A Bordeaux-Style Maryland Vineyard

I recently visited my very first Maryland winery! Thanksgiving Farm Winery is a quaint boutique winery in Harwood, MD owned and operated by husband and wife Doug and Maureen Heimbuch.

Doug and Maureen were on hand to do our tasting themselves (and they absolutely could not have been any nicer) in an intimate tasting room, complete with pretzels. They also have an outside area to sit and drink more post-tasting.

Their wines are made exclusively from grapes found in the Bordeaux region of France, all grown onsite at the vineyard, not shipped in from elsewhere, which I really like.

We tasted a Meritage, a Franc Blanc, a Rose, a Port dessert wine and a Farmhouse Red table wine.

My favorite out of all we tried was the Meritage. The blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot is dry and medium bodied, reminiscent of the Bordeaux wines I've had.

The most unique wine I tried was definitely their Franc Blanc, a dry peach-pink colored wine made with the white juice of Cabernet Franc grapes. It's the only Franc Blanc in the country (and I just love the creative name).

We went home with several bottles of each, very drinkable wines, perfect for grilling with or just drinking and hanging out. This place is a gem! If you can't make it out to the Farm, here is more information on where to buy their wines.

Cheers!

Summer Champagne

I first had both of these wines by the glass at Lyon Hall in Arlington. Let me just pause for a moment to say how much I love the food and the wine selection at there. The steak frites and swordfish are excellent.


Now onto the wine...


The rosé champagne is considered low-dosage and the Cremant is zero-dosage, meaning they have little to no added residual sugars. I've found that this makes for a much more pleasant experience, (sans headache) the next morning. But, if you drink the whole bottle...well, you know.

Louis De Sacy Grand Cru Brut Rose Champagne

Varietal, Region: 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier, Champagne, France

Price: $40-$50/bottle, $15/glass

Where to buy: Whole Foods or Lyon Hall, Clarendon

My Tasting Notes: Aromatic, hints of strawberry and orange. Dry and crisp.

My Verdict: Perfect for a hot summer day. Goes great with food.

Domaine Zinck, Cremant d'Alsace

Varietal, Region: Blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Alsace, France

Price: $26/bottle, $11/glass

Where to buy: Grateful Red, or Lyon Hall, Clarendon

My Tasting Notes: Notes of apricot, peaches and apple. Rich in taste, yet light.

My Verdict: This sparkler even stayed fresh after we re-corked it with a champagne cork; the bubbles were just as crisp. Perfect for a refreshing summer sipper with or without food.

The amazing steak frites.

*Also notable: Lyon Hall recently added another sparkling rosé to their menu, Benoit Badoz. Also low-dosage and excellent.

If you'd like to learn more about dosage and champagne, this article from Wine Enthusiast has more.


Cheers!

Red Cap Vineyards: A Near-Perfect Cabernet

I first connected with Red Cap Vineyards through Instagram about a year ago and fell in love instantly, despite the fact that I had yet to try even a single sip of their wine.

Maybe it was their adorable dog Roscoe who regularly appears on their Instagram feed, or the fact that everyone in their pictures is always smiling like they're drinking the best wine and having the best time. I had to get in on the fun!

Red Cap Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

This time we bought a bottle of the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and took it on our lovely waterfront Memorial Day getaway.

This wine was just as fantastic as the 2010 Cab. We were on cloud nine the entire time we were drinking it. It's full bodied with notes of mocha and dark cherry with an smooth, silky finish. And as my husband said about the 2010 "you can taste the blades of grass." It's just so delicious! 

The 2010 and 2011 are the best Cabs I've ever had, and trust me- I'm extremely picky. I wish I could compare the two side by side, but I can't because the 2010 has sold out-but the 2011 is excellent.

While not every bottle of wine from Napa is worth the price tag, this one definitely is and more and the vineyard is family-owned.

Red Cap doesn't currently distribute on the East Coast but you can order online. I also plan to lobby hard in true DC form for the the whole vineyard to relocate to Arlington so I can drink their Cabs all of the time.

Whenever we're finally able to make the trip out to California wine country, this Howell Mountain gem will be our first stop. 

Next on my list is to try their Sauv Blanc, and hopefully a future interview with the vineyard owners (and Roscoe) that I will post here.

And a very special thank you to Red Cap's awesome marketing director Michael for helping facilitate the purchase!!

Our view from the cottage of the sunset beginning to set.

Cheers!