Thirsty Thursday - Chester Gap Sauvignon Blanc
October 30, 2008I purchased the Chester Gap Sauvignon Blanc from directly from the winery at the Mount Vernon Sunset Wine Festival for $17. The winery is located in Front Royal, Virginia. The wine is 12.6% alcohol by volume. It has a clear, pale, lemon-green appearance typically associated with Sauvignon Blanc.
The nose is very pleasant with medium strong aromas of citrus and the signature Sauvignon Blanc gooseberry. It smells young, however, as the aromas are tight and closed in. There is a hint of a stony minerality as well. The wine is dry with medium-high acidity. The flavors are exactly what you would expect after smelling it - citrus, gooseberry, and again something mineral. Unfortunately, it is a bit thin and not as fruit forward as I had hoped.
It is refreshing, but somewhat disappointing. While the flavors are enjoyable, there is no complexity. This Sauvignon Blanc would pair well will steamed or broiled shellfish, or raw oysters. It is not strong enough to compete with a stronger cooking style or a sauce. It would work well with a ceasar salad or light cheeses.
NEXT WEEK: Tête de Cuvée, from Afton Mountain Vineyards, in Afton Virginia. This sparkling wine will hopefully be fun local bubbly for the holiday season. Please click here to find a retailer near you that carries Afton Mountain wines so you can join me next week for Thirsty Thursday!
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Best Cellars - Dupont Circle
October 27, 2008Best Cellars in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC is one of five Best Cellars locations. The others are in New York, Massachusetts, and Arlington, Virginia. The DC location is bright and welcoming with an easy, straightforward layout. The majority of the wines are arranged around the perimeter of the shop by style of wine. For example, the various categories are:
Fizzy - sparkling wines
Fresh- light bodied whites
Soft - medium boddied whites
Lucious - full bodied whites
Juicy - light bodied reds
Smooth - medium bodied reds
Big - full bodied reds
Sweet - dessert wines
This is great for beginning wine drinkers that are not familiar with what to expect from a White Burgundy or a Rioja, but know that they prefer a certain style of wine. Additionally, each wine is tagged with its name, description, region of origin, and a fun note such as what food to pair it with or something about how it was made. Having the region of origin on the bottle will help the novice wine drinker decipher the European regions that continue to label by region instead of varietal. To top it off, the wines in this section of the store do not exceed $20 a bottle.
In the center of the store there is a small display for wines that are over $20, but that the staff feels are deservedly so. This is a nice addition to the less expensive wines especially if you are looking to give a pricier holiday gift. Finally, there is a section toward the front of the store that has top end wines - mostly sparkling - that sport a premium price tag. Best Cellars has a wine for everyone's price point.
Not only is the store well layed out and organized, there are additional touches that make this wine shop consumer friendly. Some of the wines are tagged with special notes such as "Staff Pick," "Organic," or "New to Best Cellars." These tags help give additional information about the wine in a quick and easy format. Behind the register there is a shelf displaying the Top 5 wines from the week before. These are presumably their Top 5 in sales. This helps the shopper figure out what is popular and maybe give something new a try.
Best Cellars does carry a few local wines which include sparkling wines from Kluge Estate Winery and the Chester Gap Sauvignon Blanc. They also make some green efforts by selling reusable wine bags and offering 20¢ off of your purchase if you reuse your bag. Their services also include Best Cellars University where they will send one of their trained sommeliers to your home for a private class for you and up to twenty guests.
Unfortunately, my experience had two drawbacks. The first is that their tasting pours for a wine education class are HUGE. I was attending a class on Tempranillos from Spain and the staff that poured the tastes were practically pouring glasses. Now this is great if you are using these classes as more of a social hour with some learning, but if you are truly trying to just taste, the amount of alcohol provided will quickly dull your tongue. When I asked for a dump bucket they looked at me like I was crazy, but did provide one. The other drawback is the markup on the wines. They are selling a Chardonnay for $15 that I know for a fact another store buys wholesale for $7.75. I understand that markups are the way of the retail world, but a 50% markup seems a bit steep. The Chester Gap Sauvignon Blanc sells at the winery for $17, but Best Cellars has it listed for $22.
Best Cellars has more good going for it than bad. It is the perfect place for young professionals who are just entering the world of wine to feel comfortable reading the labels and descriptions and not being overwhelmed by the confusion that is often a part of the wine industry. The low prices on the majority of the wines allows for novices to try something new without feeling as though they spent a fortune. The steep markup is, I'm sure, directly related to the top rent that they are undoubtedly paying for the prime real estate only a block from the Dupont Circle Metro. So if you are new to the wine world, don't be afraid to jump in with both feet at Best Cellars.
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Thirsty Thursday - Lake Anna Merlot
October 23, 2008This week's Thirsty Thursday pick was a real treat. I sampled the 2005 Merlot from Lake Anna Winery in Spotsylvania, Virginia. It is wine with 12.5% alcohol by volume and was purchased for $16.00 directly from the winery at the Mt. Vernon Sunset Wine Festival.
This Merlot was clear, deep, and garnet in color with a clean youthful nose. It's aromas are of red primary fruit with a hint of oak. There is nothing overpowering or overwhelming about the smell of this wine, but it is simple and enjoyable. This translates well into the taste. It is a dry wine with medium acidity, medium-high tannins and medium body. It tastes of red fruit, pepper, and hints of oak. However, the oak works well with the fruit and neither overpowers the other. It is of good quality and is ready to drink but could age a bit.
This wine was a well rounded easy drinking wine that could be enjoyed on its own or with bold cheese or grilled steak and veggies. A nice simple, young, and well rounded Merlot.
NEXT WEEK: Sauvignon Blanc from Chester Gap Cellars in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Their website lists a number of retailers that sell their wine, however I know that in addition to this list, you can also purchase this particular wine at Best Cellars in Dupont Circle, Washington DC. Please join me next week for Thirsty Thursday and post your comments on this Virginia favorite!
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Food and Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc and PICKLES???
October 20, 2008Recently some friends of mine attended the Outer Banks Wine University where they learned about identifying their palates and how to pair food and wine based on what you and your tongue enjoy. One of the pairings they learned about was Sauvignon Blanc and pickles. It sounds crazy, but apparently the flavors, sugars, and acids in both items stimulate the same places on the tongue. As a result, they are said to pair well together.
I had trouble believing this, but figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. So on Saturday night while enjoying a glass of Sauvignon Blanc at Black Hog BBQ and Bar I asked the waitress to bring me a few pickle slices. She looked at me sideways, but indulged my little experiment. I took a sip of the wine so I was familiar with the taste by itself, then ate a pickle then took another sip. The pickle completely changed the wine and made it taste a bit sweeter. The change was a very pleasant one. Sure enough, the flavors integrated nicely and made for a nice pairing.
I'm not sure when I'll again be sitting down to a meal of pickles and wondering what wine I should open for the evening, but it does make one wonder what other pairings are out there yet to be discovered. If you find yourself in the Outer Banks area, be sure to stop in to the Outer Banks Wine University and find out what your tongue is trying to tell you.
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Thirsty Thursday - Pearmund Viognier
October 16, 2008Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run, Virgina recently poured their wines at the Mount Vernon Fall Sunset Wine Festival. It was there that I purchased a bottle of their 2007 Viognier (vee-on-yay) produced from the grapes in their Vincroft Vineyard. It cost $20. This white wine is 13.7% alcohol by volume.
The wine was clear and lemon color with clean, youthful aromas of citrus, peach, and stoney mineral notes. It is a dry wine with medium acidity and body. The taste is lovely with floral hints and great fruit flavors of citrus, stone fruit, melons, and a tiny bit of the stoney minerality noticed on the nose.
This wine has delicious fruit that is well balanced with the acid. It is a good representation of the wonderful Virginia wines that are being released from the 2007 vintage reflecting the drought we had last year. The lack of rain allowed the sun to do its job and get the grapes nice and ripe. It would pair very well with curried foods, spicy Asian dishes, cheese, or an avocado salad. But the Viognier's wonderful flavors also make this a wine that can simply be enjoyed on its own.
NEXT WEEK: Merlot from Lake Anna Winery, Spotsylvania, Virginia. Please visit the Lake Anna website to find a retailer near you and post your comments on the Lake Anna Merlot along with me next week on Thirsty Thursday!!
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Gadino Cellars, Washington, Virginia
October 14, 2008Gadino Cellars, a family owned and operated winery in Washington, Virginia boasts a beautiful property, friendly service, and very good wines. For $5 they pour 8 wines ranging from dry and light bodied, to a sweet dessert wine, with everything in between.
First up was the 2007 Pinot Grigio. It was a very young wine that presented a bitter taste and high levels of acidity. Unfortunately the young, underdeveloped bitterness completely overwhelmed any fruit that may become more present as the wine ages. Much better was the 2006 Premium Chardonnay. This wine smelled lightly of vanilla and had fresh, crisp fruit with no oak flavor. The fruit taste continued to evolve as the wine opened up. Compared to many American Chardonnays, it was very light in body. The 2006 Viognier had a great smell of grapefruit with a touch of honey. Unfortunately it was also a bit bitter and smelled better than it tasted.
Gadino has two off dry wines - Sunset and Moonrise. The Sunset is a white table wine with a nose of rose perfume, but not in a cloying overpowering way. It has good fruit flavor and is an easy drinking picnic style wine. The 2006 Moonrise is a semi-dry Rosé style wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Chardonnay. It smells of strawberry and pomegranate and tastes of fruit up front with earthyness at the finish. Quite possibly the best wine of the day.
The 2006 Merlot smelled of red cherry and alcohol. It was difficult to pinpoint any distinct flavors and the wine tasted very closed up. This is a wine that needs to age to be truly enjoyed. The same was true of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. It had bitter notes that were unpleasant alongside raspberry and cherry that were desparately trying to come through. Finally, the 2007 Doce Sofia, with 11% residual sugar it is definitely the sweet dessert wine. It smells of peach, apricot and honey. It has high acidity for such a sweet wine which blends well with the sugar resulting in a sweet wine that is not overly syrupy. It would be excellent with cheese and dried fruit as an apertif as well as with dessert.
Overall Gadino has consistently produced good wines. The current selection is not their best, however they are all enjoyable. The tasting room has a lovely deck perfect for enjoying the day with a picnic. The winery also sells cheeses, baguettes, and sausages for your enjoyment. Nestled at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mountains just a few miles away from gorgeous Skyline Drive, this winery is definitely worth the trip out Route 66.
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Satisfy your wine needs at Frederick Wine House
October 13, 2008I recently needed to purchase a number of bottles of wines for a bridal shower. My requirements were that the wine needed to be inexpensive as I was buying numerous bottles and that it appeal to a wide range of palates. The guests would be younger and older as well as have varying levels of wine knowledge and experience.
I went to Frederick Wine House on 7th Street in Frederick, Maryland and told the owner what I needed. He immediately pointed out some of his less expensive favorites. They included a Chardonnay, Malbec, Sangiovese, as well as some other wines from Italy. All were a huge hit! Each of the wines were well balanced and easy drinking, smooth and refreshing. The guests enjoyed the wines as well as the opportunity to compare different types. Frederick Wine House is a wonderful option when you are entertaining or need a bottle of wine as a gift but also need to stay on a budget. If your budget is not an issue, they have a wide variety of more expensive bottles from all over the world as well.
For your local wine needs, Frederick Wine House carries wines from Deep Creek Cellars, Frederick Cellars, Linganore Winecellars, Loew Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Winery, all in Maryland, and Horton Vineyards in Virginia.
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Thirsty Thursday - Boordy Vineyards 2004 Merlot
October 9, 2008For this week's Thirsty Thursday I chose the 2004 Merlot from Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Maryland. I purchased it for $15.49 at Gilly's Craft Beer and Wine in Rockville, Maryland. This wine is 12% alcohol by volume.
The merlot had a clear, medium-deep ruby appearance. It also had a clean, medium nose with youthful fruit characteristics. It smelled of plum and black fruit with a hint of vanilla. The taste was very pleasant. This is a dry wine with medium acidity and low tannins. The Merlot has a medium body and medium length. (You'll notice that it is a lot of things medium). It tastes of black fruit with hints of red fruit like strawberries. The wine also has hints of sweetness and pepper.
Overall, it is a simple but well rounded young wine that is ready to drink but could age for some time. It was extremly pleasant and went well with grilled chicken and vegetables. Overall, one of the more enjoyable wines that I have had from Maryland.
NEXT WEEK: Viognier from Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run, Virginia. Click here to find a retailer near you where you can purchase the Viognier and try it along with me for next week's Thirsty Thursday!
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Stomp! with Sugarloaf Mountain Winery
October 6, 2008Have you long wished that you could channel Lucille Ball and stomp the grapes harvested to make wine? Sugarloaf Mountain Winery invites you to join them for their upcoming Grape Stomp event. On Saturday and Sunday October 18 and 19 take a drive out to the winery at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, Maryland for a tasting of their new releases, live music, Big Nate's BBQ, and a grape stomp contest with prizes. You can also participate in tours of the vineyard and winery. For more information click here. Now get your feet ready to Stomp!
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Thirsty Thursday - Gray Ghost Victorian Red
October 2, 2008Gray Ghost Vineyards in Ammisville, Virginia can boast about a number of award winning wines. The Victorian Red is no exception to their high quality enjoyable wines. It has a clear, medium ruby appearance. The nose is youthful with aromas of red fruit, red cherry and sweet spice. It is described as a semi-dry wine, but it really tastes like a dry wine. There is so little residual sugar that you'd hardly know it was designed as a semi-dry wine if you had not noticed that description on the label.
The wine has medium acidity and very low tannins. Victorian Red has a light body that is perfect for picnics or other light food. The taste is of strawberry, raspberry, and red cherry with a hint of sweet spice. It has a medium length and is extremely enjoyable. It is a wine that is ready to drink, but could hold up to short ageing. But you will not want to leave this bottle in your cellar for long because it is too good to not drink right away. Billed as the "red wine for white wine drinkers," Victorian Red can be enjoyed by a wide array of wine drinkers.
Click here to see Gray Ghost's lengthy list of wine awards.
Next week: Merlot from Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Maryland which is in Baltimore County. Click here to find a retailer that carries their wines and post your thoughts on their Merlot next week!
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