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Garden of Eden Wines: a local garage wine
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The following is a profile of a local winemaking team, Brett Johnson and Joshua Stanton, both current students at the University of Cincinnati and their operation, Garden of Eden Wines. Garden of Eden Wines are not available in retail outlets for public sale and their production size limits their availability in the future. Mr. Johnson may be contacted via e-mail to inquire about tasting or sale of his wines.
The name Brett Johnson may not be well known in the wine community… yet. However, if the drive and ambition of this young man give any indication of where he will be in a 10 years, one can expect him to be known as a modern Mondavi. This is no exaggeration of his abilities after having the sincere pleasure of tasting a few of his locally-produced garage wines; Mr. Johnson is a garagiste in the best traditions of Chateau Le Pin or Chateau Valandraud, and by no means should the size of his production detract from the results thereof.
Mr. Johnson, and his business partner, Joshua Stanton, are local winemakers who have begun producing wines under the moniker, Garden of Eden Wines. Mr. Johnson admits, “I don’t know what got me into wine. My roommate’s dad made wine at home and we tried experimenting our freshmen year to see if we could do it in the dorm room.” It was this competitive and experimental mindset that drove the vintners to try their hands at making wine first using frozen fruit concentrate and that drove them to begin using fresh fruit such as strawberries and blueberries.
Now, Garden of Eden Wines are produced from appellation-designated kits of unfermented grape juice available at local retail stores for home wine production. Mr. Johnson tells us, though, that it is not this initial juice that should determine the quality of the wine, since, “The finished product drives the decision on how to make the wine.” It is from this philosophy that the team decides on the use of oak and cultured yeast strains and other technical issues.
Mr. Johnson is a business major at the University of Cincinnati who has been toying with the idea of switching to a horticulture focus, though he confesses to still being intrigued by the business end of the operation. Asked where he sees himself in ten years, he excitedly and unequivocally answers, “Running my restaurant on my vineyard!” Mr. Stanton is a pharmacy major at U.C. but though he has no interest in pursuing winemaking as a career choice admits, “I would like to continue wine making as a hobby throughout the course of my life.”
Mr. Johnson served two of the team’s wines recently in a private tasting: Garden of Eden Wines Riesling and Valpolicella. The tasting panel tried Garden of Eden Wines alongside readily available value-oriented wines, in this case, Rosemount South Eastern Australia Traminer Reisling ($9.99) and Bolla Verona Valpolicella ($8.99).
Garden of Eden Wines Riesling underwent a two-month fermentation process (completing primary and secondary fermentation) and was aged sur lee in the bottle for six months. It rates a high 13% alcohol by volume which does not detract from the flavor profile, nonetheless leaving one to wonder what the wine would be like with a lower alcohol level. This Riesling is a pale, straw colored wine that exhibits lively floral notes in the nose. It bursts with apricot, white fruit, and honeysuckle notes in the mouth, where it is sweet and possesses a light mouth feel. This is a Riesling that is food friendly and easily served with a variety of dishes, since the sugar level is balanced beautifully with the high alcohol level, such as baked ham, spicy Asian cuisine, or Thanksgiving dinner.
Rosemount South Eastern Australia Traminer Riesling, on the other hand, initially strikes one as a late-harvest wine, possessing a thick mouth feel that is overly sweet. It’s a fruit forward wine, exhibiting mango and light tropical fruit, but the flavors are overshadowed by the residual sugar levels. This wine is clearly in the dessert wine category, only suitable for complimenting saccharine dishes such as crème brûlée or an apple tort.
Garden of Eden Wines Valpolicella underwent a two-month fermentation process (completing primary and secondary fermentation) and was aged sur lee with oak for four months before being bottled without sediment. It rated a very high 14% alcohol by volume. This wine is a light, pale ruby color that explodes with bright cherry notes and a surprising hint of chocolate. It possesses a medium finish, but seemed thin and was highly acidic with a very light tannin structure. It was, perhaps, a touch over-oaked, but that could also be a result of the relative youth of the wine. All in all, a very easily quaffable wine that could be served with an endless variety of tomato-based pasta dishes or perhaps barbeque chicken wings.
Bolla Vento Valpolicella, conversely, was very pale with a hint of brown at the edges in a tilted glass. It was highly acidic and seemed flabby, hinting at oxidation notes. It had a light cherry and raisin flavor with vanilla notes from oak and a light hint of butter from malolactic fermentation. This wine seemed sharp and yet had a very short finish. Drinking this wine inspired the one of the tasting participants to recall the words of Robert Parker on Valpolicella when he described it as “insipid industrial garbage.”
Mr. Johnson informed the panel that his knowledge of wine and winemaking was never dependent on a formal education but rested on “talking to other home wine makers and enjoying wine in a social setting.” He further admits that he does not research a varietal until after he has decided to make wine from it and then crafts the wine to be true to the flavor profile exhibited by classic examples of the fruit.
Garden of Eden Wines were clearly superior examples of winemaking to the mass-produced wines. Proof, indeed, that commitment to quality and excellent adherence to strict standards beats a marketing plan every time.
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