The GrapeVine

Sunday Social Sips at Dino

2011-10-14T13:41:00.002-04:00

Highlighted in over 60 reviews on Yelp for their notable selection of wines, Dino invites you to a join them for a select tasting and light food pairing as part of DC Wine Week on Sunday, October 16 from 4-6 PM. Sample six fine Italian reds as the knowledgeable staff at Dino move about the room to engage and educate attendees on Italian grapes. Communal seating will be provided and private tables may be reserved for parties of 4 or more. Cost per person is $50 inclusive of tax and gratuity and reservations should be made directly by calling Dino at 202.686.2966 or via email to eat@dino-dc.com. Please mention DC Wine Week when making your reservation.

Best in Show

2011-08-22T13:14:00.001-04:00

Now, I love French wine. Yup, I said it! I love drinking it, talking about it, and writing about it.
But I’m diverse, I drink other things too. This week we’re going local with the wine region and
highlighting the wines from the state of Maryland. How did I make the leap from Beaujolais
to Maryland you ask? I was one of 15 people that had the honor to be judges for the Maryland
Governors Cup Wine Competition. We sat down one Sunday morning and drank through 150
wines to decide who gets Bronze, Silver, Gold, Best in Class and Best in Show. It was tough
work, but someone had to do it!

It’s said that wine was first made in Maryland in 1648. Interesting, that’s over 350 years ago
but people still haven’t heard much about or even tasted a Maryland wine. The state is broken
up into four distinct wine regions with over 450 acres of grapevines planted: Piedmont Plateau,
Eastern Shore, Southern Plain and Western Mountains. The majority of the vineyards are planted in the Plateau region located in Central Maryland. The all-stars of the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

Being a judge in this competition gave me the opportunity to taste a whole lot of MD wine in a
short period of time. I was at a table with 4 other judges and we were served 7 flights of wine
before lunch, and 4 after. For each wine we tasted (of course) then discussed it and voted on
gold, silver, bronze, or maybe next year. In the midst of the Chardonnays and Pinot Grigios we
tasted, my group had a cider and a mead flight. It was a refreshing change of pace and one of the
ciders was the first gold our table awarded. After lunch were the red flights, with the
Chambourcin blends being a big hit as the grape grows extremely well in Maryland. After the 1st
round of tasting was complete, they brought out all the Gold Medals for us to taste again. I tweeted a picture of the view from my seat…overwhelming in a word. About an hour later, we
had our Best in Show. Wonder what it is? Head over to Maryland Wine and find out!

American Craft Beer Week

2011-05-04T14:42:00.001-04:00

I know that this blog is called, The GrapeVine, but in my appreciation for fine/finer wines...I have come to really appreciate craft beers. Now I can't say that I know a lot about them, or can describe them with the same technical prose that I do wine, but there are some times that only an ice cold Witte or IPA will do the trick.

So from May 16th - 22nd, celebrate American Craft Beer Week with me! Check their website for events in your area, or just pick up some craft beers at your local retail shop and see what it's all about. Enjoy!

2011 Languedoc Ambassadors Tour

2011-04-07T11:03:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending not one but TWO wine tastings on Tuesday! It was so nice to be at a trade tasting again as I haven't attending any in awhile due to work. I've always been a fan of the wines of Languedoc, so this was surely a treat. And to hear the awesome Mark Fine speak about the wines of Minervois and Corbieres, and then amaze me with some card tricks....it was a great day!

Here's a quick clip of Mark speaking about the Languedoc wine region.

The GrapeVine hits the MD wine trail

2011-03-10T09:37:00.002-05:00

The GrapeVine talks with Deb Scarbourough of Running Hare Vineyard in Prince Frederick, MD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N82A2_LKAow

A New Year, A Clean PC

2011-01-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

2010 found me with trials, tribulations, and several viruses on my laptop! In my excitement and naivete to get a free iPad, I seemed to have gotten many many free viruses, trojan horses, etc on my PC. Well, this year I'm starting off fresh and clean thanks to ChicaPC-fix!

ChicaLogic is all about women and empowering them for the technological age. It's designed for women, by women that need solutions to technical problems...and need them fast. I clearly need my PC to be bug free and run faster. I downloaded ChicaPC-fix in just seconds. A little while later (not sure exactly how long as got sucked into a Lifetime movie and had a glass of wine) I found out my laptop was near death. I ran the error fix and VOILA! my laptop was restored back to its original greatness. It now moves at lightning speed and there are no more weird pop-up screens. ChicaPC-fix definitely gets my thumbs up for ease of use and speed. If you're not using it on your PC right now, well you're just crazy!

Now if I could just get my email to stop sending out free iPad messages to my ENTIRE address book...

Happy New Year!!

2010-12-31T20:42:00.003-05:00

I'm changing it up a bit, I'm starting my NYE off with a little Infinium Ale from Sam Adams and Weihenstephan, a Bavarian Brewery, open since 1040 AD. A light Bière de Champagne....I even served it in flutes. Not being a beer aficionado or knowing the lingo, my thoughts on this sound like a bubbly review: nice foam on the top with flavors of citrus and wheat with a tart, slightly dry finish. 2011 might be the year that I admit to being a beer drinker.

Hope 2011 is filled with the best wine that life (and your wallet) has to offer!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-25T10:07:00.003-05:00

What a year it's been! I hope this holiday season finds everyone thankful for what they have and hopeful for the future. Here's to an AMAZING Christmas spent with family and friends.....and the best wines you have!!

I'm not sure what will be in my glass today/tonight, but it is sure to be fantastic :-)

Merry Christmas from The GrapeVine!!

Turkey & Wine

2010-11-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

People always wonder what to drink for Thanksgiving - what goes well with the turkey, yams, stuffing, etc... Well, a lot of wines to go with a lot of different foods! Here is what I drank (am drinking) today in no particular order:

Lumos Pinot Gris (Oregon)
Prosecco
Tegernseerhof Zweigelt (Austria)
King Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon)
Ravenswood Zinfandel
Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Cocktails

And yes they were all delicious! Everyone has something to be thankful for, think upon those things today. Happy Thanksgiving!!

A New Vintage

2010-11-16T11:01:00.005-05:00

People just love new stuff. That new car smell, a new car, new clothes...and of course new wine! So people just line up, place orders, and can't wait to get their hands on the 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau that is released the 3rd Thursday of November, which happens to be this Thursday November 18th.

Beaujolais Nouveau is sometimes considered young and immature to many a 'seasoned' wine drinker, but it's fruity, jammy flavors make it approachable to many and also a possible gateway into some of the wines of France. It's also the perfect wine for Thanksgiving which is next week.

According to Wikipedia, Beaujolais Nouveau, made from the Gamay grape, always had a huge event to celebrate its end of harvest but not until the end of WWII were the wines available to the public. Negociant Georges Dubouef saw the marketing potential of this wine and worked with the UIVB to promoting this 'new Beaujolais'. Not only was it a way to clear lots of wine for a great profit, but selling wine within weeks of the harvest was great for cash flow. Hence the idea was born of a race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the new vintage. This attracted a lot of media coverage, and by the 1970s had become a national event. The races spread to neighbouring countries in Europe in the 1980s, followed by North America, and in the 1990s to Asia. In 1985, the date was changed to the third Thursday in November to take best advantage of marketing in the following weekend.

This "Beaujolais Day" is accompanied by publicity events and heavy advertising. The traditional slogan, even in English-speaking countries, was “Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!” (literally, "The new Beaujolais has arrived!"), but in 2005 this was changed to "It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!".
So this Thursday, visit the French Embassy, or your local wine shop for fun, friends, and free wine because 'It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!'

Another Year

2010-11-07T23:40:00.001-05:00

It's my birthday! So I decided to celebrate with a trip on the much talked about Frederick Wine Trail. I had a driver ;-) of course and we stopped at Black Ankle Vineyards and Elk Run Vineyards both in Mt Airy, MD.

Black Ankle has gotten much press and much buzz as one of the greatest wineries in Maryland. The buzz is well worth it, the tasting room is beautiful and the wines are fantastic! I had a coupon for a complimentary tasting for two, and we were lead through a tasting of Bedlam, Viognier, and Gruner Veltliner for whites; and Syrah, Rolling Hills and Crumbling Rock reds. I think I got the birthday tasting special with a few gems thrown in. I absolutely loved the crisp, tart flavors of the Gruner and I was already a fan of the Crumbling Rock. I ordered a glass of the Viognier to sit back and enjoy.
At Elk Run Vineyards, they let you select 6 items off their tasting menu for a small fee or for a smaller fee, you can taste 6 wines that they select. Since there were 2 of us, we picked out 12 wines which gave us a great tasting of almost all of their tasting menu. Some of the standouts were the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. A birthday gift of the Maryland Merlot (also known as Marilyn Monroe) was given to me.

I had a fantastic birthday meeting new wine friends and tasting new wines. Cheers to another great year!

Farewell #VAwine Month

2010-10-31T21:42:00.001-04:00

October is/was Virginia wine month. A month to celebrate, promote, and of course drink VA wine. I celebrated by having at least one VA wine a week. I promoted by participating in the Twitter Taste Live last Monday for VA wine. So today, as I bid farewell to Virginia wine month, I toast FAREWELL to the month with a Chardonnay Reserve from New Kent Winery.

I visited New Kent last year during a trip to Williamsburg, VA. The winery has just opened in May of 2008 and boy was it beautiful! The entire building and it's contents are made from recycled materials. The tasting room staff were so knowledgeable about the winery, the wines, even the are itself. It did help that there weren't too many people in that day since there was a huge storm coming. (We happened to get caught in that storm after the winery visit)

I purchased a few wines during my visit and decided to try the Chardonnay tonight. The Chardonnay Reserve, that I aged a little in the bottle myself, was fermented in the barrel and aged sur-lie (on dead yeast cells). Mostly yeast and bread in the nose but loads of creamy-ness and acidity on the palate, with a bit of apple and pear notes as well. The finish reminded me of buttered toast.

Here's to you Virgina Wine Month!

Happy Trails

2010-10-25T14:39:00.001-04:00

I am a supporter of Maryland wines! There, I said it. So when they picked the Patuxent Wine Trail to promote this past weekend, I was all in! Especially since it's the trail that's closest to my house. Of the 7 wineries on this trail, I've already been to 2 of them, 1 was just too far to drive since I was hitting the trails alone...which left me with 4 wineries to hit.

1st stop, Port of Leonardtown. This winery is interesting because it's actually a cooperative. They don't grow any grapes on site, instead their 15 members have vineyards that grow multiple grape varieties that they bottle and sell under the Port of Leonardtown Winery label. They do ferment and age a few of the wines on premises however. Of course, they had all of them available for tasting in their tasting room. Starting with their 1634 Chardonnay, which I'd had at the Maryland Wine Festival last month, I still think this wine is amazing. Fermented in French oak, but the toasty oak flavors were smooth and soft not overpowering. The regular Chardonnay (winner of the 2010 MWA Bronze medal) was fermented in stainless steel it has such a crisp apple and pear flavor. There were even hints of lemon on the finish. The grapes from the Vidal Blanc are grow solely in St Mary's County, which works because Vidal Blanc seems to do well in Maryland. Very floral in aroma with red apple and honey on the palate. McIntosh Run is an apple wine, no grapes allowed! It won a Gold Medal this year from MWA and was voted Best Fruit Wine. Light acidity, with flavors of spice and apple (duh!). Very easy drinking, and although still has alcohol it can be enjoyed by those who really may not be fans of wine. The last white, Breton Bay Breeze, was very aromatic. Rose petals, citrus zest, perfume, and in all actuality I smelled grapes. Go figure!

I tasted 2 reds the Captains Table and Breton Bay Shoals. My fav of the whole tasting was probably the Captains Table. A Chambourcin and Merlot blend, it was very earthy on the nose with mushrooms and dark berry/cherry notes. I was told that this would benefit from a bit of decanting and is also aging well in the bottle. Aging a Maryland red, alright! Now back in the car for the next stop.

I read that Solomons Island Winery is best known for its fruit infused varietals wines so I passed on visiting that vineyard and headed to Cove Point Winery in Lusby, MD. Unlimited tasting for $4. I tasted 6 whites, including a cherry wine and vidal blanc blend, 7 reds including an ice-style pinot noir, and 3 of the 15 mist wines. I definitely had to spit at this winery. Of note was their Symphony, a floral white wine with spicy aromas and a sweet citrus finish; Chambourcin, slightly tart with notes of black cherries and plums, I got a little popcorn on the finish; Cab/Syrah (2007), great acidity and tannins with ripe red fruit flavors. I'm starting to get a little hungry, thank goodness I only have one more stop to make. Let me take a quick moment to say that since there was a big promotion of the Patuxent Wine Trail, I did expect a few more people out on the trail along with a few activities. So far, I've been the only one in the tasting rooms and it seemed like any other day at the winery....

Perigeaux Vineyards and Winery in St Leonard, MD was the last winery stop of the day. A sample of every wine they offered was only $3. I handed the gentleman my money and we got started. 5 whites, 10 reds including 2 semi-organic reds with reduced sulfites. They even had a Pinot Gris Blush that was semi-sweet with a crisp berry finish. Since I was the only one tasting I got the story behind the vineyard owners, wine names, and some of the winemaking techniques. That alone was worth the $3 for the samples! Perigeaux sits on a 27 acre estate with 8 acres planted and they produced their first vintage in 2006, wine sales in 2008. Wines of notes here were the 2007 Merlot, flavors of dark berries and oak and the 2007 Chardonnay, ripe apple and pear flavors moved into a creamy finish. Perigeaux did have an artist on site as well as someone from Knit Works and their whole tasting was done outside which was great because the weather Sunday was wonderful!

The sun is starting to go down and my stomach is growling so I headed to Jake & Al's for dinner. Why there? I had a $50 gift card :-) A lot of good it did once they told me it expired in March 2009 and did I have another form of payment. WHAT?! Nothing on the gift card said anything about an expiration date! Of course I ordered like I had $50 to spend... Thank goodness for credit cards.

Red Alert

2010-10-23T10:30:00.003-04:00

It's fall and I couldn't be more excited! The sun is still shining, but the air has a chill that begs for red wine. So, I tasted blends from Italy and Australia to kick off my red wine drinking season.

Vigna Flaminio
Brindisi Do Rosso Riserva 2004
Grapes: Negroamaro, Montepulciano, Malvasia Nera
Medium-bodied with flavors of red cherry, tobacco and herbs. Also got a little meaty-ness on the palate. A little lighter bodied than I was expecting but found a nice roundness to it that will compliment loads of foods.

Razor's Edge
McLaren Vale 2008
Grapes: Shiraz, Grenache
Listed as #22 for Wine Enthusiast Mag's Top 100 Best Buys for 2010. This wine has rich flavors or dark fruit and plum, probably coming from the Shiraz, with minerality and hints of spice on the finish from the Grenache in the blend. The 2 grapes come together to form a very well balanced wine with ripe cherry, good tannins and acidity. Luckily for me I have never had bad luck with these 2 grapes in a blend.

Shake It Up!

2010-10-18T13:51:00.002-04:00

I tried something a little different this month for The GrapeVine Tasting Club. Instead of just going through wines and sniffing and tasting and doing the whole, regular wine tasting thing...we mixed it up a bit, literally. Cocktails are so popular now from new inventive one, to re-creating old classics with a new spin. So since I'm a wine girl, I figured my cocktail spin would be making them with wine and sharing that recipe with the Tasting Club. We made like 9 different drinks, trying a couple of different wines with the same recipe and changing the alcohol. The crowd had a few favs, and there was only 1 real miss...Wine Spritzer. But they still had fun tasting everything. A few had a little too much fun if you know what I mean, LOL!

Here are a couple of the main drinks. They're all super easy and hopefully you'll enjoy some of these at home or your next party.

Kir & Kir Royale
Creme de Cassis, White Wine (Sparkling Wine for Kir Royale)

Sour Grapes
Pinot Grigio, Sour Mix (we tried this with Sauvignon Blanc as well)

Wine Spritzer
White Wine, Club Soda

Calimocho
Rioja, Cola, Shot of Rum

Ice-tini
Ice Wine, Vodka (we used a white wine & a red wine)

Something Blue
Hypnotiq, Ginger Ale, White Wine

More Than Port

2010-10-12T22:54:00.004-04:00

When thinking of wines of Portugal, Port is the first thing that comes to the mind of most. Not because it's a part of the name but more because it's the wine that put Portugal on the map. Times have changed. Portugal now has several amazing wine regions that produce whites and reds.

I got a taste of the Alentejo wine region here, but tonight was an all over Portugal tasting at Best Cellars in Clarendon with Matthew McGuigan of wine distributor, Suprex. He gave a great history of wines in Portugal, how they started, how they've developed, and where they are headed. With all that talk...I was ready for the wines!

Caves Vidigal Vinho Verde 2009
Grapes: Loureiro, Trajadura, Arinto
So refreshing with its zesty lime notes and a hint of effervescence. Perfect for the summer or to tone down the spice on Indian dishes.

Caves Vidigal Dao 2005
Young black fruit aromas and nicely balanced with tobacco and herbal notes. Very earthy and rich, this wine is perfect for pairing with food.

Casa Santos Lima Bons Ventos Tinto 2008
Bright ruby color and super aromatic. Notes of ripe berry fruit fills the nose while the palate provides red fruit flavors and a soft hint of oak. Great acidity with a little licorice and spice on the finish. Nice! This was my fav of the evening, I went home with a bottle.

Quinta Seara d'Ordens Colheita Seleccionada Tinto 2005
Aged for 10 mos in French oak and then 8 more mos in the bottle, then it was released. It was def worth the wait. An exotic spicy nose, dark fruit on the palate and firm gripping tannins. This wine and grilled meats will make for a nice date.

Quinta Seara d'Ordens LBV Port 2003
Of course there had to be Port at a Portuguese wine tasting! A long sniff of the glass made me feel like I was transported to a forest. I smelled oak, fig, dark fruit. And the taste was so luscious... A great evening sipper for the holidays or a special night by the fireplace.

5 wines plus an in depth and entertaining look into the region and the wines of Portugal...who says that wine isn't fun?!

I Got Half On It

2010-10-10T15:56:00.004-04:00

Enjoying a beautiful fall day, watching football, the Bears are winning, and finishing up the random wines and samples that I have laying around. Out of the wine fridge today:

Pillar Box Red - Australia
Domaine Faiveley Mercurey - France
Bugey-Cerdon - France
Laurenz V Gruner Veltliner - Austria

Oh yeah, and working on a 4-pack of Delirium Tremens

Wine Wednesday - Drinking Bugey

2010-10-06T13:35:00.006-04:00

As usual, just when you think you get a handle on something, new information presents itself and blows your mind. So it goes with wine knowledge. Regions gaining AOC status, new grapes being discovered, new wines being available in America...there is always something. My new 'discovery', Bugey-Cerdon.

Renardat-Fache NV Bugey-Cerdon Méthode Ancestrale Rosé

Pronounced Boo ghee Seir dohn, this wine region located in East France sits between Burgundy and Rhone and off to the right. Bugey has produced wines under the Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS, which is typically just a holding place before a wine region is granted AOC status) since 1958. On May 28, 2009, INAO (the organization that regulates French agricultural products) gave its final approval for the elevation of Bugey to Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status. Now the producers from the new Bugey AOC appellation are thus seeing their efforts to build an identity for the wines in their region rewarded.

In order to legally have the name Cerdon from the Bugey region, the rose sparkling wine must be made either from 100% Gamay or a blend of Gamay and Poulsard. Being close in proximity to Beaujolais which is home to the Gamay grape, it makes sense that the Bugey region would have luck with the Gamay grape as well. Grapes are picked by hand and fermented in chilled vats. The young and light wine is then bottled, along with its active yeast and considerable unfermented sugars. Under pressure of the cork, the wine continues to ferment, gaining a higher percentage of alcohol but retaining a nice amount of sweetness. This method of making sparkling wine is called the ‘methode ancestrale’, which skips the method champenoise process of disgorgement in order to produce wines with slight sweetness that still contain particles of dead yeast matter in the form of lees in the bottle.

In a couple of online searches the term ‘Adult KoolAid’ was used. Let’s open up this bottle and take a sip!

Typical sparkling wine has 6 atmospheres of pressure in the bottle, I think this one had like 12! As I was untwisting the cage, the cork shot up in the air! Good thing I was outdoors! Dark pink in color with bubbles for days, this sparkler has a delicate, floral nose, reminiscent of an Italian Lambrusco. Slightly ripe cherry, strawberry flavors balanced with medium acidity provide a nice complexity to this rose sparkler. A Jolly Rancher candy comes to mind on the finish, but still retains a crisp dryness. It is not too sweet for the dry wine lover, yet has enough sweetness and flavor for those that like a sweeter sparkler to sip. It’s perfect as an outdoor patio sipper or a sparkler to start off parties during the upcoming holiday season. For after dinner, with its strawberry flavors, I can see this paired with strawberry shortcake or strawberries and cream. The Cerdon is an extremely versatile sparkling wine that you can’t help but love. Drink Up!

White Out

2010-10-02T13:24:00.007-04:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day....

The rain has gone, the sun is out, and nice breeze is blowing, so I opened up some whites. OK, a lot of whites!

Jezebel White Blend 2009
Blend of Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Crisp, aromatic and fruity

J Fritsch Pinot Blanc
Semi-sweet with notes of apricots and peaches. A great aperitif to start off an evening.

Vision Cellars Riesling 2008
Fresh apricot flavors blend into crisp peaches and nectarines. Floral notes of honeysuckle are found on the finish.

J Fritsch Gewurztraminer
Yellow-gold in color, floral with exotic fruit notes. Pineapple and mango on the palate and a little spice on the finish. This would be perfect with some Chinese food.

Now that I have 4 open bottles of whites, I have to go call some friends to help me drink it all! Any takers?

Falling For Wine

2010-09-27T16:08:00.005-04:00

A hot weekend of 90+ temps, and a week in the 70s...I hope Fall is really here this time! I love fall, the leaves change colors, cute sweaters and cardigans, and Fall wine! Didn't know Fall had its own wine? Not technically, but in the Fall I tend to move away from the lighter, crisper, refreshing wines that I enjoyed during the hot Summer days to heavier more full-bodied wines to warm me up on those cold nights.

Today I tried out two wines to see how I feel about these going forward into the Fall season.

2008 Seghesio Dolcetto d'Alba
Piedmont, Italy
Grape: Dolcetto
Very fruity and floral, with violet and berry undertones. Full-bodied, with lots of fruit and a balance of acidity and tannins. Need a heavy food for pairing with this as the tannins are quite high. Steak, stew maybe. This is nice, but maybe closer to winter.

2009 JP Azeitao
Peninsula de Setubal, Portugal
Grapes: Castelao, Aragonez, Syrah
Ripe fruity red wine with decent tannins and acidity. Very food friendly (I drank this with pizza) and easy on the wallet retailing at around $8.

Guess I'm going to have to go with the 2nd one as the best wine for me, right now. But a wine that goes with pizza is pretty much going to be an easy sell for me.

The Last of the Summer Wine

2010-09-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

Fall officially started this week according to the calendar...but someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. Temps during the day hit the 90's! So I figure I should definitely begin to drink up the rest of my 'summer' wine. Of course any wine can be drunk at any time during the year, there are some wines that are so crisp and refreshing that you automatically think, patio, picnic, beach favorite. Although I've been known to order a pitcher when eating tapas, Sangria is one of those drinks for me, especially white sangria. So I grabbed my Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc from my Octavin Home Wine Bar and made some White Sangria. Sauvignon Blanc already has such a crisp citrus flavor that is really highlighted when adding citrus fruits and fruit juice to the wine. It makes for a tart, tangy, mouth-watering delicious wine beverage that you can serve with ice.

My recipe is below. Please note: I rarely use any kind of accurate measurements when I make my sangria so please be sure to just add the fruit and liquor to your desired taste. Isn't mixing drinks more fun that way?!

White Sangria

1 kiwi
1 lemon
1 lime
1/2 orange
handful of pineapple chunks
a few shots of whiskey
1 bottle of IZZE Clementine sparkling fruit juice
Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc (Octavin Home Wine Bar)

Slice the kiwi, and quarter the lemon and lime to place in the pitcher. Squeeze a couple of the lime and lemon quarter in the pitcher before you throw them in the pitcher. Squeeze the 1/2 orange in the pitcher, then quarter it and throw it in too. Toss in the handful of pineapple chunks. Using the Octavin spout, fill the pitcher about 3/4 full. Stir the wine and fruit so the flavors will blend. Pour in the whiskey. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Just before serving, pour in the bottle of IZZE and stir. Pour in glasses, let some fruit fall in the glass! Enjoy!

**I received the wine as a sample**

Loving the Loire

2010-09-21T20:25:00.001-04:00

So many people tell me that they don't drink French wines because they have no idea of what's in the bottle. While actually exciting to me to buy and try 'mystery wine', I can understand the frustration of some people that make their wine buying decisions by actually knowing what they're buying. I thought about this as I attended a trade tasting for Loire Valley today. The Loire region definitely falls into the category of 'Consumer Confusion'. You kinda have to just know what grapes are grown in what region if you really want to consider Loire. Like if I asked you what melts in your mouth and not in your hand? You know what I'm talking about...right?! I even tried to think up a pneumonic device to make it easier...but what device can you come up with for 5 styles, 7 grapes and 11 sub-regions? If you know, please let me in on the secret!

The Loire Valley is said to be the heart of France and its wine region runs along a 300 mile stretch of the Loire river. It includes 65 appellations, several of which are AOC, and their styles run the whole gamut...still, sparkling, dry, sweet, white, rose, and red. See how this could be confusing? But Loire Valley wines are the most popular wines ordered in France due to their diversity or grapes, flavor profiles and price points.

The main white grapes of Loire are: Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet), Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Main red grapes are: Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. I tasted all of these today and then some!

Some faves of the day are as follows:

Chateau de Sancerre, 2008
Sauvignon Blanc
Nice citrus and floral, smooth with a nice bite on the finish

Langloirs Chateau Brut Cremant de Loire
Sparkling Rose
Cabernet Franc, Grolleau
Tart strawberry with a juicy red fruit finish

Remy Pannier Vouvray, 2008
Chenin Blanc
Fresh flavors of white grapes with a hint of sweetness. Very pleasing to the palate and the acidity would be perfect with spicy or fried foods.

Cave de Saumur Saumur Lieu-Dit Les Pouches, 2009
Chenin Blanc
Fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees, this creamy wine tasted of a freshly picked pear. The distributor mentioned that this would be great with goat cheese and salmon. I made a beeline for the food table.

Domain De Bel Air La Croix Boissee Chinon, 2008
Cabernet Franc
Dark fruit and olives sitting in a cigar lounge.

Les Poyeaux Saumur Champigny, 2006
Cabernet Franc
No oak, fermented and aged in stainless steel. This wine was very earthy with flavors of dark berries and an interesting spicy finish.

I will say that this tasting would have made it easy for the wine consumer as most of the wines here were Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) and Chinon (Cabernet Franc). You can definitely remember 3 grapes and 3 regions long enough to get to your wine shop!

Super Bowl Sunday

2010-09-19T23:10:00.010-04:00

I'm dressed, had a hearty breakfast, and the car is gassed up...I'm all set to head to Westminster, MD for the 2010 Maryland Wine Festival!! I am a total supporter of drinking local wines, especially ones from Maryland. I've visited several MD vineyards, written blog posts, and regularly purchase and request their wines at my local wine shops. So to have all the MD wineries in one place to taste all their wines, YAY!

The weather was perfect! I have a bit of a plan, I wanted to be sure to taste all of the MD Governors Cup Medal winners. A lofty plan I know! So of course as soon as I get past the gate I am sidetracked. I see the sign for Elk Run Vineyards and I want their Merlot. Deep ruby color, tastes of cherry jam, so delicious. Now on to the Premier Tent for the 'special' Maryland wines, but I see tent for Running Hare Vineyards so I have to stop and say Hi to my friend and owner, Barb Scarborough and taste their award winning Malbec and Sangiovese. OK, now I'm really headed to the Premier Tent...if I can find it.

After walking the entire festival, past the funnel cakes, grilled cheese tent, crab cakes, kettle corn, wine glass holders, I find it! There is food, Riedel glasses and the finest Maryland wines, all under one tent. And it's actually under a tent which means shade and a nice breeze! First wine in the tent is the Royele Blanc de Blanc from Cygnus Wine Cellars. 100% Vidal Blanc grapes made in the authentic Champagne style...crisp flavors of apple and pear with a few yeasty notes and hints of sweetness. This is on par with some of the sparklers I've tasted from CA. Another white of note was the Port of Leonardtown Winery's 1634 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. Only the slightest hint of oak but delightful toasty and red apple notes.

Cygnus also had a vertical tasting of their Julian wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend from 2002, 1997 and 1995. The hysterical, and extremely knowledgeable, Carole from SE lead us through the tasting...and we agreed with many others that had tasted before us, Maryland wines can definitely age and the 1997 was amazing. Deep, dark fruit flavors and berry notes throughout. We did a Rose battle between Knob Hall Winery's Reserve Rose and Rose (Semi-Dry). Both made from the Chambourcin grape, I liked the dry style of the Reserve the best. Serpent Ridge Basilisk and Vintner's Cabernet, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard's Circe, EVOE, and Comus Reserve are all wines to look out for at your wine shops and restaurants. I finished the tasting off on the sweeter side of things with Harford Vineyard's Peach Kissed. Delicate, well-balanced floral and peach aromas with a soft mouthfeel. The name is so appropo, I felt like I was kissed by a peach!I had an amazing time at the festival and tasted some old favorites and found some new ones. My only wish is that when tasting wines, I was able to speak with more people that were knowledgeable about the wines...I always happened to get into the line of the festival volunteer. But everyone did have loads of literature out so I was able to find out a lot of information from there. I definitely hope they have the premier tent again next year, it added another level to the festival and provided an opportunity to taste some of the more 'exclusive' Maryland wines.

The Weekend In Wine

2010-09-17T13:17:00.006-04:00

What a weekend to be a wino! So read this quick, pick an event, and have a great time! Be sure to report back about where you went.Wine & Arts Festival of Manassas
Saturday 9/18 - 11 am - 4pm
$10 to drink wine
Historic Manassas Inc., will feature the first annual Manassas Wine & Arts Festival at Old Town Manassas. Attendees can taste the fare from local Old Town Manassas restaurants, while local artists showcase their work! Live entertainment by local entertainer, Jason Paul Curtis will headline the event with The Fabulous Bob Meyers Trio
Old Town Manassas
Battle Street
Manassas, VA 20110
http://historicmanassas.mymediaroom.com/wire/events/viewevent.aspx?id=10059

2010 MARYLAND WINE FESTIVAL
Saturday 9/18 & Sunday 9/19
$25 Admission
Carroll County Farm Museum
Westminster, Carroll County
www.marylandwinefestival.org

2010 Virginia Wine Festival
Saturday 9/18 & Sunday 9/19
$30 admission
Bull Run Regional Park
7700 Bull Run Drive
Centreville, VA 20121
www.virginiawinefest.org

Vintage Crystal
Sunday 9/19 - 2:00pm - 6:00 pm
$20 admission
Come spend a Sunday afternoon in Crystal City tasting some of the world's finest wines. Sample pleasurable eats from noteworthy restaurants and gourmet eateries. The afternoon will feature talented jazz artists from the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival.
Crystal City
2200 Crystal Drive, Between 20th & 23rd Street
Arlington, VA 22216
http://www.crystalcity.org/do/vintage-crystal1

State shows off its grapes at Maryland Wine Festival

2010-09-17T13:11:00.001-04:00

I've been quoted! Can't wait for 'Super Bowl' Sunday...LOL!

State shows off its grapes at Maryland Wine Festival - baltimoresun.com

Tweet Tweet!

2010-09-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

I love Twitter! Well, now that I know how to use it...I love it. Because at first I was not a big fan. Just sending out random thoughts and comments in hopes that maybe someone will hear you and possibly, maybe, hopefully respond back. It was really like having a conversation with yourself, always a good time. But now that I've met other wine professionals and wine bloggers, twitter is great! I participated in 2 Twitter tastings this week, one for the wines of NY, and one for the red wines of Argentina. Already being really familiar with Argentine wines, I was definitely excited going into this one. But I was very impressed with the wines of NY.

Under the hashtag #tasteny, we went through a tasting of a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, NV Red, and 2007 9 Barrels Reserve Merlot. The Sauvignon Blanc was very light and crisp with good acidity and citrus notes. I didn't get a lot of those grassy notes that are characteristic of SB, which is good since I don't like those flavors. This went well with the cheeses and crackers that were available during the tasting. The 9 Barrels Merlot had a nice cherry cola flavor with a bit of herbs and figs. Since I'm not as familiar with producers or the wines of Fingers Lake, NY, this tasting was especially helpful for me and of course it's always better to taste with and discuss wines among wine lovers. But the true highlight of the evening was opening of the Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape as a celebration for our host's new job. And celebrate we did! Made from all 13 of the accepted CdP grape varieties, this is a very earthy dark red wine. Red fruits and spice on the nose with leather, pepper and licorice on the palate.

Next day was the tasting of red wines from Argentina! It's so nice to know people that are in the biz because they know about these tastings...and have the wine. This tasting had 6 or 7 different wines, most of them malbec or malbec was a part of the blend. I was intrigued by the merlot from Luiga Bosca. But my favorite of the night was the Bodegas Norton Privada. It had a nice spicy, earthy thing going on with loads of dark cherries and plums. My host was nice enough to let me take this bottle home. She's alright with me! For other wines tasted and wine notes, see the hashtag #winesofargentina #ttl

Virtually tasting wine with other people all across the US is a different kind of idea but it's really catching on. Hearing in real-time what other people think of the wines, and also being exposed to a people that you wouldn't have met or have anything in common with otherwise... I mean seriously, the internet really brings people together!

I'm looking forward to the next tasting, maybe I'll even host one soon myself!

Wines of Alentejo

2010-09-14T23:43:00.001-04:00

There are times when I hate living in Washington, DC area.. morning rush hour, motorcade processions, etc. But then DC redeems itself with its magnificent events, like the Wines of Alentejo tasting at the Ambassador to Portugal's residence. Where else would I have this kind of access to an Ambassador, let alone be invited to his residence?! His Excellency Joao De Vallera welcomed us into his home and gave us a warm greeting at the start of the evening.

When most people think of wine and Portugal, they immediately think of Port. But the Alentejo region is quickly becoming recognizable in the international markets. Portugal already knew the value of these wines as 1 in every 2 bottles of wine sold in Portugal comes from Alentejo. The hot sun makes the grapes ripen much more easily, giving a much fruity smooth flavor. While Alentejo is mainly known throughout Portugal for inexpensive everyday wines, they also make some amazing, elegant, sophisticated high quality red wines...they come from the DOC of Alentejo. There are 8 DOC level Alentejo wines - Portalegre, Borba, Evora, Redondo, Reguengos, Granja-Amareleja, Moura, and Vidigueira. Most DOC wines are made from a blend of local grape varieties, Trincadeira, Aragonez (also known as Tempranillo), Castelao, and Alicante Bouschet.

But not only was this a wine tasting, but a gastronomic experience! They truly wanted us to know how well the wines of Alentejo paired with the foods of Alentejo. Young (and hot) chef Jose Avillez, whose restaurant Tavares in Lisbon has a Michelin star, prepared the food to pair with the wines. And he had quite a feat ahead of him! Most of his authentic Portuguese foods and spices were unable to make it past customs, so Chef Avillez had to create a Portuguese meal from foods he found at Whole Foods Market! Rui Falcao, Portuguese wine critic and Jay Youmans, MW of Washington, DC walked us through the region on Alentejo and its wines.2009 Paulo Laureano

Grape: Antao Vaz
Pairing: Sauteed scallops, mushrooms, pineapple and aromatic herbs
Very reminiscent of a viognier or tropical fruit chardonnay, this wine had bright, crisp flavors of pineapple and citrus fruit rind. A nice hint of spice was found on the finish.

2008 Pera Manca
Grapes: Antao Vaz, Arinto
Pairing: Bacalhau a Bras (Codfish in Bras's Way)
Full-bodied with an oaky texture, the acidity paired up nicely with the salty codfish. Green apple and citrus fruit aromas make this a wine I would love to have a bottle of to enjoy at home.

2008 Adega Cooperativa de Borba Reserva
Grapes: Trincadeira, Aragones, Castelao, Alicante Bouschet
Pairing: Stuffed Tomatoes with Alheira (Sausage) and Sprouts
Aromas of strawberry and dark cherry made provided a great backbone for this wine and the tobacco notes added a bit of complexity. Its strong acidity made this pairing melt in my mouth! And what a finish!

2006 Herdade Perdigao Reserva
Grapes: Trincadeira, Aragones, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: Stuffed Tomatoes with Alheira (Sausage) and Sprouts
Deep color with a nice full body. Dark fruit flavors blend with spicy chocolate and tobacco to provide great structure and a long finish

2007 Herdade do Esporao
Grape: Alicante Bouschet
Pairing: Lamb with Chickpea Puree
Alicante Bouschet is such an aromatic grape. Aromas of dark berry, stone fruit, coffee, and vanilla hit my nose with just a quick sniff. On the palate was a rustic spicy flavor. And a hint of cherry licorice...who would've known that would pair so well with lamb!

2007 Herdade Sao Miguel Riserva
Grapes: Alicante Bouschet, Aragones, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: Lamb with Chickpea Puree
Deep and dark colored in the glass, a bouquet of plum, vanilla, and coffee. An excellent match with the lamb as the spice and mocha flavors played very well together

2007 Marques de Borba Reserva
Grapes: Trincadeira, Aragones, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: Prime Rib with Quail Egg & Vegetables
Notes of jammy red fruit and spices. Very elegant, this wine will get even better if left to age for a few years

2008 Herdade dos Grous Riserva
Grapes: Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Miuda, Touriga Nacional
Pairing: Prime Rib with Quail Egg & Vegetables
Another deep dark colored wine, perfect for pairing with the proteins in the prime rib. Hints of toast and spices, possibly from wood aging, and rich flavors of plum.

2007 Marias da Malhadinha
Grapes: Aragones, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: White Bean Stew with Pork
Dark fruits and toasted aromas where present at first sniff, 2nd sniff revealed almonds and tobacco notes. The flavor was rich and elegant with strong minerality leading to a long finish.

2005 dona Maria Reserva
Grapes: Alicante Bouschet, Petit Verdot, Syrah
Pairing: White Bean Stew with Pork
Meaty, spicy aromas lead into flavors of cherry and raspberry. A very well balanced wine with silky tannins and a persistent finish. The fruit in the wine paired well with the salt from the pork.

2007 Herdade do Mouchao Tonel #3-4
Grapes: Trincadeira, Aragones, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: Stewed Beef with Marrow
This wine is almost purple in the glass! Little fruit on the nose, mostly eucalyptus and mint. But with heavy tannins on the palate tasted and flavors of dried red fruit, great match with beef. I asked for a little bit more in my pour since this wine retails for about $120.

2005 Quinta do Mouro Rotulo Dourado
Grapes: Alicante Bouschet, Aragones, Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairing: Stewed Beef with Marrow
Earthy with hints of mushroom and oak on the palate but very closed on the nose.

This was an amazing experience! We didn't just have the opportunity to taste some amazing wines from Alentejo, but they were expertly prepared and paired with authentic Portuguese cuisine! And if you didn't notice, my wine notes became shorter as my stomach got fuller! I thought they were going to have to roll me out of the Ambassador's house. The Alentejo region of Portugal is definitely up and coming in the US and one to look out for when looking for an easy drinking, affordable wine to pair well with your meal.

Rain Rain Go AWAY!

2010-09-12T11:41:00.003-04:00

It's a beautiful warm day, the sun is shining, I'm wearing a bright (cute) summer dress and I'm skipping up 18th St NW at the Adams Morgan Day festival heading towards the funnel cake stand....

In my head.

On planet Earth, it's cloudy, drizzling, gloomy, and I'm at home on the couch wearing jogging pants. Hopefully the rain will clear up so I can at least get my funnel cake, summer is fleeting quickly so there won't be too many more chances for that fried powdery goodness. No worries though, I'm just going to finish off this bottle of Hope Estate Wollemi Shiraz. It's dark color and spicy berry flavors are perfect for watching the raindrops fall.

UPDATE: The rain stopped! I'm out of the house and sitting at the bar at Slaviya Lounge in Adams Morgan, DC looking out at the festival. A crisp, strawberry colored glass of Bodegas Chivite Gran Fuedo Rosado is in my hand.

This rosado was made from the saignée method with red grapes: after a maceration of approximately 24 hours, the juice is separated by gravity with no mechanical pressing, thus being a free run juice wine. It's flavors make me reminiscent of summer but looking forward to fall. A great transition wine, the bright fruity strawberry and raspberry notes on the palate, but a nice acidity and minerality on the finish. Great complexity with many aromas and flavors from this rosado made from Garnacha Tinta, one of my fave varietals. And I did get my funnel cake!

The GrapeVine Digest

2010-09-09T22:53:00.003-04:00

Give It A Swirl
Try a cool glass of wine for those hot summer days. Enjoy!

White – Las Colinas del Ebro Garnacha Blanca (Spain)
Made from 100-year-old vines and fermented and raised in stainless steel. Medium straw-colored, it displays a perfume of mineral, candle wax, baking spices, nutmeg, and pit fruits. On the palate it has plenty of spicy fruit, good depth and concentration, and medium length. Drink this very good value over the next 1-2 years.

Rose – Albermarle Rose 2009 (VA)
The round, crisp wine offers flavor reminiscent of sweet candy and cherries, delivering excitement more than just simple fruit. The nose is complex and floral with an essence of candied rose petal and fresh, peach hints.

Red – Hope Estate Shiraz 2007 (Australia)
A smooth, juicy palate with intense berry fruit. Rich mocha and spicy plums lead to an earthy finish. Soft, defined oak characters combined with silky tannins give the wine complexity and great length.

Wine Festivals
With the cooler weather, it’s time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors with some wine!

Saturday & Sunday September 11th & 12th – 12pm - 6pm
Great Grapes
With over 20 Virginia wineries participating, this is an inexpensive way to see Virginia Wine Country right in your own backyard. Take your sample glass and enjoy samples from all your favorite wineries. Tix only $25 onsite.
Great Grapes 11811 Freedom Drive Reston, VA
www.uncorkthefun.com

Saturday & Sunday September 11th & 12th – 11am - 6pm
Arts on Foot!
Sample wine from around the world including award-winning selections from New Zealand, Argentina, and Cellar No. 8 of California. Also enjoy numerous arts and fun activities at the festival. Fun and excitement for the whole family!

Arts on Foot 7th & F St NW Washington, DC
www.artsonfoot.org

Wednesday September 15th – 6:30pm
Look, Swirl, Smell, Taste, Savor
We ask that each lady bring a bottle of wine for tasting or a snack. We will taste, experience, and learn about each wine while enjoying good company and snacks that pair perfectly.

Little Black Dress Club Annapolis, MD (443) 333-7689
www.lbdclub.com

Go For The Gold - Update

2010-09-08T17:40:00.002-04:00

The winners of the Maryland Governor's Cup have been announced. Congratulations to Fiore Winery's Sangiovese 2007 for winning the Best in Show! The rest of the award winners are listed here http://www.marylandwine.com/mwa/awards/govcup10.shtml. Go out and pick up a winner soon! Or, visit all the wineries in one place at the Maryland Wine Festival, September 18th and 19th. Hope to see you there!

#Cabernet Day

2010-09-03T09:50:00.004-04:00

So, I'm a complete wine nerd. How else do you explain coming home, opening a bottle of wine, taking pics of the bottle and the glass, and posting my pics and thoughts on twitter? And PRESSED to see what other people were drinking and thinking... Clearly you agree with me! But so what, I love it! For one, I'm completely addicted to twitter, and second, the wine community out there is fantastic!

Cabernet Day ws a social media event organized by Rick Bakas of St Supery Vineyards where people got together and had parties to drink and tweet about various varietal Cabernets (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc) or blends (Bordeaux, Meritage, etc) and posted their reviews and pics on Twitter or their blogs. People as far away as Australia tweeted about their wines and some even held wine tasting parties. It was interesting to hear some of the comments and also see some of the people on UStream that did live video of their events. Search #cabernet on twitter for a recap of some of the conversations.

I kept it local and had the Albemarle Rose from Kluge Estate Winery in Charlottesville, VA. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec (Bordeaux Varietals) this wine tasted like a Jolly Rancher candy. Sweet cherry flavored mixed with juicy peaches...this wine was perfect for the 90 degree day we had, and my long day at work. To pair with this wine and keep it local, I ate a Maryland crabcake. I had a few other wines that fit the bill for Cabernet Day, but didn't want to open too many bottles to drink alone. I'll definitely have to fix that for the next time, the #HolidayWine event won't catch me drinking by myself again!

August A Tale of Two Cities (ATTC): Chardonnay

2010-08-30T11:28:00.002-04:00

The world of wine is more vast and complex than I could have ever imagined. There is always something to learn, a new varietal, new blend, new AVA, DOC, DOCG...you just have to know that you will be on a continuous learning process. In a quest to continue my wine education with an in-depth study of varietals, I decided to take one varietal from 2 different countries and do a comparative tasting. I know, I know...genius!!

Starting things off basic, and with what I already had on hand, the first head-to-head varietal is Chardonnay. Chardonnay is probably the most widely planted grape on the planet and also the most versatile. As stated in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, "It’s not easy to know what any bottle labeled Chardonnay will taste like. Will it be steely and crisp, loaded with green apples and lemony citrus? Will it be fleshy and fruity—a bowl of stone fruits, tropical fruits, bubble gum? Will it taste like buttered popcorn? Toast and coffee? Ancient sea life soaked in chalk? In truth, Chardonnay can be any and all of the above. "

Perfect! I grabbed my fellow tasting partner and Venture Brothers fan, Brock Wino, to taste along with me as he has the nose of a wolf...in a good way :-) Chile vs. California, let the tasting begin!

Chile (Los Vascos) -- Pale lemon/yellow in color and very vegetal in aroma. Crisp notes of citrus, herbs, and a hint of minerality were also found on the nose. After a the swirl, sniff, and sip, fruit flavors of apple and lemon coated the palate. Tart with pretty high acidity but the surprise was the creamy, soft finish.

California (J Lohr) -- The color is a big difference already, this was a much more golden yellow. Now this is a 'typical' CA Chardonnay, oak and smoke and tobacco were all I smelled at first sniff. After letting it sit in the glass for a bit, I got a little bruised red apple. Flavor mimicked the aroma, more oak and bark with hints of apple. A twist though, a slightly nutty finish. I felt like there was less acidity but more alcohol in this style, yet Brock Wino thought they were about the same. Perhaps the oak barrel fermentation and aging had a lot to do with that.

Extreme differences in visual appearance, aroma, and flavor profiles of these two wines. Same grape, two continents, why the difference? I initially thought climate, but after further research, both are from cool climate regions. Guess the winemaker 'intervention' made all the difference here. 'Typical' California Chardonnay is known for being oaky and buttery, and this one was no different. Malolactic fermentation took place for 4 months and the wine was aged sur lie in a 50% French oak barrel. In English: this Chardonnay will exhibit notes of apple and yeast from the malolactic and butter and oak from the barrel aging. Unfortunately I could not find much information on the winemaking techniques of the Los Vascos so I'll just assume stainless steel fermentation (by its taste).

So there you have it folks! I'm not going to say which one I enjoyed more...they were both good wines in their own way. But if you aren't a fan of the oakier style of Chardonnay, the California one is not for you.

VA Wine in the Midwest

2010-08-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

There is such a big movement in Virginia (I'm trying to add Maryland to that too) to Drink Local' and I enjoy their wines. So I purchase them in retail shops and look for them on restaurant wine lists. Imagine my excitement when I saw a Virginia wine on the list at a wine bar in Chicago! Right there on the wine list was the Barboursville Pinot Grigio! I even let out a little yelp, my friends thought I was crazy. Go VA Wine!

Making Up for Lost Time

2010-08-27T20:50:00.001-04:00

It's Friday night and I'm out with the girls on the patio of Market Bar in Chicago. They have wine!! And nothing says patio wine like a crisp rose. The sole rose on the menu was Zoe Rose from Greece. Always being one to try something new, I ordered it. Wine the color of cherries came to the table. And it was DELISH, a floral bouquet in glass!! While it did have tart flavors of red cherries, it also had notes of cranberry, strawberry and a little lemon zest. The bright, crisp acidity made it a perfect wine to break my wine 'fast' and even better for the patio. My girl took a sip, and she was sold too! Clearly this is what I'd be sipping all night. Which is a great thing because we had a little incident with vodka the night before. (That's a whole 'nother story!)

I went home to get a little more information on the wine, more importantly where I could get it from. The wine is from Domaine Skouras in Peloponnese, Greece and made from the regional grapes Agiortgitiko and Moscofilero. Funny that I picked a wine with moscofilero as it's a grape I was just introduced to and fell in love with a few weeks ago. Such a soft, perfumey aroma. And available in several wine shops around the Chicago area, this wine is retailing for about $9 - $12. A steal for a great rose that I would drink all year long! If only I can find it around here....

On the House

2010-08-25T18:07:00.002-04:00

I'm at home visiting my parents, clearly there is no wine at the house. Unless I'm down with the Strawberry Hill that nobody knows how long it's been in the fridge. So on Day 3, I'm out for pizza and I take a chance on the house wine...a 'Burgundy'. Sike! I am clearly drinking a light concord grape juice aged with oak chips. But what did I really expect for $5 a carafe! No worries though, the deep dish stuffed pizza will more than make up for it!

Go For The Gold

2010-08-15T18:33:00.003-04:00

I often pay attention to wine scores and awards that certain wines/wineries have, but this week I was on the other side of things. I was a judge for the Maryland Governor's Cup Wine Competition! Yeah, OK, I was a little bit excited. Excited at the honor of being chosen, excited because of the amazing wines I'd be able taste, excited to be a part of given Maryland wines some much needed accolades and recognition. So at about 10AM this morning I sat at my table and waited for the first flight.

Clearly I can't give too many details because the final scores aren't out yet. But I will say that I found some real gems after going through 6 flights! Apple wines, chambourcin, meritage blends, sangiovese, roses, and white blends came across my table. Not even sure how many wines were tasted total as each flight had different amounts. Maryland really produced some amazing wines and sent their best stuff to be judged. Stay tuned for the final update once the medals have been awarded!

The GrapeVine Digest

2010-08-12T17:22:00.007-04:00

Give It A Swirl
Try a cool glass of wine for those hot summer days. Enjoy!

White – Mouton Cadet Blanc (France)

The wine has a fine, light, straw colour with pale gold highlights and a refined fresh nose on which distinctive floral aromas combine with fresh apples and citrus fruits and a tiny hint of toast on the finish. The Sauvignon Blanc in the blend brings refinement and texture, while Semillon and Muscadelle give substance and the impression of roundness in the mouth. The long finish, expressive and harmonious on ripe fruit with a slightly mineral tinge, is entirely typical of the appellation.

Rosé – Crios de Susana Balbo Rosé of Malbec (Argentina)

A beautiful, deep, vibrant rosé color. Has a surprising amount of glycerin and body for a rosé wine, and beautiful aromas of fresh, ripe wild strawberries. On the palate, the flavors of strawberries and cherries come rushing in, accompanied by some spice notes and a clean, dry finish.

Red – Tarara Wild River Red (Virginia)

Blackberry, cherry and raspberry on the nose lead to a fruity soft palate with smooth tannins and a sweet, lingering finish. This is a medium bodied wine meant to be enjoyed now. Serve this wine lightly chilled with a rich chocolate dessert.

Wine Tastings
You don't know if you like it until you try it!

Saturday August 14th – 12pm – 4pm

French for Barbecue is….BARBECUE

With Labor Day fast approaching we thought it would be a good time to show off some well-priced reds from France that will pair nicely with a variety of food off the grill. Come join us this Saturday, August 14th, from 12PM until 4PM to sample these tasty values! and pick some up at discounted prices.

Weygandt Wines | 3519 Connecticut Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20008

www.weygandtwines.com

Saturday August 14th -- 12pm – 3:30pm

The Longest Running Wine Tasting
This is the longest running wine tasting in DC beginning in 1971. 10 Different Wines Every Week, including 1 Mystery / Blind Tasting Wine

Bell Wine & Spirits | 1821 M St NW | Washington, DC

www.bellwineshop.com

Save the Date
Upcoming exciting wines events that may be of interest

Wednesday August 18th – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Forgotten Grapes Wine Tasting

Lock up your Pinot, hide away your Chardonnay, and keep your Merlot on the down low, because wine expert, culinary entrepreneur, and creator of ForgottenGrapes.com Chris Kern is bringing his fun, irreverent, interactive and pop-culture-filled "Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes" wine tasting event to Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro in Arlington on Wednesday, August 1th.

Chris will introduce you to five lesser-known wine varietals – Semillon, Gruner Veltliner, Carmenere, Mourvedre, and Brachetto D’Acqui – that you’ll learn to love (or at least want to get more friendly with) while entertaining you with stories, songs, jokes, and interactive challenges centered around these uncommon Forgotten Grapes. It’s a wine tasting event unlike any other you’ve ever attended: irreverent, interactive, educational, completely unpretentious, and totally off-the-wall!

Join us for this very special one-night-only wine tasting event on Wednesday, August 18th at Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro in Arlington. The first wine pours at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are only $35 per person, which includes the show and pours of all five Forgotten Grapes varietals (the best bargain in D.C. wine going!).

Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro | 2803 Columbia Pike | Arlington, VA
571-482-8581 or twisted@twisted-vines.com

Restaurant Week 2010 -- The insanity begins.

Over 200 of metropolitan Washington, DC's finest restaurants offer multi-course meals prepared especially for this summer event. Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington presents the 16th biannual Washington, DC Restaurant Week from August 16-22, 2010. At participating restaurants lunch will be $20.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal and dinner will be $35.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal.

See washington.org/restaurantwk for a list of participating restaurants.

Happenings with The GrapeVine
We made it through over 150 wines, over 6 days at 2 wine conferences! Boy were we pooped! At 8:30 in the morning, we’re sitting in front of 10 wines that we needed to assess and take notes on. It’s a hard job people, but somebody’s got to do it! J The French Wine Society conference kicked off our ‘wine week’ but we had a different view of that one since we volunteered. At 7am we showed up at the French Embassy to set up glassware, placemats, handouts, etc. Then throughout each presentation we poured wines…one 2 hour seminar had 27 wines! At the end of it all, we had a Champagne toast and received kudos and thanks from the French Wine Society President, Education Director, and Conference Chairperson. A great time was had by all! Next we were off to the Society of Wine Educators Conference. No apron here, we sat and enjoyed the wines and listened to the presenters. And what amazing sessions! Some favs were New Zealand: France of the New World, Hot New Aromatic White Varietals, and the Iron Sommelier Competition. Blog recaps will be posted on The GrapeVine Blog as soon as we can slow down over here!

The GrapeVine Tasting Club is on vacation for the summer. We’ll be back in the fall with some very exciting events: Live Chef Demo with Wine Pairings, Cognac vs Armagnac, Wine Cocktails…you don’t want to miss it! You can stay in touch with us by checking us out on Twitter, Facebook, and The GrapeVine Blog. We love hearing from you!

For additional information on anything seen, or if there is anything you'd like to see in The Grapevine Digest, please email us at thegrapevinellc@gmail.com

Shot In The Dark

2010-08-10T11:12:00.005-04:00

It's been awhile since I've been able to taste with other 'wine-knows' that really know what they're doing and really have a passion for it. That drought ended last night! I had the pleasure of being part of the tasting group hosted by Julie Dalton CWE, Directora de Vinos & Sommelier, of Ranazul Tapas and Wine Bistro in Fulton, MD.

We were poured 2 flights blind, 3 whites and 3 reds. Then following the tasting methods of the Court of Master Sommeliers, each person when through their grid on their own while one brave soul provided their comments out loud. Not to toot my own horn but, I didn't do too bad when it came to sight, nose, and palate. Brightness, meniscus and viscocity determinations were new to me so I will need a little work on those. Now the pre- and final conclusions...I only picked 1 1/2 correctly. This is where I need the practice. Determining climates, new world or old world and why... Julie was amazing in getting us to give her the answers by walking through ever step, some tell-tale flavor or aroma characteristics that will help us to distinguish and determine varietals, countries and regions.

The 6 wines we tasted were: Spanish Albarino, Pouilly-Fume (Sauvignon Blanc), Condrieu (I thought Viognier for this one but there is no chance I was 'guessing' region, honestly I really did think it was Viognier!), Beaujolais Villages (Gamay), Chinon (Cabernet Franc), Grand Cru Echezeaux (Pinot Noir).

The Grand Cru Echezeaux blew us away! I drank every drop of that one. I so can't wait to meet with the group again. Maybe I'll even give my comments aloud...

Hot Aromatic Whites - SWE Conference

2010-07-30T11:35:00.001-04:00

Day 6 of wine tasting, and boy am I tired! I've definitely been spitting a lot but the wines are so delicious...and I'm on the metro so some have been enjoyed, even if for the short amount of time before I have to taste the next one.

To start off Friday, I attended a sessions on some of the hottest 'new' white varietals. With so many GenX consumers now getting into wine and trying new things, the wine educator has to move outside of the typical Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc into some newer varietals that will appeal to the younger palates. Being pretty close to GenXers and hosting tastings for them, they like a lighter flavor, aren't swayed as much by big winery names, and are willing to try different things. I have some hot new whites I can't wait to feature at a tasting!

2009 CUNE Monopole (Spain)
Grape: Viura
An exotic bouquet of floral and citrus on the nose lead to crisp pear and melon. Strong acidity and crisp fruit provide a good balance and long finish on this wine.

2009 Ludwig Knoll Silvaner (Germany)
Grape: Silvaner
This slightly fizzy Silvaner is like a cousin to Riesling by its flavors. Honeysuckle and very perfumey in the nose, then you get the peach and pear on the palate. Bits of acidity and a slight fizz make this wine a definite go to for those that want to try something different than Riesling or Moscato.

2008 Nasiakos Mantinia (Greece)
Grape: Moshofilero
A grape I'd never heard of, another to check off my Century Club list, and one I will definitely try again. Again, super aromatic bouquet with jasmine, melon, and citrus. It tasted of a pears and peaches straight from the farm.

2009 Cavalchina Bianco (Italy)
Grapes: Trebbiano, Garganega, Fernanda, Trebbianello
Fruit, fruit and fruit. Melon, lime zest, apple, pear...a chilled fruit cup in a glass.

2009 Cusamano Insolia (Italy)
Grape: Insolia
This glass should have had a paper umbrella in it! It is reminiscent of a drink you would get on a beach in the Caribbean or a cruise ship. Very bright and fruity with exotic tropical fruits like pineapple blending in to a honeyed finish.

My fave wine of the tasting was the Silvaner. Which is surprising since it has a hint of sweetness in it. But, I love the slight fizziness of and the crisp fruit flavor. Stay tuned, The GrapeVine will be tasting a few of the aromatic whites at a wine tasting soon!

French Wine Society Conference

2010-07-27T23:03:00.000-04:00

A lot of text won't even do this conference justice...but pics of the wine will!

The GrapeVine Digest

2010-07-22T17:09:00.005-04:00

Give It A Swirl
Try a chilled glass of wine for those hot summer days. Enjoy!

White – Carafe WineMakers Cabana Breezin’ (VA)
A Viognier with fresh tropical fruit aromas and lively pineapple and mango on the palate. Pale lemon in color, the crisp acidity of this wine and rich fruit balance perfectly leading to a soft lingering finish.

Rose – Gardo Besciano DOC Chiaretto (Italy)
Light pink in color with an intense fragrance of flowers and ripe red berries. Delicate in body and bright strawberries on the palate this wine is perfect for that quiet evening on the patio.

Red – Jacob’s Creek Grenache Shiraz (Australia)
A bouquet of fresh, juicy raspberry and cherry fruit aromas, with hints of rose petal, white pepper and spice. Lively and fruit-driven in the mouth, with a clean finish. Delicious on its own on a warm summer's day or as a partner for anything you pull off the grill.

Local Wine Tastings
You don't know if you like it until you try it!

Saturday July 24th – 1pm – 4pm Budget Friendly Summer Quenchers
An in-store tasting and sale on 6 terrific wines at equally outstanding prices. On the tasting table, Verace Pinot Grigio 2009, Strele Soave, Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais Pierre Chermette, Monte La Sarda Garnacha Viñas Viejos, Simone Scaletta Barbera d'Alba Sarsera DOC.

Weygandt Wines | 3519 Connecticut Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20008 www.weygandtwines.com

Saturday July 24th & Sunday July 25th – 12pm - 6pm

Great Grapes Uncork The Wine, Uncork The Flavor, Uncork the Fun…

Join us for our 5th year in Annapolis. Travel around the world in two days! Try your favorites from California, France, Italy, South America, Australia, Maryland, Virginia and elsewhere in the world. Also try exciting beer and hard ciders at the event.

$25 on-site includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited samples, all performances and cooking demonstrations.

http://www.uncorkthefun.com/

Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds | 1450 Generals Highway (Route 178) | Crownsville, MD

Sunday July 25th -- 12pm – 4pm MCLEAN GRAND RE-OPENING CELEBRATION!
Please join us in our McLean store for a Wine Tasting Extravaganza (and Beer Tastings, too) to help celebrate our newly remodeled store!
* Terlato Wines International “Down Under vs Napa Valley Taste-off,” Two Hands Gnarly Dudes and Bella’s Garden Shiraz vs Chimney Rock Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and Chimney Rock Elevage
* Cruz Alta Malbecs from Argentina with Export Director Peter Roessler
* Join Jaime Vargas of VC Family Estates of Chile for a great tasting of Chilean wines from the exciting Bio Bio Valley, the new hot spot for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir featuring the outstanding wines of Veranda Winery
* Meet Klaus Wittauer of KW “Fine Wines from Austria” and his fabulous selections from Austria including Anton Bauer Gruner Veltliner Gmork

Total Wine & More | 1451 Chain Bridge Rd | McLean, VA
www.totalwine.com

Save the Date
Upcoming exciting wines events that may be of interest

Monday July 26th – 6pm – 9pm Cork’d Unveils Octavin Wines
Come thirsty, hungry and ready for an experience! Cork'd and Octavin head to our nation's capital to showcase these wines. Lima, located in Washington D.C., will be a great atmosphere to highlight Octavin's unique product. Octavin will be pouring all night and Lima will be sure to satisfy your appetite - there will be music and dance! Tix only $15.

Lima Restaurant & Lounge | 1401 K Street NW | Washington, DC http://octavindc.eventbrite.com/

Wednesday July 28th – 5pm - 8pm Bell Wine & Spirits presents the Pinot Envy Grand Tasting!
This event includes anything 'PINOT', including pinot noir, grigio/gris, pinot blanc, pinot meunier, etc. Featuring 35+ wines, there is something for everyone at this tasting and the cost is only $5! Special discounts apply on Grand Tasting purchases.

Bell Wine & Spirits | 1821 M St NW | Washington, DC www.bellwineshop.com

Happenings with The GrapeVine

This is turning out to be one of the hottest summers ever! Good thing The GrapeVine’s wine fridge is stocked. We benefit from cooling off with amazing wines and you can benefit from the wine reviews featured in Digest and the wine blog. Next week will definitely be ‘Wine Week’ with two mega wine events in Washington, DC. The annual French Wine Society (FWS) conference starts on Sunday, then the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) conference for the rest of the week. My brain and taste buds will surely get a workout next week and I’m excited about the people I will meet, the seminars I’ll attend, and clearly…the wines I will drink! Be sure to follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/grapevine4wine for live FWS and SWE updates.

The GrapeVine Tasting Club is on vacation for the summer. For summer wine tips and suggestions, be sure to visit The GrapeVine Blog. We’ll be back in the fall with some very exciting events: Live Chef Demo with Wine Pairings, Cognac vs Armagnac, Wine Cocktails…you don’t want to miss it!

For additional information on anything seen, or if there is anything you'd like to see in The Grapevine Digest, please email us at thegrapevinellc@gmail.com

Wine Wednesday - Born in the USA

2010-07-14T22:23:00.007-04:00

With as much wine tasting, drinking, assessing that I do...I'm kinda embarrassed to say that I don't do too much with American wines outside of VA and MD in my leisure. What's up with that?! Knowing that as a 'wine professional' I probably need to do better about that going forward and Zola Wine & Kitchen was going to help. They were taking me on the Grape American Road Trip.
For the Grape American Road Trip, ZWK had Andrew Stover (Chief Wino) of Vino 50 and Rachel Martin of Boxwood Winery on hand to pour a few American wines that weren't from California. Perfect! Especially to have the chance to chat with Rachel Martin for a bit, I was just at the Boxwood Winery Tasting Room last week and bought a bottle of the dry Rose. Great stuff, but we'll save that for another blog post. I was at a tasting table with wines from Idaho and Colorado! With 4 whites and 2 reds on the table, I started with a Pinot Gris.

Jack Rabbit Hill Organic Pinot Gris

North Fork Valley, Colorado

Certified Organic, this Pinot Gris used no commercial yeasts or additives and was fermented in stainless steel. Slight minerality on the palate but definitely an essence of lemon and floral notes too. This wine had a great balance between its dryness and acidity. Crisp and refreshing, perfect for the heat of the day. I would love to sip on this alone or pair with some grilled tilapia.

Red Tail Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay

Finger Lakes, New York

Chardonnay is a grape that can take on many flavors, most of them coming from the oak if it’s used. Without the use of oak in this wine I was able to notice aromas of apple and pear. And the flavor, kinda like whip cream and apples…very creamy mouthfeel with the apple flavor on the finish.

Sawtooth Chardonnay

Snake River Valley, Idaho

Back to the oak! I personally like oak in my wines, the rich flavors of wood, toast, oak, tobacco…. I tasted all of that and more in my glass. Flavors of wet stones, tropical fruit and apple pushed through the oak and exploded in my mouth. Crisp acidity and the lingering tropical fruit flavors left a finish that I could taste long after the wine was gone.

Six Prong Red Blend

Columbia Valley, Washington

A blend of 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Zinfandel, 17% Malbec, 17% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc (all the reds I like), I doubted this wine would disappoint. It didn’t. Rich berry aromas swirled in my glass, my mouth salivated before I took a sip. On the palate - strawberry, cherry, raspberry, every rich, ripe, red berry you can imagine with such a silkiness in the mouth…OMG! To finish up, this wine provided spice and a subtle oak.

Boxwood Topiary

Middleburg, Virginia

I was fortunate enough to have visited this winery during the Drink Local Wine Conference. What a beautiful place! They only make 3 wines, all reds and produced in the style of French Bordeaux. This one, Topiary, is a blend of Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc and is reminiscent of the Saint-Emilion style of wines. Aromas of black fruit, but the palate showed spicyness and an herbal quality. A hint of strong tannins right now, not enough to stop me from drinking this now…but wondering how smooth and silky this wine will taste in 3 years.

The wines tasted are definitely ones that can contend with some of my fav French and Spanish wines. The prices are reasonable as well, the least expensive wine on the table was $14. But for people to begin to drink more American wines, outside of CA of course, we need more tastings, more restaurants and retailers offering the wines. You know Americans aren't going to buy an American wine they've never tasted before at a certain price point. As for me, not a bad start as I begin tasting my way through the good ole US of A. Next up, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I've heard I'm sleeping on their Pinot Noir...

I'll Have a C Sharp With That

2010-06-28T16:16:00.001-04:00

I am all for trying new wine pairings, what wine tastes best with certain cheeses, random dishes that I make, sauces, etc. But hearing about Notaviva Vineyards Wine & Music pairing event was a new one on me. I was invited to this event by a fellow wine blogger from VA and I am not one to turn down a wine tasting event invitation.

So we took the Saturday night trip to Purcelville, VA down a gravel back road to Notaviva Vineyards. The idea or thought behind this tasting was that wine puts you in a certain mood and evokes certain feelings and so does music, so why not put the two together. The concept makes sense so I was interested to see how this thing would go. We'd have 5 wines and each wine would be paired with 10 music tracks. We were to decide which track we thought went best with the wine. Not feelings or thoughts based on what music genre you like...but how you FEEL when you hear each song.

A bit weird at first, like I just didn't 'get it'. I totally enjoyed the wine but was having a bit of trouble deciding it's musical pairing. Like the first wine was a white with peach and honeysuckle notes...50 Cent 'In Da Club' was playing. Liked the song, bobbed my head...not a great match. By the 4th wine though, I was kinda into it. The 4th and 5th were reds and I felt they needed a certain type of song to match their flavor. The 4th wine, a cab franc with it's blackberry and dark fruit flavors was a bit racy and needed a quick paced upbeat song. What's that playing over the speakers, the theme from Zorro! Perfect! Sexyback by Justin Timberlake was a choice for the 5th wine, a Chambourcin. I'll admit, this one I picked just because I liked the song.

The Art of Wine

2010-06-27T19:03:00.006-04:00

Ever talk to a group of people and they just look back at you with that blank stare? Well, I got the exact opposite from the guests at this tasting! There are plenty of times when I'll ask for comments, questions, a little crowd interaction...yet I get nothing. This group was vocal and I so enjoyed them!

I was the 'wine speaker' along with Carafe WineMakers for an art and wine show at Madly Living a B&B in Southern MD. Since it was the week before the 4th of July I talked about Grapes & the Grill. A few wines that are perfect for patio sippin', picnics, and anything off the grill. We started with a Prosecco that was served to guests as they arrived. But the first wine of the formal tasting was a Sauvignon Blanc from Carafe WineMakers in VA, a Rose from Brown Estate in CA, Splash (a blackberry merlot) from Carafe WineMakers, and a red Zinfandel from Brown Estate.
After I explained the concept of swirl, sniff, sip...the crowd took it from there. They were so interactive providing comments on aromas and flavors of the wines. A couple of times they got a little fancy, like granny smith apple, rhubarb, ripe strawberries. Juicy juice was my fav description. I'm wondering what kinds of descriptions they'll come up with next month. I think we'll taste through some blends.

Cuckoo for Cocktails

2010-06-20T22:10:00.002-04:00

Clearly I'm a wine drinker, but sometimes my palate wants a little something different. Which seemed to be the case this weekend. Perhaps since it was so hot, only a drink with some ice would do the trick. Either way, starting from Friday until today, cocktails were the drinks of choice.

Friday night I was lucky enough to have tix to see Jill Scott and Maxwell in concert. My girlfriend's husband wanted her to get out and enjoy herself before the baby comes so he scored the tix for us. It was a surprise for her...and it actually worked! She had no idea and was so excited! Before the show we went to Coco Sala for dinner. The 1st cocktail on the list caught my eye, the Alisar - cucumbers, vodka, and lime juice. This drink was absolutely amazing! It just had a slight hint of the cucumber flavor, but the tartness of the lime juice and the vodka...well you know how that tastes.

Saturday was 'Get my house in order day' so I did just that. I had a little sweet tea vodka and lemonade to help me with the tasks at hand.

Sunday I had a mimosa for brunch at Ulah Bistro to go with my crab & brie omelet. Then later on met up with a friend at Ping Pong Dim Sum for happy hour and had a kumquat mojito. Harris Teeter has a special on kumquats, I will be going back for some!

Back to Burgundy

2010-06-15T21:15:00.006-04:00

Last June, I had the pleasure of being selected to attend the Burgundy Wine School in Beaune, France and passed the rigorous exam to become an accredited Burgundy Wine Educator. Which basically means that I'm a beast when it comes to the Burgundy region, LOL! But that aside, I really do love the wines so when a Chablis seminar came to DC, clearly I had to be there.

When the Burgundy region does a seminar, they do it right! Printed, laminated maps, pre-printed listing of the wines with room for wine notes, a local Certified Wine Educator for the presentation, and each one of us were given a thumb drive of the presentation to take home. Now that's a seminar! Now I will say that since I've attend the school, there wasn't too much new information, but this time I was able to understand a few of the concepts a little better since I wasn't cramming the whole region into my head to prepare for the exam.

Chablis is a wine region located in the northernmost portion of Burgundy and produces wines made from the Chardonnay grape. The Kimmeridgean soil of the region gives the wines a flinty, mineral note. Most basic Chablis is completely unoaked, and vinified in stainless steel tanks. While the entire region of Chablis is designated as Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) it is further split into four quality classifications (listed from lowest to highest): Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. On a side note, we went to the Chablis region as part of our 'learning' and we stood on a hill overlooking several of the climats of Chablis Grand Cru. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

You can't really have a Chablis seminar without tasting the wines, so they brought along 7 examples covering all 4 classification levels for us to taste and review.

Petit Chablis 2008
Domaine Bernard Defaix

Chablis 2007
Christian Moreau Pere & Fils

Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Vaulorent 2008
William Fevre

Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Vaulorent 2007
William Fevre
An excellent expression of Chardonnay. Very interesting and distinct differences between the 2007 & 2008, with 2007 in my opinion being the most expressive of the two. It tasted of tart apple and herbs with hints of minerality. Bright acidity and yeasty notes started mellow but finished in a symphony with crisp fruit.

Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 2007
Louis Michel

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2006
Chateau de Maligny

Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles 2008
Louis Michel
Grenouilles in French means 'little frog', so glad that has nothing to do with this wine! A sweet nose of pineapple, exotic fruits, and florals prepare you for the lush banana, pear and pineapple flavors for the palate. This is the rich, lush, round, complex flavor you expect from a Grand Cru.

Chablis Gran Cru Les Clos 2007
Christian Moreau Pere & Fils

You can never know everything, or even enough, about wine. It is ever changing, ever evolving. So I will be ever drinking! Since I happened to be one of the last to leave the seminar, I was able to take home one of the open bottles. Lucky me, I went home with a Petit Chablis!!

Sojourn to Great Falls

2010-06-12T20:17:00.004-04:00

I usually go to wine events alone, which is kinda cool because I meet some of the most amazing people. I took a 3-day seminar with the Spanish Wine Academy last year I met firecracker of a woman in Karen! We've since kept in touch, met up for wine events, wine drinking, etc. Today she hosted a a wine tasting at her brand new, custom built home. I promise I was only seconds away from just hiding in a nook under the stairs and just coming out after dark so I could live there myself! But I was there to taste wines, so I went about my business.

The wine tasting featured wines from Sojourn Cellars, a small artisanal winery out of Sonoma, CA. They're a partnership between Craig Haserot (who guided us through our tasting) and Erich Bradley, 2 guys that met on a tennis court. Their wines are described as having 'New World style with Old World sensibilities' and are handcrafted in small lots to maintain and ensure a superior quality. Sojourn Cellars produces only Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. When asked why, Craig answered "Because that's what we like to drink!"

We tasted 7 wines, and I re-tasted 5 more ;-). I fell in love with them all, but not only do people want to read about each one, that's an awful lot of typing! So I'll pick 3 favs, 2 of the Pinots and 1 Cabernet:
2008 Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir
A spicy aroma followed by hints of cinnamon on the palate. A very fruity mouthfeel and finish with soft tannins to round out the wine.
$48

2008 Rodgers Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir
Such a Burgundian flavor with this one! Very earthy and mushroomy giving way to flavors of dark cherries and blackberries. Super smooth finish
$48

2007 Home Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Displayed a rich blueberry character and hints of mint on the nose. This drank pretty well right now and I know it will only get better in the next 2-3 yrs.
$39

All the wines were amazing and they offer FREE SHIPPING! If you'd like any additional information or would like to purchase wines from Sojourn Cellars, please visit them at www.sojourncellars.com or you can follow them on Facebook.

Toast of the Town

2010-06-11T23:37:00.001-04:00

I am a loyal reader of Wine Enthusiast magazine. And much to my BF's dismay I've kept most of the issues and they are neatly stacked next to my cable box. (Mags in the stack go back a couple of years.) So I've always seen the ads for Toast of the Town, but never quite got it together to go. Not so this year! I was able to volunteer with setup for the event through the Washington Wine Academy and they gave me a free ticket to the event as a thank you. What a thank you! The goodie bag alone was completely worth it.

Toast of the Town is an annual wine gala put on by Wine Enthusiast. Held in multiple cities, the DC event is the last one of this tour and was at the National Building Museum Friday night. The gala featured over 500 wines and spirits and 25 restaurants served signature dishes.

Unfortunately I had a work event tonight as well so I arrived late. Too late for the food which was kinda what I was most excited about :-( But alas, I just ran around and tasted as much wine as I could in the time I had. Some wines of note were the Greek wines from Nestor Imports. Their Assyrtiko and the Malagousia-Moscato wines took 2 more grapes off my Wine Century Club list. The Assyrtiko was crisp and clean with hints of citrus zest. And since this wine is sold at Whole Foods, it will be added to my list of great summer wines. Virginia wines held their own at this gala. Corcoran's 2008 Malbec, Chrysalis' 2005 Locksley Reserve Norton, and Boxwood Winery's 2007 Topiary Blend all get rave reviews from me. I hope to find them in a local wine shop soon.Since food and drink is not enough, the David Bach Quarter played cool jazz all night long. The electric slide broke out on the dance floor at the end of the night...I think the 500+ drink offerings had something to do with that. I drank a little, got a goodie bag, saw some old friends and wine buddies, all in all it was a great night. Next year I will definitely go back, and go early.

Wine-Less

2010-06-10T21:06:00.002-04:00

As I sat here at my computer answering some emails, doing a bit of surfing, etc...I realized that I hadn't tasted/assessed ANY wine this week!! My work schedule has definitely thrown me for a loop. I quickly poured myself a glass of Pampano from Rueda, Spain and am relaxing while watching tv. This problem will definitely be fixed tomorrow! I'm attending Toast of the Town wine tasting hosted by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Over 600 wines and spirits, maybe I should take the metro...

No Wine for the Storm

2010-06-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

So, today was the 1st of 3 scheduled shifts at Harris Teeter to do the Bordeaux promotion. I was all excited to go and pour, and sample, a few of the Bordeaux they had to offer. Unfortunately, a colleague of mine that did the promotion on that Friday had cleaned them out!! My go-to wines from Mouton Cadet were completely sold out! With what was left, I could only display 2 wines. For tasting I had the Collection des Chateaux which is actually made from the best grapes in Bordeaux from many chateaux and blended to make this 'collection'. This wine was very rich in flavor, tasting of raspberry and plums. Light tannins gave it a nice finish and it was smooth going down. Chateau du Bousquet was served alongside the Collection, a fairly thin wine which was surprising since Bordeaux wines are usually so big. Hints of pepper and flowers. Very earthy, a characteristic of French wines.

My sales weren't too great today. But in my defense, I only served samples to like 15 people. Maybe people didn't want to taste wine or buy it on a Sunday. And there was a thunderstorm that occurred during my demo. It didn't effect me in the least, it had stopped by the time I left. Maybe people didn't want to come out for groceries with that going on...who knows!

The GrapeVine Digest

2010-06-03T22:19:00.007-04:00

Give It A Swirl
Try a cool glass of wine for those hot summer days. Enjoy!

White – El Fogon Torrontes (Argentina)
Greenish yellow shades, flower and tropical fruit aromas. Pair with seafood, fish, poultry, Asian cuisine, salads and soft cheese. An ideal aperitif.

Rose – Tegernseerhof Zweigelt (Austria)
Bright redcurrant, tart raspberry, and strawberry wrapped in delicious wave of mouth-tingling acidity.

Red – Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages (France)
Not to be confused with Beaujolais Nouveau, this fruity red exhibits a ruby-purple color, red berry perfume and floral bouquet, and bursts on the palate with gobs of dark cherry and cassis fruit. Soft, lush and ready to drink now, serve slightly chilled at your next picnic or BBQ.

Wine Festivals
Summer is here, and so are wine festivals! For admission, you get a commemorative glass and unlimited tasting.

Saturday & Sunday June 5th & 6th – 11am – 6pm Vintage Virginia
In its 29th year this event is a cornerstone of the East Coast wine festival season, featuring a one-stop shopping environment for wine collectors and enthusiasts, as well as a unique opportunity to interact with winemakers, movers and shakers, cultivating your own understanding of what makes a quality vintage.

Bull Run Regional Park | 7700 Bull Run Drive | Centreville, VA www.vintagevirginia.com

Saturday & Sunday June 5th & 6th – 11am – 6pm Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival
An opportunity to sample wines from 20 Maryland wineries, the Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival offers a little something for everyone. A variety of fine food vendors will please any palate! Bring a blanket or lawn chair, sit back, listen to the sounds of great musicians and spend a wonderful afternoon at the Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival.

Terrapin Park | 191 Log Canoe Circle | Stevensville, MD www.chesapeakebaywinefestival.org

Save the Date
Upcoming exciting wines event of note

Sunday, June 6th – 1pm – 4pm
Exclusive California Wine Tasting
Join us for an afternoon exploring twenty-five of California’s finest wines in the Dean & DeLuca Cafe.

Dean & DeLuca | 3276 M Street NW | Washington, DC 20007

June 10th – Smithsonian Presents "An Evening with Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Randall Grahm"

Participants have the opportunity to share the fruits of this vinous journey as he leads a guided tasting of Bonny Doon vineyard wines, including winery flagship red Rhone-style blend Le Cigare Volant; the white Le Cigare Blanc; the dry rose Vin Gris de Cigare; estate/single vineyard representations of Albarino and Syrah Le Pousseur; and Vinferno, a vin de paille-style dessert wine made from a single vineyard blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Grahm’s book, “Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology” (University of California Press), is available for signing after the program. $75 per person

http://residentassociates.org/

June 12th & 13th – The Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor
Experience Flavor with a View: a world-class event, will celebrate distinctive cuisine, fine wine, beer and spirits. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the latest culinary and varietal trends.

www.foodandwinenh.com

June 12th & 13th – Great Grapes Uncork The Wine, Uncork The Flavor, Uncork the Fun…
Join us for the 8th ANNUAL year for Baltimore's favorite wine festival. Thousands of wine lovers have been visiting us over the years and this year will be bigger and better than ever. Think Global but Wine Local and this show has it all.
$20 advance online or $25 on-site includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited samples, all performances and cooking demonstrations.

http://www.uncorkthefun.com/cockeysville-maryland/site-info Oregon Ridge Park | 13401 Beaver Dam Road | Cockeysville, MD

The Latest with The GrapeVine

For those of you that have missed The GrapeVine Digest, my apologies! I just recently returned from an amazing trip to France where I attended the International Malbec Days event in Cahors. Cahors is in Southern France and is actually the original home to the Malbec grape. I sat in seminars and attended tastings while overlooking some of the most beautiful vineyards and landscapes. Cahors is also known for foie gras, a fav of mine! I definitely got my fill of it on this trip. Boy it took a lot to get me to board the plane to return home!

A much different style than the Argentine Malbec, France's style has a dry, earthy characteristic with dark fruit flavors on the palate which expresses the terroir of the region. As an experiment, why not visit your local wine shop and try the Argentine and the French style of Malbec. You may find something new! Also, be sure to visit The GrapeVine Blog for trip recaps and pictures.

With the warm weather being here for good, it is now time for my summer winery visits! There are so many great wineries right here in our backyards in Maryland and Virginia, I can't wait to share my visits and the wines with you. I may start this weekend :-)

Wine Wednesday - Champagne & Cupcakes

2010-06-02T23:15:00.003-04:00

Many writers have written articles and discussed at length the pairing of champagne and cake. Especially wedding cake and champagne. The verdict is usually that the sweetness of wedding cake is not an ideal match for the dry champagne that it's usually served with. After tasting a variety of Champagnes, Sparkling Wines, Cavas, and Proseccos with cupcakes...that couldn't be further from the truth!

We had cupcakes in Lemon, Banana Chocolate and Coconut made by Delightings and a cheese and charcuterie plate. Each lady invited to the party brought a bottle of 'champagne', which really just meant anything with bubbles in it. That was a pretty cool way to do things because we definitely had plenty of sparklers to drink and I was able to try different ones to see which matched up the best with the cupcakes. The following is a list of wines that we were available to drink with the cupcakes. I don't have a formal review of the wines because there were so many and it was just too beautiful a night :-)

Pink by Yellowtail
Barefoot (Pinot Grigio)
Chandon (CA)
Le Berceau Blanquette de Limoux
Francois Montand Rose Brut
Lunetta Prosecco
Freixenet
Fleuraison (Blanc de Blanc)
Domaine Ste Michelle Brut
Zardetto Prosecco

As for the best of the night, I'm partial to the Blanquette de Limoux (I brought it, wink) and the Zardetto Prosecco. But with the amount of cupcakes I ate...well, let's just say that I'll be in the gym for the next few days!

Back to Work!

2010-05-26T23:00:00.000-04:00

Back from France, kinda over my jetlag...I had to get back into the swing of things! I usually attend Robert Kacher's portfolio tasting as a guest, their to decide what wines to put on various restaurant lists that I work with. But this time I was on the other side of the table, I was pouring the wines. I poured for Table #4 and had the pleasure of pouring beside 2 French winemakers. Another sign that I'm supposed to be learning French and working with a winemaker in France SOON! But anyway....

I worked with Lionel Lavail of Cazes-Lavail from Languedoc-Rousillon and Joel Delaunay of Delaunay Wines from Loire Valley. It was a pleasure to meet Lionel Lavail as I am very familiar with his wines, Cotes Catalanes Blanc and Rouge are already in regular rotation in my wine rack. New to me where his Carignan, loved it's earthy dark cherry flavors; Rivesaltes Ambre, a honeyed, baked apple taste; Muscat de Rivesaltes, peaches; Maury red and white dessert wines. More of his wines will definitely be added to my own personal portfolio.

Joel Delaunay poured Touraine Blanc "Le Bois Martin" 2009, 100% Sauvignon Blanc with floral aromas and light citrusy flavors; and Touraine Rouge "Les Cabotieres" 2006, 75% Cabernet Franc, 25% Malbec (I just can't get away from that Malbec, LOL) with ripe berry flavors and medium tannins.

There were easily over 50 wines here to taste, and I really only tasted the ones at my table and some of the dessert wines. Oh yeah, and the champagne :-) But with being behind the table, I got to get another experience by speaking personally with the winemaker and also meeting all the retailers, distributors, restaurant owners, and others that attended the tasting to make their selections for their respective businesses. All in a day's work!

Notes From A French Winemaker

2010-05-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

While at the International Malbec Days event in Cahors, France, we had plenty of activities to keep us busy and sipping. We had morning seminars and guided wine tastings, but I really wanted to see the vineyards, where the grapes are grown, feel the soil. Luckily I was able to have that opportunity. One of the guys that was on the trip with me, Fred Minnick spoke with Phillipe Vincens of Chateau Vincens and he agreed to take us to his vineyard to give us the grand tour and maybe even sample a few.

As we rode to the vineyard with Philippe, Fred was interviewing him in the front seat. Clearly I was able to hear what he was saying and I was able to learn quite a bit about Chateau Vincens and their winemaking process. One thing of note is that there seemed to be a new generation taking over the vineyards of Cahors. The parents are passing down the winery operations to their children, which is infusing the wine and also the region with newer winemaking techniques and innovative labeling and marketing ideas. Chateau Vincens is right on with that trend, Philippe Vincens is 29 yrs old and has only been in the wine business for 2 years. He studied business and finance at a school in Paris and learned winemaking in Bordeaux. Him and his brother now run the vineyard that they inherited from their father, who inherited it from his father. And although some of the winemaking techniques are new things that Philippe is trying, most of the techniques that he is using come from his grandfather.

Chateau Vincens makes 4 wines using mostly Malbec grapes, Le Prestige is 20% Merlot. The vineyard is in St-Vincent Rive d'Olt and sits on 36 hectares of land. The vineyard is settled on a hillside on a 300 meter plateau which allows for better water drainage and sun exposure. The ground between the vines alternates between grass and soil (ie, grass, vine, soil/rocks, vine) because too much grass makes the vines suffer by taking minerals and nutrients away from the vines. But, the vines and the ground still need the grass for water retention and heat hence the alternating. Chateau Vincens is not a certified organic vineyard but minimal pesticides are used for grape growing. Grapes are picked by mechanical harvest but sorted by hand. Grapes are then fermented in stainless steel tanks and put into new and old oak barrels for aging. The oak comes from different makers and also different barrels in order to impart a distinctly different flavor into each style and vintage of Chateau Vincens wines.
After the tour of the vineyard, winemaking facility, cellar, and bottling area, Phillipe gave us a barrel sample from the 2009 simple Malbec. This particular wine was meant to be young and sees no oak. Very earthy and leathery on the nose with a strong fruit flavor of dark cherry. Strong gripping tannins and full body melt into a great fruit flavor. This is a great expression of Malbec and I can't wait to import this to DC!

Philippe walked us into a room that overlooks the cellar to taste a few of the wines he currently has on the market.

2009 Rose
If this were in the states right now, it would sell like hotcakes. More malbec producers should push their roses into the market more to get Americans to buy into their heavier tannic malbecs. This is a great one to start with! Salmon pink in the glass, crisp and refreshing to the taste. Not fermented to dryness, this wine has a bit of residual sugar which lends to a sweeter more honeyed peachy flavor.

2007 Le Prestige
Truffle, earth, dark berry fruit on the nose balanced by medium acidity and dark berry fruit on the palate. May need another year or 2 for this wine to fully develop into complete magnificence, but you can drink it now if you can't wait.

2003 Prestige
Light tobacco notes on the nose with ripe cherry and black currant on the palate. Such a strong fresh fruit flavor that was not overpowered by the oak aging.

2002 Les Graves de Paul
A little tight at first, but after a few minutes in the glass a few swirls...this malbec opened right up. Fresh fruit and licorice met strong tannins to finish in a perfectly round and well balanced wine

I had an amazing afternoon touring the vineyard, learning about winemaking techinques, and sipping wine with new friends. I can't wait to import Chateau Vincens wines to DC. Look out for them in a store near you soon!!

The Land of Purple Teeth

2010-05-25T18:02:00.000-04:00

I've talked about the dark Malbec wines of Cahors, France and I just had the opportunity of a lifetime. I just came back from a weekend in Cahors tasting the wines!! It was such an amazing place! The beauty of the chateaux, the vineyards, the food...foie gras anyone. I'm still trying to overcome a bit of jet lag so my brain isn't functioning enough for a full post. But please believe me there will be a couple of posts, pics included, about my trip. I even spoke with a couple of winemakers and will highlight their wines.

Stay tuned!!

Drink It, Read It

2010-05-24T17:30:00.003-04:00

When thinking about how to pass the time during my 7 1/2 hr flight to London, and then my 6 hour layover at London's Heathrow Airport...I knew I would need plenty of reading material. I grabbed a the latest issues of InStyle and Lucky magazines but then picked up the book 'Love By The Glass: Tasting Notes on a Marriage' by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher.

This couple wrote the popular Wall Street Journal 'Tastings' column for several years. They gained a large and diverse audience, that normally didn't even read the Wall Street Journal, due to their light, effortless candor and their honest and understandable views on wine. The whole idea of their column was basically just to tell people what they drank, what they thought about it, and possibly what it pairs with. Straight to the point!

But the book wasn't actually about their column, it's their marriage-and-wine memoir, an account of their life together by the bottles they discovered, shared, and enjoyed (or didn't) over time. I mean, they went back to when the couple met on their first day at the Miami Herald newspaper. Talk about love at first sight! The love shared between these two even from the very beginning leapt from the pages as I read through their first date and the wine they drank. Their first wine was Cold Duck! That goes to show you that even the professionals have to start somewhere ;-)

What truly amazed me about this book was the recollection of so many events in their life. Even before they started taking copious wine notes and building their wine collections, there is so much detail about the wines they drank, the event they were attending, and how much (or little) they enjoyed the wine. If I tried to write a book about the wines I drank this month...I don't know if I could capture everything! I think it's so amazing the places they've gone and the wines they were able to enjoy before they became the powerhouses they are today. With so many wine drinkers out there today, there aren't as many hidden gems out there, nor will I find some of the deals they were able to find. I think I recall a $1.99 bottle of French wine!! Today, you'd have to be lucky enough to be there as soon as the case came out of the back room.

There were plenty of takeaways from this book, but the thing I will remember the most is how engaging sommeliers, winemakers, wine shop owners, were once Dorothy and John engaged them in a bit of conversation. People just wanted to talk to them and share new wines, cute anecdotes, anything! This was a fantastic read that I carried me to London, Toulouse, Cahors, Chicago, and back to Washington, DC. A book I'd recommend for anyone that likes a good romance story with a quite a bit of wine on the side.

Learning a Thing or Two

2010-05-17T21:00:00.003-04:00

I've been hosting The GrapeVine Tasting Club for about 6 months now. Each month I know to expect a different crowd, with different tastes, different levels of knowledge. But for North vs South, I got a nice little surprise....

One of my faithful tasting club members was very interested in a wine I ended up not using for the tasting and so she asked to try it. I can never say no to someone who wants to try a new wine! So I gave it to her with the condition that she provided me with a few tasting notes. I think she's been actually paying attention to me these past few months ;-)

Not bad for a $9 wine!! Definitely has a lot of tannins. I like that. Dark fruity taste. Nice dark color. Peppery. Smelling it brings to mind smoke. I tried it when I first opened the bottle. Then tried it with an aerator. I like both ways. Stronger when first opened. After with the aerator, lighter. Something to drink with red meat but I would like it with a spicy Arrabiatta sauce (insert Homer's drool). Definitely wouldn't have picked this out of a line up.

What can I add to that? Only that she's talking about the Pisano Cisplatino from Uruguay 60% Tannat, 40% Merlot. Thanks for the great review!!