This weekend:
2013 Rafanelli Cab Sauv- young, but so damn good
2014 Lagier Meredith Mondeuse- Relative of Syrah but with a bit more finesse and perfume
2014 Mica Cab Sauv- always a great bottle
@ScottW58 It really was beautiful. I think they also make a red, this was the Rosato. We had halibut and porchetta, so this was a good bet for both. It reminded me of a ripe plum – the kind that’s bright red outside and yellow inside.
Tonight, 2015 Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir “Méthode à l’Ancienne”. I’ve been picking up the pace with the Navarros from BD. This one is delicious (honestly, I’ve liked them all so far), and in a funny way reminds me of the Rosato we had last night. A little more acidic, but lots of fruit. Not sure what kind of fruit with this one, but last night it was definitely plums. The kind with the yellow flesh and red skin, which surprisingly, were also an element in one of our entrees.
Taking a break …
with a couple of aged Flannery New Yorks, sous vide and grilled, with Scott’s Balls, sweet corn and papaya. Sauteed portabellos, broiled taters & asparagus and fresh baked sourdough… A bottle of quarter century
1993 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon
Smoking evening in SoCal.
we now return to tour logistics…
Happy Independence Day all!
Yes, it’s also July 4th.
May we have many more.
@ScottW58
It was nice. Mineral buzz, zippy acidity, lemon/lime palate with white pepper on the finish. Only the 2nd or 3rd Viura I have ever tried (supposedly a “doughnut wine” but I have not noticed it). There may not be much in the middle but it seemed to transition from entry to finish seamlessly, so… ?
I prefer Albarino and Torrontes but this was definitely enjoyable.
With friends at a local pizzeria - started with a French Rosé, then a quasi-vertical;
2012 Château de Sours Bordeaux Rosé
2007 Twisted Oak The Spaniard
2008 Fjellene The South Col Blend
2009 Raised by Wolves Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Augusta Winery Norton
2011 SonkinCellars Syrah Persona
All were enjoyed but WOTN was definitely the Fjellene.
Last night we opened a 2008 Twisted Oak Rolleri Vineyard Tempranillo we got from woot late last year. Corked!! First corked bottle at home in ages. At first it seemed close enough to the edge that it would blow off, but then the wet cardboard truly set in. @eljefetwisted@WineDavid49
Decided to open a bottle of 1998 Turley Moore Earthquake Vineyard Zin I bought at the tasting room last week.
It leaked a little bit that afternoon on the bus, so I didn’t want to chance it going off before drinking. Cork crumbled, but initial impressions are very good:
blueberries, raspberries, earth, mushroom, straw, long finish, amazing acidity, even for a 16% wine. Clearly they know what they’re doing!
@rjquillin Paso Robles is closer…pick up party in November… Also, it’s not often I say a $50 wine is anything resembling solid qpr. But this one…
We could tag along with @jawlz I suspect, since I doubt we’ll have allocations by then. But dammit, I’m getting that Cinsault every year, it was delicious!
@klezman@rjquillin We try to make the Turley pickup party in Paso, but don’t always manage it. Time will tell whether or not we make it up there for November. Regardless that Cinsault was terrific; I don’t think I’ve seen it in their Paso room (though I’ve never looked for it there) - it might be an Amador exclusive.
2013 Wellington Vineyards Zinfandel Meeks Hilltop Ranch
I have way too many of these, a good thing, and it was excellent with
Flannery custom burger blend; 50% prime hanger, 25% Wagyu shortribs, 25% prime rib cap fat.
frigging awesome.
Also grilled papaya drizzled with Cavedoni.
Now, off to Phoenix in the AM to roast my brain @ 45~47C for three days.
@rjquillin Enjoy!
I never did get the burger blends with the fat cap - I found I lost too much of said fat to the cooking process. How does it work for you with cooking?
Spent this past weekend in VA wine country, still trying to put together my notes but in the meantime went to a local tasting tonight for Tranche and Secret Squirrel Wines out of Walla Walla, WA, hosted by winemaker George Elliot.
Tasted; 2016 Tranche Pinot Gris Lawrence Vineyard (only wine they make with non-estate fruit) 2015 Tranche Pape Blanc (Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanc, Picpoul Blanc) 2015 Pape Red Estate (Equal parts G,S,M) 2014 Secret Squirrel Rhone Blend (approx. 65% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre) 2014 Secret Squirrel Bordeaux Blend (Mostly Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc with a bit of PV and Malbec)
Tranche is the sister winery of Corliss. Secret Squirrel is a second label for Corliss, so basically the same juice for less $$$.
Followed up the wine tasting with a couple Epic RiNo pale ales on draft.
@chipgreen
Epic started here in Utah and opened a second brewery in Colorado a few years ago, they make some killer brews. We have about 25 breweries located here despite our quirky liquor laws. Very large local brew scene here.
went tasting through Monterey county this last weekend.
Hit up the three at Canary row
Bargetto
carmel ridge
Blue fox
Hit up a few at carmel by the sea
Hahn
Scheid
Albatross ridge
Scratch
Caraccioli
And Carmel valley
Boekenoogen
Joyce
Chesebro
Bernardus
Came home with under a case which is pretty good self control. Most of these places were pretty touristy but still fun over a long weekend. Next time I visit ill definitely look for some more off the beaten path choices.
@CorTot That is very good self-control, indeed. 12 wineries so less than a bottle per winery on average, whereas we visited 8 wineries in VA last weekend and came home with 2 cases. What did you think of Scheid?
@chipgreen Scheid was fine, nothing really stood out as good just average. They had a ton of different varietals on display but only got to taste through 4.
@InFrom, @ScottW58
Yep. I’m up in Door County, WI (the little peninsula that sticks into Lake Michigan and forms Green Bay). Our sailboat tour got cancelled (rain/storms expected) so we opted for some"boat drinks" and cheese curds at a cute little place across from the marina.
No wine with dinner…opted for a Moscow Mule instead.
After attending our niece’s wedding in Arlington, VA last Friday, we headed SW towards VA wine country on Saturday morning. Ended up visiting 8 wineries over 2 days. Too much work to go through all we tasted but will comment on each winery…
DAY 1
Early Mountain Vineyards: Owned by the former CEO of America Online (AOL), Steve Case, this winery not only makes a number of wines from its own estate grapes but also promotes VA wines in general, offering a wide selection of wines for sale from wineries around the state. EM’s own wines are quite good but also a bit pricey ($25 for their Rosé!). A popular wedding destination, this is one of the more upscale wineries we have visited in VA.
Glass House Winery: An eclectic, unique space dripping with artistry. The owners have created quite a visual spectacle while also producing respectable wines at reasonable prices. Additionally, they make their own custom chocolates in various unique flavors, which were delicious.
Cardinal Point Winery: Many of the wines here were sweet or semi-sweet which isn’t really in our wheelhouse. They did have a few good dry wines as well, however. Particularly good were their Petit Verdot and a Dry Hopped Chardonnay. A Hopped Chardonnay!?!? It was surprisingly tasty and we took a bottle home with us. We visited this winery in honor of my FIL who passed last year. He loved Cardinals (he called them “Redbirds”) and was also an avid stamp collector. The labels on their wines look like Cardinal stamps and they were kind enough to give us some loose labels they had lying around.
Keswick Vineyards: We attempted to go to Pippin Hill Farm & Winery but were shutdown because of a wedding being held on the property. Still happy to get a chance to visit Keswick as it was one of two wineries on my wish list from 5 years ago (the other being Glass House) that we didn’t find time to visit. Overflowing with display bottles sporting multiple medals, this is one of the more highly regarded wineries in the state. There is some interesting history behind the property and its previous owner, Amélie Rives. One of the bottles we purchased here is a sparkling Viognier named after her. From the back label; “A tribute to the alluring Amélie Rives. The violet-eyed, sensational, best-selling authoress of the Gilded Age who was the goddaughter of Robert E. Lee and former owner of the acreage now known as Keswick Vineyards.”
DAY2
Trump Winery: Funny to think that when we last visited, “The Donald” was a reality TV star with no known political aspirations. Apparently business has greatly increased in the days since he was elected President and the winery has become somewhat of a Mecca for his followers. As such, prices have gone up on most of the wines and they no longer refund your tasting fee if you buy some bottles. One thing that hasn’t changed is the winemaker, Jonathan Wheeler. He worked at the winery back when it was still Kluge and became the head winemaker in 2011. I remember the sparkling wines being very good while the other wines didn’t particularly stand out but he has been honing his craft and I have to say that the wines were solid across the board. We ended up with a full case although half of that was Rosé, which for some reason is still priced at $18 despite the price hike on the rest of their portfolio. The sparkling Rosé, OTOH, went from $35 to $50. We passed on that and settled for 2 bottles of Blanc de Blanc which only went up to $34 from $29. We rounded out our case with 2 bottles of Cab Sauv and one each of Meritage and Viognier. The girl who served us was very nice - she was getting ready for her first year of teaching Spanish at a local high school and had just returned from a trip to Spain a week prior. She clued us in to a non-publicized winery that we had passed on our way there without even knowing it…
Gabriel Rausse WineryGabriel Rausse is known as the father of the modern Virginia wine industry, having immigrated from Italy to Charlottesville, VA where his first job was helping to startup Barboursville Vineyards. Many winery startups later, he finally opened up his own where we had a wonderful tasting paired with fresh baked sourdough baguettes, olive oil, roasted eggplant, chopped tomato and onion. Then the lightest most delicate fettuccine alfredo noodles I’ve ever tasted. Forgetting a course here but then we finished it off with deconstructed blueberry pie. The winery is only open 3 days a week and it was quite crowded so it’s obviously not a well-kept secret but if you’re driving down the road all you see near a gravel driveway that goes back into the woods is this small crane with an “OPEN” sign…
King Family Vineyards It was drizzling on and off most of the morning which was a concern because the big draw at King Family on Sundays is polo. They have a full size field (300 yds x 160 yds - the size of approx. 10 football fields) but they only play weather permitting. Thankfully the rain mostly held off and we got to see our first ever polo match. People park “tailgate style” around the field and a golf cart drives around selling wine throughout the matches that last from 1-3 pm. We brought some camping chairs along, bought a bottle of Rosé and enjoyed the show. At halftime they invite the spectators out onto the field to stomp divots, which we did and ended up talking to a couple players who were still hanging out on their horses near the edge of the field. Fun times then after the matches we went inside and did a tasting before heading to one final winery.
Pollak Vineyards Really good wines from top to bottom, this is another highly regarded and predictably pricey winery but we were feeling pretty hapy at this point and gladly bought 3 bottles for a 5% discount without paying any attention to the retail price. Sticker shock set in later when I saw that we doled out $24 for a Rosé, $28 for Chardonnay and $40 for their Meritage. Oh well, when it comes time to drink them we will enjoy them!
Overall, my impression is that VA wineries are getting better at producing serious wines and wineries like Cardinal Point that produce a number of sweet and semi-sweet wines are thankfully becoming the exception rather than the rule. I should also mention that not only were most of the wines very good, the views at nearly every winery were incredible with forested mountains serving as a backdrop and most of them having lakes, ponds or other water features as well. Finally, the drive between wineries was fun. Narrow, twisty, hilly mountain roads carved into the woods where grassy vegetation grows right up to the berm. I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about driving those roads at night and it can get a little hairy when another car comes around the curve in the opposite direction but the fun roads and beautiful scenery between wineries definitely enhanced the experience!
With friends at a local seafood place;
2010 Iron Horse Ocean Reserve
2012 Stillman Brown Verdejo Chateau d’Abalone
2016 Dennen Rosé Vacationer
…paired with spicy Asian noodles, mussels, chorizo and shrimp bowtie pasta and crab-crusted grouper.
Then watched the Cleveland Orchestra perform Mozart’s 41st symphony (Jupiter) and Brahms’ 4th symphony under the stars at Blossom Music Center outdoor ampitheatre.
Picked the Dennen Rosé for dinner because we saw him (Brett Dennen) open up for Jason Mraz last night at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica (another outdoor ampitheatre) in Cleveland’s Flats district.
@chipgreen Hey, we’re seeing Mozart’s 40th Symphony tomorrow afternoon, along with Prokofiev and Haydn. Along with a picnic, to include a nice bottle of Rosé, or maybe a Riesling.
@jmdavidson1 The Agharta, from Rimmerman, is solid qpr. The 15.7% doesn’t particularly show, but the rest of what gives you 15.7% alcohol does. Lots of cocoa, heavier fruit, perfume, and all sorts of good stuff. I don’t know how they did it, but the acidity is balanced as well (maybe some tartaric addition?). Definitely a solid value for <$20 from Rimmerman.
@jmdavidson1@klezman alcohol can show oddly sometimes. I tasted at a winery last weekend with a Syrah @ 15.7% that showed really hot and immediately followed by a zin @ 16.5% that showed just fine.
Last night for my moms birthday
2016 Etude Pinot Gris Carneros
2014 Navarro Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvée
2012 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Cool Coast Paredones Estate
My last glass of my last bottle of 2009 Ty Caton Tytanium from the old Woot days - OMG you guys it’s held up AMAZINGLY well… Still surprisingly fruity - dark, rich, lovely tannins on the finish. Hope I catch it again if it comes around on Casemates in the near future!
2012 Halcon Alturas (100% syrah) with a wedge salad. Perfect pairing: blue cheese and bacon with the syrah.
This weekend:
2013 Rafanelli Cab Sauv- young, but so damn good
2014 Lagier Meredith Mondeuse- Relative of Syrah but with a bit more finesse and perfume
2014 Mica Cab Sauv- always a great bottle
2012 Campesino Baybos with burgers, or salisbury steak for some.
Bacon burgers and…
@ScottW58 Ok, so I put bacon fat on the green beans instead of the burgers, but no French wine.
@ScottW58 what’s up with the tomato?
@jmdavidson1
Haha nice!
@CorTot
I thought all the health nuts would think I’m a better person
@ScottW58
What happened to the turkey burgers?
@ScottW58 don’t worry they know better .
@karenhynes
Not one of the 4 girls in the house tonight
@CorTot
In the wine cellar of a downtown restaurant… 2016 Masseria del Pino Etna Super Luna
@InFrom Wow that’s pretty! how did it taste?
@ScottW58 It really was beautiful. I think they also make a red, this was the Rosato. We had halibut and porchetta, so this was a good bet for both. It reminded me of a ripe plum – the kind that’s bright red outside and yellow inside.
2009 Bennett Lane Reserve CS
Revisiting the 2012 Ramey CS from last weekend. Still delicious.
2015 Bonny Doon “A Proper Claret”. I love finding discount bottles of The Doon at Costco.
2013 harvest moon Randy zin
A Harvest Moon,
A Bonny Doon,
An Etna picked in a Superlune…
@InFrom well played!
Tonight, 2015 Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir “Méthode à l’Ancienne”. I’ve been picking up the pace with the Navarros from BD. This one is delicious (honestly, I’ve liked them all so far), and in a funny way reminds me of the Rosato we had last night. A little more acidic, but lots of fruit. Not sure what kind of fruit with this one, but last night it was definitely plums. The kind with the yellow flesh and red skin, which surprisingly, were also an element in one of our entrees.
Anyway, happy 4th of July, everybody!
Gruet Blanc de Noirs NV
Gruet Brut NV
Happy 4th of July!
2008 & 2009 Eagles Trace Cab Sauv, these just get better and better with every one I open.
Taking a break …
with a couple of aged Flannery New Yorks, sous vide and grilled, with Scott’s Balls, sweet corn and papaya. Sauteed portabellos, broiled taters & asparagus and fresh baked sourdough… A bottle of quarter century
1993 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon
Smoking evening in SoCal.
we now return to tour logistics…
Yes, it’s also July 4th.
May we have many more.
2011 Woot Cellars Triacipedis in the Dominion of the Flower-King
2015 Ca’Rozzeria Lange Nebbiolo
This is a label Garagiste created. This is delicious juice, and under $15 delivered.
2013 Engracia Pinot Noir
2011 Bianchi PS Paso Robles
On the lawn at Tanglewood. It’s good to be alive.
@InFrom 2016 Paetra Riesling all gone. Pictures to follow.
@InFrom
2005 Winesmith Second Fiddle Pinot Noir
2017 version cause i’m too lazy and freaking hot to take a picture. Rose because it’s hot!!!
2014 WineSmith Sparkling Grenache
2013 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir RRV, Allen Vineyard
Hmm love those Allen vineyard wines!!
@ScottW58
So yummy!
2005 Chiarlo Barolo Tortoniano
2016 zeppelin viognier with chile verde enchiladas.
A little Brunello with some Korean beef and salad.
@ScottW58 What is Korean beef?
@ScottW58
How well did it pair with the Cheetos?
@karenhynes
Come on Karen I would expect you to know that everything pairs well with Cheetos
@baekdusan
Some pre made crap that I found at Costco. Not bad if you add some soy sauce to kill some of the sweetness.
@ScottW58
Indeed…and Pop Tarts! All the reds pair with strawberry or cherry Pop Tarts!
@karenhynes
mmm pop tarts thats no joke sister
@karenhynes @ScottW58 Ha! I was going to post the same thing. Pop tarts and red wine, better than pizza and beer!
@chipgreen @ScottW58
2013 Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval
2008 Piers CS Red Mtn.
@jmdavidson1 and? Drink now, or drink or hold?
@kainc I remember liking it, but too long ago to remember much else. Sorry.
2015 Langhorne Creek South Australia ‘The Opportunist’ Shiraz with a Santa Maria style tri-tip smoked on my new Hunsaker Vortex UDS smoker.
Lots of wine and beer with friends. Tavel Rose and a German Pinot noir. Double IPA and an Allegash saison. Whiskey to come.
2010 Wine Smith CF with Bistek al Queso
@jmdavidson1 I opened a bottle of the Lot 2 last night. Really good!
Tonight with spaghetti and meatballs…I am very happy!
@ScottW58 They must not be turkey meatballs…
@chipgreen
Hell no
2009 Palacios Remondo Rioja Plácet Valtomelloso
@chipgreen
That sounds fun! How was it?
@ScottW58
It was nice. Mineral buzz, zippy acidity, lemon/lime palate with white pepper on the finish. Only the 2nd or 3rd Viura I have ever tried (supposedly a “doughnut wine” but I have not noticed it). There may not be much in the middle but it seemed to transition from entry to finish seamlessly, so… ?
I prefer Albarino and Torrontes but this was definitely enjoyable.
2009 Cimarossa CS Rive di Cimarossa
2005 Kobalt CS
both went great with caprese bruschetta and then NY strip steaks
@jmdavidson1
Good work! sounds like a fantastic night
A great variety of Scott Harvey wines: 2005 Cathedral was the headliner for me along with 2011 Vineyard 1869.
2014 twisted oak Tempranillo zilch
1994 Wellington Vineyards Zinfandel Casa Santinamaria Vineyards Sonoma Valley from a 3L
And a whole lotta other stuff at the farewell supper.
With crab legs
Glenfiddich Winter Storm (just a wee dram)
Most of a bottle of WineSmith 2010 Cab Franc that somebody stuffed into my hands at the end of Friday night’s dinner. (Thanks @cmaldoon!)
Stillman Petit Syrah (vintage? who knows with that stupid illegible red label?). Pairing: Shrimp & grits w/chorizo.
2006 Twisted Oak white potty mouth!
Deliciousness!!
2012 Bodegas Volver Triga
last night was a 2013 Scott Harvey Mountain Selection Zin.
2015 Princess and Peasant Pinot Noir
This stuff is good…high on the list for next BD if I’m allowed to buy any wine at all by then.
I start saving for that event right about now. Or, should I say, I try to clean out the credit card debt. BD is so good, it should be illegal.
@jmdavidson1 …especially when it falls on a weekend like this year.
With friends at a local pizzeria - started with a French Rosé, then a quasi-vertical;
2012 Château de Sours Bordeaux Rosé
2007 Twisted Oak The Spaniard
2008 Fjellene The South Col Blend
2009 Raised by Wolves Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Augusta Winery Norton
2011 SonkinCellars Syrah Persona
All were enjoyed but WOTN was definitely the Fjellene.
No one has been drinking since Wednesday? Sad. 2011 Sequoia Grove CS Rsv Rutherford.
2013 Ross Andrew Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
@baekdusan I’m sitting on my stash, so where is this in the developmental curve?
2014 WineSmith Pinot Gris
2016 Esoterica (Kent Rasmussen) Pinot Noir, North Coast
2012 Trione Vineyards Henry’s Blend
@karenhynes thoughts on the Pinot?
Last night we opened a 2008 Twisted Oak Rolleri Vineyard Tempranillo we got from woot late last year. Corked!! First corked bottle at home in ages. At first it seemed close enough to the edge that it would blow off, but then the wet cardboard truly set in.
@eljefetwisted @WineDavid49
Over the last couple of nights…
How was that 1995? I was tempted to order.
@InFrom
Took a flyer on a couple of bottles and paid the shipping, it was decent but nothing I would buy again.
Got a big old Costco USDA Prime rib steak to grill up tonight…suggestions?
Decided to open a bottle of 1998 Turley Moore Earthquake Vineyard Zin I bought at the tasting room last week.
It leaked a little bit that afternoon on the bus, so I didn’t want to chance it going off before drinking. Cork crumbled, but initial impressions are very good:
blueberries, raspberries, earth, mushroom, straw, long finish, amazing acidity, even for a 16% wine. Clearly they know what they’re doing!
@klezman Should we make another trip up and raid that library rack a bit more?
@rjquillin Paso Robles is closer…pick up party in November… Also, it’s not often I say a $50 wine is anything resembling solid qpr. But this one…
We could tag along with @jawlz I suspect, since I doubt we’ll have allocations by then. But dammit, I’m getting that Cinsault every year, it was delicious!
Also following this up with a Vinitwo del Finito, especially since another bottle of that is likely on the way.
@klezman @rjquillin We try to make the Turley pickup party in Paso, but don’t always manage it. Time will tell whether or not we make it up there for November. Regardless that Cinsault was terrific; I don’t think I’ve seen it in their Paso room (though I’ve never looked for it there) - it might be an Amador exclusive.
2009 RustRidge Chardonnay Estate
thanks @bsevern
Last night was a 2004 Bridlewood Late Harvest Viognier. Quite dark colored but still nice.
Leftovers from last night
@ScottW58
Well done! Last night looks delicious!
@ScottW58 You are drinking well again!
You around this month? We should do dinner!
@klezman
I think we can do that
You win. I’m drinking a knock off wine ($20) from an Indiana winery, NV Shady Creek Cabernet. Pictures to follow (LOL).
@jmdavidson1 I like pictures!
2013 Wellington Vineyards Zinfandel Meeks Hilltop Ranch
I have way too many of these, a good thing, and it was excellent with
Flannery custom burger blend; 50% prime hanger, 25% Wagyu shortribs, 25% prime rib cap fat.
frigging awesome.
Also grilled papaya drizzled with Cavedoni.
Now, off to Phoenix in the AM to roast my brain @ 45~47C for three days.
@rjquillin Enjoy!
I never did get the burger blends with the fat cap - I found I lost too much of said fat to the cooking process. How does it work for you with cooking?
2010 Ty Caton Tytanium
2011 Laura Michael Wines Zinfandel Old Vines
2017 Hahn Pinot noir rose arroyo seco estate vineyard
2014 Kendric Pinot Noir
The remains of a 2013 Woot Cellars (Meeker) Vinitwo del Finito
Spent this past weekend in VA wine country, still trying to put together my notes but in the meantime went to a local tasting tonight for Tranche and Secret Squirrel Wines out of Walla Walla, WA, hosted by winemaker George Elliot.
Tasted;
2016 Tranche Pinot Gris Lawrence Vineyard (only wine they make with non-estate fruit)
2015 Tranche Pape Blanc (Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanc, Picpoul Blanc)
2015 Pape Red Estate (Equal parts G,S,M)
2014 Secret Squirrel Rhone Blend (approx. 65% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre)
2014 Secret Squirrel Bordeaux Blend (Mostly Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc with a bit of PV and Malbec)
Tranche is the sister winery of Corliss. Secret Squirrel is a second label for Corliss, so basically the same juice for less $$$.
Followed up the wine tasting with a couple Epic RiNo pale ales on draft.
Can’t help myself, little trip down memory lane…
@chipgreen
Epic started here in Utah and opened a second brewery in Colorado a few years ago, they make some killer brews. We have about 25 breweries located here despite our quirky liquor laws. Very large local brew scene here.
IT’S HOT! and this works!
2012 Scott Harvey Barbera - Mountain
2004 Pertimali Livio Sassetti BdM. Grilled pizza night.
@jmdavidson1
Yum I hope how was it?
@ScottW58 It was a medium priced BdM, so average quality, but it went well with the pizza.
2007 Biggio Hamina Syrah Deux Vert
2008 Spellbound Petite Sirah Reserve
2011 Roche Merlot
@klezman Those from the '14 tour?
@rjquillin No…or maybe…I don’t remember. But I’ve had them a while. I think it was a heavily discounted “library” wine offering.
went tasting through Monterey county this last weekend.
Hit up the three at Canary row
Bargetto
carmel ridge
Blue fox
Hit up a few at carmel by the sea
Hahn
Scheid
Albatross ridge
Scratch
Caraccioli
And Carmel valley
Boekenoogen
Joyce
Chesebro
Bernardus
Came home with under a case which is pretty good self control. Most of these places were pretty touristy but still fun over a long weekend. Next time I visit ill definitely look for some more off the beaten path choices.
@CorTot That is very good self-control, indeed. 12 wineries so less than a bottle per winery on average, whereas we visited 8 wineries in VA last weekend and came home with 2 cases. What did you think of Scheid?
@chipgreen Scheid was fine, nothing really stood out as good just average. They had a ton of different varietals on display but only got to taste through 4.
PIER PRESSURE - Tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, lemonade, pineapple juice
BOATHOUSE MARGARITA -Tequila, Triple Sec, fresh lime juice, on the rocks.
CUCUMBER WATERMELON MOJITO - Prairie cucumber vodka, simple syrup, mint, watermelon schnapps, seltzer, garnished with slice of watermelon and lime.
Perhaps a glass of wine with dinner…
@karenhynes So, waterside bar?
@karenhynes
Sounds like what I need this weekend
@InFrom, @ScottW58
Yep. I’m up in Door County, WI (the little peninsula that sticks into Lake Michigan and forms Green Bay). Our sailboat tour got cancelled (rain/storms expected) so we opted for some"boat drinks" and cheese curds at a cute little place across from the marina.
No wine with dinner…opted for a Moscow Mule instead.
After attending our niece’s wedding in Arlington, VA last Friday, we headed SW towards VA wine country on Saturday morning. Ended up visiting 8 wineries over 2 days. Too much work to go through all we tasted but will comment on each winery…
DAY 1
Early Mountain Vineyards: Owned by the former CEO of America Online (AOL), Steve Case, this winery not only makes a number of wines from its own estate grapes but also promotes VA wines in general, offering a wide selection of wines for sale from wineries around the state. EM’s own wines are quite good but also a bit pricey ($25 for their Rosé!). A popular wedding destination, this is one of the more upscale wineries we have visited in VA.
Glass House Winery: An eclectic, unique space dripping with artistry. The owners have created quite a visual spectacle while also producing respectable wines at reasonable prices. Additionally, they make their own custom chocolates in various unique flavors, which were delicious.
Cardinal Point Winery: Many of the wines here were sweet or semi-sweet which isn’t really in our wheelhouse. They did have a few good dry wines as well, however. Particularly good were their Petit Verdot and a Dry Hopped Chardonnay. A Hopped Chardonnay!?!? It was surprisingly tasty and we took a bottle home with us. We visited this winery in honor of my FIL who passed last year. He loved Cardinals (he called them “Redbirds”) and was also an avid stamp collector. The labels on their wines look like Cardinal stamps and they were kind enough to give us some loose labels they had lying around.
Keswick Vineyards: We attempted to go to Pippin Hill Farm & Winery but were shutdown because of a wedding being held on the property. Still happy to get a chance to visit Keswick as it was one of two wineries on my wish list from 5 years ago (the other being Glass House) that we didn’t find time to visit. Overflowing with display bottles sporting multiple medals, this is one of the more highly regarded wineries in the state. There is some interesting history behind the property and its previous owner, Amélie Rives. One of the bottles we purchased here is a sparkling Viognier named after her. From the back label; “A tribute to the alluring Amélie Rives. The violet-eyed, sensational, best-selling authoress of the Gilded Age who was the goddaughter of Robert E. Lee and former owner of the acreage now known as Keswick Vineyards.”
DAY2
Trump Winery: Funny to think that when we last visited, “The Donald” was a reality TV star with no known political aspirations. Apparently business has greatly increased in the days since he was elected President and the winery has become somewhat of a Mecca for his followers. As such, prices have gone up on most of the wines and they no longer refund your tasting fee if you buy some bottles. One thing that hasn’t changed is the winemaker, Jonathan Wheeler. He worked at the winery back when it was still Kluge and became the head winemaker in 2011. I remember the sparkling wines being very good while the other wines didn’t particularly stand out but he has been honing his craft and I have to say that the wines were solid across the board. We ended up with a full case although half of that was Rosé, which for some reason is still priced at $18 despite the price hike on the rest of their portfolio. The sparkling Rosé, OTOH, went from $35 to $50. We passed on that and settled for 2 bottles of Blanc de Blanc which only went up to $34 from $29. We rounded out our case with 2 bottles of Cab Sauv and one each of Meritage and Viognier. The girl who served us was very nice - she was getting ready for her first year of teaching Spanish at a local high school and had just returned from a trip to Spain a week prior. She clued us in to a non-publicized winery that we had passed on our way there without even knowing it…
Gabriel Rausse Winery Gabriel Rausse is known as the father of the modern Virginia wine industry, having immigrated from Italy to Charlottesville, VA where his first job was helping to startup Barboursville Vineyards. Many winery startups later, he finally opened up his own where we had a wonderful tasting paired with fresh baked sourdough baguettes, olive oil, roasted eggplant, chopped tomato and onion. Then the lightest most delicate fettuccine alfredo noodles I’ve ever tasted. Forgetting a course here but then we finished it off with deconstructed blueberry pie. The winery is only open 3 days a week and it was quite crowded so it’s obviously not a well-kept secret but if you’re driving down the road all you see near a gravel driveway that goes back into the woods is this small crane with an “OPEN” sign…
King Family Vineyards It was drizzling on and off most of the morning which was a concern because the big draw at King Family on Sundays is polo. They have a full size field (300 yds x 160 yds - the size of approx. 10 football fields) but they only play weather permitting. Thankfully the rain mostly held off and we got to see our first ever polo match. People park “tailgate style” around the field and a golf cart drives around selling wine throughout the matches that last from 1-3 pm. We brought some camping chairs along, bought a bottle of Rosé and enjoyed the show. At halftime they invite the spectators out onto the field to stomp divots, which we did and ended up talking to a couple players who were still hanging out on their horses near the edge of the field. Fun times then after the matches we went inside and did a tasting before heading to one final winery.
Pollak Vineyards Really good wines from top to bottom, this is another highly regarded and predictably pricey winery but we were feeling pretty hapy at this point and gladly bought 3 bottles for a 5% discount without paying any attention to the retail price. Sticker shock set in later when I saw that we doled out $24 for a Rosé, $28 for Chardonnay and $40 for their Meritage. Oh well, when it comes time to drink them we will enjoy them!
Overall, my impression is that VA wineries are getting better at producing serious wines and wineries like Cardinal Point that produce a number of sweet and semi-sweet wines are thankfully becoming the exception rather than the rule. I should also mention that not only were most of the wines very good, the views at nearly every winery were incredible with forested mountains serving as a backdrop and most of them having lakes, ponds or other water features as well. Finally, the drive between wineries was fun. Narrow, twisty, hilly mountain roads carved into the woods where grassy vegetation grows right up to the berm. I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about driving those roads at night and it can get a little hairy when another car comes around the curve in the opposite direction but the fun roads and beautiful scenery between wineries definitely enhanced the experience!
Imagine drinking the most pure blackberry and boysenberry fruit with great tannin and acid structure and then a spoonful of pure vanilla, yikes!
@ScottW58 I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
@klezman
Personally I thought it was a bad thing.
@klezman @ScottW58 Sounds good until the teaspoon of vanilla…
We’re drinking 2014 Zotovich Pinot Noir Rose. Delicious.
2016 10 span pinot noir central coast
Not good but not a drain pour either. Free bottle from the hotel we were at over the weekend.
To hell with the heat wave! Palmer Alter Ego Palmer’s 2nd wine I found at Costco, friggin delicious with Flannery burgers
@ScottW58 looking at the weather forecast we have at least another 10 days of this garbage.
@CorTot
Ugghh yeah with another 10 plus days of over 100 degree weather I might have to switch to beer…or not
@CorTot @ScottW58 Good time to visit Chicago. Temps about 80 for a high and 65 for a low.
@CorTot @jmdavidson1
I will talk to you in August when I have a break from the hellish show I’m working on
@jmdavidson1 @ScottW58 Will that break extend into September?
@chipgreen @jmdavidson1
I kid kind of
With any luck the show will be cancelled by then! All American don’t watch it
@ScottW58
Scott, we need to make plans for next Friday night (if you can do it) or maybe Sunday! It’s way cooler on our side of the hill
With friends at a local seafood place;
2010 Iron Horse Ocean Reserve
2012 Stillman Brown Verdejo Chateau d’Abalone
2016 Dennen Rosé Vacationer
…paired with spicy Asian noodles, mussels, chorizo and shrimp bowtie pasta and crab-crusted grouper.
Then watched the Cleveland Orchestra perform Mozart’s 41st symphony (Jupiter) and Brahms’ 4th symphony under the stars at Blossom Music Center outdoor ampitheatre.
Picked the Dennen Rosé for dinner because we saw him (Brett Dennen) open up for Jason Mraz last night at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica (another outdoor ampitheatre) in Cleveland’s Flats district.
Fun weekend!
@chipgreen Hey, we’re seeing Mozart’s 40th Symphony tomorrow afternoon, along with Prokofiev and Haydn. Along with a picnic, to include a nice bottle of Rosé, or maybe a Riesling.
@InFrom Nice!
With a friend who’s visiting:
2016 Campesino Grenache Isa Rose
2007 Agharta Red Label (97% Syrah, 3% Viognier)
Cooking a Flannery pork rib cap right now. This is smelling delicious!!! Visitor is veg, so more for me!
@klezman I already know the ISA is very good, but what about the Agharta?
@jmdavidson1 The Agharta, from Rimmerman, is solid qpr. The 15.7% doesn’t particularly show, but the rest of what gives you 15.7% alcohol does. Lots of cocoa, heavier fruit, perfume, and all sorts of good stuff. I don’t know how they did it, but the acidity is balanced as well (maybe some tartaric addition?). Definitely a solid value for <$20 from Rimmerman.
@jmdavidson1 @klezman alcohol can show oddly sometimes. I tasted at a winery last weekend with a Syrah @ 15.7% that showed really hot and immediately followed by a zin @ 16.5% that showed just fine.
@CorTot @jmdavidson1 This year’s Tour made that clear, especially stops at Turley, along with some in Lodi.
2007 WS Crucible.
@jmdavidson1 And more WS is up on RLL, sadly, not the Crucible.
@jmdavidson1 I haven’t even popped any of my 2005s yet. How is it?
@chipgreen Easy to drink right out of the bottle. Pronounced oak that took a couple of hours to blow off. Seems like a wine you can drink now or hold.
2012 Early Mountain Malbec-Merlot Rosé while doing some house cleaning.
Anybody else remember this one?
@winedavid49
NV SakéOne Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo Medium Dry Premium
With grilled chicken and corn on the cobb.
2015 NxNW Rosé. Tasty on a hot hot night. Seriously, stop with the heat already.
2012 Halcon Prado with oysters on the half shell.
2009 Laurel Glen Vyd CS Sonoma
@jmdavidson1 I haven’t tried any of my bottles yet. How was it?
@Mark_L A good, but not great, bottle. Drink now with a decant or hold for a year or two.
Into the second bottle already…
2012 Marie-Pierre Manciat Macon Les Morizottes
2013 Wellington Meeks Hilltop Zin
There will likely be a third bottle. Good when the BIL visits…
Last night for my moms birthday
2016 Etude Pinot Gris Carneros
2014 Navarro Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvée
2012 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Cool Coast Paredones Estate
2013 Nichols Cab Sauv Stags Leap with Costco prime rib eyes.
2010 Broken Earth Winery Merlot PULL
meh
2013 Mocine Toscana IGT with linguine and sun dried tomatoes/scallops and a side of fried green tomatoes.
2012 Harvest Moon Estate & Winery Gewürztraminer Ice
2010 Noceto Hillside Sangiovese
Rather tasty!
10 year anniversary today
2012 IH wedding cuvee
@CorTot
Happy Anniversary!
@CorTot NICE!!!
@CorTot Happy Anniversary.
My last glass of my last bottle of 2009 Ty Caton Tytanium from the old Woot days - OMG you guys it’s held up AMAZINGLY well… Still surprisingly fruity - dark, rich, lovely tannins on the finish. Hope I catch it again if it comes around on Casemates in the near future!
SPOILER ALERT-It’s no longer July. You can post on the August thread now.
@jmdavidson1 tonight I’m reliving the past so I’m good with still enjoying july