Rocky River Chamber of Commerce 3-2008 Newsletter

What Makes Wine Tasting Different From Sampling Other Beverages?

Tasting wine is much more than sampling a beverage; it is a discovery process. Wine tasters are typically adventurous by nature. By adopting attitudes of moderation versus over-indulgence, wine enthusiasts take pleasure in discerning subtle nuances that are unique to each wine. Since wine tasting invokes all five of our senses, wine has the potential to bring back pleasant memories that we associate with different scents and flavors that are discovered in the wine. For example, richly oaked Cabernet Franc may have smokiness on the nose that reminds us of an outdoor campfire from pleasant childhood memories.

Wine is both beverage and food at the same time. Since wine is made with yeast and other organic material, it evolves over time - even after it has been bottled. Wine making is a process handed down from thousands of years of humanity, yielding a historical property to it. Each wine maker adds his or her own touches such that you will experience different characteristics in wines made from the same ingredients at different wineries. Grapes grown in different regions around the world lend different characteristics to each varietal. Sampling wines allows one to experience the fruits of many regions and the craft of thousands of wine artisans all over the world.

Sampling wine is about being in the moment and experiencing the wonders of what the Earth has to offer us. You won't find the meaning of life in the bottom of a glass, so don't seek it there. Maybe - just maybe - you can feel the pulse of life as all of your 5 senses are awakened.

Cleveland Scene 2/27/08

Asian Safari

Snapshot exhibit by a Russian paparazzo chronicles the Far East.

Plain Dealer

The year of the fabulous: 12 months of stylish people and parties PDQ looks back at 12 months of stylish people and parties

We've been to more than 500 parties since PDQ launched in June 2004, but we're not tired -- or bored -- yet! Northeast Ohio continues to amaze and astonish us with a wealth of charity fund-raisers, special events, fashion shows, art openings and food fests. Here's our wrap-up of 2007.

Best pomp and circumstance: One hundred black men in white jackets and black ties marched into the grand ballroom of the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center behind Shaw High School's marching band to celebrate the 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland's annual scholarship benefit.

Best food: Cleveland loves its foodie events, and PDQ hit a dozen in 2007. Our favorites: The first-ever Chicken Paprikash Cook-off at Studio of Five Rings Gallery downtown; University Hospitals' Five Star Sensation; Our Lady of the Wayside's Finest Hors d'Oeuvre Contest at Sammy's. Best overall fun: Playhouse Square Partners annual Jump Back Ball tops the list again for the most lavish fun you can have with your clothes on.

Best party places: Cleveland Botanical Garden takes first place for always-fabulous events. PDQ attended four parties there this year and everything was perfect, every time. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Holden Arboretum, the Maltz Museum of Jewish History, the Sunset Lounge in the Warehouse District and Playhouse Square top our list, too.

Best community-based free events: Parade the Circle in University Circle, Pride Festival & Parade at Voinovich Park and quarterly art openings at MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Best parties overall: American Cancer Society's Cattle Baron's Ball at the Wolstein Center; Junior League of Cleveland's "Girl Culture" exhibit at Trinity Cathedral; Spaces gallery art openings; Flashes of Hope fund-raiser at Eton Chagrin Boulevard; and the Northern Ohio Opera League luncheon fashion show at Shaker Heights Country Club... Follow link above for rest of article.

-- Kathleen Murphy Colan, Special to The Plain Dealer

Plain Dealer

Unconventional connections

Studio blends owner's passions under one roof

Tuesday, May 08, 2007 Sam Fulwood III Plain Dealer Reporter

Just what's going on inside Studio of 5 Rings? Owner Matt Cook doesn't answer immediately, prompting questions to help him define his new place.

Is it an art gallery? Yes, see local artist Gadi Zamir's mystical oil-on-plywood paintings hanging from three of the main room's white walls.

Or a wine bar?  Yes, taste the sweet Mizu, a ruby-toned blend that's produced in one of the steel tanks standing tall in the back-room winery.

Ok, so what's up with a karate dojo? Well, that's for folks who enjoy something with more of a blood-pumping kick than plywood art or vintage-yesterday wine. Cook, a black belt in Shotokan, offers private lessons in the Japanese martial art to assist students willing to place mind, body and spirit into the proper alignment with time and space.

As Cook explained, Studio of 5 Rings is a spot for the individual who's comfortable mixing the unexpected. An East-meets-West spot, right across from the Target in Rocky River.

The studio moved last week from downtown Cleveland to a three-room suite on the second floor of a nondescript building on Center Ridge Road.   The gallery's name comes from a formidable 17th century Japanese sword fighter named Miyamoto Musashi, who wrote a manual for warfare called "A Book of Five Rings."

In his studies of Japanese martial arts, Cook learned how Musashi integrated the essence of death-dealing duels with graceful calligraphy into a long, self-enlightened life. Cook put similar idealism into his business plan for an art studio.

"The two might not seem to go together," Cook said. "But both are about being in the moment. To be an effective fighter or to appreciate art, you must understand and be present in the now.

"When you can exist in the now, you can appreciate art, karate or wine for what it is, not necessarily to compare it to something else at another time or place."  In other words, Studio of 5 Rings is a connecting point for people to experience the same passions at the exact moment.  "I know this flies in the face of convention," Cook said, sweeping his hand through empty air. "What I'm trying to do is counterintuitive, at least by standards of Western culture."

Cook, 41, beamed with satisfaction last week as the art gallery/wine bar/karate dojo took shape in its new space. Interior walls were trimmed in a cool green, matching the emerald color of the granite countertop, but leaving broad expanses of white to better show off the colorful works produced by local artists.

Hours earlier, Zamir dropped off his varnished plywood paintings of mermaids with copper tails and cherubic angels staring deathlike dragons in the face. Cook busied himself arranging the large wooden frames on the floor, just below where they will hang for the grand opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.  "There's a lot of good art and artists in the Cleveland area that's undiscovered," Cook said. "I want to bring that art into the mainstream."

Zamir, an Israel-born artist, said Cook asked him to be the first artist in the new space. "I'm very happy for Matt because I like the way he's put together this studio," Zamir said. "I take it as a big compliment. Plus I like the way my art works with the ideas he has for showing art to people."

Cook, who grew up in Youngstown and has an master's degree in business administration from Cleveland State, started his journey into the art world after giving up a job as a foreman in a Solon manufacturing firm.  My mother taught art and I was a professional photographer," he said. "I've always had a passion for art."  So when he decided to form a business of his own, it was an easy decision to merge the two things he enjoyed - art and karate - into something that would provide him a living.

His first step was setting up a booth at the Tremont Arts Festival in September 2004, showing off Dagmar Amrhein's collection of color photographs from Ireland. A month later, Cook opened his gallery on the second floor of the Futon Factory building on Superior Avenue.  The wine bar came a year later, after girlfriend Patti McKenna introduced him to full-bodied reds and convinced him to make her favorite merlot at home.

"It was wonderful," McKenna said. "He's a perfectionist, so it wasn't a surprise that he would be good at making wines."

Cook had no plans to go into the winemaking business, but he was prodded by customers.  "He served it at various art shows in the gallery and people always asked to buy the wine, so he applied for a liquor license to sell bottles in the gallery," McKenna said. "The next thing you know, he's making five varieties of wine. It just took a life of its own."

From the start, Cook knew his would never be a stuffy place. How could anyplace that mixes art, wine and karate be snooty?

"I wanted to bring artwork and wine to people that will be meaningful in their lives," Cook said. "There's got to be passion in it."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter sfulwood@plaind.com, 216-999-5250

Cool Cleveland.com

Jan 24, 2007

Don Cox The Studio of 5 Rings celebrates the artist's exhibition with a reception Fri 1/26 at 5PM. Inspired by Picasso, Pollock and Matisse, Cox paints powerful pieces from his own perception of reality, with bold colors in complex layers. Cox will be on hand to field questions about his work; appetizers and the Studio's fine wines will be available. Studio of 5 Rings, 2400 Superior Ave., #201. http://www.studioof5rings.com.

Scene Magazine

Jan 17, 2007

Paprikash vs. Paprikash A traditional dish goes chili and rib route. By Marge Perko Chicken paprikash isn’t difficult to make. All you need is some poultry, a pot, and various spices. Very simple<\!s>.<\!s>.<\!s>. unless you’re participating in tonight’s Chicken Paprikash Cook-Off at the Studio of 5 Rings, where the competition gets fierce and the flavors get complex. “The number of variations seems limitless,” says Matt Cook, owner of the downtown winery and art gallery. “Many people are proud of their secret family recipes. This is a great way for others to enjoy them.”

The event started a few years ago when Rings patrons hosted cook-offs in their homes. It got so popular that Cook opened his doors to accommodate the growing number of entries. It’s a perfect fit, he says, since he stocks many vintages that complement chicken paprikash.

In addition to tasting merlot, chardonnay, and pinot grigio, expect to see Chinese scrolls and other fine art gathered from across the country. “Everyone does chili or rib cook-offs,” he says. “This is different and evokes curiosity.”

Plain Dealer

2do on the tens

Friday, January 19, 2007

$10 Well, it looks like winter's finally showing up in Northeast Ohio. And there's little better on a cold day than some hot chicken paprikash. Get your fill at the Chicken Paprikash Cook off at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Studio of 5 Rings (2400 Superior Ave., Suite 201, Cleveland). About 30 contestants will compete for the title of best paprikash. The gallery also will be showing the works of Elyria abstract artist Don Cox. Admission is free. Wine from the Studio of 5 Ring's own line will be available. Samples of the contestants' paprikash will be $1. Call 216-771-0830 or go to www.studioof5rings.com.

clevescene.com Sept. 15,2006

One Hip Hop

Sparx annual gallery tour adds a new downtown stop.

By Cris Glaser

In total, 80 different art venues are included on the Lolly the Trolley-guided Hop. Jazz bands, dance troupes, and jugglers perform on the sidewalk along the route. And you'll have the opportunity to purchase paintings, sculptures, and other works by more than 500 local artists, many of whom greet patrons at the galleries. "How many times do you get to go inside these studios of working artists?" asks tour founder Susie Frazier Mueller. "People can see where they can buy fine art throughout the year."

The Hop starts at the Galleria (which includes Gallery 324 and the Frame Center Gallery, as well as the inaugural Greater Cleveland Art & Gallery Festival), then heads to Little Italy and University Circle for Sobello Design Studio, Ann Van H Boutique, and Artists Archive of the Western Reserve. After that, it's off to Tremont, with stops at the Azure Stained Glass Gallery, Piccadilly's Fine Art, and the Jeff Chiplis Studio. Finally, a swing through the Superior Corridor features the Neopolis, Artefino, and Studio of 5 Rings galleries. Hoppin' happens from 1 to 7 p.m. today and 1 to 5 p.m. tomorrow. You can catch a ride on Lolly the Trolley on Murray Hill Road (between Mayfield and Cornell roads), Superior Avenue (between East 18th and East 27th streets), Professor Avenue (between Starkweather and Literary avenues), and the Galleria (at East Ninth Street and St. Clair Avenue).
Date/Time: Sat., Sept. 16, 1-7 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 17, 1-5 p.m.

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/canvas/  FRIDAY Sept. 15,2006

City Artists at Work / 2006 Open Studio Tour
52 ARTISTS OPEN THEIR STUDIOS FOR WEEKEND

Featuring over 50 artists across 11buildings, City Artists at Work – Serving the Superior Arts Corridor will host its Open Studio event, free of charge, on Saturday October 7, from 12-6 pm, and Sunday October 8, between noon-6 pm, located along and adjacent to Superior Avenue, between East 18th and East 40th Streets. Now more popular than ever, this annual public event promises to be even more exciting than years past. Of special interest this year is the addition of Zygote Press to the quadrangle neighborhood and as a participant in the open studio tour. Zygote Press, The Red Dot Project and City Artists at Work have also joined together to sponsor upcoming art events, to be announced, for the spring of 2007.

Unique offerings this year include an interactive project by Robert Schulte of Blue Robot entitled “Reflect and Respond” utilizing computer, video and live participant facial responses. Demonstrations in pottery, stained glass, printmaking and much more will also be held. Gallery offerings include Amy Casey at Zygote Press, The White Out Show at Gallery M, and Robert Stockham at Studio of 5 Rings, Art Naturale at Artefino and CAAW members in the 1st and 2nd floor lobby of The Plain Dealer.

ar'tefakt magazine February/March Culinary Arts issue

[taken from page 43] ... Surprisingly enough, the downtown area is home to at least two new galleries.  Convivium 33, a former Catholic Church overhauled into a beautiful venue of art, opened last December.  Close nearby is an unusual multi-purpose venue in the Japanese tradition called Studio of the Five Rings, where, in addition to viewing art, you can also take karate lessons and sample wine made on premises.

Convivium's display for February and March is still TBA.  At the Studio of the Five Rings, however, look for a show called Cavalcade of Oddballs.  Curated by renowned local artist and lecturer Christopher Pekoc, the show features drawings by long-time Cleveland Favorite, Matt Dibble...

by Zach Lewis

March 15, 2006 Cleveland Scene

Ireland Collection -- Youngstown photographer Dagmar Amrhein recently toured Cork and Dublin with her shutter in landscape mode. What she captured are lovely images of thatched houses, quaint storefronts, and historic castles and churches, with paths winding into the distance. Among the highlights is a wooden door set in a stone wall overgrown with dead ivy. The scene, shot at Cork University, looks almost too ancient and pastoral to be real, as if it were an illustration of the Shire, home of Tolkien's hobbits; an air of mystery hangs over it, as if something significant had just taken place or were about to occur. Also alluring is a row of multicolored houses lining a road that descends into a gorgeous bay; the sloping path in the foreground forms a fetching triangle against the straight edge of the water in the back, while the dwellings themselves line up like a gingerbread village out of a fairy tale. Amrhein is, unquestionably, a pro; one wishes her work were more substantial. As it is, there's not much here you couldn't find in a well-made calendar of Ireland. Through April 8 at Studio of Five Rings, 2400 Superior Ave., Suite 201, 216-771-0830, www.studioof5rings.com. -- Zachary Lewis

January 27, 2006 Plain Dealer's Fr!day Magazine

How can you miss an art exhibit called "Cavalcade of Oddballs"? It sounds like an invitation to the Friday staff bowling night, but it's really an exhibit of pen-and-ink drawings by Matt Dibble. Dibble is better known for his expansive, 1950s-style abstract paintings. The works were selected by Cleveland artist Chris Pekoc. The show is at the Studio of 5 Rings and will run through Sunday, Feb. 26. The studio is at 2400 Superior Ave., No. 201, Cleveland, on the second floor of the Futon Factory. Call 216-771-0830 or go to www.studioof5rings.com for exhibit hours.

-- Michael Heaton

Smaller-scale drawings reveal artist's power of personality

Painting is Matt Dibble's claim to modest fame in Northeast Ohio, but it isn't his first love. Pencils, pen and ink were his tools well before brushes and oils, and they've never been far from his hand.

The drawings themselves have remained even closer. Ever since his days at New York's Cooper Union School of Art, Dibble has tended to reserve his drawings exclusively for family and friends, insisting they were too personal for the general public.

But there was one friend who insisted on sharing. Christopher Pekoc, a prominent local artist and an art instructor at Case Western Reserve University, championed the drawings and convinced Dibble to exhibit them.

"The drawings have a basic power," Pekoc says. "They come from a place that's totally honest. The paintings, too, are impressive, but they don't pull me in the same way these strange figures do. The lines in the drawings are so sure, and the proportions are very attractive."

If Dibble was shy about his drawings, at least he didn't have to transport them very far. He found a willing venue directly across the hall from his downtown Cleveland studio: a new multipurpose gallery called Studio of Five Rings. Founded in October 2004 by Youngstown native Matt Cook, Five Rings does triple duty as a winery and a martial arts school.

It's not a large space. Pekoc had more than 100 drawings to choose from, but was forced to narrow the show down to 15 pieces.  Each one of them, however, reveals an exceptionally confident hand. Faces, bodies and other shapes overlap in multiple perspectives in a way that recalls the cubism of Picasso. Yet their sparseness and bold outlines call to mind Chinese brush paintings. There are even traces of Surrealism in a stitching pattern Dibble occasionally employs.

Strangely, though, the drawings bear little or no resemblance to the rest of Dibble's vast output. In contrast to the paintings -- large, colorful abstracts -- the drawings are black and white and essentially figural. All but one are small, too, roughly the size of an average sheet of typing paper, while any one of the paintings alone could occupy an entire wall.

It's not immediately clear why Dibble sheltered this body of work from the public. There's nothing intimate about the compositions themselves, nor do their titles ("Pointy Idiot," "Without Fire," "Taller Every Second") give away anything particularly confidential.

Still, the artist had his reasons -- and pretty good ones at that. Dibble says all those fragmented figures represent various aspects of his personality, aspects that aren't necessarily flattering.

"I know that once people see these, they're going to come up with deep psychological interpretations about me," he says. "But the fact is, the spiritual, sacred things, they always come to me at the oddest moments."

Lewis is a free-lance writer in Cleveland.

Costco Connection December 2005

Featured on page 66

It's your party...But it doesn't have to be at your house

So, you've done it again, haven't you? In the heat of the moment, no doubt after a glass or two of wine, you have impulsively agreed to host the holiday party. Now, in the bright and painful morning light, you look to your mate and say, "Oh my God, what have we done?"

The only thing worse than having a cadre of so-called friends traipsing through your lovely home is having to cook for them and clean up after they depart. (Not to mention having to exhume and display scads of hideous wedding presents.) There is a better way.

Many bars and most restaurants would love to do the work for you. On second floors, in subterranean hideaways and in lavishly decorated private dining rooms, unique spaces of all shapes and sizes are available for your swinging shindig. The following is but a small sampling of what's out there. For the right price, you can rent just about anything.

UNCORK AN EVENT

For smaller parties, consider Market Avenue Wine Bar (2526 Market Ave., Cleveland, 216-696-9463). The private and cozy second-floor salon can comfortably accommodate 10 to 45 guests. And unlike most other bar and restaurant party rooms, hosts have the choice of bringing in their own food, having it catered by an outside firm or ordering directly through Market Avenue. "We're very flexible," says Joy Valentine, manager. "Folks can do a cash bar or an open bar. Even a partial cash bar." A room charge of $100 is waived if guests spend at least $500 on food, wine and beer. A bartender is included in the room fee.

HIP HAPPENING Few bars in town rival the cool factor of Tremont's Lava Lounge (1307 Auburn Ave., Cleveland, 216-589-9112). And for just $150, the whole second-floor bar can be your private lounge. Upstairs at Lava can accommodate up to 100 people, so it's perfect for larger office parties. In fact, the room fee is waived on parties for 60 or more guests, so consider inviting the accounting department this year. While guests must order food through Lava, that food can include anything off the restaurant menus of Lava, Fat Cats or Halite. Cash bar and wines by the bottle are the only beverage options. Bartenders and servers included.

A POLISHED PARTY Rocco Whalen, chef and owner of Fahrenheit (2417 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-781-8858), put $250,000 into a sleek new private dining room. Depending on the configuration, the room can accommodate 20 to 45 people. A personalized menu is created for each event and can include passed hors d'oeuvres, standard menu-based appetizers and entrees, even a raw bar with caviar, oysters and Russian vodka. "The sky's the limit," Whalen says, but expect to pay between $25 and $50 per person, not counting alcohol. The room even has a projector and screen on hand so you can impress the crowd with that homemade avant-garde film.

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT For $10,000, you, yours and theirs can rent out all of Vivo (347 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-621-4678), a move that would enshrine you for eternity in the entertainment hall of fame. Not feeling so ambitious? No problem -- Vivo has a number of other options that are suitable for smaller crowds and smaller budgets. A sumptuously appointed private dining room seats 25. The arcade room, an elevated space at the rear of the restaurant, can house 40. And V Lounge, the hip subterranean hot spot, can comfortably handle 80 guests. Menus are wholly flexible and run the gamut from standing cocktail parties at $25 per person to sit-down dinners at $75 a head. An open bar costs an additional $15 per guest per hour.

AN ARTSY SOIREE Act fast, and you might be able to secure -- at no cost -- the Studio of 5 Rings (2400 Superior Ave., Suite 201, Cleveland, 216-771-0830), a 1-year-old art gallery in the Futon Factory building. "Right now, I'm not charging to rent it out," says owner Matt Cook. "I'm just trying to get some exposure." With elbow room for 20 to 50 people, an ever-changing exhibit of regional art and the ability to bring in the food of one's choice, the space is bound to book up fast. The only caveat: The gallery is a fully licensed winery (Cook "cooks" it up right in the building), which means wine must be purchased in-house at $5 per glass or $15 per bottle.