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riesling

Best Local Winery You’ve Never Heard of: Kennedy Vineyard + **CONTEST**

January 3, 2017 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Kennedy Vineyards in New Madison, Ohio

It is all in the family for Kennedy Vineyard, a locally owned winery that you may not have heard of, but you will never forget.
Northwest of the Miami Valley, located in New Madison, Ohio, the property has personality, warmth and a homey feel.  It makes sense.  The winery and tasting room are all located on the family homestead. It is a fully functioning winery and farm.  Depending on where you live in Dayton, the trip could take from between 20 to 45 minutes.  It is a perfect date night, or destination Food Adventure.  It feels like a weekend escape, when you have really just traveled to the next county.

Time to explore……

Louisa and John Kennedy

HERE’S THE SKINNY on KENNEDY VINEYARD:

— Three generations live on the homestead, from grandma to the grandaughter.  All contribute to the working farm.  You may see some chickens and crops if you keep your eyes peeled.  Parts of the farm have been turned into the winery.  The tasting room is the old corn crib.  You may even get a welcome from the family’s young daughter, who is very sweet.

— John and Louisa Kennedy are the owners of the winery.  They have poured a lot of dedication and hard work into making the place a comfortable and delicious experience.  It is a welcoming spot and place that every Daytonian should visit.

Grapes on the vine

— Twelve years ago, John’s mom started planting the grapes.  John, who grew up in the home, took over production and in 2014, the tasting room was opened.

—The Winery address is 3911 State Route 722, New Madison, Ohio.  It is just a few miles off of an exit on I-70 West not far from Greenville/Arcanum.

—Kennedy Vineyard’s philosophy is to make the wines in small batches. This keeps the wines young, and helps preserve the fruity flavors.  Many of the bottle’s labels are artwork from friends, family and customers.  Some are drawn from photos taken at the winery by friends or family.

—The winery hopes to be brewing beer too by summer 2017.

A taste of “Twisted Oak”

— Limited Menu HERE offering flatbread pizzas, meat and cheese trays from local farms. The cheeses are from J’s Country Store and the meats are from Winner’s meats.

— Tasting Room Hours:  Thurs 6pm-9pm,  Fri 4pm-9pm, Sat. 2pm -10pm

— Wine Prices are as follows:  

****** Bottles of Wine – $10-$15, depending on what style you order.

****** Wine Flights:  7, one ounce pours for $5  or build your own wine flights for $1 per pour

Inside the tasting room

****** Glasses of Wine: $5 – $8.50 depending on the wine

They have an assorted meat and cheese plates that hit the spot, while tasting wines.  They sometimes offer flatbreads and soups as well.  But the main event is the wine, and we have the breakdown of all the wines you don’t want to miss.

*NOTE* Dear Sophisticated wine drinkers,  the selection of wines is not very dry, so don’t expect that.  You can expect some semi-dry and fruity wines, many of them sweet as well.  Keep an open mind, as they are a growing establishment using Ohio grapes.  You won’t find a dry, dark merlot here…..  yet.

 

MUST DRINKS at KENNEDY VINEYARD:

Meat and Cheese plate

TWISTED OAK:  One of their dry, red wines.  The wine is stored in oak barrels for flavor.  The result is traces of coffee and rich, dark chocolate.  The artwork on the label is truly unique.

 

LONE CEDAR RED:  A dry wine made with De Chaunac Grapes, which is a hybrid of a French-American grape project in the 1860’s.  The grape is vibrant in Canada, New York, Ohio and Michigan.  This red wine won the bronze medal at the 2015 Finger Lakes International wine competition.  Named for a lone

A view of the vineyard

cedar tree that survived on the farm.

 

DARKE KNIGHT:  One of the Big Ragu’s favorite wines.  It has black cherry and blackberry undertones.  The vineyard describes it as “a full bodied, red wine.”  A little too sweet for Hungry Jax tastes, this was a 2015 Finger Lakes International Wine Fest Silver Medal winner.

The youngest Kennedy on site showing off some fall squash harvest

 

RED NECK GIRL: The #1 selling wine at the Kennedy Vineyard.  Is it the name or the soft and sweet taste.  This wine dances with fruit flavors like cherry and raspberry.  Refreshingly delicious, this wine was also a Silver Medal winner at the 2015 Finger Lakes International wine fest

 

EMERICK SKY: Semi Dry crisp white wine, with refreshing citrus flavors.  Artwork on label is from a photo taken of the sky above Emerick Street.

 

RIESLING:  The Big Ragu also pegs this as his other favorite.   A sweet, refreshing taste , almost like champagne.  Very light, white almost clear wine.  The flavor is so nice and all day drinkable.  The Big Ragu drank this one so fast, John Kennedy looked at him and said “You’re not much of a sipper are you?”

 

Delicious wines

LOVE AT FIRST WHITE: A signature white wine from Kennedy Vineyard.  Big Ragu loves this one as well.  Cold, refreshing and sweet.  Fall in love with the sweetness and the bold flavors of the Niagara Grape.

 

RED NECK LOVE:  This is an invention of the staff.  It is actually a glass of half “Red Neck Girl” and half “Love at First White.”  The result is a popular sweet blush.  This one is a lot of fun and in the spirit of a Food Adventure.

 

BLACKBERRY WINE: Very fruity flavors abide in this one.  A little deep, yet subtle, it is a great sipping wine.  This wine is the 2nd most popular wine at Kennedy Vineyard.

Making “Red Neck Love”

 

RESILIENT: Their blush wine.  Pink in color, refreshing and semi-sweet wine.  $1 off all bottle sales goes to the Epilepsy Foundation

 

And now we turn to ones that are sold out until next year….

 

MUST DRINKS THAT ARE “OUT OF STOCK” UNTIL NEXT HARVEST:

Patio area

KV SUNSET: A dry, red wine, this is their Estate Reserve wine.  This means the grapes were grown on premises and processed from vine, to crush to bottle at the winery.  There were limited quantities of this one due to a limited quantities of a special “Chambourcin Grape” grown at the vineyard.  It is a French-American Hybrid grape, and rare at Ohio wineries.  KV Sunset is also the winery’s dryest wine.  This is their rarest bottle of wine, and since they only brew a limited small batch, it goes quickly.  Maybe you will get a taste in 2017.  This is their dryest wine on the menu.

Grandma Kennedy talks with the Big Ragu

 

CHARDONNAY:  This popular, dry white wine has a subtle oak taste.  It is light tasting and has hints of citrus flavor.  They are looking to get this favorite back in stock, real soon.

 

TRAMINETTE:  A semi-dry white wine, this is a well balanced product.  There are tastes of apple and pears, with a spicy end and aftertaste.

 

We have been to Kennedy Vineyard a four times now with friends, and this place has stolen our heart.  It is a great story about a charming local

Darke Night wine – not Batman, but Darke County

family, who are delivering a fun product.  Make sure you take the time to stop by this vineyard.

Now, we have an announcement…………..

*** SUMMER FOOD ADVENTURE “WINE AND SWINE.” at KENNEDY VINEYARDS SAT JUNE 3rd,  2pm-10pm ***

We are having a Food Adventure dinner event at Kennedy Vineyards for next year.

 

We are hosting at a 200 person limit, hog roast and barn party called “WINE AND SWINE.”

$25 per person, get your tickets at this link

Blackberry Wine

Attendees will each get a bottle of wine and a full Pork BBQ dinner.

SATURDAY JUNE 3rd, 2017 SCHEDULE:
2pm-4pm CASH BAR and Mingle on the vineyard grounds,

3pm-5pm Acoustic Music
4pm – 6pm Hog Roast Dinner to include:
1 bottle of wine per person.  Pulled Pork, homemade BBQ Sauce, Homemade Slaw, homemade Cheesey Potatoes, homemade Baked Beans
7-9pm Rock Band
6pm – 10pm CASH BAR

This promises to be a blast, so please GET YOUR TICKETS NOW !

LET’S GET SOME EARLY BUZZ STARTED…  pun intended

THE BIG RAGU, CHEF HOUSE and HUNGRY JAX have decided to give away 2 tickets to this event to kick off the new year !!

That is a $50 value – all you have to do is comment below and one person will be chosen at random next week to win 2 tickets to JUNE 3rds WINE AND SWINE event !!!

Check out more photos of the vineyard below.

Giving away 2 tickets to the WINE and SWINE Food Adventure event – comment below

Chickens on the farm

Big Ragu sips wine and ponders the year

Ohio Grapes

 

Vineyard

More Vineyard

Love at First White

Welcome to Kenney Vineyard

John and Louisa

A working farm

Tasting all the good stuff

Used corks

Fall at the Vineyard

Twisted Oak

At home with ” Apple of My Eye”

Sipping at home

The homestead

Ragu cooks with the wine

Kennedy Vineyard – a secret you now know about

Fall dried up

Autumn on the farm

Winery decor

Beautiful label

Lone Cedar Red

Sipping Emerick Sky

Scallops with wine

Grapes

Warm inviting and fall colors

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: arcanum, Big Ragu, bottle, chef house, darke county, darke knight, estate, Food Adventure, Food Adventures, greenville, hog roast, hungry jax, kennedy winery, love at first white, new madison, redneck girl, riesling, vineyard, wine and swine, winery

New Menu, New Staff at Bella Vino! **Win a $20 Gift Certificate**

April 11, 2014 By The Food Adventures Crew 16 Comments

Hello Baked Brie

Up close look at the Baked Brie

Bella Vino in Springboro, isn’t your average wine store.  Sure, they have all the chardonnays, merlots, and syrahs one could dream of.  But now, they have kicked it up a notch.

Under new management, Bella Vino brought in Chef Jen Anticoli, who has introduced some dishes that are fabulous when paired with wine, or even just dining on the patio.  The Big Ragu & Crew are all about good eats outdoors.  If you are the same way, then Bella Vino will quickly become one of your favorite spots for a Food Adventure

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Bella Vino Wine Merchants is open Mon 4-10pm Tues-Thurs 11:30am -10pm, Fri and Sat 11:30am-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.  They even have a location in West Chester.

— Perfect place for patio drinks and dining.  The spacious, outside dining area is a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.  The inside dining room is sleek and contemporary, with a capacity of 80 people.

— Up and coming chef, Jen Anticoli has revamped the menu and added her personal spin on some Italian dishes and more.

— Bella Vino has over 1400 wines to choose from, and is frequently running specials on various brands.

— Summer is bringing new events to Bella Vino, such as “Party on the Patio Nights”, with the kitchen setting up a grill outside.

— Look for more menu expansions like “Strawberry Muscato Lemonade” and Gourmet Subs

Chef Jen Anticoli

Chef Jen Anticoli of Bella Vino

 

We were impressed by the food, and it definitely satisfied our Food Adventure instincts.   Of all the menu items, The Big Ragu did have some favorites.   So let us present, without further adoo, our infamous “must eats!”

 

MUST EATS:

— GOAT CHEESE CRUSTINI:  Creamy, sweet and full of flavor, the fresh tomatoes and goat cheese combine amazingly.  The Big Ragu will go on record, that this is his favorite crustini of all-time !  The sauces and spices added make this a definite ‘must eat,’ and perfect with any wine.  The secret ingredient?   Pistachio Crumbles for the finishing touch.

— CARMEL NUT BAKED BRIE:  Served freshly baked and still steaming, this brie is a delicious starter.  Garnished with berries and nuts, drizzled with honey, and served with bread and crackers, it is a great segway for any vino ! We think you will be hard pressed to share this killer appetizer.

— BAKED POTATO PIZZA:  Flaky crust with toppings that perfectly mimics a good potato skin, this pie is filling for even the big appetites.   Made with chopped garlic, mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, onions and a sour cream drizzle, we bet you can’t eat just one square.

— BLT PIZZA:  This white sauce pizza is a good twist on an old favorite using spinach instead of lettuce.  Bacon is all the rage, right?  Get your fix on this pie.  Toppings include and tomato, bacon, cheddar-jack cheese and garlic mayo.  We don’t know what kind of wine goes, with a BLT, we just eat the damn thing…..

Delicious

The BLT Pizza at Bella Vino. Click to Enlarge

We were pleasantly surprised at the food offerings at Bella Vino and look for more great things to some.  Chef Jen is starting to carve a name for herself with a style all her own.  Her unique flavors and ingredients make her a diamond in the rough of the Miami Valley’s culinary landscape.

Make sure you check out this little known secret located at 495 N. Main Street in Springboro.  Bella Vino may mean “Good Wine” in Italian, but now it can be known for its good food as well.

 

Want to learn about more good food and ‘secret’ dining spots from Food Adventures with The Big Ragu and Crew?  Then  like them on Facebook by clicking HERE !

Follow us on TWITTER here …

*** WIN A $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO BELLA VINO ***

To be entered, just comment below on the story, and tell us why you want the gift certificate.  One winner will be chosen at random.

Don’t forget to check out our incredible photo gallery below from our visits to Bella Vino !!
[flagallery gid=84]

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: #daytonfood, #daytonfoodies, Anticoli, Bella Vino, Big Ragu, Chardonnay, chef, Dayton, DaytonDining, dinner, food, Food Adventure, Food Adventures, gourmet, jen anticoli, merlot, patio, pizza, reisling, riesling, spirits, springboro, syrah, The Big Ragu, warren county, wine

Fleurs Et Vin: A Great Success at Carrillon Park

May 31, 2013 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Each Guest Received Souvenir Glasses

Did you miss it?  Endless wine tasting and all the food samplings you wanted were featured at the 2013 Fleurs et Vin Festival held at Carillon Park on May 19th.  The Big Ragu was on hand with Dayton Most Metro’s staff, greeting the massive crowds and sample the various offerings.  It was a Food Adventure paradise in the heart of Dayton, and a must eat on our list of events.

If you were not able to make it to this annual benefit for the AIDS Resource Center Ohio, then check out our recap, below.

Here’s the Skinny:

— FLEURS ET VIN is Dayton’s Premier Wine and Gourmet Food Festival, typically held each year on a Sunday in May from 1-4pm under the tents at Carrillon Historical Park.  It is an all-you-want tasting event with a loyal following.

— ALL of the food and wine was donated by locally owned restaurants, allowing 100% of the proceeds to benefit AIDS Resource Center of Dayton.  A Food Adventure with a cause

— Admission price allowed you access to over 400 wines from around the world and taste menu samples from 20 local restaurants, along with a Belgian Beer Garden area !

— Live and Silent Auction areas allowed even more funds to be raised for this worthy cause that focuses of prevention and education about AIDS, along with service programs that help those in need with HIV/AIDS.

— Live music filled the air and added to the warm ambiance.

With so many good wines and so much good food, below are our picks for the best of the best from this spectacular event!

Crab Rangoon from Thai 9.  Our Favorite Rangoon in Dayton.

OUR FAVORITES  (THE FOOD):

Thai 9’s Crab Rangoon and Chicken with Rice:  In our opinion, the best crab rangoon in the Dayton area were these incredible samples from Thai9.  Stuffed full and deep, and served with a sweet side of Thai sauce, we found ourselves returning to this line often.  The Thai chicken dish was also incredible at this station.  It was a Thai pepper chicken, served in a brown, curry house sauce over a bed of white rice.  We told them we loved it, but our mouths were so full that they couldn’t understand us.

The Dock’s Crab Cakes:  Slowly seared on their portable flat top grill, these were flavorful, hand-packed circles of love.  The sauce that topped the crab cakes was the secret ingredient that kept us coming back for more.  The staff of The Dock probably wanted to file a restraining order against us for hanging out by their grill as much as we did.  We could not resist seconds of these scrumptious bites of crab heaven.

Hawthorn Grill’s  Sorbet and Strawberry ShortCake: All of the desserts at Hawthorn Grill are homemade by Chef Candace and her staff.   Her sorbet was a perfect, refreshing break during this hot event.  The bite size piece of cake, topped with a strawberry sauce also hit the spot.

Scratch Catering’s Beef Brisket and Carmelized Onion Bruschetta:  When doesn’t Chef Matt Hayden please the hungry crowds?  This delicious, slow-cooked sampling was just as pleasing to the eye, as it was to our taste buds.  The hits from Scratch Catering just keep on coming ….

OUR FAVORITES (THE WINES):

Canella Blood Orange Mimosa:  Talk about refreshing!   This tasty, bottled mimosa was the perfect drink, on this hot day.  The server at this booth had to be tired of us by the end of the event.   Probably our favorite offering from the Vintage Wine Distributor.  This Italian wine cocktail is made from grape wine and the juice and pulp of blood oranges from Sicily.

Heron Chardonnay:  A crisp, white wine made from 22 year old grape vines.  The winery is a female owned, family vineyard run by Laely Heron.   One of the few American women who made wine in France, Heron’s products are also produced in California.

Spreitzer Riesling 101:  This German Riesling comes from a winery owned by two brothers who have been honing their craft since 1997.  It was a cold, refreshing sip of sparkling goodness in the warm weather.

The Belgian Beer Garden: Although this was a wine festival, Heidelberg Distributing distracted us with some great beer selections.  Food Adventures enjoyed a couple of  Stella Artois beers in a souvenir pint.  The Big Ragu went for some Hoegaarden beer and an Ommegang Witte Beer.

All in all, this is Dayton’s “Wine me and dine me” Festival.  We loved being a part of a wonderful event, that supported a locally based AIDS charity.  Good local food and world class wines, what more could one ask for?   So let us end this Food Adventure, by raising our glass with a toast.. “Whether you love Merlot or Chardonnay, here’s to seeing you at Fleurs et Vin, next May!!”

For more wine, and no whine, visit Food Adventures on Facebook and “like” them by clicking HERE !

[flagallery gid=40 name=Gallery]

Filed Under: Food Adventures Tagged With: 101, adventure, aids resource, AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Allied Wine, Allied Wine Division, Amber Rose, Arrow Wine, Artois, baker-bird, Big Ragu, blood orange, brisket, buckeye distributing, canella, Carillon, Carillon Park, carvers, catering, Cavalier, Central Perc, Chardonnay, Coco's Bistro, Cutting Edge Selections, Dayton, Distributing, distributor, festival, Fleurs et Vin, food, Food Adventures, Giovanni's, Hawthorn Grill, Heidelberg, Heidelberg wines, heron, Hoegaarden, inc, Jay's Seafood, mama disalvos, Meadowlark, mimosa, Naturalm state wines, Neil's Heritage House, Oakwood Club, ommegang, riesling, Salar, scratch, scratch event, Spreitzer, Stella, Taste, Thai 9, Thai9, The Dock, Top of the Market, Vanguard Wines, Veleta Winery, vintage wine, wine, Wine Loft, Wine Trends, Winebow, winery, witte

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