A collection of all my wine adventures!
Monday, May 14, 2012
A Great Patio Rosé
The weather this past weekend was superb. 70's and sunny and surprisingly I had zero plans. I ended up spending a few hours on the back porch with my iPad, scrolling through social media and discussing the joining of a country club with the fiancé (who are we??). Of course, I was enjoying a simple, fresh bottle of rosé. I picked up this bottle from Weygandt Wines in Cleveland Park last week where they were unloading cases of rosé as I walked in. I just had to grab a bottle. With so many to pick from, I chose this Loire region rosé, Château de la Bonnelière Chinon Rive Gauche 2011.
This rosé is 100% Cabernet Franc from the Loire region in France. Peach in color with fresh strawberry and mineral notes on the nose. This wine is very clear, with subtle floral tones; clean, fresh and bright with red fruit palate; very light body with a medium finish; pairs well with shellfish, light appetizers or a patio!
Rosé, along with many other light whites, are the perfect choice for a sunny afternoon.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Rosé Flights at Veritas
This month I'm on the hunt for great Rosés. Pink wine still has this stigma about it that dates back to the 70-80's and the rise of White Zinfandel. Well I'm out to change that!
Rosé can be produced a couple different ways and no, there are no pink grapes! The pinkness can vary from pale-orangish color to bright, almost purple depending on how long the grape skins are in contact with the juice. This is the most common way to produce a rosé, by letting the dark skins sit with the juice for one to three days before extracting them and starting fermentation. Another production method is Saignée or bleeding of the vats. This is where some of the pink juice is extracted during fermentation to impart more tannins on the red wine. The rosé in this case is a by-product. The most uncommon method is actually blending red and white grapes to make a single wine. This is looked down upon in most regions.
So enough history and background, let's get to the actual wines I found at Veritas Wine Bar in Dupont. Having one of the most extensive wine lists in town, I knew this was a place I needed to go on my hunt. Tis the season to be featuring a rosé flights, so I was immediately drawn to that.
The lineup of rosés were:
Wölffer Estate Rosé, Long Island, New York, 2011
Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair, Marsannay, France 2011
Château de Trinquevedel, Tavel, France, 2011
Ranging in color, all the rosés were bright and fruit forward. The first, Wölffer Estate, was the palest in color with a red fruit nose, smooth but short finish and very light in body, hence why it was first in the flight.
The second rosé was the brightest pink of them all. 100% Pinot Noir, this wine had a very light nose. I didn't get a lot from the initial sniff but my first sip was a tastebud explosion! Whoa, strawberry! The palate was much bigger than the nose and had a nice, long finish. Almost too fruit forward for me as I felt like I was sucking on a Jolly Rancher.
The final rosé was a Tannat from France. The nose had hints of minerality and floral notes. A little less fruit than the previous one, this wine was my favorite out of the flight. Easy sipper, pairs well with light snacks and a patio.
Ally ordered the sparkling War of Rosés flight which was equally as good! Also, a nice cheese plate accompanied our #alltherosés party.
Rosé, Rosé, Rosé. Veritas had quite the list, might be hard to beat! Who's next?
Rosé can be produced a couple different ways and no, there are no pink grapes! The pinkness can vary from pale-orangish color to bright, almost purple depending on how long the grape skins are in contact with the juice. This is the most common way to produce a rosé, by letting the dark skins sit with the juice for one to three days before extracting them and starting fermentation. Another production method is Saignée or bleeding of the vats. This is where some of the pink juice is extracted during fermentation to impart more tannins on the red wine. The rosé in this case is a by-product. The most uncommon method is actually blending red and white grapes to make a single wine. This is looked down upon in most regions.
So enough history and background, let's get to the actual wines I found at Veritas Wine Bar in Dupont. Having one of the most extensive wine lists in town, I knew this was a place I needed to go on my hunt. Tis the season to be featuring a rosé flights, so I was immediately drawn to that.
The lineup of rosés were:
Wölffer Estate Rosé, Long Island, New York, 2011
Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair, Marsannay, France 2011
Château de Trinquevedel, Tavel, France, 2011
The second rosé was the brightest pink of them all. 100% Pinot Noir, this wine had a very light nose. I didn't get a lot from the initial sniff but my first sip was a tastebud explosion! Whoa, strawberry! The palate was much bigger than the nose and had a nice, long finish. Almost too fruit forward for me as I felt like I was sucking on a Jolly Rancher.
The final rosé was a Tannat from France. The nose had hints of minerality and floral notes. A little less fruit than the previous one, this wine was my favorite out of the flight. Easy sipper, pairs well with light snacks and a patio.
Ally ordered the sparkling War of Rosés flight which was equally as good! Also, a nice cheese plate accompanied our #alltherosés party.
Rosé, Rosé, Rosé. Veritas had quite the list, might be hard to beat! Who's next?
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
ANNOUNCING: May is Rose Month!
I'm focusing on great, quality Rose's from around the world for the month of May.
Have a favorite Rose I should try? Let me know!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Next Home Reno WILL be a Cellar!
Pinterest is good for a lot of things...wedding planning, recipes, fashion and of course home renos!
I came across this great picture of a simple, compact, easy-to-do wine cellar.
Feel. In. Love.
Our basement would be the perfect spot! I'd be intruding a little on the "man cave" but hey, it is space saving! I brought the idea up to the fiance and he was all for it.
Now, to find time and money to put this into action.
I came across this great picture of a simple, compact, easy-to-do wine cellar.
Feel. In. Love.
 |
| Photo courtesy of homeportfolio |
Now, to find time and money to put this into action.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Am I crazy?
So you know by now I'm running a half marathon in June through VA wine country. My motivation to run that far is because it starts and stops at a winery. Obviously, wine is my main motivator.
However, I have signed up for yet another race THIS weekend! Spur of the moment.
I came across this great 5k through Rock Creek Park in remembrance of the Virginia Tech shooting victims. Sadly, I was there that crazy morning and remember it vividly. I will be running those 3.2 miles for the 32 victims wearing my maroon and orange proud!
I guess you can say the running bug has bit me. Wish me luck!
However, I have signed up for yet another race THIS weekend! Spur of the moment.
I came across this great 5k through Rock Creek Park in remembrance of the Virginia Tech shooting victims. Sadly, I was there that crazy morning and remember it vividly. I will be running those 3.2 miles for the 32 victims wearing my maroon and orange proud!
I guess you can say the running bug has bit me. Wish me luck!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Picnic Basket, Wine and a Blanket
Simple, yet always fun.
Packing a picnic and bringing the dog and the boy along is one of my ideal Spring afternoons. It's something we like to do on occasion when the weather is nice. After moving out to the burbs, we had to find a new picnic location close-by. We found a great park only a few miles from our home. Although, my first choice is always visiting a local winery to picnic but we wanted to stay closer to home.
I came up with a list of things to bring:
I made the salad and eggs from scratch which kept me busy most of the morning. Here's how I made the chicken salad:
2 Chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1/2 c Mayo
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 Green Pepper, diced
1/4 Red Onion, diced
Salt & Pepper
Combine. Let sit covered in fridge for half hour. Assemble on your choice of bread. I used kaiser rolls. Top with fresh spinach and tomatoes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
We loaded up everything in the cooler, grabbed a nice bottle of French white and dare I say, plastic cups and we were headed on our way! Knowing the sun would be shining and temps would rise into the 70s, I selected a crisp white wine to enjoy with our lunch. Nothing like sippin' on something cool and refreshing when the temps rise!
Picnics are great for a date idea in the springtime. Pack some goodies, take the dog along and maybe even picnic at a local winery!
Cheers!
Packing a picnic and bringing the dog and the boy along is one of my ideal Spring afternoons. It's something we like to do on occasion when the weather is nice. After moving out to the burbs, we had to find a new picnic location close-by. We found a great park only a few miles from our home. Although, my first choice is always visiting a local winery to picnic but we wanted to stay closer to home.
I came up with a list of things to bring:
- Chicken salad sandwiches
- Deviled eggs
- Veggies and Dip
- Cheese, crackers and fig spread
- Knife with plenty of paper towels, including wet ones
- WINE (duh!)
I made the salad and eggs from scratch which kept me busy most of the morning. Here's how I made the chicken salad:
2 Chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1/2 c Mayo
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 Green Pepper, diced
1/4 Red Onion, diced
Salt & Pepper
Combine. Let sit covered in fridge for half hour. Assemble on your choice of bread. I used kaiser rolls. Top with fresh spinach and tomatoes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
We loaded up everything in the cooler, grabbed a nice bottle of French white and dare I say, plastic cups and we were headed on our way! Knowing the sun would be shining and temps would rise into the 70s, I selected a crisp white wine to enjoy with our lunch. Nothing like sippin' on something cool and refreshing when the temps rise!
Picnics are great for a date idea in the springtime. Pack some goodies, take the dog along and maybe even picnic at a local winery!
Cheers!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Around the World Wine Tasting
The plus side to living near a city like DC is that you are never short on things to do.
Another plus side, most of those things to do are offered at half off through all those deal sites.
Not usually a sucker for the deals but definitely a sucker for the wine events, I jumped on the opportunity to attend Around the World in 80 Sips. It was offered for half price on LivingSocial a few weeks ago and when I woke up to see it my inbox, I immediately sent it to a few fellow winos. Last year, I didn't jump in time and it was sold out before I could buy it.
I was lucky this time. My friends and I bought tickets and marked our calendars.
Having been to quite a few of these wine tasting events, even pouring wine at some of them myself, I pretty much knew what to expect. Way too many people crowded around one table with 15 wines and only 1 pourer. Everybody stretching their arms as far as they would reach for the chance that they may get a miniature taste. You know, the usual.
We arrived to check in and were greeted by a mob of thirsty wine lovers. We then proceeded to visit each table and taste whatever we could get our hands on. It was exactly like I expected; overcrowded, loud and way too many lines of anxious people. It's a great opportunity to meet fellow winos but if you want to go to really learn about the wines being poured, this is not that type of event. If you are lucky to be in the industry, I believe going to the trade tasting would be best. I'm sure it's more calm and one-on-one.
Regardless, we made the most of it and tried numerous wines at each table. Of course my favorites were the French wines. They were pouring great Burgundies, white and red. That toasty, oaky Chassagne-Montrachet sticks out in my mind. I'm picky about my Chardonnay and a white Burgundy is the way to go!
Conclusion: As long as you're with friends, you can have fun with just about anything!
Another plus side, most of those things to do are offered at half off through all those deal sites.
Not usually a sucker for the deals but definitely a sucker for the wine events, I jumped on the opportunity to attend Around the World in 80 Sips. It was offered for half price on LivingSocial a few weeks ago and when I woke up to see it my inbox, I immediately sent it to a few fellow winos. Last year, I didn't jump in time and it was sold out before I could buy it.
I was lucky this time. My friends and I bought tickets and marked our calendars.
Having been to quite a few of these wine tasting events, even pouring wine at some of them myself, I pretty much knew what to expect. Way too many people crowded around one table with 15 wines and only 1 pourer. Everybody stretching their arms as far as they would reach for the chance that they may get a miniature taste. You know, the usual.
We arrived to check in and were greeted by a mob of thirsty wine lovers. We then proceeded to visit each table and taste whatever we could get our hands on. It was exactly like I expected; overcrowded, loud and way too many lines of anxious people. It's a great opportunity to meet fellow winos but if you want to go to really learn about the wines being poured, this is not that type of event. If you are lucky to be in the industry, I believe going to the trade tasting would be best. I'm sure it's more calm and one-on-one.
Regardless, we made the most of it and tried numerous wines at each table. Of course my favorites were the French wines. They were pouring great Burgundies, white and red. That toasty, oaky Chassagne-Montrachet sticks out in my mind. I'm picky about my Chardonnay and a white Burgundy is the way to go!
Conclusion: As long as you're with friends, you can have fun with just about anything!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)