Another weekend that felt a little “normal.” I went with @atastyjourney to our “Cheers,” Maxwell Park (que the Cheers theme song!). At their Navy Yard location they have a pairing menu called Russell Island (it’s a Fishing Island in MI). You select a number from the menu and you get a small bite paired with …
vino
Early Mountain…
Tonight I’m joining Janet Cam and Ben Jordan (Early Mountain & Lightwell Survey) for some Zoom wine education. They will be discussing Early Mountain’s 2019 Rosé and the 2017 Eluvium. Since I am already familiar with EM’s delicious Rosé, I decided to try their 2019 PUR — 60% Chardonnay, 35% Viognier and 5% Pinot Gris. …
A Tasty Detour…
On Thursday I took a quick detour into DC that led me to Cane on H Street. Cane is a family-owned business run by Chef Peter Prime and Jeanine Prime (a brother and sister duo). It’s based on popular street foods in Trinidad & Tobago. I almost ordered the entire menu! After I calmed down, …
An Absolute Happy Place…
Hey, don’t mind my heavy pour of Bodkin Sparkling Rosé. It’s dry, medium acidity and strawberries. These Bubbles deserve a pour like this. Made with 55% Zinfandel, 35% Syrah, 3% Albariño, 3% Chenin Blanc and 4% Sauvignon Blanc. Seriously, this is a cool grape combo. I definitely need more. I paired these Bubbles with a …
Quick, bring me a glass…
This will be my first time trying Bodkin Wines. Bodkin was founded in 2011 by Winemaker Chris Christensen (with that name you must do something cool, right?). This winery may be small but it’s mighty! Chris is the creator of the FIRST American Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. Now ain’t that America! I am super excited to …
Amber colored glasses…
Sipping something tasty on a Sunday. This amber colored Georgian wine is 100% Tsolikouri grape (a well known grape variety in Georgia). It is fermented in a Qvevri, an “earthenware vessels used for fermentation, storage and aging.” This unfiltered wine smells like citrus with a little honey and a dash of salt. Sounds weird? But …
Yup, there’s drinking in Morocco…
To be honest, prior to planning a trip to Morocco, I figured it was going to be mostly a “dry” trip. I prepared myself to be sober for a few weeks. Yikes! I naively thought that the North African country seriously frowned upon all drinking. Well, all things except Moroccan Whiskey aka Mint Tea. Ya’ll …
Txakoli sippin…
Pictures from Sunday’s Txakoli fest at Maxwell DC! There was unlimited Txakoli, Ciders, Porrons and delicious bites. The great thing about Txakoli is it’s high acid but low alcohol (9.5-11% ABV). So it’s an easy, all day sipping wine and goes great with food. The crowd favorite of the night was Ameztoi’s Rubentis Rosé. The …
Wines made by the Oceano…
I had the pleasure to sit and chat with Rachel Martin, Owner/Vintner of Oceano Wines (Marbue Marke is the Winemaker). If her name sounds familiar it’s because she used to work with her family at Boxwood Estate Winery (Middleburg, VA) before starting Oceano. We sampled two Chardonnays – 2016 & 2017. This beautiful expression of …
Viewing Wines Through The Lens of Diversity…
My final session of SommCon was Viewing Wines Through The Lens of Diversity. The session not only included a dynamic discussion but we also followed along as the panelists did a blind tasting of wines from around the world. The wines were from China, Mexico, US, Israel and South Africa. The first picture shows wine …
White Burgundy Without Wood…
Beautiful wines during the SommCon session: White Burgundy Without Wood – Displaying Chardonnay’s True Character. The panelists — Geoff Labitzke – Director of Sales, Kistler Vineyards Robert Jones, MS – Advanced Sake Professional, Kysela Pere et Fils, LTD.
The stars aligned just for me…
I don’t even know where to start about my “quick” weekend experience. So I’ll start at the beginning. I found out about the Batonnage Forum from Julia Coney on Instagram and thought I NEED to be at this conference! Now if you know me personally, follow me on IG or Twitter or even read my …
Start the day with Bubbles…
When in Sonoma, why not start the day with Bubbles! The perfect picturesque place for this is Iron Horse Vineyards, a family-owned winery known for their Sparking Wine. You can taste wine outdoors in the sunshine with breathtaking views. Some of their Sparkling wine has been served multiple times at the White House. They also …
Champagne wishes and Caviar dreams…
My second visit to Jordan Winery felt like my first visit to Jordan Winery (super exciting!). I was ready to taste Jordan’s collaboration bubbles with AR Lenoble and eat some delicious caviar. We arrived early for our tasting, so Maria (you are lucky if you get to meet her) showed us around the property. This …
So many Chandeliers…
Visiting Restoration Hardware (RH) Yountville during the day is pretty but this place comes alive at night. I wish I had a place like this where I lived. I would make it my “Cheers!” There is the Wine Vault for drinks, a Restaurant with olive trees as the centerpiece and of course a beautiful store …