Screwtop Wine Bar (Happy Hour Reds, Part 3)

This was my first time at Screwtop Wine Bar & Cheese Shop. I noticed right away they had six different wines on their happy hour menu to choose from!

Arlington Happy Hour, Neighborhood: Screwtop Wine Bar & Cheese Shop, Clarendon

Happy Hour: M-F Until 6 p.m.

Price per Glass: $6

My Happy Hour Tasting Notes: I loved the Dinarells Negre, a balanced Spanish red blend with noticeable tannins. I also liked the Cricova Sparkling Brut. Very crisp bubbles with a "flowery bouquet", and yeasty (but in a good way).

*Tips- We arrived around 5 and got two of four open seats left at the bar. By the time we left around 6:30, there was barely any standing room.

Calling my fellow "taste-oholics!"
The non-happy hour wine menu also has some great finds and each wine is available in three different sizes: A sip, a glass, or a bottle. The prices vary on each wine. 

My Favorites: 

• Buguey Cerdon, Sparkling Gamay, Boyeux Saint Jerome France: I LOVED it. In a recent post I talked about Mini Beaujolais-Villages which are made from the same grape.
• Vigilance Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, California - From what I've read, Lake County wines are a great alternative to Napa wines. This one had a spicy nose, slightly oaky with a buttery texture and an aroma of black cherry. 

Honorable Mention: The nachos. A picture is worth a thousand words...(and they were amazing). 

I can't wait to go back. Cheers!

Crémant de Loire: Book Club & A Celebration

When it came to choosing a wine for this month's book club meeting, I went straight for the bubbly! 

I'm a firm believer that you don't need a special occasion for sparkling wines & champagnes, but this time I actually did have something to celebrate...I just got a fantastic new job!

On to the wine:

De Chanceny Crémant de Loire, Rosé Brut

Varietal, Region: Cabernet Franc, Loire Valley

Arlington Store, Neighborhood: Whole Foods, Clarendon

Price: around $15

My Tasting Notes: Aromas of raspberry, lemon and other citrus fruits, delicate yet bright, refreshing with a clean finish.

Fun Facts about Crémant de Loire wines:

• These wines are labeled "méthode traditionnelle" not "méthode champenoise" even though they are both produced using the traditional champagne production method. This is due to EU regulations, but only on sparkling wines produced within the EU (so you may see the latter on a label of California sparkling wine)
• Crémant de Bourgogne was introduced around the same time, and Crémant d'Alsace came slightly later 
• Archaeological evidence points to the Romans as the first to plant vineyards in the Loire Valley in the 1st century AD, during their settlement of Gaul. Who knew?!

I'll talk more about Cabernet Franc in a future post!

The Book:

I read The Kite Runner, by the same author Khaled Hosseini, a few years ago and liked it but didn't love it, so I was thinking this book would be similar. Boy, was I wrong. This is one of the best books I have ever read, if not the best. I can't recommend it enough...And the Mountains Echoed is absolutely phenomenal. I could not put it down.

Hosseini was born in Kabul, but raised in Paris and the US. You can read more about his life here. He also has a non-profit The Khaled Hosseini Foundation. For my fellow Washingtonians, it's a 501(c)(3)...as a reporter, I can't help it.

I was going to take a picture of the book club food and wine spread, but I realized sometimes it's better to put my phone/camera away and enjoy the moment. 

Now that my next career move is in the bag, I can finally focus on planning my wedding. I plan to try many wines and many desserts in the process, all which will be documented here. 

Cheers!

More on Loire Valley wines

State of the Vine on Social Media

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Instagram account coming soon...For now, follow my Instagram.

Mini Beaujolais-Villages

I know just because the temperature in Arlington was around 55 the last two days it doesn't mean it's quite time to break out your French wine country picnic gear...

However, without buying a plane ticket, this wine is next best thing. This wine transports me to a springtime meadow in Southern France where I'm surrounded by wildflowers, sitting on a a gingham blanket (red and white checkered, obviously) under a cloudless blue sky, with a cool breeze blowing. Did I mention the Croque Monsieurs and other various French treats? 

On to the review:

Varietal, Region, Subregion: 100% Gamay, Burgundy, Beaujolais

Arlington Store, Neighborhood: Tivoli, Ballston

My Tasting Notes: This wine is spicy, jammy, and is a bouquet of ripe fruit...mostly cherry and blackberry, with soft tannins.

My Verdict: The Best part? No corkscrew needed! A mini-bottle of sunshine. 

If you're planning your own French picnic, Food & Wine  has a great slideshow of ideas, and (my fave) Bon Appétit .

And don't forget your picnic basket, or wine and cheese basket! *

*Full disclosure: I don't own either picnic basket, but they look awesome (and I am not getting paid to promote either..or anything on my blog for that matter. All for fun) !

Cheers!

Part Two, Happy Hour Reds

Willow

My friend Jess and I went to Willow Restaurant on Fairfax Drive in Ballston for Happy Hour last week, and it was great catching up. To top it off the good company, their happy hour red is $5 a glass.. and I'd say it's a first-class red.

Cortenova, 100% Primitivo, Puglia, 2012

Arlington Happy Hour: Willow Restaurant, Ballston

Happy Hour from: 5:30-7

Price per Glass: $5

My Tasting Notes: A medium-bodied juicy red with hints of violet and a nice balance, and velvety on the palate.

If you're wondering, this is the same restaurant I went to for the tantalizing tater tots mentioned in a previous post. To be fair, I live nearby and who wouldn't want to do "research" like this?!
 
We also ordered a mini-shrimp taco, a lamb slider and spring rolls, all "mini" and similar in size to tapas, and all were delish. I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the food because I was too busy talking, drinking and eating = having a great time. I guess I'll just have to go back again this week to do more research!

*Tip- The bar at Willow gets very crowded during Happy Hour, especially on Friday, so get there early if you want to grab a seat!

I can't wait to try the rest of their food. They even have a separate cheese menu and a wheat-less menu!

Cheers!

Part One, Happy Hour Reds

Pinzimini

If you're a fellow wine loving Arlingtonian, you've probably noticed the red wines (my "go-to" drink) served at happy hour can vary significantly from one place to the next. Some are amazing and others tasting like vinegar or a glorified grape juice.

That being said, the happy hour red I chose to review for my first in this series of posts was quite good!

Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon, California, 2012

Arlington Happy Hour: Pinzimini, Ballston

Happy Hour from: 4:30-7:30 

Price Per Glass: $5

My Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied, earthy, slightly jammy, notes of plum and dark fruit with a smooth finish

For those who are beer drinkers, they have $4 drafts also.

And great food!

Cheers!

Bio-Dynamic Côtes du Rhône

I decided to wait until the next day to open the bottle I bought from Grand Cru, for fear my excellent wine palate was over-saturated (temporarily) from the amazing dessert, compromising my review.

Domaine La Cabotte Cotes du Rhone Colline 

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Carignan Cinsault, Mourvedre

Arlington Store, Neighborhood: Grand Cru Wine Bar and Bistro, Ballston

Price: $23

My Tasting Notes: Lavender aromas that hit my nose right when I open the bottle. A light yet flavorful burst of juicy red berries that lingers in your mouth after you take a sip.

My Verdict: Excellent. 

*This is the first bio-dynamic wine I have had from the Rhone Valley in France. I generally like French reds, but many in the $10-15 dollar range that I've tried seem to fall flat, and aren't very exciting. 

More about Grand Cru:

Grand Cru has excellent food and wine. I've been a regular since I moved to the area and I love it. The staff is very friendly, too! They have a member program that gives you 10 percent off wines to go.

Go try it! I'll review their happy hour in a future post.

Cheers!