the Kinkead Ridge Syrah (2008 vintage). At $20, it was a little more than I usually spend on a bottle (yes, I'm cheap), but I thought, "What the hell?" Let me just say.....*swoon.* This wine was amazing! Ballsy, spicy, full of body - just the way we like it. I can't believe the vines in the winery are only 10 years old! Probably one of the best Syrahs I've had in a long time. Plus, at 15.2% alcohol content, it was worth the $20. When I was finished with the bottle, I was thoroughly schnockered. I WILL come to this winery when it opens back up over Memorial Day weekend!For those of you in Columbus who want to try this wine, they sell in grocery stores, restaurants and wine shops all over town. Their website has a list of retailers.

I'm a fan of the wines. We bought a few cases this past fall. Their "tasting room" is a couple of fold-up tables and a cash register placed in the middle of their fermentation tanks. You get four or five samples, depending on what Kinkead is releasing at that time. You'll have to check the website for when they are open. Last year they only had a few tastings because of a bad growing season.When you get to Ripley just follow the signs that say winery. Eventually you wind up on a residential street, and a nondescript house with a bunch of cars out front and people leaving with wine bottles.Twice a year Kinkead opens the vineyard for guided tours. If you can, time your visit for then. Listening to owner talk about the difficulties of growing grapes X or Y in southwest Ohio is fascinating.

I love their wines. Their Cabernet Franc is my absolute favorite! Their tasting room is not what you would expect but their wines more than make up for it.

I was very impressed by Kinkead wines. The tasting room in nothing special and I'm not even sure they are open that much. That said, the wines were top notch (they were only tasting their whites at this point). Ohio wines are a bit hit and miss, this one's definitely a hit if you enjoy classic dry wines. The owners/staff were all helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.