Middleburg Christmas Trees & Wineries

A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Middleburg to find a Christmas Tree and visit a winery!

We also visited a fantastic restaurant downtown. Scroll down for more of our epic evergreen escapades.

First Stop:

Second Stop:

The French Hound

This is a fantastic and classic Middleburg restaurant. Everyone was friendly and the food was scrumptious.

My selection:

 

Boudin Blanc: Grilled white sausage (chicken, pork & brandy) served with a petit salad caramelized onions & dijon mustard

 Anthony's selection:

Pizza: With caramelized onions, duck confit and Roquefort cheese.

Third Stop:

The Winery: Greenhill Winery, Middleburg, VA

My Tasting Notes: The Blanc de Blancs is my favorite out of all of their wines that I tasted. It's a sparkling wine made using traditional champagne methods, using 100% Chardonnay grapes...small delicate bubbles and hints of lemon and pear. And who doesn't love a good champagne during the holidays?!

My Verdict: It's an up and coming winery. The reds were okay, but not notable...and they were actually out of one of the whites on their tasting menu so we couldn't try it, which either means it's an amazing wine, or they were under-prepared. But, it was a fun atmosphere, cozy with a beautiful view. If you like brand new wineries, definitely pay Greenhill a visit. And in a few years, the reds will probably mellow out!!

From the State of the Vine Kitchen: Lemon Chicken with Arugula

I'm trying something new in this post...food! And more specifically (and perhaps, unfortunately) not desserts.*

I'm kind of a health nut and I'm on an extra health kick because of my upcoming wedding, so this is a perfect healthy recipe that packs a lot of flavor!
 

Full disclosure: As a journalist, I would be remiss to claim credit for something that isn't entirely my own, so I must confess this dish was a joint effort, due mostly to my wonderful fiance Anthony, who is an amazing cook. He has been teaching me since we moved to DC several years ago.

Food and wine are, of course, natural partners but this time I'd like to make the food the star of the show.

Presenting...lemon chicken! Scroll down for the recipe, directions and the finished product.

In the pan...

Plated and ready to eat!

Lemon Chicken Recipe:

Take 2 lbs of thinly sliced thin chicken breast, coat with a mix of 1 tbsp. of mustard (I love Grey Poupon) and one egg. Then cover lightly with Italian breadcrumbs and a little Parmesan cheese.

Pan fry on medium heat until brown with a little olive oil to coat the pan. And as Anthony says, "As soon as it's off the pan, hit it with lemon" (fresh squeezed lemon tastes best). Then, garnish with arugula, red onion and tomato and a drizzle or two of balsamic vinegar.  

For anyone concerned, I promise it's only very lightly breaded (and the Italian breadcrumbs we bought from Giant are made with whole grain)!

*Desserts will make a triumphant return to the blog after my wedding.


Cheers!

Argyle: Not just for sweaters!

The Wine: Argyle Brut Rose, 2010
Varietal, Region: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Petit Meunier, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Price: About $38
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Sterling, VA) , or the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, NC*
My Tasting Notes: Small bubbles, very slight hint of grapefruit with notes of cherry and strawberry. The palate is a tad acidic but well balanced.
My Verdict: Perfect balance of dry and slightly sweet! Very refreshing. And I like it so much, it will be served at my wedding! This sparkling rose is also a little different than many of the other sparkling roses I've had because of the varietals used. Definitely a sure bet to warm you up in the cold winter months!

*My wedding venue!

A Vino Visit to Chapel Hill

First, I know it's been way too long since my last post, but please forgive me, I have a really good excuse. I'm getting married... in a little over a month! I am extremely excited but I've been a tiny bit overwhelmed trying to make sure everything gets done, on time and none of the important details are left out.

I mention the upcoming nuptuals because Anthony and I recently took a short trip to my hometown, Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a wedding tasting. While we were there, we made some great new wine discoveries! I felt like the Christopher Columbus of wine (but don't worry...I won't claim I was the first one to discover it, haha).

Chapel Hill was a very special place to grow up, but since I am only a recent wine-enthusiast (shocking, I know), I was pleasantly surprised to find some fantastic wines and wine spots in my own hometown.

On to the wine...

Wine Spot: 411 West, 411 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC

411 West is a Chapel Hill staple and for a good reason…the food, wine and espresso are fantastic. Since part of Anthony’s family ancestry is Italian and I’ve never tried their wines, I though this would be the perfect spot for a light dinner and some sipping.

Our wedding tasting was mid-afternoon and we were still a bit stuffed so we didn't pig out. I ordered Stella's Insalate with salmon...a wonderful salad with greens, walnuts, cucumbers, red onions, roma tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette and a tomato bisque soup (

As for the wine, I had an absolutely amazing red. It was my first time having the a wine from Amarone and I'm pretty sure this is true love.

The Wine: Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico, Recchia "Ca Bertoldi" 2006

Varietal, Region: 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara, Veneto

Price: $6.50/1 oz. pour*

My Tasting Notes: A dark ruby red color, hints of vanilla and tobacco yet fragrant and slightly fruity...full bodied and incredibly smooth finish.

My Verdict: Amazing.

Where to Buy: I'm still researching where to find this gem, and as usual, when I do a search online, most of the stores that come up are in New York or New Jersey. But I'm working on it!

*Notes: This wine was in a special section on the menu that piqued my interest immediately "Reserves by the glass," which are sealed in a "temperature controlled Napa Technologies Wine Unit." I know a 1 oz pour may seem tiny but this wine is so good you won't even notice (until you order your second and third, of course). It's also available by the bottle for about $60.

More about Amarone Della Valpolicella.

Another spot to visit is West End Wine Bar, at 450 W Franklin Street...just a stones throw away from 411. Wine not?!

Cheers!

Fall...into Wine Club!

September wine-club picks:

Hoopla, The Mutt
Varietal, Region: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Sirah, 10% Merlot, Napa Valley
Price: About $25/bottle
My Tasting Notes: Bright berry flavors with soft tannins. Jammy, fruit forward with notes of blackberry and currant.
My Verdict: Perfect for a picnic (where did the warm weather go?!), dinner with friends, or just to sip on after a long day. 

Yorkville Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc
Varietal, Region: Sauv Blanc, Mendocino County
Price: $18.99 /bottle
My Tasting Notes: Citrusy aroma and well balanced. Crisp notes of grapefruit, green apple and a tiny hint of lime. 
My Verdict: This wine is organic, which is something I like (but is often much more difficult to find). It should be a go-to for anyone who likes Sauv Blancs with a slightly sweet finish. 

Now the real treat...A video with adorable sheep that help Yorkville Cellars maintain it's organic grape growing!

Cheers!

An Arlington Happy Hour Albariño

Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc and all you other typical white-wine grapes, it's time to step aside. There's a new grape in town...

...Albariño!

Okay, well maybe it's not brand-new, but it is to me, and to happy hour in Arlington as far as I can tell! It's classic enough to not be trendy but with a slight twist. Great reputation and a significant following... unique, fresh, clean and just makes me happy.  Could this be the Zac Posen of grapes?!

Typically, I'm the type of person that after consuming two glasses of white wine will be bed-ridden for a week, swearing off all alcohol for the rest of my life, but  I may have found the one white grape I can tolerate (and it's refreshing and tastes great)!

My ritual when trying a new wine is take a little whiff of the scent and then close my eyes and take a sip and see what comes to mind.

With this wine, I could imagine I was in Spain, touring a vineyard on a warm day, sipping a glass under the shade of an olive tree...Yes, I have a vivid imagination. But that's what makes life fun when you don't have a private plane that can whisk you off to Spain at any moment. Entiendes?

Arlington Happy Hour, Neighborhood: La Tasca, Clarendon
Specs: Mon through Fri 5-8pm

The Wine: Adegas Gran Venum, Nessa Albariño

Varietal, Region: Albariño, Rias Biaxas, Spain
Price: $7/glass
My Tasting Notes: The perfect white. Balanced and crisp, notes of citrus and a mineral taste, but well balanced and not too mineraly (is that a word? If not, it is now)!
My Verdict: One large glass of this is the perfect amount (look mom, no headache) ! If you're usually a red or rose drinker but need a change, this is the one for you. Enjoy with or without food, but if you have a glass at La Tasca, I'd suggest trying it with the pork empanadas ($5 at happy hour)!

About the grape: Albariño is a grape from the Rias Baixas region of Spain, and is thought to have been brought over by French monks! Read more here. 

Salud!

*Any potentially incorrect tenses/uses of Spanish can be blamed on my high school Spanish teacher who was too busy reprimanding me for wearing spaghetti-strap tanktops to help me master the language (but no hard feelings). :-)

Water & Wall, Happy Hour Reds Part Five

Arlington happy hour, Neighborhood: Water & Wall, Virginia Square

Specs: Monday-Fri until 8pm
Happy hour red: A Pinot Noir from California that goes for $5/glass. I didn't like it (too dry and a slightly leathery taste) so I decided to try another one they had on the menu  (which was fantastic...see  below).

Yes, believe it or not, this happy hour review is for Virginia Square, the tiny, often forgotten about sub-neighborhood wedged between Ballston and Clarendon.

Side note: They do have great happy hour beers. You can choose from a selection of several-- all on the "crafty" side. So if you like lighter beers this isn't the right place for you (they don't even exist on the regular-price drink menu).

So here's the wine I did review:

La Cuadrilla, Stolpman Vineyards, 2012

Varietal, Region: 60% Syrah, 20% Sangiovese, 15% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah

Price: $14/glass, $56/bottle
My Tasting Notes: Medium to full-bodied, dark fruits, spicy and dry with a nice finish.
My Verdict: Great wine. While it's a little pricey by the glass, just one of these gave me a nice warm wine buzz!

They also have fantastic appetizers. These are the fried green tomatoes.

Overall, Water & Wall is a must-visit. Cheers!

Delectable Desserts: The Ballston Edition

This post is long overdue, mainly because Arlington has some fantastic desserts. 

When I first started this blog, I intended to post about a few different desserts a month at the very least, but most of the time, they're so incredibly tasty that I forget to take a picture until it's half gone! That, or my fiance and I are abiding by our "phones put away at dinner" rule, which is actually a good thing (most of the time), but it can be a little complicated because my phone and camera are one and the same!

Now, on to the desserts! Here are two of my favorites, from Ballston:

Dessert: Mudslide cookies
Price: 4 cookies for $6
Available at: Willow, Fairfax Drive, Ballston
My Tasting Notes: These cookies taste just like a mudslide of chocolatey goodness and will certainly satisfy dark chocolate lovers (ME!!) and milk chocolate lovers, alike.
My Verdict: They taste great with vanilla ice cream. You can get the cookies with ice cream at Willow, or you can take them home and make your own cookie sandwiches, or cookies a la mode.

Dessert: Fruit Tart
Available at: Rus Uz, North Randolph Street, Ballston
My Tasting Notes: Tangy, light, fruity, slightly creamy, delicious
My Verdict: This dessert is much lighter than it looks, it is perfect for an after-dinner alternative to chocolate (which is an option, although I hate to admit it). I love the food here and I was pleasently surprised about this dessert...the surprised part comes in part because all it says under the dessert section of the menu on their website is "Call for details." Another thing to keep in mind, they have the desserts on some kind of rotation, so they don't always have the same selection.

Check out one of my other Ballston dessert posts here.

I promise my next dessert post will feature a different Arlington neighborhood.

Until then...

Cheers!

If You Have a Menut...

I couldn't help it; the pun was too good to resist. But, fortunately, so is this Priorat from Spain!

 It comes highly recommended from a friend and I was finally able to make it to one of the DC stores that carries it! 

Clos Martinet, Menut, 2011

Varietal, Region: Merlot Blend, Priorat, Spain

Price: $17.99/bottle

Available at: D'vines, 14th St DC and Adams Morgan

My Tasting Notes: Ripe and juicy, hints of blackberries and blueberries, slightly smokey, bold flavor with just the right amount of tannins.

My Verdict: So I bet you noticed this wine is a MERLOT blend. I think my next post might be "Why I should have never given Merlot the cold shoulder." haha. This wine is fantastic, a robust red that's also something a little different.

Cheers!

A Fantastic Fairfax Winery

As a final celebration for my big 3-0 (and I swear this is the last one), the fiance and I took a little trip to a winery right outside the beltway...Paradise Springs! 

It was the first nice day in about half a week and the winery was packed. Unfortunately we missed the big behind-the-scenes tour by about an hour (I think it's once a day on weekends) but the tasting was still totally worth it and even though it was packed, we we didn't have to wait long at all! 

The person who did our tasting was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and even gave us a teeny taste of one wine, their Norton, a native grape to Virginia, that isn't normally included. 

While we were tasting the wines we spoke to a couple next to us who were celebrating their 42 wedding anniversary. When we mentioned we're getting married in December they decided to share some wisdom. Their advice: Don't do anything the first year you don't want to continue for the rest of your lives and go to Aruba for our honeymoon. They said they've been all over the world and that's their favorite place!

 

Here are my favorite PS wines:

Nana's Rose, 2013

Varietal: Merlot
Price: $8/glass, $22/case
My Tasting Notes: Refreshing and citrusy, notes of strawberry and tropical fruit. Not aged in oak barrels. 
My Verdict: You would NEVER know this is from Merlot grapes; I'm not a huge fan and I loved this...in fact it was my favorite by far. And from what I heard there, it's the favorite of the winery owner, too!  

Melange, 2012

Varietal: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot
Price: $9/glass, $27/bottle
My Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied and slightly oaky with a smooth finish. Hints of blackberry and dark cherry. This was aged in French oak barrels and contains several Bordeaux varietals!
My Verdict: I'm really starting to like smooth red blends. And according to PS, Melange means blend or mixture in French!

An overall great experience. Beautiful setting, family and pet friendly (many cute pups and babies)...and so close to DC! Also did I mention the fantastic snacks? We had amazing French bread, salami and goat cheese.

Cheers!

Que Syrah, Syrah: A CA Beer and Wine

                                              

What will be, will be...in this case...one beer (yes, a beer!) and one wine made with Syrah grapes from Cali!

The Beer

This was my first trip to Dogfish Head Ale House, and what a wonderful surprise!

Dogfish Head Sixty-One IPA

Brewed with: Syrah grapes from California

Price: $7/pint

Available at: Dogfish Head Ale House, various stores across Arlington

My Tasting Notes: Slightly hoppy, the perfect amount of fruity, crisp and much lighter than I expected.

My Verdict: An absolute yes! I know the idea of beer brewed with wine grapes might sound weird, but its an absolute "do" in my book, and for this beer it totally works! A must try ASAP!

For the full story on this unlikely beer/wine marriage, go here.

The Wine

This wine we discovered in the retail section at Grand Cru, and brought home to enjoy at the end of the evening on my 30th birthday!

Stag's Leap Petit Sirah, 2011
Varietal, Region: Petit Sirah, Napa Valley
Price: $40/bottle
Available at: Grand Cru Wine Bar, Arlington
My Tasting Notes: A dry red, hints of currant and blueberry, bright and long lasting finish. Elegant tannins, slightly spicy and a strong palate.
My Verdict: This wine was fantastic and totally worth the price. Happy Birthday to me!!

Cheers!

Appellations of Bordeaux: Part One

Recently I had a "Grande" revelation...I desperately want to better acquaint myself with the different appellations of Bordeaux, to find out which ones I prefer the most. Of course, this has always been on my wine research to-do list but let's face it, there are so many different and fantastic wines out there, it's easy to get distracted!

So, I was sweating my way through a workout on the elliptical and flipping through a Glamour magazine I borrowed from my younger sister when I stumbled on an interview with Cecily Strong from Saturday Night Live. She talked about her experience working at a wine store when she was 22, and how everyone should know their favorite Bordeaux blends.

I agree...So voila! My first appellation-specific blog post is born...

This week I'm tackling Saint-Émilion.



La Grande Dame de Chateau Lavagnac, Bordeaux Superieur

Varietal, Appellation, Region: Merlot & Cabernet Franc, Saint-Émilion Bordeaux
Price: $18-22/bottle
Available at: Whole Foods & Grateful Red, Clarendon
My Tasting Notes: Medium bodied, smooth, slight oak and tannins, notes of dark cherry and red fruit
My Verdict: I really really liked this one. A good deal, not too light or too heavy. I will definitely be getting more of this one!











Chateau Vignot, Grand Cru, 2007

Varietal, Appellation, Region: Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
Price: $70/bottle*
Available at: The University Club, Washington, DC*
My Tasting Notes: Full-bodied, slight mineral taste, with round tannins and red berry fruit.
My Verdict: A little too heavy for summer, probably a wine that gets softer and easier to drink with age. Also, it wasn't decanted at the restaurant, and I think that might have helped a little.

*My fiancé and I tried this bottle at the while eating dinner at the University Club restaurant, so I'm guessing the price was marked up. I have yet to find a retail store that carries it in the DC/VA/MD area but I will update this post as soon as I do!

Coming in future posts...my reviews of Médoc, Graves and Pomerol



Cheers!