Category: Food

Friday Pours

/ Paul / Leave a comment

The holidays are such a busy time of year. On Friday evening we were able to sit down, relax and have dinner at home. We decided to have dinner at my house and decorate my Christmas tree.

We began the evening with the 2010 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards. We had this with some sliced swiss cheese and water crackers. Right away on the nose we noted lemon-lime. On the palate we noted citrus as well. One thing we noticed was lacking was acidity. This pinot gris wasn’t nearly as crisp as we remember others being in the past. This made us wonder of this was a symptom of the 2010 growing season for whites. Have you noticed any 2010 Virginia whites lacking acidity?

For dinner we had ham steaks and scalloped potatoes. We selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc from Philip Carter Winery. We have enjoyed this one in the past and knew it would pair well with our meal. We noted violets, dried herbs, raspberry and cherry. We noted very similar characteristics in the mouth. The woodsy, herby, berry fruit really stood out. And yes, it paired well with our meal.

If you visit Pollak Vineyards or Philip Carter Winery anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Holiday Pours

/ Warren / Leave a comment

So with the Thanksgiving week behind us and another holiday season ahead of us, its time to think about wines to serve with seasonal menus. My parents were town last week to celebrate Thanksgiving; of course, we ate lots of food! What wines did I serve? Here is a list of my favorite wines from the week along with the meals that I served:

Mid-week supper: Beef stew paired with Barboursville 2007 Barbera Reserve

Thanksgiving:

Appetizer: Cranberry cheese with baguette paired with 2011 Georges Duboeuf Beujolais Nouveau

Harvest Salad paired with 2010 Carrick Pinot Gris

Turkey with andouille cornbread dressing; cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, candied yams paired with 2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir

Mom’s Pecan Pie paired with Gray Ghost Adieu 2007

Tree Trimming Sunday:
Deli tray: Virginia ham, spicy Genoa salami, peppered prosciutto, cranberry cheese, mixed nuts
Wine: 2009 The Hague Cabernet Franc

Dessert: Martha’s Pumpkin Bread served with Community brand Coffee and Chicory (found only in New Orleans)

So what wines did you serve on Turkey Day? Please share!

2009 Petit Verdot from Gadino

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Many of you know that my favorite wine of the moment is petit verdot. Petit verdot is used all over the state as a blending grape. While many winemakers do an excellent job of using it as a blending grape, I think a stand alone petit verdot is the way to go. I’ve had several stand alone petit verdots from Virginia and I do think it will become a more prominent grape but until more wineries create a stand alone, I’ll continue to enjoy those that have seen the light.

Last spring Stephanie at Gadino Cellars gave us a barrel sample of the 2009 Petit Verdot. At that time we thought it was showing very well and anticipated its release. Last weekend we visited Gadino Cellars and Derek presented us with a preview bottle of the 2009 Petit Verdot. Oh how we love getting to taste wines ahead of their release. The 2009 Petit Verdot from Gadino Cellars will be released this weekend.

Last night for dinner we had lamb chops, roasted veggies, and red potatoes. What better wine to pair with this meal than the 2009 Petit Verdot. On the nose we noted dark plum, dark cherry, crushed dried herbs, and tobacco. In the mouth we noted similar characteristics of dark plum, dark cherry, and a creamy caramel finish. Warren detected a mocha component to this more complex wine. It paired beautifully with our meal.

Tasting this wine made me think about the 2008 reds. I wondered if I was enamored with 2008 reds or was I enamored with characteristics of 2009 reds. Such a dilemma. We decided we need to taste more 2009 reds. Either way, we completely enjoyed this 2009 Petit Verdot from Gadino Cellars. We suggest you get your bottle soon and enjoy this 2009 Petit Verdot. And you know, if we don’t like something, we don’t write about it. If you visit Gadino Cellars anytime soon, be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Friday Wine of Note

/ Paul / 2 Comments

As is often the case we found ourselves having nice thick filets and red potatoes for dinner Friday evening. The question always arises as to what wine to pair with our meal. We perused the wine rack and selected several possibilities but ultimately decided on the 2008 Meritage from King Family Vineyards. You know how much I’ve been enjoying the 2008 reds. I wondered if this 2008 would live up to the characteristics that I enjoy most from the 2008 reds. Sure enough, it did. A swirl and a sniff revealed plum, cherry, a hint of tobacco, and some anise. On the tongue we noted plum, cherry, and some spice at the end (maybe cinnamon or maybe even cedar). The fruit up front was what made me think of the 2008 reds that I enjoy. The mouthful of flavors complimented our meal very well. How could it not? If you haven’t tried the 2008 Meritage from King Family, be sure to put it on your list of 2008 reds to enjoy. And if you visit King Family Vineyards, tell them Virginia WIne Time sent you!

Virginia Wines Before Dinner

/ Warren / Leave a comment

We had friends over for dinner this past Saturday, and we decided to pour Virginia wines as aperitifs.  After all, it is Virginia Wine month!  Guests were greeted with the Governor Fauquier from Philip Carter Winery and Sarah’s Patio White from Chrysalis Vineyards.  Both were off-dry wines and produced from the Vidal Blanc grape, a Riesling-like hybrid that grows very well in Virginia.  Like Riesling, Vidal Blanc is very fruity and refreshing, so some of the appetizers that I served with these wines were a bit spicy. Some of these dishes were captured by Paul, the cameraman.

Cheeses: Brie topped with hot peach chutney, or for the faint of stomach, plain brie and red grapes.
Nuts: Chili-lime flavored almonds; plain almonds for the wimps.  Not sure if olives pair with these wines, but the gourmet olives were stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and were absolutely delicious! 
Meats: Smoked salmon

So what was on tap for the rest of the evening? I did splice in a couple of Napa wines from Clos Pegase winery; one was a Sauvignon Blanc that I sampled at a wine tasting and thought it was unique—tropical fruit flavors (as opposed to cat pee/grapefruit) with a refreshing acidity that seemed a perfect match with an acidic tomato dish.  The other was a Cabernet Sauvignon that has been resting on the wine rack for several years, but according to the wine mags, needed to be appreciated now.  And indeed it was appreciated!  It was quite good with the beef; however, the fruitier Virginia offering was very well-received by my dinner guests. A number of Virginia meritage blends would have paired quite nicely with my beef dish; however, I went with the Gray Ghost option based on my experience at the Gadsby’s Tavern winemaker dinner which featured the Ranger Reserve with a very similar beef dish.  Empty wine bottles indicated that the Virginia option was as popular as the California one. 

Anyway, here was the menu:

Fresh tomato soup paired with Clos Pegase Sauvignon Blanc 2009 
Garlic-herb crusted beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes and squash paired with Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2005; Gray Ghost Ranger Reserve 2008
Pumpkin bundt cake served with Gray Ghost Adieu 2006
Community Brand Coffee and Chicory (found only in New Orleans)

Friday Wines

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Our sipper for the evening was the 2008 Viognier from Corcoran Vineyards. We had it with a soft creamy cheese and baguette. We noted a floral nose with lime and ripe pear in the mouth. It was refreshing on the cool fall evening. It paired well with our Friday evening nibbles. We don’t think Corcoran is making a viognier anymore and it’s just sad because this one is so nice.

For dinner we had turkey cutlets and angel hair pasta. Warren selected the 2009 Breaux Vineyards Viognier. We have loved the Breaux Viogniers in the past and just knew this one would go well with our meal. On the nose we noted honeysuckle and mango. In the mouth we picked up honeysuckle and mango, tropical fruit notes. It had a full mouth feel and a lengthy finish. And yes, it went well with our meal.

Potomac Point

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On our way home from the Northern Neck weekend, we stopped at Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery. It was almost exactly a year ago that we visited Potomac Point so it was time to catch up and check out what new wines were on the tasting menu.

There are three levels of tastings at Potomac Point. Since it had been a year, we selected the Premium level of tasting so that we could try all the wines. Not surprisingly, we were split on our favorite of the white wines. I preferred the stainless steel 2009 Chardonnay with it’s crisp notes of pear and mango. I thought it would be a perfect sipper on the balcony. Warren preferred the oaked 2009 Reserve Chardonnay. He noted vanilla melon. He thought this would be a nice white to accompany food.

The reds presented the same split decision. Warren preferred the 2008 Heritage. He noted cherry, dark fruit, mocha, and pepper. He thought this one would be perfect for fall meals. I preferred the 2008 Petit Verdot. I noted smoke, plum, cherry, and mocha. As most of you know from reading our blog, I am really enjoying the 2008 reds and petit verdot is my favorite varietal right now. This one lived up to my expectations.

After our tasting we decided to enjoy lunch in the courtyard. They have a full menu of foods and while Warren enjoyed a panini, I filled up on cheeses and bread. We selected the 2010 Abbinato to go with our lunch. We noted cherry, raspberry, and earthy notes. It has an intense purple hue. We enjoyed our time at Potomac Point and hope to return soon. If you find yourself at Potomac Point anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Virginia Wine Month Wines

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Last Saturday we continued our celebration of Virginia Wine Month by enjoying two more Virginia wines. We began the evening with some goat cheese and a baguette. To accompany our nibbles we selected the 2010 Barren Ridge Vidal Blanc. We noted orange blossom, peach, and minerality on the nose. In the mouth we detected similar peachy flavors with a mineral finish. It went very well with our cheese and baguette.

For dinner we had breaded baked chicken, pasta with parmesan cheese, and roasted veggies. The wine we selected was the 2009 Annefield Chardonnay. This elegant wine presented tropical notes and a vanilla finish. Even after the meal we were enjoying this wine. It paired beautifully with our meal and without! What have you been enjoying during Virginia Wine Month?

2008 Chester Gap Merlot

/ Paul / 1 Comment

We of course enjoyed some Virginia wine this weekend. We enjoyed the 2010 Galena Creek White from West Wind Farm as our sipper for the evening. You can see a video about the wine if you scroll down. For dinner Warren made roasted veal chops and wild rice. He also picked out three wines from which to pick our dinner wine. I opted for the 2008 Chester Gap Merlot. I know I’ve mentioned in the past but I’ll say it again. I’m really enjoying the 2008 reds. I wanted to find out if the 2008 Chester Gap Merlot would live up to what I’ve come to enjoy about the 2008 reds.

The wine paired beautifully with our roasted veal chops and wild rice. We noted a biig cherry nose with a hint of blackberry and lots of earthy elements…like a forest floor. We noticed similar fruit characteristics in the mouth with spicy nuances and a lingering dark fruit finish. As I suspected, this 2008 Merlot lived up to my expectations of a 2008 red. The longer it was opened and breathing, the better it got with each sip. If you haven’t tried the 2008 Merlot from Chester Gap, give it a try. And if you visit Chester Gap anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Hurricane Wines

/ Paul / 1 Comment

We survived hurricane Irene last night. We had lots of wind and rain but very little damage and the power never went out! While weathering the storm we decided to enjoy some Pollak Vineyards wines with our nibbles and dinner. We haven’t been to Pollak Vineyards in awhile so we need to see what new wines are on the tasting menu.

To begin our evening we started with the 2009 Durant White from Pollak Vineyards. We selected cheese and crackers to accompany this wine. We noted apple, pear, and citrus on both the nose and in the mouth. It paired well with our cheese and crackers. We wondered if the 2010 is as crisp as this one. This was my last bottle so we’ll have to get some more soon.

For dinner we made a chicken and pasta dish. Since we just had a white wine with our nibbles, we decided we needed something a little bigger but not too big. We selected the 2008 Merlot from Pollak Vineyards. This is a medium bodied wine with lots of fruit characteristics. Since I’m currently enjoying the 2008 reds, this one was just as I expected. We noted lots of dark fruit…plum, dark cherry, blackberry…with a really smooth finish. It was the finish that made it possible to continue to sip this one well after we finished our meal. Yet another reason to get to Pollak Vineyards soon and check out the latest vintages. If you visit Pollak Vineyards anytime soon, tell them VIrginia Wine Time sent you!