Wine from Kentucky??

So here's something different for tonight. My wife went on a business trip yesterday into the hills of Kentucky (apparently they do do some kind of business there) and in the process spent the night in Lexington. Well, while shopping around last night she noticed a store in an outdoor mall that said "Winery". Figuring what the heck, she dropped in. The store was a tasting room/gift shop for a winery about 20 miles away in Nicholasville, KY called Chrisman Mill. Apparently she got a sampling of about 6 of their wines, and decided to buy a couple of bottles of something called "Ensemble". Apparently this wine is made mostly (or perhaps entirely) from the Vidal Blanc grape - a French American hybrid variety that typically makes a nice semi-sweet wine. Now if you know me, you know I'm a big advocate of southern Ohio wines and wines of the midwest in general. I would really love to see a complete renaissance of this area as a premier wine growing region in the country. With that in mind, I'm always excited to try something new from OH, KY, or IN.

Well, we popped the cork on this tonight and poured a glass. I was pretty pleased with the nose - strong oak and fruit aromas making me think of a nice buttery Chardonnay. However, I've got to be honest, upon tasting I really did not like this wine. First off, the wine has a good bit of residual particles in it leaving it a bit cloudy. Likewise, it has a bit of air in it giving it just a hint of fiz. I'm pretty familiar with a good Vidal Blanc as Bill Skvarla at Harmony Hill makes one of my favorite local wines out of the grape - his Concerto which is crisp, pleasing and refreshing. This wine however just didn't have the right taste. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's just something offputting about the taste of the Ensemble. As bad as I hate to say it, I would not recommend this wine. I would love to be able to recommend all of the wines from the tristate, but I suppose that's probably a goal that's a bit lofty. Oh well, if you happen to have tried it and think otherwise, please let me know. Until next time, enjoy the first miracle.