Celebrating three years of Drinky LaRue with this fantastic bottle of bubbly! The bubbly: Dhondt-Grellet’s NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Terres Fines 1er Cru. Eric Dhondt and Edith Grellet started this family owned business in 1986. Their son, Adrien, has taken over the business and is currently the winemaker. Can’t wait to see …
wine glass
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 …
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 …
Stranger Things…VA Wine edition
As a lover of VA wine, it was pretty cool to assist and sit in on the SommCon session Stranger Things: New + Experimental Wines of Virginia session. This session shows that there are a wide variety of delicious and fun wines for folks to try that are unfamiliar with VA wines. King Family Vineyards …
Deconstructing Spirits…
The next session at SommCon DC was Deconstructing Spirits sponsored by the Somm Journal. I can’t say I had a favorite (everything was fabulous) but the Germain Robin was really interesting – the new packaging will be released soon. Each panelists represented their brands and gave really informative information. Since Sagamore is so close, I’ll …
A wine tasting dream…
To me, a dream combination of wine tasting is a female winemaker and beautiful wine. I achieved both at Corison Winery. The owner and winemaker is Napa superstar Cathy Corison. Even though it was a rainy day in Napa, walking in the doors of Corison made me smile. I mean how can you frown when …
From Burgundy to Bordeaux…
From Burgundy to Bordeaux all in one day! This delicious 6-course wine dinner was held at Convivial. Through an interpreter, we were told the story and journey of Joël Duffau (the winemaker). Pricing on this wine is out of this world (in a good way)! My favorite, the Le Barry, an easy sipping red wine. …
Tasting wine vertically…
Last week, I went to another Zachys DC tasting. Upon entering, we were greeted with a generous pour of Laurent-Perrier Rosé. Cathleen Burke-Visscher, Founder, of Wine Works & Co., guided us through a fabulous tasting from Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, Chateau Fourcas-Borie and Chateau Lalande-Borie. It was so cool that we got to do a vertical tasting …
A pretty wine label with yummy wine inside…
I’ve been waiting to try this wine for a while. I decided last night was perfect. It’s made by Cruse Wine Co., a small boutique winery in Petaluma, California. I purchased this bottle at a wine shop in DC called Domestique. They have a lot of different, intriguing wines with very knowledgeable staff. Sometimes when …
Somebody build me a fire so I can sip some Port…
Last week I went to a fabulous tasting at Zachy’s DC with Sophia Bergqvist from Quinta De La Rosa — with food from Perfect Little Bites! Since 1906, Quinta De La Rosa has been a family owned business located on the banks of the River Douro (Portugal). The property was a christening present given to …
Did I do that…
Oh no! Why did I open this wine?! It’s not “Open That Bottle Night” – where you are supposed to open that bottle you’ve been saving for a particular event (a wedding, a baby announcement or passing your WSET test). People around the world celebrate this event! (OTBN takes place on the last Saturday in …
The things you learn in an intimate wine class…
On a Sunday, only a few of us gathered to take a monthly wine class at Maxwell DC. Normally this place is packed. I am anxious but excited. There will be multiple bottles placed on the bar in front of us. Bright tropical fruit. Sweet. Dry, mineral, salty. Aromas of petrol. Sometimes sparkling. This wine …
Fabulous Rosé with a heart…
What a delicious example of Rosé from Three Sticks Wines. Bright. Juicy. Strawberries. Made with Syrah, Grenache and three different white grapes (Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne). The pictures do not do the label justice and I love the bottle shape. Maybe I’ll keep it for flowers. On a serious note, in 2017 the fires …
It’s a family affair…
I brightened up my Monday with a yummy pizza and this blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro (Mourvèdre) – what folks lovingly call GSM. This wine is from Powell & Son, located in the Barossa Valley in Australia. I love that this is a family owned winery. The father started out in economics and quickly …