Before we move from the Lake Erie Wine Trail to the Finger Lakes region of New York, I wanted to bring us back to our true purpose, sharing our love of Ohio wineries. On our return trip from NY we made it a point to stop at our favorite Ashtabula County winery, Kosicek Vineyards.
This was our third visit here and one of the reasons it quickly became one of our favorites is its welcoming atmosphere. Ashtabula County is home to more than 25 wineries and several, while serving good wines, are like wine-tasting machines - move them in, move them out. Not at Kosicek Vineyards! You are always greeted with a cheerful hello and ably assisted with your needs, whether it's a tasting, buying a bottle to drink on premises, or taking a case home. The owners also generously give back to their community in a myriad of ways, as we have seen on their Facebook page.
The family has been growing grapes since 1929 but did not produce wine until 3rd generation family member, Tony Kosicek, and his wife, Mauri, built the tasting room in 2012. They took the time to create a beautiful space with a long tasting bar, plenty of table seating, an inviting deck and an outdoor play area. It is surrounded by the estate vineyard that grows vidal blanc, concord, merlot and cabernet franc grapes.
And Tony's skills as a vintner come through in the wines. On our latest visit, we tried several reds but they also have a full selection of whites. The Petite Syrah 2016, made from California grapes, had a deep smoky nose, berry notes and a nice peppery finish. The Grand River Valley Pinot Noir 2017 had a nice garnet color, foretelling its medium body. It was moderate on the tannins with a plum and spice nose.
The Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, as expected, is made from grapes sourced from the Temecula Valley and aged in bourbon barrels. It had a rich cherry nose and delivered a full mouth feel with an oaky smoke on the back end. The Grand River Valley Merlot Estate 2016 and the California Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 stayed true to their varietals and delivered the rich, dry taste I expect from those grapes.
Kosicek uses their estate-grown Cabernet Franc grapes to make Grand River Valley Urban Reserve, a nice dry red with a great berry nose with a very smooth finish. It would play very well with almost any entree or be great for just drinking with friends.
We finished off with 2 special wines - Rhapsody and Khaos. Khaos is a medium blend of estate grapes that had a nice fruity nose but wasn't too sweet. In my house we call it "porch sipping wine!" It is a limited bottling so call now if you want to order it. Rhapsody is a delighful blend of pinot noir and riesling that is fermented and then carbonated into a crisp, champagne-style wine. Although Madam is not a big fan of champagne she fell in love with this one, deeming it a much better celebration alternative!
Kosicek also offers a nice menu of small plates to go with the wines, including meat and cheese, flatbreads, and locally-made cheesecake.
