October 1, 2020

Gideon Owen Wine Company

 

The last time I was in Ohio, I met the new owner of Mon Ami – what was once a wine co-op on Catawba Island.  Mon Ami held a special place in my heart.  It’s what I first learned to drink in wine, and while the sweet, sugary, cold-weather wine is no longer to my taste, it does still taste like home.  Every time I head back to the Midwest, I try to make a stop for lunch in the restaurant and a glass of wine.

The new owner, who had purchased the winery only the day before, had big plans and dreams for more than century old winery.  I was excited to get back to see the progress on a trip last month.

Let me state up front I’m pretty jaded.  I love wine and I’ve developed a tough palate.  I’ve tasted at a lot of wineries (but there’s always room for one more).  I’ve tried and tasted hundreds of wines to develop a clearly defined preference in what I drink.  This new tasting was going to be tough – there would be no nostalgia in his new vision.

The old building is still standing, but it seems to have been gutted.  One dining room, along with the patio, is open.  No tasting room yet, but you can grab a flight of Gideon Own wines (named for founder of Catawba Island’s second winery) and give them a go.

The restaurant, The Chalet, is beautiful.  It rivals my favorite places here in Georgia (I know it isn’t California, but ambiance is ambiance, and I love the new face).  The food was spectacular.  Keeping the bones of the building worked to blend historic charm with a modern, cutting edge feel.

I ordered a flight, not sure what to expect.  Two whites, two reds, three new wines to the area as far as I know.  (I included a Riesling in my flight, something I’ve known to be grown in the area for a long time.)  The Pinot Gris was stellar.  Like, Washington/Oregon Pinot Gris level of incredible.  I don’t know if the grapes are transported to Ohio from the Pacific Northwest, or if they’re grown locally, but the wine maker knows how to derive a well-balanced, minerally quality from the wine that impressed me. 

The Riesling was good, the reds need a little age on them.  They were enjoyable and drinkable, but reds are more difficult for a young winery to produce and it showed. 

I can’t wait to see what another year brings when I head back up that way next summer.  So much growth in a year, and under COVID restrictions to boot, I’m sure this winery has a bright and exciting future ahead of it.