Archive for September, 2010
Varietal: Meritage (58% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Franc; 2% Petit Verdot)
Region: Virginia – Charlottesville – USA
Cost: $10
Light to medium red color in the glass, with aromas of cherry and crushed berries. Flavors of cherry and fresh berry with a hint of pepper on the finish. Pairs well with grilled or roasted chicken and prime rib.
Recommendations: It’s been raining for three days here in Virginia, at least in my part of it, and nothing makes me want to drink some good red wine quite like a dreary rainy day. Because of that, last night my wife and I opened up a bottle of the 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Meritage. I’d picked this one up during our March trip through Virginia wine country, and with a dinner of some chicken out of the oven and orzo pasta it just sounded right.
It would have been right with anything. If you haven’t guessed already, Blenheim is hands down one of my favorite vineyards, both in and out of Virginia. Wines like this are the reason. The blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot gave a great wine that was full of fruit, but had just a hint of pepper on the end that was tempered by the Petit Verdot. Cherry and raspberry flavors were smooth, and the wine was light in the mouth. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Pinot Grigio
Region: Italy
Cost: $12
Pale straw color with aromas of pear and citrus that carry through to the palate with the addition of apple. Pairs well with seafood, appetizers, and cream-based pasta dishes.
Recommendations: Last night my wife and I decided we wanted some white wine to go with a dinner of mostly finger foods. Unfortunately we didn’t have any in the house (I realize this is becoming a trend). Running down to the store, we picked up a 6-pack of pumpkin beer for my wife, and a bottle of the 2009 Conte Fini Pinot Grigio for dinner.
We realized as we were buying the wine that it had been a really long time since we had bought or drank Pinot Grigio, partly because of typically drinking Sauvignon Blanc where we would normally choose Pinot Grigio. It was time to branch out.
The wine was nice and light, with aromas of Read the rest of this entry »
This past weekend I was up in Northern Virginia visiting family, helping Gray Ghost with the last of their harvest (a post for later this week), and of course drinking some wine. On Saturday my mother mentioned a new winery that had opened just up the road in Fairfax and suggested we go check it out as she had heard good things about it from friends. The good son that I am I quickly encouraged this idea.
A 30 minute drive brought us to the small winery. The small farmhouse has been outfitted with a wine bar, and while the space is admittedly a little cramped, on warmer days there’s an outdoor pavilion where they also have tastings, which is where we did our tasting, that offers more space and a nice view of the 36 acres of property.
Paradise Springs Winery is owned by Jane Kincheloe and Kirk Wiles, a mother and son, whom inherited the property from Jane’s Aunt several years ago. While not all the grapes are grown on site, Paradise Springs does manage what grapes they grow at other vineyards, instead of just buying grapes that others have grown and bringing them in.
As for the wines. Read the rest of this entry »
So last night I had the opportunity to see a screening of a new documentary about the making of the 2008 vintage of wine in Virginia. Filmmakers Bill Reifenberger and Benjamin Clore spent time at several Virginia vineyards and wineries, including Jefferson, Blenheim, Pollak, Keswick, King Family, and several others, finding out what makes Virginia wine unique, and the challenges faced by winemakers in this region.
It will be airing on PBS nationally, and you can visit the Vintage website for more details about the film and when and where you can see it, or to order a DVD. This is a great look into Virginia wine making, and especially for my readers living in Virginia, this is one worth checking out.
Varietal: Sauvigon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $10 – $13
Pale green in color with aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, and herbs. Flavors of pineapple with a herbaceous and clean finish. Pairs well with shellfish, asparagus dishes, summer salads.
Recommendations: On Friday while shopping for groceries, my wife and I also picked up a bottle of the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – we had been looking at it for a while when stopping in the store and we have a big lack of white wine in the house at the moment. On Sunday we opened it up to pair with a dinner of bacon wrapped scallops and butter noodles.
If I had to pick two words to describe this wine it would be “green” and “citrus”. On the nose the tropical fruits and citrus were prevalent, and in the mouth, pineapple, herbs, and a nice clean finish with a hint of acid made this a nice wine to sip on. The citrus and acid did a nice job of cutting through the rich flavors of the meal, but it was light enough to be enjoyed while the meal was cooking, especially on a warm day. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Merlot (90% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region: California – Livermore Valley – USA
Cost: $15
A darker red in color with aromas and flavors of blueberries, chocolate, and dark cherries with hints of cigarbox, brambles, and caramels. Lush in flavor with a subtle tannic finish. Pairs well with gourmet pizza or grilled hamburgers.
Recommendations: I was quite thrilled when Concannon sent me this bottle as I’ve been trying to delve more into Merlot having had bad experiences with it in the past, but better ones recently. After letting the wine settle for a week (I try to let any samples that get sent to me rest after being tossed around in shipping), I opened it on Friday night after a trip to the store with the wife as there was a distinct lack of food in the house.
Paired with a pizza topped with basil, sliced tomato, and buffalo mozzarella, the wine was a nice compliment, the subtle finish neither overpowering or underwhelming, and the notes of cherry and cigarbox being enjoyable both while eating the pizza, and after we were done and relaxing from a long week at work. Read the rest of this entry »
