Elk Creek Sweet Owen Red

Name: Elk Creek Vineyards Sweet Owen Red
Color: Red
Varietal: Norton
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Kentucky
Region: Owenton
Price: $12
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We picked up this wine during our recent trip to Lexington. As we were visiting Rupp Arena, we noticed a wine store in the mall that's connected to Rupp. This store sold only wines made in the state of Kentucky. Knowing that we would be visiting Talon Winery the next day, I didn't want to spend too much money on wine in the store, but this one really caught my eye, especially the name "Sweet Owen Red". Our youngest son is Owen, so buying a bottle of this wine was a no-brainer. It turns the wine is made by Kentucky's largest winery, Elk Creek Vineyards. (After checking out the winery's website, Krista and I can't wait to visit it one day...It's huge with lush grounds and an amazing tasting room, complete with on-site accommodations.)

We drank this bottle last night after dinner and really enjoyed it. It was our first experience with a wine made from the Norton grape, which after some research, appears to be generally compared to Zinfandel. From what I have read, the Norton is also known as Cynthiana. It is grown primarily in Kentucky, Virginia, and Missouri, and may be the oldest grown grape native to North America. Anyway, the Sweet Owen Red was very distinctive in its aroma and taste. It smelled and tasted of sweet red fruits. It also benefited from the exposure to air. We decanted it and it really got better (and less oak-y) as the night went on. It's kind of hard to describe with my limited experience...It wasn't as full bodied and mouth-filling as most red wines that we prefer, but that certainly didn't stop us from finishing the bottle!