Wine Dinner at The Melting Pot
March 29, 2009What could be better than wine and fondue? Wine courses that are perfectly paired with fondue courses at The Melting Pot! Many Melting Pot locations host these types of events, but I am mostly familiar with the wine dinners at the Gaithersburg, Maryland location.
Most recently, I attended the Rodney Strong wine dinner. We were greeted warmly by the Melting Pot staff who led us to the bar area where they were serving Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc while we waited to be seated in the special event dining room. Once we were seated, a representative from both the Melting Pot and the winery greeted us and explained the format for the evening which included 4 courses and wine paired with each course. First up was the cheese course that paired with the Sauvignon Blanc. Then we were served Pinot Noir with salad, and Chardonnay and/or Cabernet Sauvignon with the entree course. Finally, we were able to revisit any of these wines during dessert. All of the food and wine was delicious.
The wine pours at these dinners are anything but stingy. You will receive a full glass of each wine with seemingly unlimited refills. I don't know anyone that has attended one of these dinners that has been denied more wine unless the server determined that the person was too inebriated to be served. At $65 per person, you will undoubtedly get your moneys worth in both food and wine. But even more important is the phenomenal service that we receive each and every time. It starts with the owner, Barry, and trickles down to the manager, Dan, and each of the servers - our favorite being Eric. Everyone that works there is attentive and friendly. They foster a fun atmosphere that make the wine dinners an exciting event that I quickly schedule on my calendar. I have also met fun guests each time I have attended. In fact, some of us now go back together each time and have become good friends. If the Gaithersburg location is not convenient for you, check with your local Melting Pot. Each of them host events such as this and I have never been disappointed.
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Thirsty Thursday - Albemarle 2004 Simply Red
March 26, 2009Kluge Estate Winery, located just outside Charlottesville, Virgina, makes a line of wines called Albermarle. This week I sampled the Albermarle Simply Red. I was able to purchase the half bottle at Roots Market in Olney, Maryland for $9.99. The wine is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. It is 13% alcohol by volume.
The wine has a clear, medium, ruby appearance. The nose is clean with youthful characteristics of red fruit, red cherry, and sweet spice. It is a dry wine with medium body and similar flavors as the nose. It shows red fruit, red cherry, cedar, and sweet spice on the palate. Unfortunately, the flavors all taste a bit thin. They are pleasant, but not as present as I would like them to be. I would say that this wine is acceptable, but not one of the better local wines I have tasted.
I must comment, however, on the selection of local wines at Roots Market. If you are not familiar with this grocery store, it is a locally and independently owned market that specializes in natural and organic gourmet foods and products. There are two locations - Clarksville, Maryland and Olney, Maryland. I love this grocery store despite it not being particularly convenient for me. First of all, they have competitve prices as compared to Whole Foods which is their main competitor for the organic selection, plus THEY SELL WINE! And not only do they sell wine, but they have a fairly impressive collection of local wines from both Maryland and Virginia. I also found the employees to be friendly and helpful. So the next time youare in Clarksburg or Olney, give Roots a once over. If you aren't interested in the Albermarle Simply Red, you might find another local wine that shines.
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Oakville Grille and Wine Bar
March 24, 2009Tucked into the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, Maryland is the Oakville Grille and Wine Bar. It is next to, and attached to, the Geppetto Italian Restaurant. I was there on a Monday for lunch.
There are about 15 wines available by the 5 ounce glass. There are an additional 4 pages of wines by the bottle. The menu indicates that the inspiration for the bar comes from the Oakville region of Napa Valley, California and features American fare. However many of the wines are not from California, nor even American. What is truly bizzare is that some of the wines by the glass are odd for a wine bar - for example the Yellow Tail Shiraz, produced in Australia. Yellow Tail is perfectly good for what it is - an inexpensive, palatable wine. But of all the wines in the world to have by the glass in a wine bar?? Yellow Tail Shiraz is easily purchased in the grocery store for less than $10 dollars a bottle. Why would you go to a "wine bar" to pay $7.50 a glass? I look for wine bars to introduce me to wines that I haven't tried before or haven't heard of in a setting where I can try it by the glass without purchasing an entire bottle. This wine bar had a very strange by-the-glass selection.
The decor of Oakville is a combination of southwest meets New York bistro meets dark wood cozy bar. It is as though it is a wine bar with an identity problem. Jazz music plays in the background but the lights are on all the way - are they trying to simultaneously relax me while keeping me up with the bright lights? I ordered a pizza that was fairly tasty, but $14 at lunch. I found the menu to be good but a bit expensive. The entire experience was made up of decent food, wine, and service, but with a pretentious presentation. It was a strange little bar. But I think it might be the only wine bar in an area with few restaurants other than those at Montgomery Mall. This neighborhood is desparate for a small cozy restaurant/bar, but I am not sure that this is it. I would be curious to see what the atmosphere is like in the evening or on weekends.
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Thirsty Thursday - Blenheim Vineyards Cabernet Franc
March 19, 2009My tasting tour through Virginia continues this week with the 2003 Cabernet Franc from Blenheim Vineyards. This winery, located 20 minutes southeast of Charlottesville, Virgina, is owned by none other than singing legend, Dave Matthews. The Cab Franc is 12.5% alcohol by volume.
The wine has a medium garnet appearance. Something smells a bit off on the nose. It is the same smell that I notice in many poor quality local wines. I need to figure out exactly what it is, but this wine has it. Along with the "off" smell, you will notice notes of red fruit and oak. The wine actually tastes better than it smells. It is dry with medium acidity and medium body. Strawberry notes are coupled with sweet spice, red cherry, and oak. The flavors are better balanced than the aromas, but still not quite right. There is something almost astringent about this wine.
Overall, I've had worse. I realize this isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of this wine, but it's true. I've had much better and I've had much worse. Interestingly, this is a 2003 that is still on store shelves. For a Virginia Cabernet Franc, it's surprising to still see this vintage in retail shops. Maybe it has simply lost some of its luster. I wouldn't write this vineyard off, but I would not rush out to purchase more.
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Church Street Cellars
March 16, 2009Want to have just a taste of 32 bottles of wine without opening all 32 yourself? Visit Church Street Cellars in Vienna, Virginia. This wine shop and bistro has 32 bottles of wine in Enomatics machines. Slide a plastic card into the machine (provided by the bar) and you can select which wine you would like dispensed into your glass and whether you would like an ounce, half glass, or full glass. Then take your drink to one of the tables and enjoy it with some of the delicious food from the kitchen.
Church Street Cellars menu includes an array of cheese options, small plates, salads, sandwiches, and entrees. The Ribeye sandwich was delicious as was the selection of cheese we ordered. And if you go on a Tuesday, wine is HALF PRICE. This is a good thing since the experience can get pricey quickly. As you might expect, the wine is priced so that ounce for ounce, it is cheaper to buy a full glass than a one ounce pour. Unfortunately, this means that trying a lot of one ounce pours until you settle on a wine you like adds up. But the benefit is that you can sample a number of options without committing to a full glass. You don't like one? Move on to the next. Don't want to bother with the machines? They sell full bottles of wine there as well.
Church Street Cellars was cozy and a fun place to try. Once we were finished with our food we practically had to beg them to clear our table, but generally speaking the service was good. Of course with the wine you serve yourself, so the staff handles the food plus the explanation of the wine system to every newbie through the door - of which there are many. I would absolutely go back to Church Street Cellars, but I think I could only afford it on a half price Tuesday. You have so much fun playing with the machine and the various options that pretty soon your check is rather large. But for those that pay attention and show restraint, this is a great small neighborhood wine bar and bistro. If you go on a Tuesday get there early. There wasn't an empty table in the place after 6 pm.
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Thirsty Thursday - Rapidan Shiraz from Prince Michel Winery
March 12, 2009I purchased a bottle of wine labeled Rapidan River Shiraz at Wegmans. It wasn't until I got home that I realized this is part of a line produced by Prince Michel Winery. There is no year on the bottle so I am unsure of the vintage or if it is a blend of fruit from multiple vintages, and the label does not indicate if the grapes are from Virginia or from, really, anywhere. It is 12.5% alcohol by volume.
The wine is clear with a medium ruby appearance. The aromas are light and youthful which usually is indicated by very light, tight aromas that are difficult to pull out of the wine. The aromas that were detectible were light flavors of black fruit and vanilla. On the palate the wine is dry with medium acidity and medium high tannins. It has a light medium body. The flavor is fairly one dimensional - wood. It is difficult to pull out any frult flavors over the overpowering oak taste. It is sour, unpleasant, and unbalanced and, in my opinion, poor quality.
I was unable to find any information on the Prince Michel Winery's website that explains what is behind the "Rapidan River" line of wines that they produce. I am not sure about the quality of the other wines that Prince Michel produces, but I would be in no hurry to explore the others in the Rapidan River line.
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Cava Restaurant...and Wine Bar?
March 9, 2009Thanks to everyone that came out out last Friday to Cava! We had a blast and I got some good comments to include in this blog. I encourage anyone else that was there (or not there and has been there before) to post their comments.
Let me start out by saying - WOW this place is small! It opens at 5 pm and does not take reservations, so get there early. Despite being small, it is very cozy with low lights, dark wood, and heavy drapery. It is not dreary but warm and inviting. Matt said it well when he pointed out that in spite of the darkness, the atmosphere makes you forget that it is part of a planned development/strip mall.
The restaurant bills itself as Greek Mezze, Wine Bar, and Martini Lounge. The wine list has a nice selection of Greek wines that are fun to explore plus others that are recognizable as fairly standard on a restaurant wine list. But Connie pointed out that the Greek wine is tolerable, but not particularly interesting and the by the glass prices for the Greek wines are high. She has been to Cava many times before and "loves, loves, loves this place, but the wine isn't that good" and she is frustrated by the wine prices. I have to agree. One of the Greek wines I tried was pretty good, but the ones that came before it were fine but a bit boring. They started at $8 a glass and went up to $11 and $12.
The bartenders were terrific. We sat at the bar for the duration of the evening and came to find out that those seats are hot commodities. As the place fills up and people are waiting for tables the bar seats are in high demand. Marc felt that he had never been to a place where the bartender had so accurately described the various wines by the glass. She explained why she liked one over another and he found that her explanations were right on the money. Also, they were helpful with food recommendations. In fact, the food was probably the best part of the place. It is TERRIFIC!! We didn't have anything to eat that wasn't delicious and because they are all small plates, it is fun and easy to order a variety of dishes and try numerous flavors.
Overall I really liked Cava. My complaint is that it is neither a wine bar nor a martini lounge as it is described. It is a RESTAURANT with a bar. The bartenders are very wine knowledgable and make great martinis, but it is not a wine bar nor martini lounge in the strictest sense. There is no lounge-y furniture and the wine is available by the glass or bottle - no smaller taste pours. But the service was great and the food phenomenal. The atmosphere was cozy and fun. I would highly recommend Cava, but as a regular restaurant and not the wine bar concept that has recently become the trend.
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Thirsty Thursday - Keswick Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
March 5, 2009All winter I have been searching for a great big red that would pair well with hearty winter dishes as well as fill the need for delicious warmth while it's been so cold outside. Now that spring is allegedly knocking on the door I finally found it! Let me introduce you to the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Keswick Vineyards located just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.
The color of this wine is dark purple - almost opaque. It smells of blackberries, violet and cedar. There are some smoky aromas from the oak barrels where it was matured. The taste? Fantastic. It tastes of black berries, black cherries, and plums. This wine has big tannins, but they are integrated well and are smooth. The wine is velvety on your tounge and goes down very easily. It is 14% alcohol by volume, but again, the alcohol does not overpower the fruit.
Turns out, I am not the only one that likes this wine. Just last week it took top honors at the Virginia Wine Expo where it was awarded the Governor's Cup. This is the highest award Virginia gives out and is given to only one wine per year. This Cabernet Sauvignon well deserves it. Keswick is continually putting out delicious quality wine. It is the second time that winemaker, Stephen Barnard, has produced a Governor's Cup winner. Additionally, the tasting room and surrounding property are gorgeous and a great place to spread out with a picnic and a bottle of wine on a nice day. But you'd better move fast if you want that bottle to be the Cab. Only 250 cases were produced and now everyone is clamoring for it. Don't miss out on this delicious local wine!
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First EVER Grape Leaves Online Outing - Cava Restaurant, Rockville, Maryland
March 3, 2009Join me and other Grape Leaves Online fans to explore a local wine bar! This Friday, March 6, I will be checking out Cava Restaurant in Rockville, Maryland. Cava bills itself as Greek Mezze, Wine Bar, and Martini Lounge. I'll be there at 5 pm and will be blogging on it in the near future. Come on out for the fun and you can add your thoughts about this local wine site.
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Pollack Vineyards - Greenwood Virginia
March 1, 2009Pollack Vineyards, just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, is a relatively new winery and has been open for public tastings for almost a year. The property is gorgeous and a warm fire awaited us when we visited on today's snowy day. For $5, we tasted 8 wines. Ordinarily, Pollack has 11, but is currently sold out of their Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Of the 4 whites, the Estate Chardonnay is far and away the best. The Pinot Gris and Viognier are pleasant and both fermented and aged in stainless steel. But the Estate Chardonnay is aged in French Oak barrels which gives the wine just an added bit of body and character. Pollack has a dry rosé that has nice structure and notes of cranberry. The remaining wines are reds: Durant Red, Merlot, and Meritage. Again, these wines are pleasant and drinkable with red fruit notes.
Overall, Pollack's wines are an impressive start. They all taste young and fairly one-dimensional, but are enjoyable. This set of wines are the first that Pollack has released and already there are medal winners among them. While the winemaker has previous experience as a grape grower, this is his first try at winemaking. He is off to a great first start. But even more impressive than the wine is the friendly atmosphere that the tasting room employees create. We were welcomed, treated well, and had a fantastic time. I look forward to seeing how these wines evolve over the next couple of years.
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