#Cabernet Day

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!

Sojourn to Great Falls

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.

Wine Wednesday - House Wines

Another East Coast blizzard...another day stuck in the house. Good thing it's Wine Wednesday!! With a day in the house, I figured I would try my culinary hand and make a 3-course meal complete with wine pairings. My dinner menu is listed below.

Starter
Lobster Bisque
topped with sherry and whipped cream
Wine: Xarmant Txakoli

Entree
Beef Roast with honey glaze
Linguine Noodles with roasted red pepper sauce
Sweet & Sour Collard Greens
Wine: 2006 Chateau LaRose Trintaudon

Dessert
Pecan Pie topped with whipped cream
Wine: Oloroso Sherry

The meal was fantastic if I do say so myself! And there weren't any complaints, my dinner guest cleared his plate ;-)