Sommlier? Who Would Have Guessed?

As I have mentioned a week or so ago when I started substituting for the world traveller Ed – I majored in college leading to a BS in chemistry and math. I then
went to work for 38 years as a product development chemist ending up as Director of Quality Assurance. Fun career! Never in the world have dreamed becoming a wine retailer and budding Sommlier but that is exactly what I am doing now.

I own a company called Winedog LLC. We offer over 350 wines for sale. I started in partnership with a chef and ran a bistro restaurant and wine retail shop in Blanchester, Ohio. My partner has gone away to another vocation and I have continued developing the business.

We ship anywhere in the continental USA. We offer wine tasting parties here locally that help people increase their knowledge about wines and how to expand their wine tastes. Typically we do a tasting with 7 or 8 wines, a mixture of dry, sweet red and white wines, and a sparkling wine. We match them (pair them in tasting lingo) with hors d’ouevres (appetizers) that the wines go well with. We go through each of the pairs, one at a time, describing the fragrance and taste notes that most people notice about the individual wines.

The participants end up knowing what they should look for in wines and how to respond to wine service in restaurants. This also gives them a better idea as to which types of wines they prefer. Some even realize that both sweet and dry wines taste great if the foods they are chosen for are compatible. For example most people when they choose a wine for salmon would go for a dry white when a better choice for most people would be a dry pinot noir. Try it next time you have salmon.

Almost 95% of our business comes in by phone or internet. This is good because we have the only “wet” address in an otherwise dry township in Clinton County. A parade of customers coming in to buy wine would really turn off the majority of Quakers in this community. Our community is rural for sure with homes a half mile or more between houses. We have a covered bridge, one of the few left in Ohio. It was rebuilt about 3 years ago to carry road maximum weight vehicles – another great feature of this area – easy truck access to receive wine deliveries.

If any of this blog’s readers like wine and want a great deal – we have it for you. We are located on the web at www.winedog.com. You are welcome anytime. Physically we are located on Martinsville Rd about 12 miles South of Wilmington, Ohio. Remind me that you are a Hymark reader and you’ll receive an extra 10% off your first order.
Hope the second half of your weekend is productive, restful and fulfilling. Remember this is Thanksgiving Week. We have much to be thankful for don’t we?

Talk again tomorrow!

Ralph Taylor
Blogging for my friend Ed Winkle