Weeknight Dinner Party Wines

What kinds of wines work well for a weeknight dinner party? It depends on the palates of your guests...but having a variety of varietals on hand is always smart.

Two of my very good friends Brenna and Trina are saying farewell to Arlington. We will miss them very much but wanted to have them over for dinner one last time before they left.*

*Although this was for a special occasion, it's always fun to have a dinner party...you don't even need a reason!  

A nice touch: These roses were $5 from the man selling flowers outside of the Foggy Bottom metro station.

Now, onto the wines!

The sparkling:

Vve Fourny & Fils Premier Cru Brut Rose

Varietal, Region:  Pinot Noir, Champagne, France

Store, Neighborhood: Greatful Red, Clarendon

Price: $59.99

My Tasting Notes: Very fragrant, notes of slightly tart raspberry and strawberry. Clean, crisp bubbles,  and a creamy yet light finish

My Verdict: Great rose. A bit pricey but definitely one of the best roses I've had, and a (champagne) glass above the rest.

The reds:

                                       

Prado Ray Roble, Ribera del Duero, 2010

Varietal, Region:  Tempranillo, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Store, Neighborhood: Whole Foods, Foggy Bottom, DC

Price: $11.99

My Tasting Notes: Light but well rounded. Plush and velvety texture. Notes of black cherry, a hint of tannins & spice with a nice finish

My Verdict: I'm really excited about wines from this region. For just over ten dollars this is a great deal and its something different. Enjoy! 

           Lucinda & Millie, 2012

Varietal, Region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County, CA

Store, Neighborhood: Whole Foods, Clarendon & Foggy Bottom locations, Tivoli in Ballston

Price: 9.99

My Tasting Notes: A juicy wine with a bright palate, hints of spice and black currant

My Verdict: This is a great value buy. Not to mention the fact that it's made with organic grapes. The animals on the front are pretty cute, too. 

Just make sure to decant it, or at least open it and let it breathe for 20-30 minutes. Then drinking it will be a much more pleasant experience.

Brenna and Trina brought some great wines over as well, and I plan to talk about those, one in particular that I really liked, in a future post.

We did have one white wine but it wasn't worth writing about in my opinion, and for the most part, it went untouched. I would have stocked up on a better one but I knew ahead of time everyone preferred red so it wasn't an issue. Also, it's a good idea to have beer just in case...we had Sam Adams Porch Rocker...pretty good!

Dinner: The food was fantastic and I owe many thanks to my wonderful "chef" fiancé who whipped up a menu of mussels, shrimp, pasta, and Caprese salad.

Dessert: To top of the night, another friend stopped by after dinner with apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

All in all, great food and wine, but most importantly, great company. 

Cheers!

(I miss you Brenna and Trina!)