Still In The Spirit

I'm still reeling from the amazing time I had at the Drink Local Wine Conference this past weekend! Still excited about all the things I learned, all the people I met...and most importantly...all the PHENOMENAL Virginia wines I had the pleasure of drinking. Trying to recapture some of the joy from the weekend, I figured I'd go out for dinner and have some wine.

I ended up at Kitchen in DC where they have 'Half off Bottle' night. Great! I get the wine list and what do you know, Horton Vineyards Cabernet Franc AND Norton was on the list!! VA wines made this DC wine list! Clearly I'm going to drink local, so I went with the 2005 Norton. We were not disappointed. Tart cherries and dark fruits were on the palate from the native Virginia grape. Also tasted a bit of oak and spice on the finish. The official Horton tasting notes state that the Norton is aged in oak for over 14 months. Recommended pairings are grilled sausages, game and spicy ethnic foods. I had grilled catfish which may have been an ideal pairing for a lighter white wine...I wanted the Norton and enjoyed it just fine!

Virginia wines making the DC wine list...I'm telling you, VA wines are not to be missed! Drink Local!

New Memories

You know how there are certain places you go with that 'certain' person... What happens when that certain person is no longer around? Yep, I'm talking a break-up. Not mine, a friend of mine. No really...a friend of mine. So she wanted to go out and enjoy some girlfriend time and have some wine. Was supposed to visit Bistrot Lepic with that certain person, but instead, she invited me to meet her there.

From Wednesday to Monday they have Happy Hour from 5:30pm - 7pm and all wines by the glass are half price. I arrived a little after 6pm and she had already gulped down one glass of rose and was ordering a second. I asked her how it tasted...Cold was the response. Maybe I could get more info from her second glass. I went for a fruity 2006 Beaujolais from Brouilly. Very bright fruit flavors of raspberry and cherries in the glass with a hint of dust on the finish. Would have been nice to have a slight chill on this one, but that may just be a personal preference for me. Not white wine cold, but just a little bit of a chill. It wasn't too big of a problem though, I ordered another glass. Also got to sample my friend's 2007 Domaine de la Courtade from Provence. Beautiful nose of strawberries and peaches, and tasted like a light strawberry jam. Notes of minerality were on the palate as well and they lingered into a long finish.

There was an amuse bouche for $5 so we ordered warm brie, bread, and charcuterie to pair with all the wines. As we sat back and enjoyed the cozy upstairs Wine Bar at Bistrot Lepic, we caught up with work, Hollywood gossip, and Operation 'New Boyfriend'. We had a fantastic time truly enjoyed making new memories at a new place that we can now go to for a glass of wine.

Drink Well, Do Good Tour Hits DC

Last night I had the privilege of attending a tasting of South African wines, made by black South Africans. This tour is hosted by The International Society of South Africans in Wine (ISAW) whose mission is to build sustainable communities through viticulture. ISAW aims to reduce poverty through the socioeconomic development of African grape farmers in existing and emerging wine industries. Why is this important? Blacks account for about 90% of the population, yet own less than 1% of the wineries and vineyards.

The Drink Well, Do Good tour is an effort to raise $150,000 for a viticultural training center on the property of M'hudi Vineyards for South African vintners, and coincide with the historic 2010 World Cup being held this summer for the first time in Africa.

Heritage Link Brands, an importer of wines made by Black vintners in Africa and other parts of the world, founded by Selena and Khary Cuffe provided the wines tasted for the event. Rita Blackwell and Helynn Nelson were the wine educators on hand to present 4 wines to us for tasting.

Seven Sisters 2007
Bukettraube Odelia
Slightly sweet with hints of peach and florals on the nose. Great acidity balanced with flavors melon and honey.

M'hudi 2006
Sauvignon Blanc
A very refreshing white wine with notes of pineapple and tropical fruits.



One World 2009
Chenin Blanc
A light hint of peaches on the nose with a creamy palate of tropical fruit and banana.



One World 2008
Shiraz
My fav of the nite! Rich, spicy aromas of red fruit. Strong tannins were balanced well with flavors of plum and dark cherries.

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 ;-)

Wine Blogging Wednesday #65 - Snow Day!

I was born and raised in Chicago so I love the snow. I had never heard of a snow day until I went to NC for college...and clearly I didn't think it was that much snow. Then I move to DC were 2 inches of snow and a little freezing rain call for days off work and kids home from school. But the Blizzard of '09 this past December, that was a snow day (or days I should say). Snow started to fall on on Dec 19th and didn't stop until the 21st. Malls were closed, the metro was closed, churches canceled services. And all I could think was...20 inches does not shut down Chi-town! But alas, I was in DC and stuck in the house for 2 days.

So, when I read about the topic of Snow Day for this Wine Blogging Wednesday I was excited. 1) because I knew what a snow day was and 2) this was the first time I found out about the topic before the post was scheduled for submission. Now, even though this isn't really a wine...the first thing that popped into my head was mulled wine! But with the ground still covered in snow and the holidays were still upon us, there is nothing better than a mug of mulled wine with a cinnamon stick poking out. For mine, I'm kinda semi-homemade and use Willams-Sonoma mulling spices, a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, a bottle of shiraz, and a bit of sugar for sweetness. Once my house smells of cloves and oranges...it's ready!

I pour mine in a glass mug and drop in a cinnamon stick. Then sit on the couch wrapped up in my Snuggie and hope for a Law & Order marathon on TV.

Wine Wednesday - Under $10 Challenge

I'm always on the internet, reading wine articles and wine blogs but, hearing about challenges after the fact. Not this time! Since I follow @raelinn_wine on twitter. She posed the Wine Ophelia Twitter Cheap Wine Challenge where readers (and drinkers) are to find a nationally available wine for under $10 that they enjoy. Perfect, the recession is still not over for everyone ;-).

When thinking of what wine to purchase or where I would find the best value, I immediately thought about Argentina and Spain. Two wine growing regions that are moving to the forefront of consumers minds due to value and taste. I went to Cost Plus World Market (I get future points for any purchase) and actually ended up buying 2 bottles, one from Argentina and Spain. The 2008 Garnacha de Fuego from Calatayud, Spain was the better of the two.

Upon first swirl were hints of flowers and red berry aromas. But the first sip filled my mouth with fire. This garnacha comes in at 14% alcohol and tasted heavily of white pepper. I put my glass down and came back to it in about an hour and I had a grilled hamburger. The smokiness of the grilling matched the pepper of the wine and the true flavors were allowed to shine. I loved the silky smooth mouthfeel and the ripe cherry flavors. I found a very light texture and acidity to this wine and a bit of chocolate on the finish.

While this garnacha is a bit spicy for me to sip alone by the glass, at $8.99 a bottle it will be my go-to this summer for all barbecues.

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 :-)

Wine Wednesday - Family & Friends

Games, good food, and gruner are how I spent this Wine Wednesday. My entire immediate family was in town and I invited over a few friends. First bottle opened was a Gruner Veltliner. Very crisp with a bright acidity, mineral and citrus notes on the palate. A perfect aperitif. Dinner was a hodge podge of food, shrimp & grits, turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, zucchini, etc. Dessert was french silk pie, and 4-layer delight. And delighted we were!! After dinner we sat around and chatted with a Bordeaux Rose. A bright pink wine with aromas of fresh strawberries and a tart finish. Once the games started, the Grenache was opened. From Campo de Borgia, Spain, this red was big and bold. Flavors of earth, minerals and a hint of smoky black fruits swirled in my glass and my mouth. There is no better way to enjoy wine than amongst friends!

Wine Wednesday - CSW Edition

I don't usually blog about certifications I'm studying for or exams I'm taking because clearly that is a jinx...but this CSW has taken over my life the last 2 weeks! I've been reading the book, reading my flashcards, drawing maps, giving myself quizzes...I can't update my blog AND I can't drink anything today, I have to keep my mind free and clear.

Why does Spain have so many different names for Tempranillo?! I drink loads of wine from CA, I'm not sure which AVA has the highest elevation or is the hottest. And the German map of wine regions....boy oh boy. Guess I need to get back to my studies. If anyone has any tips, bring 'em on, LOL!

Exam is on Saturday at 10AM...WISH ME LUCK!!!

Wine Wednesday - Sippin' With Santa

Well, not actually Santa...but hosted a tasting for the holidays. I think someone even had on a Santa hat, or at least something red. The Rutgers Alumni Association in the DC area held a holiday wine tasting at Carafe WineMakers and I added a little education on to their tasting. We went through 3 whites, everyone loving the gewurtztraminer because of its spicy and citrus-y notes. The red favorite was a new wine at Carafe, the Old Town Zinfindel. I really liked this one and the crowd did too. This wine is perfect for the holidays with smoky cherry aromas and flavor reminiscent of cherry cola. Perfect for that stew or roast that is served for Christmas.

I always like to add something a special for the host of any wine tasting where I speak. Since Rutgers is in New Jersey, for this tasting I ended with a raspberry dessert wine from a winery in NJ. The alumni group was so excited! Once in the glass the wine smelled of ripe fresh picked raspberries. On the palate, not the crowd favorite. But, a suggestion to pour this wine over ice cream or possibly use it as a sauce for chocolate cake was met with cheers. Nice save!

Wine Wednesday - Enology

After hearing about the 'American' wine bar for months, I thought Wine Wednesday would be a great time to try it out. I met up with a friend of mine and we headed to Enology on Wisconsin Ave NW. Enology has an all-American wine list with a surprisingly vast selection of American wines by the glass.

My first sample was the Adelsheim Auxerrois from Willamette, OR. This caught my eye because auxerrois is a grape typically grown in France, and it's a grape I hadn't yet tasted so I could check it off on my Wine Century Club list. The Adelsheim smelled of pear, apple, peach with a hint of honey, but had flavors of herbs on the palate. I still got the honey flavors but none of the fruit that I smelled in the glass. Not to worry though, I like herbs and I definitely liked this glass of wine.

Next sample was of Trenza 'Bianco' from Edna Valley, CA. This albarino-grenache blanc blend's fruity bouquet of kiwi and vanilla wafted from the glass as soon as the waiter set it down on the table. The Bianco was a bit more consistent on the palate as I tasted vanilla along with hints of pepper and minerality. This went exceptionally well with the rockfish that I had for dinner.

Wine Wednesday - Holiday Tasting Edition

So, I'm back in town, back in the swing of thing, back to tasting wine! For tonight's Wine Wednesday, I went to Bell Wine & Spirits in DC. It's time to start thinking about wine for the holidays so Bell had a Holiday Wine Tasting with over 30 wines available to pair with your Thanksgiving or other holiday meals. After so much time off, was I up for the challenge of tasting so many wines...well let's see.

When reading wine articles, posts, wine blogs, etc for Thanksgiving wine ideas, most offer up the Pinot Noir suggestion. So I expected quite a bit of that at this tasting because that is what people are used to buying, drinking, pairing, which is great for me because I'm quite fond of Pinot Noir. This tasting didn't disappoint with 14 different Pinots. Among my favorites were of course the Rene Bovier Fixin and Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Chevret from Burgundy. My trip to Burgundy this summer has me still in love with everything Burgundy! Also loved the Redtree Pinot Noir from CA with its strawberry and red cherry flavors and the Forefront Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley for its smoky complexity and red fruit flavors.

Zinfandel is another popular choice and I think is a great match for the smoked Thanksgiving turkey. My favorite Zinfandel of the night was the 2007 Edmeades Zinfandel, it gave such a fruity raspberry bouquet with a touch of oak and hint of earthiness.

But my absolute hands down favorite wine of the evening was the 2006 Crivelli Ruche. OMG!! I've never smelled anything like this before. In the glass was lavender and herbs, and then the fruit explosion of black cherry, blueberry, clove, sweet spice....this list could go on and on. And funny that the gentleman pouring the wine said that this is a great alternative to Pinot Noir. Guess I have my red wine bases covered for the holidays. Maybe I should taste some whites later this week...

Wack Wine Wednesday

I so love Wine Wednesday! It's a time where I either go out and try a wine that I've never had before, or dig down deep in my cellar and pull out something that I haven't had in awhile. Well, this wine Wednesday was WACK!! I guess the wine I selected was a little too deep down in my cellar and did not age well at all. The selection of the evening, a 2007 California Syrah. I'm expecting spicy, red fruit aromas...but instead got a little pepper on the palate with a strong finish of rubber band! I drank a couple of glasses of water to get that taste out of my mouth. Oh well, we'll try again next Wednesday. There is a holiday wine tasting at Bell's Wine & Spirits so I think I have a much better shot of better wine and a better post :-)

Wine Wednesday

It's been quite awhile since my last post. Haven't been to many wine events lately...or perhaps the wine world just stopped inviting me. Go figure! But anyway, I heard about a book called 'The Bubbly Bar' and the author was going to be in DC to do a book signing at Masa 14. I'm thinking, what a perfect way to spend Wine Wednesday! There would be champagne and sparkling wine cocktails from the book paired with tapas from the restaurant. Too bad the event was canceled :-( Who knows why, but I figure that I would still head out to the restaurant since it's only a few months old and I hadn't been yet.

Masa 14 is a restaurant recently opened in the burgeoning area of Logan Circle in DC. Chefs Chef Richard Sandoval (Zengo), Kaz Ochochi (Kaz Sushi Bistro) and Antonio Burell have brought this concept together for Latin and Asian small plates. Since I arrived shortly after opening for the evening, I was one of the 1st people in the restaurant. I got to pick my seat at the 75-seat bar and decided the best place is right in front of the bartender. Happy hour was on, a selection of small plates, cocktails and house wine were $4 each. I of course went with the house red, a merlot blend from Vina Calina in Chile. Smells of plum and berries hit my nose as the bartender poured my glass. After a swirl, I still got the rich fruit aromas of plum but also a bit of black cherry and hints of oak. On the palate was a toasty cherry-vanilla flavor. Perfect for a cold night.

I ordered a spicy tuna hand roll so I could have something to snack on. Clearly not a pairing for the wine, but I couldn't sit there and drink with no food. Interesting presentation, the hand roll was served in a silver stand and by the looks, resembled a sandwich wrap. Pretty tasty, but I was still a bit hungry. I then ordered the wok fried okra...figured I'd get a vegetable in the mix. Delicious! Served with a slightly sweet soy sauce on the side with fresh herbs, it complemented the lightly fried okra very well and I cleaned my plate. By now the bar and restaurant had filled up and a woman that had sat down next to me earlier began to chat with me. She was hilarious! Then her friend joined us and I stayed another hour and ordered a mojito (before happy hour was over of course). By the time we left, the restaurant was full, the bar was standing room only, and there were people crowded by the door waiting for a seat. This is definitely a hot spot with great drinks and good service. Just don't come with too much of an appetite.