Welp. I’m finally getting the hang of my Air Fryer (thanks Mom. thanks @vinemeup for posting about yours so often!). So yesterday, I decided to make some Beyond Burgers for lunch. (Beyond Burgers are plant-based, it’s good for Vegetarians and Vegans.) I’m not a Vegetarian so why Beyond Burgers? Eh, I wanted to try something …
WINE
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 …
Rosé with a purpose…
It’s Rosé season ya’ll. Just kidding, I drink it all year around. La Fête du Rosé is made from 80% Grenache, 14% Mourvèdre and 6% Syrah (GSM baby!). This pretty bottle will not only make a great gift but it will be the perfect accompaniment to all your fresh, summer bites. (Or if you’re like …
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.
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 …
Time Traveling in Napa…
My first SommCon session of day two was Time Traveling in Napa – How to Access Library Wines, and How Top Producers Release Them. This session is merely just one of the reasons to come to SommCon! Where can you try a 1985 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, 1966 Charles Krug Cabernet or 1997 & 2010 Schramsberg …
New Horizon of Asian Wines…
Fresh off my trip, I was able to get it together to volunteer for this year’s SommCon DC (read last year’s post). The first session I assisted with was New Horizon of Asian Wines, World Class Chinese and Japanese Wines. The session was moderated by Toshio Ueno – VP & Executive Instructor, Sake School of …
South African Wine Royalty…
I went to a wonderful tasting at Chat’s Liquors on Saturday with Ntsiki Biyela! She is the Owner and Winemaker of Aslina wines from South Africa (South Africa’s first Black Female Winemaker!). Ms Biyela showcased her 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 & 2018 Chardonnay, 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2015 & 2016 Red Blend. Made using grapes …
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 …
Teamwork and winemaking…
The beautiful property of Reeve Wines, owned by a dynamic husband and wife team (Noah and Kelly Dorrance), is a small production winery/farm. (I love that they have goats and chickens roaming around together!) Even though Noah is in charge of winemaking and production, they have a lot of support from all-star winemakers (check out …