Grape Occasions

Taste Camp 2012: The Wine Stand Outs, Part 2

Shannon — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:01:58 +0000

In The Wine Stand Outs, Part 1, I covered five of the eleven stand out wines from Taste Camp 2012, focusing on wineries I was tasting for the first time. Now let’s take a look at the six wines from wineries I’ve tasted and/or covered before.

Boxwood Winery Boxwood 2007

Variety: 42.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42.5% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot
Aroma: Dark red fruit with hints of spice
Taste: Nice concentrated spicy cassis
Price: No longer available
My thoughts: 2007 was a very good year for their signature wines, Boxwood and Topiary. I like this Left Bank Bordeaux-style blend (Topiary is a Right Bank style). Adam McTaggart told us this was a huge turning point vintage for them…it set their style for going forward. I loved the big fruitiness of this wine. Rachel told us there may still be a few bottles out there to find. For more on Boxwood and our time Taste Camp visit, see Loudoun County, DC’s Wine Country.

Blenheim Vineyards Rosé 2011

Variety: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mourvedre
Aroma: Big bouquet of strawberry, honey and a touch of cinnamon
Taste: Refreshing red fruits with a watermelon finish
Price: $14
My thoughts: Regular readers know I love Rosé and I love Kirsty Harmon, the fabulous winemaker at Blenheim. I’m always thrilled when I see Kristy and Greg Hirson, assistant winemaker, pouring their wines at events or in their gorgeous tasting room in the country outside Charlottesville. Every wine they make is approachable, easy to drink and delicious. On by BEST of Virginia wine list!!

Veritas Winery Vintner’s Reserve Meritage Blend 2010

Variety: 42% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petit Verdot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aroma: Cherry, chocolate and cedar
Taste: Cherry with a hint of pepper finished with vanilla and caramel
Price: $35
My thoughts: I tasted this 2012 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold winner back in late February at the Virginia Wine Expo and it was even better this tasting! It’s really opened up nicely…a great Meritage blend with chocolate, red fruit, vanilla and caramel hints. What more could you ask for! This again is one of my Virginia winery favorites… Emily is a fabulous winemaker and she is doing amazing work at her winery in red and white! Located outside of Charlottesville.

Breaux Vineyards Nebbiolo 2007

Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Aroma: Red fruits with hints of tobacco
Taste: Spicy dried red fruits
Price: Coming 2014
My thoughts: Another 2007 wine shaping up very nicely and it’s not even bottled yet. We were lucky enough to have a barrel sample during our Friday evening dinner at Breaux. They will bottle it this year and then hold for two years before selling. This was a grape Paul Breaux really wanted to grow after his visit to Piemonte, Italy. As Jen Breaux Blosser told us over dinner, “it’s a hard grape to grow and always changing.” Breaux is another one of my Virginia favorites…with their breadth and variety, they have a wine for everyone and their 475-acres are worth the visit for a sip on their patio. For more on our time Taste Camp visit, see Loudoun County, DC’s Wine Country.

Tarara Winery Petit Manseng 2011

Variety: 100% Petit Manseng
Aroma: Pineapple & citrus
Taste: Refreshing crisp citrus and pineapple notes
Price: $20
My thoughts: This grape is becoming a specialty of Virginia. Most versions I’ve tasted are sweet but this one was perfect! As we boarded the wagon at the winery for a ride into vineyards with winemaker Jordan Harris, he poured us a glass of this. It hit the spot…crisp and refreshing…as we rode in the sun! Jordan said they don’t usually do this wine but with the conditions of 2011 (cloudy & wet September), they decided to try it. Great results! I brought home a bottle and its chilling in the fridge. You can buy it on their website. Located in Loudoun County.

Linden Vineyards Avenius Chardonnay 2009

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Aroma: Tropical bouquet with hint of oak
Taste: Peach, pear with hints of white pepper
Price: $28
My thoughts: We had the great pleasure of tasting five wines with Jim Linden, owner/winemaker and one of Virginia’s greats, on his crush pad after our vineyard walk. They were all fabulous and really demonstrate the terroir in which they are growing. I really like this Chablis-style, nice balance of fruit with hints of pepper which Jim said is due to the Avenius vineyard it comes from. Bottled August 2010. This wine should plateau from 2013 to 2017. Guess I’ll have to cellar the bottle I bought. Located in Fauquier County.

Cheers to some of Virginia’s best wineries and winemakers showing Taste Camp writers everything Virginia wine has to offer!

Taste Camp 2012: The Wine Stand Outs, Part 1

Shannon — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Clearly one of the main reasons forty wine writers came together for Taste Camp 2012 in Loudoun County, Virginia, DC’s Wine Country, was to swirl, sip, spit, taste Virginia wine. Throughout the 48 hour journey across this wine country, we had the opportunity to taste wines from 28 wineries, either at their winery or at Grand Tastings.

A special thank you to ALL the wineries that came out to pour for us or hosted us at their winery…

Grand Tasting at Boxwood Winery Crush Pad: Ankida Ridge Vineyards, Annefield Vineyards, Barboursville Vineyards, Boxwood Winery, Blenheim Vineyards, Gadino Cellars, Hume Vineyards, Pearmund Cellars, Rappahannock Cellars, White Hall Vineyards and Veritas Winery.

Grand Tasting in Tarara Winery Wine Cave: Corcoran Vineyards, Delaplane Cellars, General’s Ridge Vineyard, Horton Vineyards, Loudoun Valley Vineyards, Narmada Winery, Philip Carter Winery, Stinson Vineyards, Tarara Winery and Zephaniah Farm Vineyard.

At the Winery Tastings: Breaux Vineyards, Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North, Otium Cellars, North Gate Vineyards, Linden Vineyards

In total, I tasted from 26 wineries, about 113 wines. Of those, I’ve narrowed it down to 11 stand outs to share with you. Let’s start with the wineries that I tasted for the first time at Taste Camp…

Ankida Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir 2010

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Aroma: Cherry and blackberry
Taste: Delicious blackberry and raspberry red fruits with nice balanced tannins
Price: $35 (only 92 cases made so get it while you can!)
My thoughts: People say Pinot Noir can’t be done in Virginia but Congratulations to Ankida Ridge! Their first vintage is showing very nicely. This winery was one of my treats of the weekend. Sitting an hour south of Charlottesville in what they are calling “Virginia’s Little Burgundy,” they are growing only the Burgundy classics, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ankida, an ancient Sumerian word meaning ‘where heaven and earth join,’ the lovely Vrooman Family was pouring their wines for us and I can’t wait to get down to see them!

Stinson Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Aroma: Crisp floral and grapefruit
Taste: Passionfruit, grapefruit with grassy notes
Price: $21.99
My thoughts: “One concrete egg and two stainless barrels.” That’s what Rachel Stinson, winemaker, said the recipe for the delicious crisp Virginia Sauvignon Blanc was. Love it! This was another great new winery find of Taste Camp. Located in a historic spot in Crozet outside Charlottesville, the unique farm store tasting room is open for visitors and a tasting with Rachel and her fabulous line up of wines is worth the visit.

Zephaniah Farm Vineyard Chambourcin Reserve 2010

Variety: 100% Chambourcin
Aroma: Bouquet of berries with hints of violet
Taste: Rich red fruit and plum
Price:$27
My thoughts: The Hatch family farm for 62 year finally planted grapes on the land and had their first vintage in 2007. With only 800 cases per year, according to Bill Hatch, they are focused on getting the quality right first. The Chambourcin was a great example! This is definitely the first time I’ve tasted this grape, made as a rich red wine and liked it! Nice work to Bill Hatch and his son Tremain.

Vint Hill Rosé 2011

Variety: 100% Chambourcin
Aroma & Taste: Strawberry bouquet
My thoughts: Vint Hill Craft Winery was founded in 2009 by veteran Virginia winemaker Chris Pearmund of Pearmund Cellars. It was great to meet Chris and taste his wines including this nice one made at the ‘custom crush’ facility near Warrenton in the historic barns at Vint Hill Farms Station. I’m a big fan of rosé and this one made of Chambourcin, a great use of the grape, is yummy!

Rappahannock Cellars Viognier 2011

Variety: 100% Viognier
Aroma: Citrus and floral
Taste: Fruity peach and orange with hint of oak
Price: $23
My thoughts: The Delmare Family came to Virginia from California with wine making experience and have now been producing Virginia wine for 10 years. Located between Front Royal and Flint Hill in Huntly, Virginia, the family was drawn to this spot at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The three wines we tasted were very nice, especially this example of Virginia’s official grape, Viognier.

In my next article, I share stand outs from many of the wineries I’ve covered before.

Cheers to these new Virginia finds!

Taste Camp 2012: Loudoun County, DC’s Wine Country

Shannon — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:19:17 +0000

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being one of 40 wine writers participating in Taste Camp 2012.

After meeting in Long Island, the Finger Lakes and Niagara the last three years, Loudoun County was chosen for 2012…Washington, DC’s wine country. Lucky for me, and everyone else that lives in / visits the DC metro area, it’s only twenty-five miles away. It also happens to be where I was born and raised. It was quite surreal, and very cool, to drive through and spend time in these areas I’ve known so well, now full of grapevines and wineries.

We visited 8 wineries / vineyards in 48 hours for tastings, lunches, dinners and vineyard walks. Lots of wine and lots of information. In this Taste Camp 2012 series, I’ll share my highlights of the weekend.

DC’s Wine Country: Let’s start with a little bit more on Loudoun County and the wineries we visited.
The Wine Stand Outs, Part 1 & 2: My favorite wines from the 26 producers who poured for us throughout the weekend.
Walking the Vineyards with the Winemakers: This was the most exciting part of the weekend for me…spending time among the grapevines with the person who tends to them and turns them into wine.

Loudoun County…now 33 wineries and tasting rooms strong (by my count). Loudoun County is part of Virginia’s Northern Virginia Region, now rivaling Virginia’s original wine region, Central Virginia, for biggest number of wineries.

Loudoun splits the wineries into five scenic clusters. We zigzagged across the county and were only able to hit three of the clusters in two days. Here are the wineries who graciously hosted us, all worthy of a stop on your wine tour.

Boxwood Winery

Just outside Middleburg in the Mosby Cluster, Boxwood Winery is gorgeous and state-of-the-art. Started in 2001 by John Kent Cooke, he and the family have brought in the best to make their wines, including renowned viticulturist Lucie Morton to design their sixteen-acre vineyard and Bordeaux’s great winemaker Stephane Derenoncourt, to consult on winemaking. Boxwood focuses on red wines in the Bordeaux-style from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, producing 5,000 cases per year.

Rachel Martin and the team welcomed us into the beautiful Tasting Room for a glass of their crisp juicy Boxwood Estate Rosé 2011 before lunch in the Chai among the stainless steel fermentation tanks.

Served with the local Ayrshire Farm delicious sandwiches and salads were served some of Boxwood’s special 2007 vintage…a great comparison of their two wines, Topiary Right Bank Bordeaux-style and Boxwood’s Left Bank Bordeaux-style. I also had the pleasure of sitting next to Richard Leahy, author of the new book Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, we all received as a gift.

Winemaker Adam McTaggart took us into their underground circular barrel Cave where he talked Boxwood wine with us. Big news that a Middleburg AVA designation is in the works! Then we were out to the crush pad for the Grand Tasting (more on that in The Wine Stand Outs).

Great news for all…Boxwood Winery, once only open by appointment, will be open to the public for tastings and tours Friday through Sunday from 11am to 6pm beginning Friday 8 June.

Breaux Vineyards

As we pulled up the drive-away of Breaux Vineyards’ 404-acre estate outside of Hillsboro in the Loudoun Height Cluster, I was reminded of why I love Virginia. The green rolling hills are stunning…these covered with 105 acres of eighteen different grape varieties. Paul Breaux purchased this land in 1994 with only three acres of grapes, and in April 1997 produced his first vintage and opened to the public. By the following year, they were already producing 3,500+ cases of wine. Now up to 10,000 cases per year, Breaux is run by Paul’s daughter Jennifer Breaux Blosser and her husband Christopher Blosser with fourteen wines in their portfolio.

The awards and recognition are many…”Loudoun County’s most impressive wine undertaking” says the Washington Post, Breaux’s Viognier was named to Oz Clarke’s 250 Best Wines of 2012, AND for the fourth consecutive year, Breaux was voted “Virginia’s Favorite Winery” in a public poll done by Virginia Wine Events. When you visit and taste their wines, you’ll know all of these to be true. And the great thing is, NONE of this goes to their head.

Jen and the team welcomed us onto the Patio Madeline for a wine tasting with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. You could sit here for hours taking in the views and sipping the delicious wines. After tastes of the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Viognier, 2010 Jen’s Jambalaya (cajun Louisiana nods abound ) and 2002 Merlot Reserve, we went into the Tank Room for a lovely four-course dinner prepared by Tuscarora Mill Restaurant in Leesburg.

More great wines accompanied each course including their recently introduced Syrah Rosé. The 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve and Cabernet Sauvignon are great finds and examples of Paul Breax’s desire to age Virginia wines and help figure out what was possible in the state. A taste through 2001, 2002, 2005 Nebbiolos with a barrel sample of 2007 was a unique opportunity, and the 2007 is shaping up nicely. After a trip to Piemonte, Italy, Paul decided to grow this tough to cultivate grape here.

Breaux has big plans for the future. We met the new winemaker David Pagan Castaño who will help them get there. Great to see a Spanish winemaker in Virginia and he fits right in with the southern hospitality!

The warm and inviting tasting room is open daily and definitely worth your visit!

Fabbioli Cellars

Our first stop on Saturday just north of Leesburg in the Potomac Cluster was Fabbioli Cellars. Doug Fabbioli and the team are a down-to-earth team ready to pour you their wines. I’ll share more in the Walking the Vineyards with the Winemakers article.

Tarara Winery

We spent Saturday early afternoon further north in the Potomac Cluster along the Potomac River at Tarara Winery. This sprawling 475 acres of winery, vineyards, farm and event space was started in 1983 by Whitie and Margaret Hubert. Winemaker Jordan Harris hosted us for a vineyard walk, yummy lunch by Pizzeria Moto and Grand Tasting of more Virginia wines in their wine cave (more in The Wine Stand Outs and Walking the Vineyards with the Winemakers).

Tranquility Vineyards & Otium Cellars

Last afternoon stop was outside Purcellville in the Loudoun Heights Cluster for a vineyard walk with Ben Renshaw, winemaker at 8 Chains North and manager at Tranquility Vineyards (more in Walking the Vineyards with the Winemakers).

Then we stopped in across the road to the newly opened Otium Cellars Tasting Room for a 8 Chains North and Otium Cellars tasting. Gerhard Bauer of Otium is staying true to his German roots growing several German varieties: Lemberger, Dornfelder and Grau Burgunder (a German clone of Pinot Gris). Tasting Room is open 11am to 6pm daily.

North Gate Vineyard

We spent Saturday evening back in the Loudoun Heights Cluster at North Gate Vineyard’s 26-acre vineyard and public tasting room built to LEED Gold specifications. You’ll notice the solar-paneled roof as you approach the winery. Mark and Vicki Fedor have been growing grapes since 2002 and were winemakers for Corcoran Vineyards in Waterford. They graciously hosted us for our BYO dinner with Smokin’ Willy BBQ after a tasting through their wines. Tasting Room is a great spot to hang out with a nice patio, open Friday through Monday from 11am to 6pm.

Linden Vineyards

We spent Sunday morning with one of the Virginia wine’s masters, Jim Law, at his vineyard. More on that incredible morning in the Walking the Vineyards with the Winemakers article.

And with that, we barely scratched the surface. Loudoun County has plenty to offer for a wine country weekend.

Cheers to DC’s Wine Country!

Taste Camp Convenes in DC’s Wine Country This Weekend

Shannon — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:41:45 +0000

Taste Camp comes to Northern Virginia wine country this weekend. What is Taste Camp? A gathering of 40 wine journalists and bloggers from all over the U.S. and Canada in an emerging wine region for an immersive wine weekend.

The concept for TasteCamp, created in 2009 by Lenn Thompson, executive editor of the New York Cork Report, is a simple one: getting these enthusiastic writers to taste as much wine as possible and speak to as many winemakers as possible over the course of a weekend in a region that is new to them. This is not a junket — attendees pay their own travel expenses, including their hotel rooms and meals (some are sponsored).

I’m excited to be one of the writers attending this weekend! The 2012 program features a combination of vineyard visits, grand tastings, conversations with winemakers and camaraderie. Participants will also take part in what has become a TasteCamp tradition, a BYO dinner where wine lovers share special bottles in a freestyle evening of discovery and one-upmanship.

We’re visiting six wineries Boxwood Winery, Breaux Vineyards, Fabbioli Cellars, Tranquility Vineyard, North Gate Vineyards, Linden Vineyards. At several wineries there will also be tastings by other Virginia wineries.

At Boxwood: Ankida Ridge, Annefield, Barboursville, Boxwood, Blenheim, Gadino, Glass House, Hume, Notaviva, Paradise Spring, Pearmund, Rappahannock and White Hall
At Tarara Vineyards: Bluemont, Corcoran, Delaplane, General’s Ridge, Horton, Loudoun Valley, Narmada, Philip Carter, Stinson and Zephaniah
At Tranquility Vineyard: 8 Chains North and Otium Cellars

The last three years of TasteCamp visited Long Island, the Finger Lakes and Niagara (U.S. and Canada). The events generated significant attention for these emerging wine regions via dozens of stories and articles.

Why Virginia for the fourth year? “The 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference was a great opportunity for both Virginia and bloggers, but I wanted to bring TasteCamp to Northern Virginia to offer a truly immersive experience. We want attendees to eat, drink, sleep and breathe Virginia wine for three days. It’s of course impossible to fully explore a region in just a weekend, but that doesn’t stop us from trying,” said Lenn.

I’ll be tweeting this weekend from the event so you can follow on @GrapeOccasions & #TasteCamp AND plenty of content will be gathered for upcoming articles so check back here.

Cheers to Taste Camp 2012!

Rosé Season is Here!

Shannon — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:57:59 +0000

Rosé is back in season…at least here in the Washington, DC area where temperatures are already soaring, making it the perfect time for the refreshing wine. I’ve discovered two new ones you’ll definitely want to check out.

2011 A to Z Rosé

Varietal: 100% Sangiovese organically grown
Aroma: Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry
Taste: Juicy watermelon and cherry with tropical notes and a crisp finish
Price: $11
My thoughts: Yum! This is a BIG juicy rosé made from Sangiovese grapes. A to Z is a great Oregon winery I’ve enjoyed for some time. Living in Amsterdam, our local wine shop, Grape District, carried their Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir which was a good American wine to have in Europe. I spotted this wine out at The Majestic restaurant. The intense pink color was striking in the bottle. Unfortunately the one they were pouring for the customer was their last. Then I happened upon it last week at my local Whole Foods Market! I was not disappointed when I opened the bottle. Like their other wines, it’s the ‘Essence of Oregon’ … ‘Aristocratic wines at Democratic Prices’, as they say.

Bebé Sparkling Rosé

Varietal: Prosecco and Raboso grape blend
Aroma: Strawberry and vanilla
Taste: A crisp juicy strawberry vanilla
Price: $12
My thoughts: From the maker of my favorite Prosecco, I finally found this sparkling rosé (at a wine shop in Frederick, MD)! It’s a gorgeous pop top bottle with snazzy striped label full of strawberry vanilla deliciousness! Bebé, meaning Baby, Prosecco is from the small family owned vineyards of Vini Tonon and Musarango in Italy’s Veneto Region (origin of all Prosecco) and made exclusively for Siema Wines, a local importer/distributor.

Cheers to Rosé season!

Amsterdam Queen’s Day: A Party for Your Bucket List

Shannon — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:17:29 +0000

What country has a national holiday for a massive birthday party? The Netherlands! That day is today, 30th April, Queen’s Day or Konninginnedag. One of my favorite days in Amsterdam!

Koninginnedag dates back to 1885…first on 31 August for Queen Wilhelmina’s birthday, it then moved to it’s current date in honor of her daughter Juliana’s birthday who became queen in 1949. Current Queen Beatrix, Juliana’s daughter, decided to keep the 30 April date to honor her mom.

The Dutch truly know how to party and this day is the best example! It’s literally a giant country-wide party like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Friends who came to visit or newcomers to Amsterdam could not believe the craziness and fun. We were always in Amsterdam for it and the fun starts the night before, Koninginnenacht, with parties about town.

The next morning if you awake early, and it is worth it, vrijmarkt is in full swing, the free market…people selling their wares on the streets of the city. It’s a giant city (and country) wide yard sale…the one day it’s allowed, no taxes required. You may see the few days before people taping off key areas around town with their name so they have a prime selling spot. There are lots of fun kid activities going on, especially in Vondelpark. You’ll also find many kids trying to make their own money. My favorite was the year two cute girls were selling compliments for 20 cents each!

Orange is everywhere on Queen’s Day, the color of the Dutch Royal Family. By noon the partying is getting underway…djs start spinning and the canals start filling. Within a few hours it is absolute gridlock on the canals as boats of all sizes try fit one by one underneath the bridges. Most of the boats are giant party barges with bars, djs, the loudest speakers you’ve ever heard. People are hopping from boat to boat and at times you can even cross the canals by walking across the traffic jam of boats. We never took our boat out or got on one. It was just fun to watch from the sidewalks and streets. All over town the neighborhoods, bars and cafes are throwing parties. Everywhere you turn is a beer stand and a dj.

By evening the chaos winds down, the streets are filled with remnants of the day and a good time was had by most. Rain or shine the Dutch are out for this national celebration and it’s definitely one for your Bucket List.

Fijne Koninginnedag!

Eat, Drink, Simply at The Wine Kitchen

Shannon — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:11:09 +0000

After antique shopping in Frederick, Maryland this weekend and a stop in Frederick Cellars, we ended up the sunny day turned rainy at The Wine Kitchen. Open since October, this is the second location for Mike Mercer and Jason Miller who own the three-year-old restaurant / wine bar by the same name in Leesburg. The Wine Kitchen’s motto…Eat, Drink, Simply.

Sitting in a lovely spot on Carroll Creek Way, a creek turned canal and park, they have a great patio location for guests to enjoy the scenery (Bryan Voltaggio’s Lunchbox is just next door) and inside is a Sonoma / French feel wine café. We sat at the bar for a wine flight and some bites.

The Italian Renaissance flight we chose consisted of the 2010 Borgo M Fruilano from Friuli, 2010 Vigneti Massa Sentieri Barbera from Piedmonte and 2008 Marabino Noto Nero d’Avola from Sicily. Each flight and glass of wine comes with a very thoughtful and colorful tasting card.

All the wines in our flight were very flavorful but our favorite was…

2010 Vigneti Massa Sentieri Barbera

Varietal: Barbera
Aroma: Cherry, tobacco
Taste: Tart cherry, caraway seeds, pipe tobacco
Price: $4 taste, $10 glass, $33 bottle
My thoughts: The tasting card was right on with this one…caraway seeds?!? It sure had hints of them. This Barbera was lighter than I expected but with its multi-layers, a perfect stand alone or food pairing wine.

I also tried a taste of their 2009 Domanie des Nuges Gamay from Beaujolais, France. Cranberry on the nose and palate with a hint of orange. The tasting card read ‘the red ruby slippers of wine’ which was right on… it sparkled in the glass and on the tongue.

The warm curry cashews and artisinal cheese plate were perfect as were the staff! The menu looked delicious and definitely worth a try on our next stop in Frederick.

Cheers to Eat, Drink, Simply!

Frederick Cellars: Maryland’s City Winery

Shannon — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:58:31 +0000

We went to Frederick this weekend for antique shopping and by day’s end we were drinking wine, including local Maryland wine. We knew we wanted to check out The Wine Kitchen but walking down North East Street from an antique store, I saw huge steel wine tanks inside an old brick warehouse…the home of Frederick Cellars. So we popped in.

Frederick Cellars’ warehouse dates back to 1904 when it was a Crystal Ice House. Now it serves as wine-making facility and tasting room. Peggy invited us up to the long tall tasting bar for a wine flight with the backdrop of steel tanks and oak barrels. Emily and Charlie own the winery and tend to the vineyards sitting about 12 miles west of Frederick. They also source grapes from other vineyards in Maryland (their website says they source from other U.S. regions as well). One of eight wineries on The Frederick Wine Trail, they’ve been open five and half years.

We tasted five of their wines from Dry White (City Lights) to Dry Red (Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Heritage Red 2009) to Semi-Sweet (Frederick Red and Eye of the Oriole). My favorite out of the five…

City Lights

Varietal: Seyval, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminette
Aroma: Crisp, fruity
Taste: Tart fruit with a nice finish, slight sweet notes
Price: $15
My thoughts: Great summer wine pairing salads and grilled chicken. 1% residual sugar but sweetness isn’t overpowering.

Unfortunately they were out of the Rosé which I bet is pretty tasty as their Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon have potential. Their labels are gorgeous, all done by local artists depicting local scenes.

Maryland’s wine industry now has 54 wineries producing 400 wines. There are eight Wine Trails across the state to explore. And there’s a new Maryland Wine Passport you can pick up at any participating winery. Keep track of your visits in your passport and online and get rewards like discounted event tickets, access to special receptions, etc…

Cheers to Maryland’s wine scene and the only in town winery, Frederick Cellars!

Graffiato: DC Spot Pairs Italian + Local Perfectly

Shannon — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:46:14 +0000

Out last night for my husband’s birthday, we discovered one of our new favorite DC restaurants…Graffiato by Mike Isabella. I’d heard the hype over the last 10 months since they opened and tried to get reservations a few times last minute but no luck. As my husband loves Italian and not too fancy, I thought this would be a great spot for him. While I don’t often write up restaurants unless part of a trip, this one is definitely worth sharing for all locals and those traveling to DC!

Mike Isabella, Season Six Top Chef participant and runner-up on Top Chef All-Stars, is really coming on the DC scene. The 130-seat Italian-inspired spot serves small plates and artisanal pizzas inspired by the food Mike grew up eating in New Jersey prepared by his Italian-American grandmother. Seasonal and local are big here from the produce to locally cured meats to the wine and beer.

As a wine writer, I’ll start there. Fabulous wine list…my perfect combination of Italian + Virginia + Oregon. I loved every wine I tasted…

Montelvini Prosecco, Italy: served from their tap in the bar, it’s a fruity sparkling aperitif
Shindig Organic Pinot Grigio Rosé, Oregon: what fun!! Tasted just like the name… combination of Pinot Grigio + Rosé. Must find this wine for summer sipping!
Graffiato Red 1.0 Nebbiolo, Virginia: This wine is delicious and locally made by Breaux Vineyards, a really great winery in Purcellville! Mike worked with them to create this house wine. It’s a perfect combination of cedar, red fruit and caramel in aroma and taste!
Breaux Vineyards 2010 Nebbiolo Ice, Virginia: Rosé scents, nice sweet treat (not overly syrupy sweet) and perfect pairing with our Zeppoles.

We ate GOOD! I love Italian small plates…you can try more things!!

Flatbread with pepperoni sauce: WOW! Tastes like ground up pepperoni!
Broccolini with spicy pepper relish, walnut and feta: crisp and delish
Roasted Cauliflower with pecorino and mint: red onions gave it a perfect zip
Asparagus with pancetta and egg: great spin on one of our favorite Dutch dishes
Sweet Pea Tortellini with guanciale, pecorino and mint: a taste of spring
Hand Cut Spaghetti with olive oil poached cherry tomatoes and basil: loved the cherry tomato prep
Crispy Potato Gnocchi with wild mushrooms, favas and stracciatella: favorite pasta, so different
Zeppoles with orange zest and strawberry sugar dusting: yummy little fruity pebble popovers

It was a perfect evening… food, drinks, coffee, ambiance… and Kevin, our server, was so nice, knowledgable and attentive. Definitely ask for him!

Graffiatio has a convenient two-story spot downtown next to the Verizon Center in Chinatown. They also have a 15-seat bar you can stop into for drinks and a bite if you can’t get in for dinner but it’s worth the planning ahead!

Cheers to Mike on a fabulous Italian-inspired and locally supportive restaurant! Look forward to checking out his upcoming Mexican spot in Georgetown.

A Slice of Oregon’s Willamette Valley: Stangeland Vineyards

Shannon — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:47:47 +0000

Tasting with Larry Miller, owner and winemaker of Stangeland Vineyards & Winery in Oregon, you feel right at home with him and his wines. On a little East Coast tour, Larry was at Planet Wine in Alexandria yesterday giving customers a peak into his four-acres of vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. As a fan of Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, I was anxious to taste Larry’s offerings.

Larry planted his first grapes in 1978, which by his count makes him the fourth oldest vineyards in the Hills region. At first he sold his grapes to other winemakers then in 1991 produced his first vintage. Today he makes predominately Pinot Noir wines along with Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Tempranillo. In total about 2,500 cases per year.

Yesterday we tasted the 2009 Pinot Gris and 2008 Chardonnay for whites. Both nice and quite different than your typical expressions of these wines in the Northwest U.S. The Pinot Gris has some residual sugar but still a nice acidity and finish. The Chardonnay is a nice cool climate white similarly to a white Burgundy from France.

His Pinot Noir impressed me the most. Again not what I’ve typically tasted in Oregon Pinot Noir. We went from the 2009 Pinot Noir to the 2008 Miller’s Vineyard to the 2008 Estate Reserve to the 2009 Vermeer Vineyard. As we went up the tasting, the complexity and richness increased…more concentrated fruit, smooth, round and caramel. The Vermeer Vineyard was phenomenal! And the 2009 Pinot Noir is a great price for a great wine…

Stangeland Pinot Noir 2009

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir, a blend of grapes from different vineyards but the ’09 is predominately Miller’s Vineyard
Aroma: Red fruit
Taste: Caramelly blueberry deliciousnes
Price: $20
My thoughts: This wine packs lots of fruit with a nice finish. Great stand alone wine that doesn’t need to be paired with food.

Stangeland has won three gold medals and three silver medals at the famous Mondial des Pinots in Switzerland…the only Oregon winery with that accreditation.

Ask your local wine shop about ordering Stangeland or you can also order online.

The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is northwest of Salem, Oregon (here’s great interactive map of the wine region) and sits right in the heart of the state’s well-known Willamette Valley.

Cheers to Stangeland, a great slice of Oregon Pinot!