Cheers To All The Moms!

Mother's Day is approaching and what better way to recharge your batteries than enjoying a bottle of Virgina Wine along with a free pass to an isolated location; preferably one with room service and spa treatments. It is upon this Mother's Day that I reflect about my own life as a mother. I believe this is undoubtedly the hardest job in the world. I don't care if it sounds cliche and it has been said many times before...but it is TRUE! Whether you are a stay at home mommy or a working mom such as myself, what you really want from time to time is to be left alone. That doesn't necessarily mean a night away from the family in five star hotel. These days I'd settle for a quiet day at home with the knowledge that I will NOT be responsible for anything pertaining to 'caregiving'. If you are afforded such a luxury, I'd recommend you treat yourself to a full bottle of sparking wine or rose. Something easy-going that you can drink in its entirety without passing out or feeling guilty about your sudden loss of control.

I recently discovered Villa Appalaccia's Rose. It is incredibly light and not overly sweet. Villa Appalaccia is a small family establishment off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd. I've always felt this vineyard has been overshadowed by the more prominent neighboring winery, Chateau Morrisette. In a recent visit, they basically explained to me that they prefer their small size. They also have no intentions of expanding into the social networking arena beyond their basic website. If you are in the Floyd area, make plans to visit both vineyards, but check the hours of operation beforehand. They also attend many of the wine festivals so stop by for taste. I left with a box full of reds, one Pinot Grigio Reserve and of course, two bottles of their Rose. Happy Mother's Day!

Love by the Glass – Virginia Wine Week March 22-28th

Kudos to the Virginia wine industry for campaigning across the state to create the first ever Virginia Wine Week, Love by the Glass. The intention is not just to promote Virginia wineries, but encouraging restaurants and wine shops throughout the Commonwealth to serve Virginia wine. As I explore and discover more about great wine offered by our state, I began to wonder why these great wines are not easily found in restaurants and retailers. I had assumed this was mostly due to the fact our wineries are smaller operations with limited staff to dedicate to the larger sales and marketing aspects of their business. While that might somewhat be true, it turns out to be more of a political issue than I realized.

Our state legislature has had a long history of regulating alcohol to its taxpayers. Upon the repeal of prohibition, Virginia adopted a three-tier distribution system: 1) producer 2) distributor 3) retailer. In the 80’s, Virginia recognized that wine was not so scary, perhaps even profitable, and thus allowed wineries to self-distribute their wine directly to retailers. And over the course of two decades, the wine industry really began to flourish in Virginia. But from what I can gather, some out-of-state wineries (I would bet North Carolina) filed suit in federal court because they felt Virginia was violating its own alcohol distribution laws. But let’s face it, these out-of-state folks were really just pissed that they didn’t get to distribute their wine directly to retailers within our state. In 2006, wineries were prohibited to self-distribute their own wine forcing the use of a distributor. With the encouragement of wine lobbyists, (now that’s an issue I can get behind), our General Assembly has attempted to assist the distribution problem for small wineries with the creation of Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC). This is non-profit entity assists in the legal distribution of wine. From what I understand, this system is far from perfect at this time, but sounds like a step in the right direction considering the legal/political issues involved. (If you care to understand more, check out my two primary sources)
http://vwdc.org/
http://www.virginiawine.org/system/payloads/25/original/2010-02-Industry.pdf?1266261463

So what does any of this have to do with Virginia Wine Week? If you are a restaurant owner, retailer or just a wine lover, then serve/sell/drink Virginia wine!!!

Yes..but how do you feel the next day??

Cheap Wine Challenge - Food & Drink - FOXNews.com

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Does Dave Matthews Drink His Own Wine?

I love Dave Matthews and I love wine, but I don’t love Dave Matthew’s wine. But the jaunt to Blenheim Vineyards on the Monticello Wine Trail is still recommended. The tasting room is unique and designed by Dave Matthews. You can enjoy tastings while taking in the gorgeous views from their huge picture window. Interestingly enough, the vines in the foreground of this mountainous view are actually from the nearby Kluge Estate Vineyard, not Blenheim. (Blenheim’s vines are a bit to the left.) I very much enjoyed learning about their property, winery and process. Not to mention their Seven Oaks Wines have really cool labels. (Visit their website to learn more)

Now to be fair, this wine is not terrible or anything, it just seems a little young as if it is still coming into its own. I would like to see reviews on the wines from Dave Matthews himself. Personal tidbits like which his favorite, which does he prefer to give as gifts, serve at dinner parties, etc. Let’s face it, they’re called Blenhiem, but how many DMB questions do they have to field each day from visitors. I was refraining from asking any questions myself for fear I would look like the girl who wears the t-shirt of the band she’s going to see! The wine is fairly inexpensive for VA wine, so I picked up a few bottles. I recently opened Blenheim Farm Chardonnay 2006 and Seven Oaks Merlot 2008. The Chardonnay was tasty, but gave me a heck of a headache the next day. As for the Merlot…I did not like it. And yes, I had tasted it and then proceeded to buy an entire bottle of it (as my husband pointed out). But I think sometimes you just need to re-examine a wine subsequent to ‘tasting day buzz’. Or maybe this is just a peril of having an equally young palate. Visit this winery if you get the chance and decide for yourself.

Wine Preservation System

There is nothing like getting a new gadget to encourage more wine drinking. Too often I shy away from opening a bottle of wine since my husband does not drink wine at all. I have no issues about drinking alone, but the waste factor disheartens me. It seems this psychological issue dates back to high school/college days when the waste of alcohol was abhorred and condemned by all. Even now as a thirty-something adult with a job, I cringe and look away when pouring wine (even bad wine) down the drain. This new thingamabob claims to keep wine for up to nine days and even has a day counter! I think nine days is a bit much to ask of any wine, but thank goodness for the day counter because I would never remember if it has been five days or nine days. Stay tuned for a review.

Preservation Update:
So I’ve tested the gadget and can report…it works! It sucks the air out of the bottle like a vacuum to slow the oxidation process. You insert the rubber stopper and set the counter.
Much to my surprise it kept the wine fresh for up to five days. Just for fun, I kept a bottle for nine days. The wine was flat, but not disgustingly so.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Usually cold winter weather inspires me to open a bottle of red wine. During a recent snow storm, I opted NOT for red, but for white instead. While finishing a bottle of Shelton Bin 17 Chardonnay, I decided it would be prudent to chill another bottle just in case. In an effort to chill it fast, I placed it in the freezer, and then completely forgot about it until much later the next day! It was rather upsetting seeing the bottle completely frozen. Not only was I concern that the bottle would explode, I was troubled that I had ruined a bottle Barboursville Viognier Reserve 2007 which I was so looking forward to drinking. After some quick internet based research, I determined that if I was willing to open it immediately, I was in the safe zone of avoiding explosion and maintaining the integrity of the wine.

Keswick Vineyard: Where I purchased my first expensive bottle of wine

The drive to Keswick Vineyards was beautiful despite the clouds and rain of the day. Ever wonder how the other half live? I certainly did while passing the gorgeous homes and horse farms that line the drive through Albemarle County. I don’t ride horses, but I did suddenly picture myself learning to ride while living in an amazing estate, dressed in classic preppy tweed blazers and riding pants. And if you are a history buff, take the time to visit their website and read about the historical events which have occurred on this property dating back to 1727.

In terms of their wine, I knew very little beforehand. Fortunately, we had an enthusiastic knowledgeable pourer. Overall, I preferred their red wines to white. I was particularly impressed with their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is the 2009 title holder of the Virginia Governor’s Cup. The actual cup is prominently displayed in the tasting room and roughly resembles a smaller version of the Stanley Cup. This was their most expensive wine at $60.00 a bottle. While normally, I would prefer to stay within a lower price range, I decided it was time to splurge. This wine is good now, but they recommend “laying it down” for about 3-5 years. They only bottled 250 cases, so I feel privileged to say I own one. I am excited about opening this wine, but trying to save it for a special occasion or at least sharing it with fellow red wine lovers.

Another interesting wine we discovered was their 2007 Consensus. This was my second favorite wine and somewhat unique in the fact that the winemaker invites member to a blending party to taste and rate various blends. The highest overall score is bottled as their “Consensus” wine for the year. This sounds like an amazing opportunity to not only learn more about the process, but to be involved in the process. Another distinctive feature found at this winery is their wine infused chocolate sauce and it pairs wonderfully with their wine. The tasting room is rather small, so consider going during the week for a more personal experience. I highly recommend adding this vineyard to your stop on the Virginia Wine Trail.