The Road to the "Wine House"

Filed in archive Wine Events on September 27, 2008

In the spirit of the upcoming Presidential election, one Washington DC restaurant, OYA Restaurant and Lounge, is pitting Arizona wines (from Senator McCain's home state) against those from Illinois (Senator Obama's home state). Neither state is well known for its wine industry, but according to the restaurant's Director of Wine Marketing & Sommelier, Andrew Stover, "Illinois has over 70 wineries and has been producing wine since the late 1700s. Arizona's wine industry is on a much smaller scale with close to 30 wineries."

The featured wines include:

• Lynfred Winery Seyval Blanc 2007, Southern Illinois


• Callaghan Vineyards 'Lisa's' 2006, Sonoita, Southeastern Arizona


• Galena Cellars 'Eric the Red' Marechal Foch 2006, Illinois


• Dos Cabezas Wineworks 'DC Red' Cabernet/Sangiovese/Grenache 2004, Cochise County, Southeastern Arizona


• Callaghan Vineyards 'Caitlin's' 2004, Sonoita, Southeastern Arizona


• Galena Cellars Frontenac 2006, Illinois

According to Stover, the Lynfred Seyval Blanc has slightly outsold the Arizona wines during the summer, but fall could usher in a preference for the red wines of Arizona. The promotion will continue through the election in November.

Oya Restaurant and Lounge is located in Washington's Penn Quarter neighborhood. They serve an innovative menu that combines Asian ingredients with French technique.

^{(state maps courtesy of the US Census Bureau)}