Perfect pours: Some of my favorite wines by the glass in the Akron area | Phil Your Glass
I am constantly asked about my favorite bottle of wine: If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, what would it be?
It’s a tough question for a wine columnist and someone who enjoys wine as much as I do. Since my last name ends in a vowel, I am contractually obligated to select an Italian wine.
If you are a regular Phil Your Glass reader, it will come as no surprise that a sparkling wine is at the top of my list. I do love bubbles, so, if I am ever sentenced to the electric chair, I want a glass of Bonfadini Franciacorta brut with my last meal.
Keep delivering cases of this lovely sparkling wine to the deserted island where I have been stranded. I’ll be sipping on a glass of Bonfadini under the obligatory lone palm tree, and use the empty bottles to spell out SMB in the sand: Send More Bonfadini.
Franciacorta is a high-end Italian sparkling wine made in the same method as Champagne. It is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and around the world.
Luckily for us, we can stop in at Beau’s Grille in Fairlawn where it sells this lovely sparkler for $11 a glass. It's the best sparkling wine by the glass in the area. You can also find it at Beau’s on the River in Cuyahoga Falls for $16 a glass.
A restaurant’s wine by the glass list is a great way to explore different wines without having to purchase the whole bottle. Many bartenders will happily offer customers a taste of the wine before filling the glass. Go out and explore, one glass at a time.
Here are some of my favorites in the area.
Ken Stewart’s Final Word red blend
Ken Stewart’s Final Word red wine reserve is a stunner. It's made exclusively for the Stewart family by the O’Connell Family in Napa, California.
“We went out and blended the wine with the winemaker (Gabrielle Leonhard O’Connell), said Stewart. “It’s more French-style than California.”
This wine is a blend of Napa Valley cabernet and merlot with a bit of syrah and grenache added from its northern California vineyards. It’s an elegant wine with a long, long finish. I love the aromas of black current and toasted pecan that lead you into the black raspberry flavors of the wine.
It's definitely an enjoyable $18 glass. I’m not sure what kind of Houdini magic Stewart pulled off to offer this bottle for only $70 on his wine list, as many wines from the O’Connell portfolio sell for $195 and up. It’s also a great deal to take a bottle home for the to-go price of $55 from all three of Stewart's restaurants.
Caymus Emmolo merlot
Emmolo merlot is made by winemaker Jenny Wagner whose father, Chuck Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyards.
I saw this wine on the menu at Lanning’s in Bath and knew I had to try it. I absolutely love merlot. It’s a super food-friendly wine.
This is on the glass pour list at $15. The rich black raspberry and elderberry flavors make it worth every penny. It’s even better when you have it with a $12 order of Lanning's maple-bourbon pork belly appetizer.
Avanzi Rosavero chiaretto rosé
I was excited to find Avanzi Rosavero chiaretto on the wine list at D’Agnese’s at White Pond as it reminded me of my trip to the winery in Lake Garda, Italy, a few years back.
This rosé is a blend of 60% gropello, 15% sangiovese, 15% marzemino and 10% barbera grapes. It has delicate floral and strawberry aromas with mouth-watering flavors of Fuji apple and peach that keep you begging for your next sip.
I had an $11 glass with a $10 order of shrimp D’Agnese.
My friend Nicola Avanzi was in town last week. We shared a pizza margharita from Cafe Arnone with a glass of this wine. Of course the pairing was magnifico! The wine always tastes better when the winemaker pours you a glass.
Gregory James old vine zinfandel
New Philadelphia resident Jim Demuth, who owns Gregory James Wines in Sonoma, California, has one of the best bottles of zinfandel around.
His old vine zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley is my kind of zin. The grapes come from 60-year-old vines in the School House Vineyard, which overlooks Lake Sonoma.
The rich red berry and dried cherry flavors keep me coming back for another sip. It’s the perfect summer grilling wine.
I had an $11 glass at the BLU-Tique Hotel in downtown Akron with a $16 order of its tasty Korean short rib tacos.
Veuve Clicquot Champagne
Veuve Clicquot Champagne has quite a cult following among sparkling wine lovers.
I stopped at Regency Wines in Fairlawn for an $18 glass to see what everyone has been bubbling about. Not many places pour an $80 bottle of Champagne by the glass.
I was impressed with the subtle baked brioche aromas and vibrant citrus flavors in my flute.
The bubbles are as relentless as Madame Clicquot herself, who took over the ritzy Champagne house in 1805 at a time when women weren’t even allowed to have their own bank account. The “Grande Dame of Champagne” as she was called is still an inspiration to women to this day.
Baglio di Pianetto organic catarratto
I was thrilled to see Baglio di Pianetto organic catarratto wine on the list at Cellar 59 in Stow. I have never had a wine made from catarratto grapes.
Seeing this wine immediately brought back memories of driving the back roads of Sicily with my pal Sal. In true Sicilian fashion, he pulled the car over to offer me a taste of the freshly harvested grapes from an unknown and unsuspecting vineyard. “Sunshine in your mouth,” is how he described them as he handed me a bunch.
I happily sat at the Cellar 59 bar and drank a $10 glass of catarratto with manager Max Pezzaniti, who described the wine as “stylistically similar to a pinot grigio.”
The aromas of freshly cut Sicilian honey dew melon and peach lure you into a creamy citrus finish. It’s just a wonderful sipping wine.
Pezzaniti’s entire wine list encourages patrons to venture out of their comfort zone.
Blue Rock Baby Blue red blend
The $12 glass of Baby Blue red blend on the wine list at 111 Bistro in Medina caught my eye immediately.
I love wine from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, and Blue Rock Vineyards is an amazing winery that I encourage you to visit if you get the chance. The views from the sustainable hillside vineyards are stunning.
This wonderful red is a Bordeaux-style blend of 85% cabernet, 5% merlot, 3% cabernet Franc, 3% petit verdot, 2% syrah and 2% malbec. Lots of black raspberry and blueberry flavors to go along with a long, velvety finish.
It was perfect with the bistro’s $15 crispy pork belly bites as well as its $14 111 ahi tuna. The true sign of a great wine.
Walt’s La Brisa pinot noir
I was beyond thrilled to see a $23 glass of Walt’s La Brisa Sonoma Coast pinot noir on the wine list at Fleming’s.
I have been following this winery since it first opened a tasting room just off the Sonoma square. I was even on the mailing list for a couple of years.
La Brisa is the essence of pinot noir for me. The dried Bing cherry and cranberry flavors were out of this world.
It’s an excellent food wine as it was the perfect match with Fleming's complimentary crudité (kroo-dee-teh) with ranch dip. The $13 signature onion rings were stacked like a high rise thing of beauty. They were absolutely wonderful with the wine, and so was the delicious smoked jalapeño aioli dipping sauce. Definitely an appetizer to share.
Reserve de la Saurine grenache blanc
Wise Guys Lounge and Grill owner Tom Procaccio is always serving up interesting wines by the glass. The other week it was a delicious white Bordeaux from France. Last week I had an $8 glass of Reserve de la Saurine grenache blanc.
This crisp white wine from the France’s Languedoc region is brand new to the area, and the North Hill dining spot was one of the first to get it in. It was a hit from the first sip. Loved the floral notes in the glass.
It was the perfect accompaniment with an order of Wise Guys house-made crab Rangoons. The olive oil and lemon vinaigrette on my Greek salad really brought out the citrus notes of the wine.
By the time you and your date each order an $8 glass, you might as well purchase the whole bottle for $20. You can always take home whatever wine you don’t finish.
Phil Your Glass: Arius pinot noir is perfect blend of dried cranberry and cherry flavors
Sips: A taste of upcoming wine events
• Kingfish wine dinner. Kingfish on restaurant hill in Copley will be hosting a four-course wine dinner featuring Mila Family Vineyards.
The biodynamic Alexander Valley winery is owned by the Richfield husband and wife team of Michael Oravecz and Loretta DiChiro.
Cost is $125 plus tax and tip.
• Giving Kids Hope fundraiser. This year’s Giving Kids Hope event to benefit the Research Institute for Children’s Health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will be at Michael Angelo’s Winery in Richfield at 6 p.m. Aug. 12.
Fox 8 anchor Natalie Herbick and sports personality Andy Baskin will serve as emcees.
This event is near and dear to New Philadelphia resident Jim Demuth, who owns Gregory James Wines as well as Tucson Inc., which is a "2023 legend event sponsor" of the fundraiser. The dinner menu will pair Michael Angelo’s delicious food with several of Demuth’s Gregory James wines.
Tickets are $250 and can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/givingkidshope.
Questions? Contact Heather McNally at Heather.McNally@case.edu or 216-368-5853.
Send me an email at philyourglass@gmail.com with any wine questions and follow me on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Perfect pours: Some of my favorite wines in the area; Phil Your Glass
