Thirsty Thursday - 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville, Virginia
April 30, 2009Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite white wine grapes. It is typically crisp, acidic, refreshing, and perfect for summer with seafood. Barboursville Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is no exception. Purchased at the winery itself, this wine is 12.5% alcohol by volume.
It is a pale lemon-green color. It has classic Sauvignon Blanc aromas when you smell it. Freshly cut grass, citrus, and gooseberry. Did someone just say GOOSEBERRY? Believe it or not, this is an item not easily found, but can be purchased in season at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in DC. Once you smell a gooseberry, or just tons of Sauvignon Blanc, you will know what I mean. This wine has it.
As for taste, it is dry, has good acid, and light-medium body. The flavors are similar to the aromas. This is a good wine that is ready to drink now. If you still have a bottle of the 2007, make sure that you drink it this summer. Barboursville has already released their 2008, so the 2007, while still good, is reaching its maximum potential. Let it help cool you off this spring or summer with seafood, poultry, light pasta dishes, or grilled veggies.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, Virginia
April 27, 2009Wait? Does the title of this blog say BREWERY? Why, yes it does, and it is no accident. After a day of wine tasting I was dragged to a brewery for...what else...beer. Blue Mountain Brewery is between Charlottesville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The property is designed so that you can gaze at the beautiful scenery as you sit outside and enjoy your pint and light fare. What makes Blue Mountain so great is that they produce all of their beer on the premises and compose their menu of as much local food as possible. The pulled pork, bratwurst, and breads are all from the surrounding area. Any ingredients that Blue Mountain can find locally they do. They are so committed to a sustainable product that they are growing their own hops right before your eyes! As the season continues, outdoor diners will be able to watch the progress of this plant that makes the beer so tasty.
As the season changes so do the beer and food menus. Our waitress informed us that the beer menu was changed as recently as last week. It is completely driven by what is available and ready at that time. How was the beer? I really have no idea about the technical components, but they were all good to me. A tasting flight is available for $5 where you can try the line of beers from their lightest to the stout that tasted like chocolate. My sampler included six different beers although I suspect that might change seasonally as well depending on what is available.
Nice atmosphere, tasty food, and good cold beer. I guess if I can't have local wine than local beer and food will do nicely.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Thirsty Thursday - Elk Run Chesapeake Bay Sunset
April 23, 2009With the weekend in the Maryland and Virginia area promising to bring us amazingly warm weather, what better than to sip on a light picnic wine while enjoying the outdoors! Meet Chesapeake Bay Sunset from Elk Run Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland.
The wine has a melon peach color. It doesn't give off much by way of aroma, but just smells lightly of fruit. It tastes much like cantelope. But don't get me wrong - it doesn't taste like cantelope as if it is made from fruits other than wine grapes, but that the grapes selected give off a melon fruit profile. Unfortunately, neither the bottle nor the Elk Run website indicate what grapes are used in the wine. It has a tiny touch of residual sugar making it very slightly sweet. The bottle also does not indicate the percentage of alcohol by volume, but I suspect it is rather low.
Chesapeake Bay Sunset is simple and smooth, perfect for a picnic on a hot summer day. It is hardly one of the best wines I have ever had, but belongs in your picnic basket this weekend.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Recent Updates to Grape Leaves Online
April 20, 2009Have you missed hearing from Grape Leaves Online recently? Don't worry - we are still here, just working on ways to improve your experience with the site. You will notice that there is now a listing of wineries down the right hand side of the home page. As I either visit the winery or taste one of the wines a link will be added on that right side. Now you can see at a quick glance which wineries I have blogged about. Click on the name of the winery and it will take you to a list of blogs that relate to that winery. In the near future something similar will be displayed for wine bars and restaurants. Don't see the winery or wine bar that you are curious about or interested in? Please drop me a quick note with your suggestion. I'll do my best to make it out to that winery or bar and report back. I am always looking for ideas and ways to improve the site and make local wine buying and drinking fun for everyone. I welcome all of the feedback that readers provide. And don't forget to tell your friends about Grape Leaves Online. I very much appreciate all of the loyal readers that make this fun.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Thirsty Thursday - Black Ankle 2006 Passeggiata
April 9, 2009What happens when a concept marries a wine? Black Ankle Vineyards Passeggiata. This wine is made from 100% Syrah, but made in a lighter style. Red wine gets its color, tannins, and much of its flavor from the skins. Syrah is a black grape. Black Ankle draws off some of the juice from their Syrah grapes to create this lighter style wine. It is 13.5% alcohol by volume and retails for about $22 a bottle.
This wine has a clear medium garnet appearance. It has youthful strawberry and cranberry aromas. I wouldn't have picked it out on my own, but after reading the winery tasting notes I could definitely detect butterscotch aromas as well. The strawberry and cranberry are also on the palate accompanied by subtle spice. Passeggiata is a light bodied red that is dangerously smooth and easy drinking. Extremely pleasant. It has enough structure and body to stand up to light red meat dishes, but is light enough for full flavored fish and chicken meals as well.
The word Passeggiata means "evening stroll" in Italian. The purpose of this Passeggiata is to relax, visit with friends and neighbors, and catch up on the days gossip. The idea reminds me of what my neighbors and I have come to know as "the drinking tree." The central meeting place where we can enjoy a glass or two and spend time together. Passeggiata is the perfect wine for these occasions.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Basignani Winery, Sparks, Maryland
April 6, 2009Just outside Baltimore, Maryland there are rolling hills and more than a few wineries to visit. One of these is Basignani Winery located in Sparks, Maryland on Falls Road. They have 9 wines for you to sample in their tasting room. Since 1986 Basignani has been making wines in the "traditional Old World" method.
The whites I sampled included the Montbray Seyval, Elena, and Chardonnay. I liked the Seyval and Eleana which is a blend of Seyval and Chardonnay. Both were pleasant and refreshing, but not fantastic. I found the Chardonnay to be too oaky for my taste. The reds were more impressive. They have a red blend, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Lorenzino Reserve which is a Bordeaux style blend. Erik's Big Zin is the clear winner for me with black fruit, a pepper nose, and great spice on the palate. Generally, the reds were a bit thin, but had good flavors. Finally we tasted the two sweet wines. They have a sweet Riesling and a sweet Vidal. The Riesling had a delicious smell and the Vidal was very sweet without being syrupy.
During our tasting we were able to snack on cheese and crackers in their strange tasting room. It is full of old bottles and boxes and a bit dank and dusty. But the staff were knowledgeable and hospitable and overall it was a pleasant experience. I would suggest a trip up there. April 18 and 19th might just be the time to visit since they are hosting Pizza and Herbs weekend. For $15 a person, you can make your own pizza in their brick pizza oven, taste all of their wines, and take home a potted Italian herb of your choice. Buon appetito!
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |
Thirsty Thursday - Lake Anna 2007 Seyval Blanc
April 1, 2009With spring and then summer approaching, we look toward good deck wines that will be crisp, refreshing, and pair with summer salads and seafood. The Lake Anna Winery 2007 Seyval Blanc is just the wine for you. Seyval is a simple, hardworking grape that is hardly seen in Europe with the exception of England, but does well in Canada and the eastern seaboard regions of the United States as it grows well in cooler climates.
The Lake Anna Seyval has a clear, pale, lemon appearance and a clean, youthful nose with aromas of citrus, lime, nuts, and has a yeasty-bready character. It is a dry wine with medium acidity. The wine's flavors are very basic with notes of citrus and lime. There is also some tartness reminicent of green apple.
It is a simple and pleasant wine. This summer you can enjoy it by itself or with salads and seafood. It would pair well with a shrimp and avocado salad with lime dressing.
| [Add Comment] | Bookmark this on Delicious | Send To Friend |