Wine Wednesday - Vinoteca

Well, it's Wednesday and I wanted to review a wine for my blog post, keep with my New Year's resolution, and didn't want to open a bottle to sample at home. So, I headed out to DC's U Street and stopped by Vinoteca. I’ve been to this wine bar a couple of times before but never when I could sit back and really enjoy the wine, the atmosphere, chatting with the bartender, etc. And enjoy I did! For their happy hour from 5pm – 7pm, they offer $5 glasses of wine. Not your regular house wines, I’m talking about 10 whites, a rose, 10 reds, and a beer! I choose the 2007 FairValley Pinotage as my first glass. Being a bit familiar with Pinotage, I was expecting its typical gamey-ness, but not here. This one was rich with ripe plum flavors and a slight hint of oak. Thought it would be perfect with the liver mousse crostini that was also on the menu…or maybe I was just in the mood to try something new. No matter, the kitchen was out of it so I had the Pan Catalan, crostini with with garlic, tomato, prosciutto and manchego. Delicious!

After eating, I would have loved to try another glass of wine since it was still happy hour but I was the only one at the bar that was sitting by myself  So I felt a bit out of place and realized that as much as I enjoy Vinoteca, I will definitely have to come back with a dining or drinking companion. And I just have to come back, there are 20 other wines that I need to try!

Wine Wednesday - Proof

Still on vacation of sorts, figured I'd catch up with other friends that had time off. I met them at Proof, a wine bar in downtown DC for lunch. Proof has an express prix fix lunch where you order off a special menu and then get a glass of house red or white...for only $12! Clearly I ordered off the special lunch menu. Had the shrimp burger, which I was told was like a shrimp cake on a bun. I'm thinking that I love crabcakes so this should be pretty tasty. UM well, let's just say that I won't order this menu item again. The house red wine was a grenache blend from southern Rhone. WOO HOO, I've hit the jackpot, I love grenache! Very ripe black fruit flavors on the nose, plum and black cherry. My dining companions laughed at me as I swirled and then put my nose in the glass. Unfortunately the wine fell a bit flat on the palate. Very light tannins and no acidity left a juice-like taste.

Luckily I've been to Proof before and know what they can do and the outstanding wine list they have to work with. I'll be back again and will just try something else on the express lunch menu. I did get the honeyed goat cheesecake for dessert which made up for everything :-)