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!