Wine and the Big Game

Even with our move, painting and unpacking, Caitlin and I were able to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. While it has been estimated that Americans drink more than 325 million gallons of beer on Super Bowl Sunday, we had nary a fluid ounce between the two of us. 

Fancy that, we chose to have wine with our game food of pigs in a blanket, mini-burgers and herb-garlic fries. I have written about great wines to pare with football in the past, and the Big Game is no exception. We opted for a Zinfandel and it went perfectly with both the game and the food we were serving. 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who prefers wine to beer when it comes to football, as some of the area's local wine shops were getting into the spirit of the game, too. Red, White and Bleu, for example, featured wines at $10 and $12 in honor of each team's quarterback. They also had deep discounts of cheese and charcuterie from New York and New England.

While wine will never, ever replace beer as football's signature drink, it does make for an enjoyable game. And say what you want about the incessant beer ads throughout the game, the Bud Light ad featuring Weego was pretty damn good, and it helped raise awareness of rescue dogs - a cause both beer and wine drinkers should fully support.


 
   

Washington WIne Academy's Second Annual Wine Walk

It's not the 1K that's daunting. It's finding the first wine station

Last year, the Washington Wine Academy kicked off their annual 1K wine walk. Not only is it a great idea, but it is growing in popularity. Not only will you get to taste wines from around the world while wearing a participation bib, but you also get to explore the Crystal City Mall while doing some great people watching. 


To be clear, 1K is not an entirely long distance. If you are a competitive runner who does 5 miles on the treadmill before riding your bike to work, this is probably not the event for you - thought there was a bit more spandex on people last year than was necessary. On the other hand, if you are looking to try a bunch of new wines, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. And because 1K is better than no ks, you should enjoy that extra sample glass.

The Washington Wine Academy does a lot of good work around the area, and this event was a lot of fun last year. Hopefully I will be able to participate next year provided I am physically up for it. 

Walking and drinking red wine at the same time can do a number on white shirts, and works lots of different muscle groups.

Converting Skepics

Virginia wine is in an interesting place as 2012 gets underway. The quality continues to improve as more and more people realize that Virginia's wine industry isn't just a fad. Despite great advances in quality - I'm not the first person to admit that Virginia makes some damn good wine nowadays -  the broader wine-drinking population still scoffs at Virginia wine as being of poor quality, too sweet, or "a headache in a bottle." Several people have used that last phrase on me. 

While I wish Virginia wine had a better reputation, that Virginia wines were not segregated to the "local" section of most wine shops, and that consumers viewed Virginia wines as a viable and highly enjoyable option, changing mass opinion is a huge undertaking. Changing an individual's mind is far easier than changing a collective mind. All it takes is a corkscrew and a bottle that you like.

When someone scoffs at Virginia wine, I try to convince them that they are misguided and missing out. I will mention the advances in quality, the Old World characteristcs some of the wines now have have and the praise that the world's wine critics now bestow on wine from the Commonwealth. 

When I can, I much prefer to show rather than tell people that there is some great wine being made in Virginia. I had the opportunity to do just that not too long ago. Someone was planning to host a party with local food and wine, but backtracked on the wine. "Virginia wine, to me, just sounds terrible," she said. After the party, I brought over a bottle of 2007 Chateau O'Brien Buddy's Bistro Red. It's deep, dark color, smooth tannins, ample dark fruit and spice characteristics made it a huge hit with everyone.

Buddy is the dog on the label. His wine is quite good

In fact, everybody who tried it wanted to know where they could buy it, how far away the winery was and what other Virginia wines I would recommend. I gave them a few selections to try that were also $20 or under and urged them to visit the wineries, try the wine, meet the people involved in making the wine, and then let others know about their positive experiences. 

Make it a New Year's Resolution to try different wines from Virginia and tell others about the ones you like. 

 

Sparkling Wines Go Head-to-Head

I wish more of my meals looked like this.

Maybe it’s because the Judgment of Paris was such a success. Or maybe it’s because we are all children of the Pepsi Challenge and the long and bloody Cola Wars it sparked in the mid-eighties. Whatever the reason, the wine industry loves the blind taste test. Pitting wines against one another without their labels conveying so much about the wine except for how it tastes can alter one’s perception of what they are drinking and often, once the wines are unveiled, what people really like compared to what they thought they were drinking do not always match up.

Such was the case recently when Schramsberg Vineyards hosted blind sparkling wine tasting at Marcel’s – one of DC’s finest restaurants and pourer of a LOT of sparkling wine. The tasting was blind and put Schramsberg up against Champagne’s heavy-hitters like Perrier-Jouët, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon and Cristal. The results were, according to Schramsberg’s president, similar to the results of other blind tastings held around the country. Schramsberg sparkling wines beat out all of their more expensive and prestigious French counterparts.

True to Form, All the Wines Tasted Were Brown-Bagged Until the End

The Schramsberg sparklers did taste better. They were itoasty and oaky with plenty of lemon zest and pear on them, yet with a body that the others didn’t have. I did notice much more effervescence in the Schramsberg wines than the others, as well as a bit more flavor.

I don’t want to call into question the integrity of blind tastings for marketing purposes, but judging from both the temperature and bubble count in the wines it’s possible that some of the more prestigious French wines were opened the previous night and not chilled as thoroughly as the Schramsbergs. I’m not saying that’s the case, just that it’s possible and even probable. I’ll admit that the flatness and warmness of some of the $100+ bottles raised my skepticism somewhat.

Schramsberg's Sparkling Rose is a Great, Full-Bodied and Dry Wine for the holidays

In any event, Schramsberg came out on top and it wasn’t even close. I have had the prestigious sparkling wine from the noble Champagne houses before and have enjoyed them to varying degrees. I have also had domestic sparkling wine, cava, prosecco and non-Champagne French sparkling wine before and have enjoyed those just as much – without spending the exorbitant prices. 

Great Wines for Thanksgiving

The second-largest eating day is upon us. Unlike the largest – the Super Bowl – people tend to agree that Thanksgiving is a meal that is best paired with wine. Unless you have reservations to the French Laundry, it is also the only time of the year that people will make a cross-country trip for the purpose of eating dinner.

Given the traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc., the question really becomes what wine to serve? Pinot Noir has long been popular, and given its versatility, elegance and lighter-body, it is fast becoming the standard for Thanksgiving.

Why Butterball is still the safest bet

Don’t let the fact that this is the most American of holidays deter you from drinking a wine made abroad. New Zealand, Chile and France – Pinot Noir’s home – all make great Pinots that all go extremely well with Thanksgiving. Indeed, wines from these areas range in price, quality and flavor but all can match-up to the turkey and trimmings.

From New Zealand, The Crossings is a very light Pinot Noir. It is easy-drinking with cherries and a nice minerality on the finish. It is a very well-made Pinot Noir, though the tartness of the finish may turn off some people.

If you’re looking for a wine with a little more body and spice, give the Llai Llai from Chile a try. It is a little less expensive than the Crossings and is also a bit more versatile and appealing for crowds.

Speaking of appealing to crowds, we went to Graceland over Thanksgiving last year. Above is Elvis' Jungle Room where The King ate many a turkey leg

That’s not to say that Pinot Noir is the only thing to serve this Thanksgiving. After all, what would a celebration be without bubbles? I find it amusing that sparkling wine producers spend 42 weeks out of the year trying to convince people that sparkling wines are not just for holidays and celebrations. Starting around Halloween, though, the emphasis is on how it isn’t really a celebration or a holiday without sparkling wine.

Marketing aside, sparkling wines make a great addition to any table. Gone are the days when you had to spend a boatload for bubbles. Jaillance produces some of the best sparkling wines that France makes that aren’t from Champagne - though the flavor profiles are very similar. Ranging from toasty, buttery and dry to very sweet, you can find something for every palette for under $15.

If you want to spend even less on something festive, get a few bottles of Cava. These sparklers from Spain offer the best value in sparkling wine – if not wine period – that you can get these days.

Of course, what would this post be without giving a shout-out to Virginia wines? One of the best options to serve something local this year would be Chambourcin. Many of the ones I have tasted recently – from Fabbioli Cellars to Notaviva to Hidden Brook are easy-drinking, medium-bodied and loaded with cherry and cranberry flavors.

Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars with his Chambourcin Vines

Whatever you choose to serve this year, make sure you have plenty on hand, and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. 

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive!

If you see a lot of drunk French people today, that's because it's the third Thursday of November. Today is the day that the first wines of the 2011 vintage are released.

Go into any store that sells wine today and you will see stacks of Beaujolais nouveau in brightly-colored bottles. A young, light and fruity wine, Beaujolais nouveau is meant to be drunk right away.

And while it's flavor and character is not to everybody's liking - it is damn-near a French white zin - it is an indication of what's to come from the 2011 vintage.

2011 has not been kind to the wine industry in Virginia. Pick up a bottle of Beaujolais nouveau today if for no other reason to see how 2011 is shaping up in France.

A Successful Virginia Wine Month

While there is still dismay that Virginia actually makes wine by the vast majority of the wine-drinking public, the industry as a whole is making great strides towards getting the word out. October was Virginia Wine Month and everybody I spoke with from winemakers to wine reps to sommeliers were enthusiastic about being a Virginia wine evangelist for the month. Wineries hosted harvest festivals and live music, and restaurants offered specials on Virginia wine throughout the month. Overall, the push to raise awareness about Virginia wine was seen as a huge success and one more step on the road to winemaking respectability around the world – or at least the country.

One thing that the Virginia wine industry does have is an active and enthusiastic champion in the Governor’s Mansion. Actually, they have two of them as both the Governor and First Lady of the state have made it clear that they fully support Virginia’s wine industry and are working to see it thrive.

Gov. McDonnell Discusses the Importance of Virginia's Wine Industry.
Later He and My Wife Discussed All Things Notre Dame.
Go Irish!

At a recent Virginia Wine Month event held at Lincoln Restaurant in the District, Governor McDonnell sounded more like a wine geek than a public official when he spoke about the Chambourcin that was planted recently on the grounds of the Governor’s mansion. He told the crowd about his travel schedule which would make Bono blush: India, China, London, etc. to be the face and advocate for the industry. Through his efforts, Virginia winemakers know that they have an ally rather than an adversary that is working to see the industry grow.

And why not? Virginia is producing some great wine and the quality is only getting better. As winemaker and vineyard managers continue to take a more sophisticated approach to what grows well in Virginia’s soil, the quality will continue to increase and the potential to blend different varietals will continue to grow. Many of the wines I tasted at the event had a distinctive, almost Old World, quality about them.

Even though it is no longer October, there are still plenty of opportunities to raise a glass of Virginia - particularly Loudoun – wine and spread the word.