Tasting - Masciarelli Montepulciano

Name: Masciarelli Montepulciano
Variety: Sangiovesse
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Year: 2012
Price: $11.99

Tasting Notes: Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a medium-bodied, concentrated red with ripe flavors of raspberry, strawberry, red currant, cherry, violet, earth and tobacco. This is a lovely pairing for lamb, grilled meat, and an array of cheeses.

My review: A decently crafted wine for the price.  The first thing that stuck out to me was how heavily oaked this wine was though.  The initial attack on my nose was pretty overwhelming.  Hidden beneath the charred wood were some pleasant berries though.  This wine was tannic and full bodied, and finished with earth and more berries.  I've definitely had better Sangiovesses and for that matter much better Montepulciano wines for a lower price range.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Albrecht Riesling Tradition

Name: Albrecht Riesling Tradition
Variety: Riesling
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Year: 2012
Price: $17.99

Tasting Notes: Elegant, Floral, Mineral, Spice, Medium-bodied

Alsace, France- The signature wine of the Maison Albrecht, founded in 1425, this 100% Riesling is distinguished by beautiful aromas of spring flowers. Bone dry and delicious, with spice and mineral notes on the elegant finish. Enjoy with seafood, Asian cuisine and poultry.

My review: This wine was a slam dunk in my book.  On the nose it was stony, minerally, and very floral.  This wine was very dry and crisp.  The finish had a little bit of lemon zest. Overall, a very refreshing Riesling.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety: Moscato
Country: South Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.

My review: Like most Moscatos this wine was pretty damn sweet.  It had all of the usual Barefoot esque notes to it: honey, peach, and some zesty floral notes.  This wine had a very rich mouthfeel, probably best savored by the pool on a hot day.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Rare Red

Name: Rare Red
Variety: Red Blend: Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot
Country: U.S.
Region: California
Year: NV
Price: $9.95

Tasting Notes: A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.

My review: This wine was okay.  On the nose it had notes of plum and leather.  This wine had a good balance and was full bodied.  I couldn't get much on the finish though.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Breca Tovana

Name: Breca Tovana
Variety: "Old Vine" Garnacha
Country: Spain
Region: Munebrega
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: Gnarled vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain’s winemaking tradition and produce small clusters of perfectly ripe Garnacha grapes. Aromas of blackberries, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit. Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine.

My review: This wine blends tobacco, leather, and coco together nicely on the nose.  The tannins were definitely fiery, but finished strong with great fruit flavors.

I had this wine without food.

Dinner - Home (Italian)

Last Thursday, approaching the pinnacle of my Italian wine craze, I planned an awesome Italian themed wine and dinner pairing.  The set up was pretty straight forward: a three course Italian style meal with three different Italian wines.  My roommate and girlfriend participated, but only in the main course of the meal so I was forced to go stag for the other two components.  The three Italian wines were

1. 2012 Frascati Volpetti 
2. 2009 Brunello Di Montalicino San Lapo
3. 2014 Adessa Romagna Cagnina 

2012 Frascati Volpetti

The Bruchetta I made

In hindsight I probably should have forgone the Italian white wine and just picked a solid Francis Coppola Chardonnay or something.  Jackie and I used the white to slow cook our main course, a lamb roast otherwise known as Osso Buco.  It was a fantastic idea, make dinner after breakfast and then come back eight hours later with no additional cooking or pots and pans required. Well easy enough for Jackie and my roommate Wes, who didn't have to prepare the other two courses.  For the first course I went for a nice light appetizer of Bruschetta paired with a glass of the 2012 Frascati Volpetti.   By itself the Italian white had hints of honey, apricot, and pear.  It was actually somewhat pungent in a stinky diaper way, but not full on, it was very subtle.  This wine was hollow and had low complexity.  Honestly, I've been let down by Italian whites almost every time I try one.  They're easy to drink, but they're just not bringing the thunder!  I did enjoy how dry this wine was though.  With the bruchetta it actually paired pretty well.  There still wasn't a lot of complexity or flavors bursting into existence, but it was an easy table wine and was pretty damn delicious with some bread.  And by the way bruchetta is pretty simple to make. Slice a few tomatoes and basil, toss in olive oil, put on bread and bake for a few minutes.  Very simple and I definitely think that I'll be serving this up again in the future.

Amazing Osso Buco

2009 Brunello Di 

Montalcino

The real meat and bones of this meal, literally, was the Osso Buco.  This meal was awesome, and again super simple to put together.  Throw down a bunch of halved carrots onto a dutch oven or slow cooker, place three or four lamb shanks onto the carrots, smash a couple of whole canned tomatoes on top of the lamb.  Then fill up with most of a bottle of white wine, throw in some salt and pepper, garlic, and oil and then you're set.  Slow cook for eight hours or so.  The resulting meal is lamb that actually peals off of the bone.  It looks amazing and the bold flavors demanded a bold Italian wine.  I really wanted to get a Barberesco to complement the lamb, but the cheapest one I could find was $50 so that was out of the question on a college budget.  Instead, I opted to try the 2009 Brunello Di Montalicino San Lapo made from Sangiovesse.  This was a solid choice!  This wine was intricate with great leather and caramel influences going on.  This wine also had very nice dark fruit and black currant on the nose.  The finish was a great balance of solid tannins and a rich, thick mouthfeel.  I would definitely buy this wine again.  The lamb only brought out the best components of this Brunello; was the tannic component vanished entirely.  Instead, I tasted an amazing harvest of fresh currant and a dark cherry puree.  This meal was gone within minutes of being served.  There weren't even leftovers to enjoy the next day.  The only thing I was left with was the rendered lamb fat and wine, which yes I did try drinking..and yes it was delicious.  Jackie and I are definitely going to make this meal again for a date night or something along those lines down the road.

Tiramisu from Our Daily Bread

Finally the third course of the dinner, desert.  Not wanting to make this from desert I resorted to stopping by Our Daily Bread and purchasing a personal size Tiramisu.  And I paired this with a sweet red, the 2014 Adessa Romagna Cagnina.  On the nose this wine reminded me of a chalk cake.  It was like someone made a delicious 

2014 Adessa Romagna
Cagnina

cake and then covered it with an icing made of chalk, wild.  This wine was very sweet, but not in a gross artificially flavored Barefoot way.  This tasted like the real deal to me, and I really savored every sip.  It had this nice play between fruit and candy which I think made it spectacular with the Tiramisu.  It brought out a nice rich cakey goodness, and I don't believe there is a better way to describe it than that.  In addition it had a nice fruity finish that made me want to eat another three servings of Tiramisu.  

So to sum things up, Italian themed wines and food equals awesome.  I don't think you can go wrong here.  Next time pick a more solid bottle of white or spend the bucks and get a more expensive Italian white wine.  And perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from this dinner was actually discovered after the fact.  Do not drink a bold, assertive red like the Sangiovesse I had after having a sweet red like the one from this dinner.  Words can not describe how over the top bitter the Brunello was.  It was like sand in my mouth.  Very interesting experience and it really gives you some insight and appreciation on why order matters with wine; hence the classic white to red and dry to sweet progression for a tasting.  

Me doing the swirl and sniff!

Jackie having a glass of the Brunello and Wes in the background

Tasting - Amerigo Vespucci Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Name: Amerigo Vespucci Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Variety: Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95

Tasting Notes: Dark, ruby red color. A characteristic hay aroma distinguishing this noble, full-bodied wine.

My review: This Montepulciano was very rich with subtle tones of coco, leather, and dark fruit.  Some spices in the mix as well.  Great balance, and easy drinking! This was a solid table wine.  Not as complex a finish as could be desired, but would probably open up more with a nice Italian meatball.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Hahn Riesling

Name: Hahn Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Country: Germany
Region: Piesport
Year: NV
Price: $9.95

Tasting Notes: This wine’s light, airy mouthfeel belies its sweetness and intensity of flavor. Honeyed pineapple aromas; similar flavors on the palate, adding gentle citrus notes toward the long, sweet finish.

My review: This wine had semi fragrant peaches on the nose with some grassy undertones.  It was as sweet as honey with a medium to long finish.  Not over the top sweet, but best consumed on hot, dry days.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha
Country: Spain
Region: Calatayud
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95

Tasting Notes: 88 points – Robert Parker "The 2012 Tres Ojos Garnacha contains 15% Tempranillo (I wonder why), and unoaked cuvée of 200,000 bottles that matures in vat for at least seven months before bottling. What I tasted was a very honest, fresh and fruit-driven red with aromas of cherries, garrigue and thyme with a medium-bodied palate, some weight and tannins that would do better with food. This is a red that sells for a song.”

My review: This red had a powerful nose!  Imagine one of those bean bag things you warm up in the microwave and put on yourself for sports injuries or inflammation.  If that's not doing it for you, then think of gym mats because this wine brought it.  Also with some nice dark cherries.  This was was tannic, but in good balance.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Torre Castillo

Name: Torre Castillo
Variety: Monastrell
Country: Spain
Region: Jumilla
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: 89 points - Stephen Tanzer
100% Monastrell, aged in American oak for four months. Bright ruby. Powerful, spicy aromas of dark berry preserves and lavender. Fleshy and round on the palate, offering spicy blackberry and blueberry flavors and gaining sweetness with air. Finishes smooth, long and slightly warm. "

My review: This wine smelled fantastically fruity and buttery.  It had medium complexity and medium bodied.  The fruit on the finish was definitely darker and more concentrated.  Not bad.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Chateau Suau Rose

Name: Chateau Suau Rose
Variety: Bordeaux Rose
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: 88 points - Stephen Tanzer 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Light, lurid pink. Tangerine, raspberry and white pepper on the fragrant nose. Juicy and focused in the mouth, offering zesty red berry flavors with a refreshingly bitter edge. Closes clean and tight, with lingering spiciness and a touch of orange zest.

My review: Floral and light bodied.  Easy to drink. I thought I was tasting steamed fruits which sounds kind of weird.  There weren't a whole lot of descriptors that came to mind for this particular rose.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Terre di Poggio Laude Pecorino

Name: Terre di Poggio Laude Pecorino
Variety: Pecorino
Country: Italy
Region: Terre di Chieti
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: Bright and savory, this floral scented Pecorino offers juicy tropical fruit and lemon drop sensations accented by notes of mint and thyme. The ripe fruit is balanced by brisk acidity that leaves the palate feeling cleansed and refreshed.

My review: A nice, pleasant Italian white wine. Offering up lemon zestiness and herbal notes both on the palette and nose.  There was also a berryesque component going on in the finish.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Omnium Malbec

Name: Omnium Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Year: 2012
Price: $8.99

Tasting Notes: Deep garnet color. Attractive aromas of chocolate coffee bean, caramel cake, and raspberry-cherry pie with a silky, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a tangy, sour cherry, honey, and peppery spice finish. A fruity, juicy crowd-pleasing malbec that delivers taste and value.

My review: This medium bodied Malbec from Argentina has a great blend of cherries, dark cherries, and coffee on the nose. There's a sour finish that lingers for a while overwhelming the pleasant fruitiness unfortunately, so it might be better if aged slightly or allowed to breathe for a few hours.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum

Name: Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum
Variety: Riesling
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: This quality Riesling is crisp, clean and easy drinking. Floral and fruit aromas suggest sweet melon and honey with enough acidity to ensure a beautifully balanced and versatile wine.

My review: Floral and pinkish in color.  This Riesling was definitely honey tasting.  The most unique component was the finish.  It varied from semi sweet to dry on the after palette.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone

Name: Petrucco
Variety: Rhone Blend
Country: France
Region: Rhone
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre. Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits. Round and supple with smooth aftertaste. A good all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses. Best drunk now while fresh with good keeping up to 4 years

My review: An okay wine.  Smells of peppered vegetables.  Medium bodied with plush tannins. Finishing with strong dark fruit.  Probably better enjoyed with a meal.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Terre di Poggio Laude Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Name: Terre di Poggio Laude Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Variety: Montepulciano
Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: This opens with dark aromas of leather, tobacco, cured meat, plum and prune. It shows soft tannins and loads of dark fruit on the finish.

My review: This full bodied Italian gave off pleasant aromas of licorice, plum, sweet licorice, and tomatoes.  The finish was slightly tart and somewhat off balance because of the heat.

I had this wine without food.

Winery Visit 2 - Quattro Goomba's Winery

My brother Kent outside the wine tasting room

Inside the tasting room

Last weekend I visited the Quattro Goomba's Winery and Brewery.  I'd heard about this place from a couple of other local vineyards in the area (Haymarket).  So my brother, his girlfriend and I went for a tour and tasting.  This place was pretty unique in that it doubled as a winery/brewery, and honestly the beer was pretty awesome.  Quattro Goomba's is named literally means four pals or buds.  The back story is these four guys from Jersey decided one day that they wanted to open a vineyard and I guess eventually a brewery and from the looks of it they've done a pretty good job.  Upon arriving the parking lot looked more like some sort of live country festival rather than a winery.  It was packed. Also I forgot to mention the fact that this place has a huge brick oven that they use to make pizzas, pretty awesome.   So we all went to the winery tasting room to kick off the tour.  This winery had a very different style and theme than the previous winery I visited.  There wasn't anything really special or remarkable about the place where we did our tastings.  The interior was nice, finished with hardwood floors and a welcoming cottage feel to it, but it definitely was not the main focus of the Quattro Goombas.  That aside it was pretty crowded and quite loud, something I'm not used to seeing at a winery.  The atmosphere was much, much more like a bar. Anyway these guys have been making wine for the last seven years so it seems they've definitely built up something of a reputation. They mainly grow Traminette, a white varietal, and Chambourcin.  These two grapes are pretty unique, actually I can't think of any varietal wines I've had that were made from either of the two. Like many other wineries the Goombas age their juice

GOOMBA

Myself and the tasting assistant

in stainless steel and oak.  They do most of their whites in stainless steel, but some is aged in oak.  They utilize American oak and French oak, and even do some bourbon barrel aging.  Again, like La Grange Quattro Goomba's Winery doesn't have an on site bottling facility.  They rely on a bottling truck that comes around on demand.  Since there are tons of small wineries popping up all around Northern Virginia I'm sure this is the preferred method of most wineries in the area.  Wine is an expensive business so anything to save a buck!  From the looks of their facility I wouldn't say these guys run a small business, being that they have a pizza kitchen, a brewery, and a winery.  But I was told that due to the cost of entering wine competitions, and the fact that because they're a small wine producer they have yet to compete.  I don't see this being an issue for too long however.  I get the feeling these guys are going to blow up in a good way, but not necessarily because of their wine. The weekend we visited was the fourth open house weekend for their brand new brewery.  It's so new they have yet to completely finish the building.  The beer was phenomenal though, I think I liked it more than wine! But I'll come back to that later.  Since this is a wine blog, more specifically a blog about the winery I should probably talk about the tastings.

It was so crowded at the bar/restauraunt portion we couldn't even get to see
the barrels up close!

• 2013 Piney River White: Made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Vidal Blanc, this is a light, clean, crisp white with a citrus finish. 
• I was immediately greeted with oak and pear.  The finish was a nice crisp apricot, slightly sweet as well.  Nothing too special
• 2012 Sorelle: Sorelle is Italian for "sisters" and is the named in honor of the DeCianno sisters, Jessica, Gina, and Becca and the Camden sisters Courtney and Lauren. This dry, fruity Riesling can be enjoyed throughout the year.
• Toilet bowl and fruit intertwined.  It's not too often you'll come across that duet!  This wine had nice notes of grapefruit and a good acidic backbone.  
• 2013 Vino Di Nonni: Vino Di Nonni, or "Grandfather's wine", is a family secret blend passed down to us through many generations of winemakers. We are bringing this old world Italian classic into the marketplace for you to enjoy once again. This vintage is a light-bodied, dry, fruity red wine that is smooth and easy to drink. This wine pairs well with salads, pizza, pasta, salmon, and chicken.
• I really enjoyed this one!  The nose on this wine reminded me of those butterscotch candies you see every once in a while.  Either that or a caramel.  There were also notes of light berries.  Nice finish, medium body.
• 2012 Tradizione: As Italians immigrated to America they brought with them many traditions. One of those was wine making. Our ancestors sought the best grapes and barrels America had to offer. Bourbon barrels were plentiful and necessity, availability, and ingenuity converged and our ancestors began aging their wine in these barrels. This unique wine is a bordeaux blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged in bourbon barrels to create a sensational enhancement to the Quattro Goombas selection of fine wines. This wine pairs well with anything Italian!
• Great tannic structure on this wine!  On the nose I got very strong notes of vanilla and oak.  The finish was slightly bitter, but there was also some other flavor that kept appearing. 
• 2013 Curico: Curico is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Syrah. This Chilean blend is earthy and spicy. Pairs well with pizza and anything off the grill.
• This was probably the most distinctive wine of the entire tasting.  If you've ever had 
peperoncino you know where I'm going with this.  It smelled like dirty peperoncino and earth.  Great mouthfeel with decent tannins.  The finish was definitely reminded me of drinking the peperoncino juice!
• 2013 Vino Dolce: A refreshing semi-sweet white wine with honey and apricot flavors. Perfect with Asian cuisine, light desserts and fresh fruit.
• Peach and apricot on the nose.  Decadent fruit cake with peach and apricot being the primary players.  Good balance of residual sugar and body.  Not the best dessert wine, but certainly not the worst.

  

  The unfinished barn/brewery.  The inside of this place was massive

My flight of beers range from light to dark obviously 

Now I've talked enough about the wine, lets get into the beer.  These guys made some amazing beer, and I'm not exaggerating.  Each beer was packed with flavor!  It was easily the best brew I've had all year.  My brother and I stumbled over to their brand new, nearly finished brew house to try a flight of beers.  While we were enjoying our suds we had a chance to talk to two of the owners from Quattro Goombas.  They were extremely straight forward and seemed very happy to be there, despite it being a Saturday.  We talked a lot about their business, and their plans to hopefully get some sort of local distribution of their beer.  I honestly think these guys have a chance to get pretty well known.  Their beer was fantastic, and as long as they don't sacrifice quality for quantity I think they're golden.  I would love to go back to their brewery when it gets a little warmer and spend a few hours eating some of their amazing stone oven pizza and awesome beer. So apparently I'm ending on a beer craze in a wine blog, but honestly you never know what you're going to stumble across when you go wine tasting in Northern Virginia.  It's such a hodge podge of people and entrepreneurial businesses.

Tasting - Petrucco

Name: Petrucco
Variety: Ribolla Gialla
Country: Italy
Region: Friuli
Year: 2009
Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: Straw yellow in colour. Delicate and well expressed bouquet with hints of grapefruit, wild flowers and aromatic herbs.  Light and refreshing taste, full bodied.

My review: The date on this wine really threw me off, but no despite its age it was still fine to drink.  On the nose this Italian white was minerally with what seemed to be apple or something.  It was much more on the dryer side with light acidity, and strong tannins.  And unfortunately the after palette had this strong grassy hay flavor that lingered in my mouth for a long, long time.  I was not a fan.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Mountain Door

Name: Mountain Door
Variety: Malbec
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99

Tasting Notes: Dark red with violet hues. Fruity notes of morello cherries and raspberries, combined with hints of vanilla. A plush core of plum, raspberry, and cherries. Soft, with great balance in the palate and round tannins. The finish is persistent and harmonious. Mountain Door Malbec is excellent with grilled steak, chick and wild salmon.

My review: For as cheap as this wine is, its actually suprisingly good.  This Argentinian wine reminded me of fruit covered in soil and dirt, and then later with pepper.  Really makes you think about the terroir where its grown!  The finish was nice as well.  Very smooth, with no harsh tannins and a plummy aftertaste.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Domaine Coudoulis Lirac

Name: Domaine Coudoulis Liracs
Variety: Rhone Blend
Country: France
Region: Rhone
Year: 2010
Price: $14.99

Tasting Notes: "Ripe red and dark berries on the nose, lifted by a suave floral quality. Juicy and seamless on the palate, displaying lively black raspberry and cherry flavors. Finishes with good clarity, grip and length." [BARREL SCORE 88-90]

My review: This was a great wine in my book!  It had very nice aromas of licorice and tart berries.  The follow up was a delicious mouthful of vibrant raspberries.  I'm definitely a sucker for raspberry flavored drinks.  Easy, drinkable medium bodied wine.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Château Plat Faisant Cahors Cuvée de l'Ancêtre

Name: Château Plat Faisant Cahors Cuvée de l'Ancêtre
Variety: Malbec
Country: France
Region: Cahors
Year: 2007
Price: $14.99

Tasting Notes:Hand harvested. 30% aged in new oak. Beautiful dark color, intense and complex bouquet of earthiness and spice. Full and round in the mouth, supported by very fine tannins.

My review: Very nice French wine! On the nose it was earthy with a very rich soily component.  Very good structure and balance all around.  The tannins were spot on along with the acidity.  The finish had a mixture of pleasant fruit with spices, namely anise.  This really epitomizes French wine in my opinion.  An all around decent table wine.

I had this wine without food.

Tasting - Bodegas Monte Aman Rosado Arlanza

Name: Bodegas Monte Aman Rosado Arlanza
Variety: Tempranillo
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $12

Tasting Notes: Light, lurid red. Ripe raspberry and floral pastille scents show a slight jamminess and a hint of peppery spices. Plush and expansive on the palate, offering juicy red berry preserve flavors and a jolt of bitter orange zest. Turns drier with aeration while maintaining its emphatic fruitiness. Finishes rich, fleshy and broad, showing good power and an echo of bitter cherry. Stephen Tanzer 87 Pts

My review: This Rose was not up my alley.  I really didn't enjoy it.  On the nose and palette I got a sugar covered berry component.  The finish tasted bitter and off balance though.  This was the portion I was not so prone to.

I had this wine without food.

Winery Visit - The Winery At La Grange

The weekend of February 28th I had to make a visit home to Northern Virginia.  I decided this was the perfect opportunity to visit some wineries and do some tastings in the area.  So after consulting with my brother and his special friend (his girlfriend but he refuses to acknowledge that) we set out to The Winery at La Grange in Haymarket, Virginia.  For anyone who decides to visit La Grange, you will not be let down.  The staff is extremely attentive and helpful, the wine is great, and on a nice spring day it looks gorgeous.  We had a great time and shared some fantastic wine together, however my only frustration was how expensive the wine was.  

Entrance to The Winery at La Grange.  Nice throw back to colonial styled homes

Enjoying a glass of Cab Franc in the sunroom

The stainless steel vats

The Winery at La Grange does not give tours, but their grounds are open to the public and their staff are more than willing to answer any questions you may have about their vineyards, history, grapes, etc.  I was very pleased and felt right at home drinking a glass or two with a nice meal in their sun-room.  La Grange starting producing wine back in 2006 and since then has received a number of awards which can be seen displayed across the wall as you walk into the restored 1790 manor house.  My tasting assistant explained to me that La Grange plants three different varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Petit Manseng across eight acres of vineyards on the grounds.  The wine is aged on site in either stainless steal vats or oak barrels.  La Grange has some play over which style of Oak they want their wines to exhibit.  In the aging room they have American Oak, French Oak, Hungarian Oak, and even some Acacia barrels for their vino.  Like many other vineyards in the region La Grange does not have a bottling facility, rather they enlist the services of a bottling truck.  Up until a few weeks ago I actually had never heard of this before, but it is essentially an 18 wheeler that drives from vineyard to vineyard, 

Two of the larger oak barrels

or even breweries I'm sure, which is equipped with a portable bottling facility.  Sounds like a pretty lucrative business and one that is in high demand in the area.  I'm not entirely sure what La Grange's plans are for the future of their winery, but one thing is for sure they are always mixing things up with a different seasonal variety.  I especially enjoyed the cider on my visit.  It had the emotional persuasion to make me wish I was back in Fall where I could enjoy the leaves and fresh apple pie.  

Now onto the actual wines, we tasted seven of them:

2011 Fletcher's
Chardonnay

2011 Fletcher's Chardonnay: This non-malolactic chardonnay has ripe pear and yellow peach flavors that lead into stone fruits and melon that are all brightened by the green apple acidity. Minerality lingers with the finish. 
My thoughts: Buttery for sure.  Distinct hints of melon and pear linger in this Chardonnay as well.  Decent Chardonnay not much else to say.

2013 Cuvee Blanc

2013 Cuvee Blanc: Fermented and aged in stainless tanks to maintain the bright purity of the varietals fruit flavors. The characteristic aroma and flavor of rose petal fromk the Traminette followed by the yellow peach and floral notes that follow through on the palate, where they are joined by lemon curd, citrus, apricot and honey locust. The acid is bright and cleanses the palate to a dry finish.
My Thoughts: This wine had a very nice floral aspect with good acidity.  It was pretty refreshing to boot.  Nice notes of peach or some vibrant fruit and not too sweet on the finish.

2013 Cabernet Franc

2013 Cabernet Franc: Red fruits and violets begin this pleasant experience. Cab Franc aficionados will immediately recognize the elegant style of classic Cab Franc from the Loire Valley, France. Flavors of cherry, pencil shavings and eucalyptus are framed by tight acidity. The finish is where white pepper joins the flavor medley and lingers.
My thoughts: I was immediately aware of the yeasty component going on this wine.  It definitely smelled like buttered toast crusts.  Always a surprise to come across this. This light bodied Cab Franc gave off soft finishes of sweet cherries and a general jamminess.

Generals Battlefield

General's Battlefield: This is the fourth edition of our wine in commemoration of the American Civil War and the last year that we aged various components in oak from Manassas Battlefield. It has an aroma of cherry creamsicle. A pleasant, easy sipping wine!

My thoughts: Pretty interesting looking bottle! Anyway, I picked up on violets and dark cherries.  On my palette this wine had a definite oak component.  It was tannic, but not over the top, and had me thinking of plump plums.  Say that ten times fast.

2012 Harrison House
Red

2012 Harrison House Red: Greeting you is an intense ruby color with aromas of blackberry, cocoa and nuances of oak and earth. The earth flavor continues on the palate and is joined by candied dark red fruits, cassis, dried leather with pomegranate and forest floor surfacing as the wine travels across your palate. The ‘grippy’ tannins keep this pleasant sipper bright and lively through a medium finish with some lingering red fruits.
My thoughts: My favorite of all the wines in the tasting as it turns out.  Unfortunately, it seems that La Grange knows that this and a few others are there top notch wines that people will seek out and so have decided to make it members only.  So if you want their quality wine you'll have to pay an extra buck on top of an already pretty steep price point for Virginia wine.  This was definitely the most complex of the bunch.  I got this great waft of oak and dirt infused together (no idea what that would look like).  The mid palette was great as well, somewhat tart and well balanced.  The finish had that nice tannic component and a splash of blackberries and raspberries.

Snort Desert Wine

Snort Desert Wine: The Solera system of blending multiple vintages produces layers of flavor, texture and depth. This port style wine is rich yet soft with hints of smoke, wood and dark fruit. Great with dark chocolate, red fruit and nuts.
My thoughts: Finally the last wine.  This one was supposedly mixed with brandy and man could you smell it.  The snort was packing that jammy component as well.  It had a very fruit forward aspect going on.  Not overpoweringly sugary like a lot of desert wines sometimes are.

My tasting assistant and I!

Walkway from the sun-room out to the barrel rooms.  In the
distance is Pam and Kent

The last tasting that we tried was warm apple cider.  And like I stated above it tasted absolutely amazing.  I'd buy a five gallon bucket of that stuff and sip it in my rocking chair on the front of my wrap around porch during Autumn if I had any of those things (besides the five gallon bucket). Anyways, after the tasting we walked around and got to visit the barrel rooms. Since it wasn't harvest season I was able to see a completely different side of the wine business.  The hustle and bustle was that of packaging and shipping. I've always been curious about just how much wine a vineyard about the size of La Grange can produce and the answer is, a whole lot more than I ever expected.  There were crates of wine stacked to the ceiling! In the end I really enjoyed my time there and appreciated the tranquil atmosphere that the owners at La Grange Winery have created.  I'd love to buy some of their wines and appreciate their hard work, but I'm just going to have to wait until I can spare the extra buck or the prices drop a little.  

The vines and in the horizon the Bull Run Mountains

Dinner - Palisades (Oregon Themed)

Last week I was fortunate enough to enjoy a visit to The Palisades Restaurant.  I've been less than a handful of times, but each occasion has been excellent with the food always tasting amazing.  This occasion was no different.  On the night we ate the wines around the world theme was wine and food from Oregon.

Rolling up to the Palisades.  I always forget how "in the middle
of nowhere" this place is, and the road condition en route.

Lets start off with the wines first:

From L to R: 2013 Wildewood Pinot Noir, 2014 Winewroks
A to Z Rose, 2013 Wildewood Pinot Gris

1.  2013 Wildewood Pinot Noir
2. 2014 Wineworks A to Z Rose
3. 2013 Wildewood Pinot Gris

My first impressions of these wines were somewhat difficult to pinpoint especially off of the nose.  It may have had something to do with the glasses or the wines themselves.  The 2013 Wildewood Pinot Noir had a nice thick body and mouthfeel.  Unfortunately it was slightly flabby so this distracted from the overall quality of the wine.  This Pinot offered nice aromas of freshly baked bread and nice fruitiness.  It tasted of nice bright fruits as well.   Now the Rose was probably the most aromatic and my favorite of the three.  The 2014 Wineworks A to Z Rose immediately made me think of a peach fuzz covered watermelon (quite an awesome thing to think about).  James and the Giant Peach Fuzz if you will.  It was also packing a very nice acidic backbone accompanied with notes of freshly picked strawberries.  It may have been slightly off balance because there was a little more heat or alcohol that bled through on the finish.  And finally the 2013 Wildewood Pinot Gris.  This wine was challenging to figure out.  It was very refreshing with great acidity and a semi sweet component going on.  And there was probably some notes of pear, honeydew, and lemon zest on the nose and palette, but again this was probably the weakest of the three.

Shameful selfies, but I left so happy

From L to R: Quail legs, Blackberry Salmon, Mushroom Pizza

Onto the food.  We were served quail legs on a bed of mashed potatoes, salmon fillets with a blackberry sauce, and a stone oven mushroom pizza.  Each component by itself was awesome but when paired with the wines created a totally unique experience.  The pairings were in the same order as the wines.  I first tried the quail legs with the Pinot Noir.  Probably the most disappointing pairing for me because I could not discern the taste despite how delicious it was.  I kept getting this really intense strong flavor like rhubarb or something, but I honestly have no idea what it was. It brought the heat though, my mouth was lighting up from the Pinot Noir and quail combo!  The second dish, much like the second wine, was my favorite (I must have some tendency for things in the middle).  It easily brought out the best flavors in the wine.  The A to Z Rose paired fantastically with the blackberry sauce and salmon. As soon as I started sipping on the Rose it was like I was biting into a juicy strawberry the size of an apple.  This brought a smile to my face almost instantly.  The last dish was the pizza paired with the Pinot Noir.  Whoever was doing the parings for this dish should be given a high five, they were all great.  I did not expect the pizza to go as well as it did with this pinot, but I was completely wrong.  The Pinot changed drastically becoming a much, much dryer wine. Some of the acidity that I had originally liked seemed to have faded, but it simply opened up my palette for a much more pleasing pear & pizza thoroughbred.  

The fabled bread pudding

After we had devoured our meal and wine, which really was not enough to fill us up, we made the tough decision to order desert.  This was not a tough decision by the way, I love desert and do not mess around when it comes to bread pudding.  Joel and I ordered the bread pudding with toffee and Joel's girlfriend Erin got the Guinness pudding or something.  Anyway the bread pudding was some of the best I've ever had.  I was literally licking the plate to get every drop left.

So all in all a pretty great time with good friends.  The staff was super friendly as usual and I would really like to go back in a few weeks for the Italian night, maybe we'll get a Borolo. Haha definitely not, but I can dream.  

Extremely goofy, I have no idea why they aren't
just smiling like normal people