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
Showing posts with label white wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label white wine. Show all posts
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
White Out
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Loving the Loire
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!
Friday, September 17, 2010
State shows off its grapes at Maryland Wine Festival
I've been quoted! Can't wait for 'Super Bowl' Sunday...LOL!
State shows off its grapes at Maryland Wine Festival - baltimoresun.com
State shows off its grapes at Maryland Wine Festival - baltimoresun.com
Friday, July 30, 2010
Hot Aromatic Whites - SWE Conference
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!
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!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
It's Getting Hot In Here! AKA The Twitter Taste-Off
After a full morning of seminars and exciting discussions at the 2010 Drink Local Wine Conference, it was time for the moment we'd all been waiting for.....The Twitter Taste-Off!!! People were standing around outside the room, a few had glasses in hand waiting to rush the tasting room like it was Wal-Mart on Black Friday! We got the hand signal that the tasting was open, and we were off. Over 20 wineries from Virginia and Maryland were on hand to pour a white and a red for us to tweet about to our hearts content. Our mission, if we chose to accept it, was taste, tweet and vote. The voting categories were Best Red, Best White, Media Favorite, and Overall Best Wine.
Some were old favorites that were tasted again and some were brand new wines or vintages we'd heard about but have never tasted. I was most excited to taste Chrysalis Vineyard's Albarino. I didn't even know they were growing that grape in VA until Jenny McCloud mentioned it in the 'Thomas Jefferson' seminar. It was everything that people said it was and more, very creamy in my glass with notes of citrus and peach. I was also very fond of the Lovingston Petit Manseng having not been too familiar with Petit Manseng. I now have added 3 to my list as I
enjoyed the 2 from Horton Vineyards and Pearmund Cellars that were served at the dinner on Saturday night. A notable red was the Kluge Estate New World Red, it had that dark fruit and toasty oak flavor that I like. I also enjoyed the 2006 Barboursville Vineyards Octagon, 2007 Corocran Vineyards Meritage, and 2007 Williamsburg Winery Adagio. I wish I had more notes to add on them but at this point, I was burning up!! My poor sweaty fingers were not doing too well with the keyboard on my Droid at this point. Wondered if it was the red wine or the room...but upon hearing everyone else commenting and sweating, it was the room. Apparently the air conditioner had checked out of the resort. I stepped outside to taste the wines of my current home state of MD.
Definitely the surprise of the afternoon was the wines of Maryland. A surprise to everyone else though. Living in MD and having attended and volunteered at
many MD wine festivals, I already knew the state was working with some decent vineyards. The 2007 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards Comus and the Serpent Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc generated a great deal of chatter on Twitter. But none could compare to the talk surrounding Black Ankle Vineyards Leaf Stone Syrah! It blew people's minds! It blew my mind too when I first had it. Had they brought the Rolling Hills or the multi-award winning Crumbling Rock, I think people might have passed out!!
Some were old favorites that were tasted again and some were brand new wines or vintages we'd heard about but have never tasted. I was most excited to taste Chrysalis Vineyard's Albarino. I didn't even know they were growing that grape in VA until Jenny McCloud mentioned it in the 'Thomas Jefferson' seminar. It was everything that people said it was and more, very creamy in my glass with notes of citrus and peach. I was also very fond of the Lovingston Petit Manseng having not been too familiar with Petit Manseng. I now have added 3 to my list as I
enjoyed the 2 from Horton Vineyards and Pearmund Cellars that were served at the dinner on Saturday night. A notable red was the Kluge Estate New World Red, it had that dark fruit and toasty oak flavor that I like. I also enjoyed the 2006 Barboursville Vineyards Octagon, 2007 Corocran Vineyards Meritage, and 2007 Williamsburg Winery Adagio. I wish I had more notes to add on them but at this point, I was burning up!! My poor sweaty fingers were not doing too well with the keyboard on my Droid at this point. Wondered if it was the red wine or the room...but upon hearing everyone else commenting and sweating, it was the room. Apparently the air conditioner had checked out of the resort. I stepped outside to taste the wines of my current home state of MD.Definitely the surprise of the afternoon was the wines of Maryland. A surprise to everyone else though. Living in MD and having attended and volunteered at
many MD wine festivals, I already knew the state was working with some decent vineyards. The 2007 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards Comus and the Serpent Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc generated a great deal of chatter on Twitter. But none could compare to the talk surrounding Black Ankle Vineyards Leaf Stone Syrah! It blew people's minds! It blew my mind too when I first had it. Had they brought the Rolling Hills or the multi-award winning Crumbling Rock, I think people might have passed out!! 
A couple of the comments on twitter under the MD wine hashtag #dlw10md were:
Nice Elk Run Vineyards Chardonnay w/ a soft footprint of toastiness. Glad to get a chance to try so many #mdwine
Cygnus Wine Cellars Blanc de Blanc NV is from MD - color is pale yellow, light and crisp sparkling
Serpent Ridge Vintner's Cabernet 2007 - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc , beautiful deep red/purple color, dark fruit
2007 Comus Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard ruby plum, blackberries aroma and taste mild tannins fruity finish
@blackanklevine Bedlam White Blend floral, fruity, moderate acidity ~ my type of summer time sipping sensation
Cygnus Wine Cellars Blanc de Blanc NV is from MD - color is pale yellow, light and crisp sparkling
Serpent Ridge Vintner's Cabernet 2007 - blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc , beautiful deep red/purple color, dark fruit
2007 Comus Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard ruby plum, blackberries aroma and taste mild tannins fruity finish
@blackanklevine Bedlam White Blend floral, fruity, moderate acidity ~ my type of summer time sipping sensation
The winners of the day were the 2008 Chrysalis Albariño for the Best White Wine, the 2002 Breaux Vineyards Reserve Merlot for the Best Red Wine and Media Favorite, and the Michael Shaps Viognier for Crowd Favorite. A fantastic event in which Virginia wines were shown the respect that tthey rightly deserve.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The GrapeVine Digest
A little wine information just in time for the weekend!
Give It A Swirl
In recognition of the Drink Local Wine Conference this weekend, here are 2 local wine picks. Enjoy a new wine from your state!
White – Breaux Vineyards (VA) Viognier 2008
Beautiful tropical aromas and flavors. Orange blossom, honey and freshly sliced pineapple dominate the palate. Crisp acidic finish.
Red – Black Ankle Vineyards (MD) Rolling Hills 2007
A dense ruby/plum color with a nose of black fruits, dark chocolate, and hints of tobacco and licorice. In the mouth the Rolling Hills reveals an abundance of cassis, blackberry jam, and sweet, velvety tannins leading to an extraordinarily smooth finish.
Weekend Wine Tastings
Venturing out to taste a few wines at these mostly free wine tasting is a great way to find out way you like (and don’t like!)
Friday April 23rd – 5pm – 8pm
Winemakers from Elite Wines portfolio will pour current releases from:
Alphonse Mellot Jr. of Alphonse Mellot Domaine La Moussiere (Sancerre)
Jerome Mader of Jean Luc Mader (Alsace)
Christian Berthet-Rayne of Domaine Berthet-Rayne (Chateaneuf du Pape)
Bell Wine & Spirits 1821 M Street NW Washington, DC 20036
Saturday April 24th – 1pm – 4pm
Four textbook examples of 100% Cabernet Franc-based wines from the Loire Valley. And our four featured wines will be on sale through Saturday at 20% off the normal retail price.
Weygandt Wines 3519 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 10 Washington DC 20008
Sunday April 25th – 1pm - 4 pm
A walk around style tasting featuring the wines of Italy. Ten wines are scheduled to be poured. A few are even under $10 a bottle!
Rick's Wine and Gourmet 3117 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314
The GrapeVine Around Town
Where am I (and most importantly) what am I drinking
What a busy weekend I will have! I’m providing wine pairings for a cooking class at Classic Caterers in Springfield, VA then I’m off to Lansdowne Resort for the Drink Local Wine conference. The goal of DLW is to spotlight wine made in the 47 states and Canada that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon. It's the brainchild of Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre and wine blogger Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon. There will be a twitter taste-off on Sunday featuring Virginia and Maryland wineries from 2:15pm – 4:15pm. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow me @grapevine4wine and you can follow all the taste-off tweets by searching #DLW10. Also, stay tuned to my blog for additional information and wine event recaps.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK WITH WINE!!
If there is anything you'd like to see appear in The GrapeVine Digest or you have any questions, please email me at thegrapevinellc@gmail.com.
Give It A Swirl
In recognition of the Drink Local Wine Conference this weekend, here are 2 local wine picks. Enjoy a new wine from your state!
White – Breaux Vineyards (VA) Viognier 2008
Beautiful tropical aromas and flavors. Orange blossom, honey and freshly sliced pineapple dominate the palate. Crisp acidic finish.
Red – Black Ankle Vineyards (MD) Rolling Hills 2007
A dense ruby/plum color with a nose of black fruits, dark chocolate, and hints of tobacco and licorice. In the mouth the Rolling Hills reveals an abundance of cassis, blackberry jam, and sweet, velvety tannins leading to an extraordinarily smooth finish.
Weekend Wine Tastings
Venturing out to taste a few wines at these mostly free wine tasting is a great way to find out way you like (and don’t like!)
Friday April 23rd – 5pm – 8pm
Winemakers from Elite Wines portfolio will pour current releases from:
Alphonse Mellot Jr. of Alphonse Mellot Domaine La Moussiere (Sancerre)
Jerome Mader of Jean Luc Mader (Alsace)
Christian Berthet-Rayne of Domaine Berthet-Rayne (Chateaneuf du Pape)
Bell Wine & Spirits 1821 M Street NW Washington, DC 20036
Saturday April 24th – 1pm – 4pm
Four textbook examples of 100% Cabernet Franc-based wines from the Loire Valley. And our four featured wines will be on sale through Saturday at 20% off the normal retail price.
Weygandt Wines 3519 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 10 Washington DC 20008
Sunday April 25th – 1pm - 4 pm
A walk around style tasting featuring the wines of Italy. Ten wines are scheduled to be poured. A few are even under $10 a bottle!
Rick's Wine and Gourmet 3117 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314
The GrapeVine Around Town
Where am I (and most importantly) what am I drinking
What a busy weekend I will have! I’m providing wine pairings for a cooking class at Classic Caterers in Springfield, VA then I’m off to Lansdowne Resort for the Drink Local Wine conference. The goal of DLW is to spotlight wine made in the 47 states and Canada that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon. It's the brainchild of Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre and wine blogger Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon. There will be a twitter taste-off on Sunday featuring Virginia and Maryland wineries from 2:15pm – 4:15pm. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow me @grapevine4wine and you can follow all the taste-off tweets by searching #DLW10. Also, stay tuned to my blog for additional information and wine event recaps.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK WITH WINE!!
If there is anything you'd like to see appear in The GrapeVine Digest or you have any questions, please email me at thegrapevinellc@gmail.com.
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