*The Grape Unknown: A Red from Uruguay

This is my very first Tannat and my first Uruguayan wine!

 

Pueblo del Sol Tannat 2013

Varietal, Region: Tannat, Juanico, Uruguay
Price: Sip ($3.75), Glass ($7.50), Bottle ($30)
Available at: Screwtop Wine Bar 
 My Tasting Notes: This wine is a dark red color and medium to full bodied. Slightly spicy and oaky but great balance. Notes of cherry and plums and a nice finish.  
My Verdict: The server at Screwtop said it was a dry wine, and I'm not the hugest fan of ultra dry wines, but I decided to give it a shot. This wine is definitely worth trying. I could tell right away that it wasn't a "typical" red grape but I mean that in a good way.

More on the grape: After doing a little research, I found out Tannat is a red grape that has roots in South West France, and is considered the "national grape" of Uruguay. It's also found in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia (as well as the Puglia region of Italy where it is used as a blending grape).

Food: We also had some "Tres Tacos al Puerco" and they were divine. Needless to say, they vanished from the plate before I even thought to take a picture. But, it's always a great excuse to go back...

*I can't take credit for coming up with "The Grape Unknown." It's one of the cleverly named categories of wine on Screwtop's menu.

Cheers!

Red Cap Vineyards: A Howell Mountain Gem

Red Cap Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010

Location: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, CA

Price: $75/bottle

I was so excited when this wine arrived in the mail. It comes from a family-owned boutique vineyard on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. I first heard about the, through social media outreach for State of the Vine. After reading many rave reviews, I decided I just had to try it.

Currently, Red Cap doesn't distribute in the DC/Northern Virginia area, but you can order online, or by calling the vineyard!

Noteworthy: Not only was everyone I spoke with wonderful, helpful and nice, but they have the cutest vineyard dog named Roscoe that I have totally fallen in love with! 

Michael, the marketing director for Red Cap answered all of my questions and helped me pick the best year of their Cabernet to try first. He even gave me some great tips on decanting and the proper type of wine glass to use for maximum taste (more on that below).

Tasting Notes: I realized right away after taking my first sip that drinking this wine would be an experience...it's so phenomenal I was forced to slow down and really enjoy it (trust me; that's a very good thing). My fiancé Anthony, who was enjoying it with me, always has words of "wine wisdom" to share. He said he could "taste the blades of grass." I knew exactly what he meant. 

This 2010 Cabernet is juicy, with notes of cherry and blackberry. The perfect amount of oak and tannin. Smooth and silky on the palate and and a lingering finish. Excellent. 

My Verdict: This is one of the best reds I've ever had. I can't wait to try their other years (although I hear they are selling out fast!) And maybe I'll get to visit their vineyard someday when I finally make it out to California.

If I could sum this wine up in one word...CAB-solutely!*

*Phrase credit of Brenna, Trina and Tay. Miss you ladies! 

Tips: 

Decanting- When my wine arrived from California, Michael suggested I let it "rest" for a few days before popping it open.

Michael's suggestions:

    1. Uncork the wine
    2. Pour a one ounce taste
    3. Pour half into a decanter (leave the other half in the bottle)
    4. Wait 15-30 minutes
    5. Taste the differences, and enjoy

The glass- Michael suggested a red Bordeaux glass, a regular red wine glass, or a Pinot Noir glass. He stressed how important the glass is because it "allows for the wine to open up." I liked it the most out of the Pinot Noir glass I think but to tell you the truth it was equally fantastic out of every glass. 

Cheers!

Learn more about the Howell Mountain AVA and their wines here.

Vineyard Info:

Red Cap Vineyards Instagram, Facebook, Website

#redcapvineyards #howellmountain 

VA Wineries: Sunset Hills & Breaux

My fiance and I recently took a day trip to scout out potential wedding venues in Virginia wine country and, of course, to taste some of the local "vino."

Our picnic lunch: 

We went to 2 wineries, both in Purcelville.

This is a view from the barn at Sunset Hills, where we did the first tasting.

When we arrived, there was live music and people were outside, relaxing and mingling. The staff was very friendly and answered all of our questions about wine and weddings! 

Interesting Fact: One thing I learned at Sunset Hills...the term Meritage is trademarked. More about that in a future post...

My Verdict: I really enjoyed their reds. And to my own utter shock, my favorite of the reds was a Merlot. I expect to see a pig fly by my window any minute now!

Vineyard #2: Breaux

Breaux is one of, if not the most, picturesque vineyard I've ever been to. I tried to take the best pictures possible (courtesy of the iphone4), but I feel like it was hard to capture everything. 

This place seriously looked like the Italian countryside.

If you let your imagination run away with you for a second you might be able to trick yourself into thinking you're just out and about in the Italian countryside.

Breaux also had music and little tables for people to sit at and everyone was extemely nice there too, and fun to talk to! 

My Verdict: These wines were also very good and a little different than those of Sunset Hills. The reds here were more old world style, a little heavier but not roo heavy and a good Virginia grape.

Interesting Fact: They actually grow Malbec grapes at the vineyard which is the first Virginia vineyard I've heard of that grows them, but they are only used in blends. 

In the about 5 years since I moved to the area, I think Virginia wines have improved dramatically. I really can't emphasize that enough!

Cheers!

An Evening with Bennett Sewell: Estado Natural Malbec

Winery, Location: Finca Austin & Finca La Passion, Lujan De Coyo, Uco Valley* Mendoza, Argentina

Vineyard Owner: Bennett Sewell

History: Bennett is originally from Texas and went to Argentina on a trip. He said he fell in love with everything about it, especially the way the snow blows in swirls off the mountains as soon as he arrived. He noted that you can see the snow-capped mountains from the vineyards in Mendoza, which have more of a desert climate, that only has about 7 inches of rain per year (because Argentina averages about 350 days of sunshine per year)!

*Wines from this part of Mendoza, in my experience, are a glass above the rest.

The wines:

2012 Estado Natural Malbec

Price: 16.99/bottle

Tasting Notes: Light, slightly tart, and easy to drink. Jammy fruit, and a nice mouth-feel with hints of oak.

My Verdict: Not bad at all. It's drinkable but I'm not a huge fan of tartness in wine, so I would go with one of the other two.

2009 Estado Natural Reserve
Price: 21.99/bottle

Tasting Notes: Notes of Vanilla, coffee, and mocha and dark fruits. Slight acidity and tannins with a buttery finish.

Notes: This wine doesn't need to be decanted, which is nice. It's been aged in oak barrels for 12 months.

My Verdict: Very good, but not as good as the third one (see review below).

2007 Estado Natural Gran Reserve

Price: 37.99/bottle

Tasting Notes: Deep red color, juicy, with aromas of berries (especially blackberries). Just the right amount of tannins and full bodied, yet light and buttery and a lingering finish.
My Verdict: This was my favorite by far. An exquisite and elegant Malbec.

Fun Fact: Bennett said part of what makes a wine a Gran Reserve is the variations in the contours of the ground, and the soil.

All of these wines are available at Grateful Red, and I believe through the winery's website here.

A Love Note: Bennett told a really sweet personal story in front of the group of wine tasters at Grateful Red, which was truley lovely. He met his wife when he was starting up the winery in Mendoza; she was the wine consulant who helped him get into the business. Now they have a four-year-old son. 

Cheers!

Vine Find of the Week: Priorat

I've recently had several wines from this region recommended to me, so I thought I would give it a shot. 

I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed.

La Conreria, 2009**

Varietal, Region: Garnacha, Priorat, Spain
Store, Neighborhood: Total Wine, Sterling, VA
Price: $19.99
My Tasting Notes: Intense yet well balanced, smooth, nice finish, notes of blackberry and mocha
My Verdict: This is a 90 point wine (so says Wine Advocate.) I've always been a bit skeptical of wine ratings, since taste is obviously subjective, but in this case, Wine Advocate definitely got it right. I cant wait to try other wines from this region! This wine was fantastic!

Tip- Total Wine had about 5 or 6 different bottles from the Priorat region but generally, these wines aren't easy to find...I've heard they are carried in Adams Morgan and Georgetown. I'll do some research and report back...

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!)