Spring Wines

If anyone's getting sick of hearing me sing the praises of Virginia Cabernet Franc or Chilean Merlot here, fear not! With spring officially settling into the DC area - and the weather not that far behind - the bigger reds will stay on the rack in the coming months as the lighter reds, whites and roses start to feature more prominently into regular rotation.

For reds, that means this in Pinot Noir's seasonal heyday. Lighter-bodied, with loads of fruit and - with the best from Burgundy and Oregon - spice, earth and complexity that proves that a wine doesn't need to be a big, heavy wine to have a lot going on in terms of what you can taste and discover.

That last sentence was veering extremely close to wine blogger snobbery and pretentiousness, so I apologize and will strive to do better when discussing the whites - especially because there are so many that are approachable, interesting and affordable.

While the Virginia Cabernet Francs and Petite Verdots are being put away for the warmer months, Virginia is no slouch in the white category either. Viognier, in particular, is a great choice, and one that I anticipate enjoying quite a bit of during the spring and summer. Pear, apricot and a little honeysuckle give these wines a lot of fruit while balancing it out with slate on the finish gives Virginia Viognier is why these wines continue to grow in popularity. According to Jordan Harris of Tarara, who makes a great Viognier in his own right, these wines don't show well during wine competitions, but that should take absolutely nothing away from what these wines can offer.

When it comes to pink wine, Rose d'Anjou is a solid go-to. Made predominantly or entirely from Cabernet Franc grapes and coming out of The Loire Valley, these wines - with their abundance of strawberries and raspberries, well-balanced structure and dry, refreshing finish - these wines are great any time during the warmer months and are version utile enough to pair with anything from barbecue ribs to charcuterie.

If you need good come backs when people make fun of you for drinking pink wine with your ribs, check back. That may well be a future post.

Finally, one should not ignore sparkling wines. Cavas from Spain are great, inexpensive sparkling wines that can be opened any time and enjoyed by a diverse crowd. Once you get out of the CVS brands of cava, there are some great options for under $10 maki them some of the best values in the wine world these days.

Whatever you choose to drink during the warmer months, enjoy it, and if you so dare, try to be a wine evangelist for all the beer drinkers.

What a 90-Point Virginia Wine Tastes Like

One of the Virginia wines that recently received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast was the Tarara 2010 Cabernet Franc. WIth so much of the wine press focused on the wineries of the Charlottesville area, I was glad to see Linden and Tarara - both Northern Virginia wineries - do so well in the recent issue of the Enthusiast.

So what does a 90 point wine produced less than two hours from Washington, DC taste like? In the case of Tarara's 2010 Cabernet Franc, it tastes like a big wine, finishes like a big wine and makes no apologies about being a big wine.

I first noticed that the color was almost exactly the same as the ruby sacrificial ring in the movie HELP! Am I using this post to reiterate my not-quite latent Beatlemania? Perhaps, but there are worse ways to spend an evening watching the Beatles and drinking Virginia wine...

Tarara's Cabernet Franc is a BIG wine in every way - big dried fruit, leather and cedar aromas, big flavors of plumb, currant, tobacco with a peaty bite, big alcohol and a big finish. It continues to be a big wine though it does open up over time.

The wine is so big that I tried it over a couple of days and on the second day, it was still big though the tannins did soften a little. This is certainly a wine that could become friends with your decanter. If you don't have one, open it at the beginning of the night and serve it second if you're entertaining.

More to the point, Cabernet Franc does really well in Virginia and Tarara's demonstrates what the grape can accomplish when given the right soil, climate and winemaker. This wine is a great example of what happens when all three come together, and the national wine press is starting to take notice.

Wines I'm Thankful For

This time of year, there seems to be a lot of chatter both in the wine blogger world as well as in the dead tree wine press about two topics: great wines for Thanksgiving and great gift wines. The former is a rotating crop of up and coming wines from new regions - one year Malbec from Argentina was the greatest wine ever for Thanksgiving. Rioja, Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone and Chianti have all also held that distinction for reds, while Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Torrontes have all had a share of the limelight for white wines for Thanksgiving. Ultimately, these reports all end by saying that people should drink what they like - and maybe get something a little nicer than usual for the occasion.

Holiday gift writing tends to explain why wines in the $30 and up are worth it for non-wine drinkers and explain why certain wines cost what they do and why, for a gift, they are worth it. These usually end with a little joke that the card should indicate that in five years, the giver would be happy to help the recipient drink the gift wine.

To do something little different, I wanted to offer up a list of the types of wines I am most thankful for this year. These are not, necessarily, good wines for Thanksgiving. Nor are any of them really good gift wines unless you are a cheapskate. Rather, these are the wines that I find myself cracking open more often than not on a regular evening, or that I have come to appreciate throughout this last year.

1. Chilean Merlot. Chile and Washington State have put Merlot back on the wine map, and Chilean Merlots - with an abundance of dark fruit, chocolate, spice and earth - almost always punch above their weight. Usually under $10, Chilean Merlots have become some of the best value, versatile, everyday drinking wines out there.

2. Virginia Cabernet Franc. I have written a lot about this wine on this blog, and with good reason. The quality and diversity of the Cabernet Franc produced in Virginia continues to grow and is helping to pave the way wider acceptance of Virginia wines in general.

3. Virginia Viognier. Viognier is doing for Virginia white wine what Cabernet Franc is doing for reds. If word gets out on how good Virginia Viognier really is, it could become a go-to white of choice for Chardonnay drinkers looking for something a bit more complex and aromatic as well as Pinot Grigio drinkers who are looking for more body. With its melon, slate and honeydew flavors, it is also a great brunch wine.

4. Cotes du Rhone. While these wines are still gaining and popularity - and increasing in cost - you can still get some very good ones under $15 that are full of clove, spice and blackberries.

5. Grenacha. Spain's second major red wine varietal is starting to gain attention. While these big, bold and smokey wines can be a little rough around the edges, there are some great values out there - especially if you are looking for bigger, more full-bodied wines that pack a punch and are a great value.

6. Argentine Sauvignon Blanc. Let's face it - California Sauvignon Blanc under $15 is rarely good, and the New Zealand stuff is good, but can be fairly acerbic. Argentina is coming into its own with this varietal. There is still the minerality and slate of the New Zealand stuff, but without the over-abundance of gooseberry that turns some people off. These are great light, crisp and refreshing wines.

7. Blends. While pretty much all wines are blends - you only need 75% of a single varietal to put the name on the label - winemakers are becoming more comfortable to put "red blend" or "white blend" on the label. Of course, Bordeaux is still making great wines which, by law, need to be blended, but the trend is catching on in the New World, too. Blends offer depth and complexity that you can't get otherwise. And as long as you stay away from the overly-sweet blends, there are some really good values available.

All of the wines are simply the ones I have developed a greater fondness and appreciation for this year, and all of them tend to have great cost-to-value ratios. During the season of holiday parties, dinners and happy hours, any of these wines would make great gifts or things to order off the menu that won't break the bank, but will leave you satisfied.

Jefferson Would be Proud

Yes, Barboursville has ruins, cows and wine. It also has large crowds and a theme park atmosphere

 On our recent trip to Charlottesville, we visited a lot of wineries and tried a lot of wine. This was my first trip to the region, and while I had heard many good things about the wine and the wineries in Thomas Jefferson's old stomping ground, I wasn't prepared for just how different each winery was in terms of atmosphere and ambiance, though I was pleasantly surprised. Since I have already mentioned Barboursville in a previous post, there isn't much more I need to say about it. True, it is big. Their wines are good. Still, I can't help the feeling that they are the Virginia wine industry's circus barker - imploring people to step right up to try wines from the state. The assembly-line atmosphere in their tasting room does little to counter this impression.

All in all, given its reputation, size and location, Barboursville is a good place to start - especially as an introduction to Virginia wines. And there are many other wineries located nearby. The other wineries we went to on the first day were Reynard Florence and Keswick Vineyards. Neither of these had the crowds or chaos of Barboursville. True, they didn't have Thomas Jefferson-designed ruins on the property either, but that's a small price to pay for tranquility.

Another view from another winery. For the life of me, I can't remember which one

Reynard Florence, a fairly new winery, was our second stop, and it couldn't have been more different. It is a small, family run winery. The tasting room feels more like a living room than anything, and we had the place to ourselves. One of the owners was pouring behind the bar. I first heard about Reynard Florence during this year's Virginia Wine Bracket Challenge where its Cabernet Franc was one of the contestants. I remember liking the wine and was impressed by the other wines they produce. They also make a Petit Manseng and a Grenache - both unique for Virginia.

Rounding out our wineries for the day was Keswick, which does a hefty wedding business for good reason. The winery grounds are beautiful. Finishing off a day of wine tasting with dry Rose on a porch in a comfortable chair is never a bad thing.  And, lest I forget to mention it, their wines are quite good, too. I was a fan of their Viognier and their Rose, though their Verdejo is also worth trying given that it is a unique varietal in Virginia.

This trip was also some of our friends' first experience with Virginia wines, and I am proud to say that they have now become fervent fans of Virginia Viognier. A weekend in Monticello will do that to just about anybody.

This Year's Bracket Challenge

Jefferson Vineyards was the Big Winner Among Stiff Competition

Once again, we stole a perfectly good idea from the NCAA and turned it into a wine tasting event. Unlike last year, which was co-hosted by Jessica Milby at One Classic Wino, this year's tasting was cosponsored by Fabbioli Cellars - last year’s big winner.


To level the playing field, this year’s Bracket Challenge consisted of all Virginia Cabernet Francs, with a number of bloggers, restaurant and wine industry professionals tasting and judging the wines. Other bloggers included Allan from CellarBlog, Kurt from Wine About Virginia and Frank from Drink What You Like. Unlike the men’s basketball tournament, there are a lot fewer fake injuries and poor refereeing during wine tasting.

Tools of the Trade for this Year's Challenge

The 16 wines tasted were from wineries from all around the state, and all had won Governor’s Cup honors. While all the wines were Virginia Cabernet Francs, the diversity of the wine’s appearances, aromas and tastes led to some interesting discussions and opinions. Some were overflowing with green pepper, some had more graphite to them, and others smelled like a cranberry bog.


Pitting 16 Virginia wines against one another demonstrated not only the diversity of flavors and growing regions around the state, but also of increasing quality. While some of the wines were on the light, thin side, others could more than hold their own with Cabernet Francs – or Cabernet Franc-heavy blends – from other winegrowing areas of the world.


Of the wines that made it to the Final Four, one was from Loudoun County and the other three were from the Charlottesville area. Jefferson Vineyards was the night’s overall winner. Congratulations to the winemaking team at Jefferson Vineyards for creating this year’s Bracket Challenge winner. 

This Year's Winner & Runner-Up.  Next Year, the Winning Winemaker will get to Cut Down a Net

Paradise Springs is All Grown-up

It seems like only yesterday that a new winery in Fairfax was fighting with local authorities to be able to open its doors. Looking back at all the struggles Paradise Springs faced initially, and all of the winery’s subsequent success, the opening of their new facility - and their successful opening weekend - serves as a nice reminder to all Paradise Springs has overcome and accomplished in its brief history thus far. To recap: yes, there are still rural parts of Fairfax County. Yes, Paradise Springs makes good wine. Yes, the new facility will help Paradise Springs take their operation to the next level. The fact that they are just a quick trip from downtown DC – I-66 permitting – is just an added bonus to plan a visit.

Paradise Springs is receiving ample support from both the Virginia wine industry and from local and state officials now that they have established themselves and their Chardonnay has won the Governor’s Cup. Their award-winning Chardonnay was one of the wines served at the Grand Opening. The other was their Cabernet Franc, which readers of this blog may have heard once or twice, is one of the varietals that grows extremely well in Virginia.

Gone are the days when Fairfax County zoning officials tried to claim that the winery was actually a manufacturing plant and not a farm. Even with the new facility, Paradise Springs is very much a farm, a winery, and a welcome addition to the exploding wine industry in the state. Virginia Wine Time has a good run down of all the big wigs, fat cats and honchos who were in attendance as well as lots of pictures of the event.

As for the new facility itself, there are essentially three different areas: a tasting room with bar large enough to accommodate several busloads of guests at a time, a production facility/barrel room and a large patio with a fireplace, tables and wooded views. The new building fits in with the current feel of Paradise Springs. Prior to the new facility opening, tastings were done in an old farmhouse and overflow crowds could taste in the barn as well. There was almost always overflow because, as charming as the old farmhouse is, it wasn’t big enough to accommodate the crowds. The barn and the new facility are adjacent to one another with the new facility mimicking the look and feel of the old barn’s exterior. The inside balances modern with traditional very well. The tasting bar side has a cozy feeling to it, despite being a large, airy space.

A portrait of Thomas Jefferson hangs on the wall, and I’m sure he’d be proud of what Paradise Springs, and Virginia wine in general, has accomplished.

Ponzi’s Scheme: Fantastic Oregon Pinots

I know that the title of this post is a little predictable and cheesy, but I can’t help it – there was a slow softball pitched to me and I took full advantage of it. And I’m glad I did, because that means that I can relive my recent experience with Ponzi Vineyards, a pioneering family in the Oregon wine industry. Maria Ponzi, one of the daughters of the founders, current Director of Sales and Marketing, and sister of the winemaker, was recently in DC as part of the Capital Wine Festival. The wines were some of the most complex Pinot Noirs I have tasted in a long, long time. The food was delicious – especially the Pinot-braised pork osso bucco that Chef Mark Timms prepared that was paired with Ponzi’s 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir. The event was another success for the Capital Wine Festival and I am glad I got to spend some time sampling Ponzi’s wines and meeting the people behind them.

Ponzi’s history dates back to the start of the Oregon wine industry – the early 70s - when the Ponzis moved from Northern California with the sole purpose of making Burgundian wine in a cooler climate. Listing to Maria retell the story of her family leaving California to start their winery in Oregon, I was shocked by how piecemeal the whole move seemed. They knew that they wanted to move to Oregon, make wine made with Pinot grapes, and that’s basically it. They were basically making wine out of a garage for much of their history. Knowing how much time, energy, effort and money opening a winery nowadays costs, it’s amazing that the Ponzis gambled on starting a winery in what was then a remote hinterland far removed from the center of the American wine industry.

The gamble paid off, and Ponzi has been making fantastic wines ever since. My favorite wine was their 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir that’s complex and elegant with spiced cherries, licorice and a hint of earth throughout that ends in a long, velvety finish. It was one of several Pinot Noirs sampled, along with a crisp and refreshing Pinot Gris and a fuller-bodied Pinot Blanc that had pears, honeysuckle and floral hints on the nose and palate.

Throughout the dinner, I enjoyed speaking to Maria about her family’s history and the wine that they make. While their wine receives rave reviews from the usual suspects – both Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate have scored Ponzi wines highly - they are now one of the deans of Oregon’s wine industry. At their core, though, Ponzi is still very much a family business that is run with a start-up’s mentality.

I also kept thinking about how far the Oregon wine industry has come since the Ponzis first arrived to work with cooler climate grapes. Oregon wasn’t anywhere close to being on the wine map then, and it now has a reputation for making some of the best Pinots in the world. Virginia is in a similar situation now. While the state is making some great wine, it is still seen as a novelty, an offshoot of the locavore movement, or the passion of a few dedicated wine enthusiasts. With the same sort of dedication to producing great wines that the early settlers of the Oregon industry had, and with the patience and desire to see the industry flourish, it is only a matter of time until Virginia is as synonymous with Cabernet Franc and Viognier as Oregon is with Pinot varietals.

Washington Wine Academy’s 1K Wine Walk for the Cure of Boring

The Washington Wine Academy’s 1K Wine Walk was not for any cure, cause or awareness raising of any kind. Unless you count awareness of the Wine Academy itself and different wines from around the world. If you do, then it was quite successful. The event was well-attended, and I hope the inaugural Wine Walk was the kickoff to a new annual event on the DC wine calendar.

One of the things I really liked about the Wine Walk was the diversity of wine that was available for participants. There were wines from all over the world – ranging from well-known to more obscure regions and varietals. Virginia wine was well represented with a Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Norton available to taste at the different stops along the walk. I was a fan of the Cono Sur Pinot Noir from Chile, which was a light-bodied, easy drinking and smooth Pinot that was brimming with cherries, raspberries and just the lightest smack of mulling spice to round it out. Another standout was the Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Go figure, I liked a Virginia Cab Franc. This one was a nice full-bodied offering that was loaded with spiced cherries, vanilla, and an earthy, smokiness that yielded to a nice, dry finish. I was glad to see Virginia wines mixed in with wines from other regions and not segregated into a Virginia Stop on the walk.

The 1K wine walk is a new offering from The Academy that I hope becomes an annual event. It was certainly popular enough this year – so popular, in fact, that they had to add a second day. Participants ranged from those decked out in running gear - emphasizing the 1K part - to people in wine-tasting gear - including those ridiculous wine glass-holding necklaces – to people who just came out for a fun afternoon of wine tasting.

There is some room for improvement, though. Next year, I would like to see information on where participants can purchase the wine they are tasting. There was no information available to the walkers regarding where to buy bottles this year, nor was it possible to purchase the wine during the event. I am sure a store like Whole Foods or Total Wine would love the partner with the Washington Wine Academy for this event in order to drive a captive audience into their stores.

Overall, the event was a great success that was put on by a great organization. The Washington Wine Academy does a lot to raise awareness of wine in the DC area. From their Movie Nights at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse to their weekend Virginia Wine Tours to their more rigorous classes on wine appreciation and scholarship, they stand at the forefront of wine education and wine events in the region.

Good Food, Good WIne, Good Cause

This is one of those weekends where I love that I care passionately enough about wine to write about it. With all the great events going on, it is hard to make time for them on, but I soldier on…

At the Virginia Wine Showcase I got to talk to people from wineries all over the state about the overall health of the industry and their own respective wineries. The short version is that Cabernet Franc and Viogner grow really, really well in Virginia; everyone is extremely optimistic about the direction the industry is headed; and if it weren’t for restrictive, outdated and downright asinine wine laws is nearby states – specifically Maryland and Pennsylvania – Virginia wines would already be reaching a much wider audience and gaining converts.

More on the Virginia Wine Showcase and the Virginia wine industry will be coming in the days to follow. But as the weekend is halfway over, it is important to look at the other wine-related events that are happening in DC. Specifically the 12^th Annual Washington, DC International Wine and Food Festival. If the Virginia Wine Showcase focuses on all things local, the Washington Wine and Food focuses on all things global. There are wines from Spain, Italy and France represented, as well as an impressive showing from the Finger Lakes.

After a weekend of wining and dining, it’s important to mix it up a bit… Like wining and dining for a good cause. And you have the opportunity to do just that on Sunday. Why not spend brunch trying wine and gourmet food by one of DC’s preeminent chefs at his namesake restaurant? With all the proceeds going to the DC Central Kitchen? That sounds like it just might be crazy enough to work! And that is what the organizers of the 12^th Annual DC Wine and Food Festival are hoping for. Tickets are still available on the Wine and Food Festival Website.

Starting at 11.00 am tomorrow, Chef Ris Lacoste will prepare an exclusive brunch at his namesake restaurant, pair it with wine and champagne and give all the proceeds to DC Central Kitchen. It couldn’t be a more worthy cause, and all it takes is to buy a ticket and continue doing what you have been doing all weekend. It’s the very definition of win-win.

Doug Fabbioli: Virginia's Red WIne Evangelist

In a recent post, I wrote that one of my favorite reds from Virginia is Fabbioli Cellars’ Cabernet Franc. It is a great, complex and elegant red. In fact, it shows that it is possible to create high quality reds in Virginia. Similar to reds from the Finger Lakes, climate and general reputation are seen as major barriers to producing quality reds in Virginia. Like so much conventional wisdom, it takes a very small number of people to prove it wonderfully, wonderfully wrong.

Doug Fabbioli opened the doors to his winery about four years ago with the mission to produce very good, high quality red wines in Virginia. His small, family-run winery is producing some very good wine, and raising the profile of Virginia reds along with it. Fabbioli Cellars’ Cabernet Franc is among my favorites.

Fabbioli wines can now be found on many wine lists in the DC area, and can, quite frankly, hold their own among the other selections without being the sympathy selection that helps the restaurant look like it is helping the local economy with token local additions.

The Cabernet Franc is not as full-bodied as a Cabernet Sauvignon, yet it has just as much complexity. Berries, tobacco and chocolate are the dominant flavors of this dark ruby red wine that is very nicely balanced with a smooth finish with a bit of spice on it.

Another wine that is worth trying is Fabbioli Cellar’s Chambourcin. While a less well-known varietal, Chambourcin does well in Virginia. A nice, easy-drinking light to medium-bodied red, Fabbioli Cellars’ Chambourcin has hints of exotic spice, oak and earth in it.

As someone who has been in the wine business for so long, and has experienced the industry from so many diverse vantage points, it is a testament to Virginia’s wine potential that Doug has settled here, opened his winery here, and is committed to improving the quality of red wine that the state is capable of producing. Fabbioli Cellars itself has a laid-back, family atmosphere. Stop in one weekend and try some of the best reds that Virginia is producing.

Spring Visit to Paradise Springs

I have said a lot about Paradise Springs in the past – about their battle with Fairfax County, about finally being able to open, and the quality wines that they produce. From what I was told on my most recent trip, the winery is doing great. They are doing so well,in fact, that they cannot accommodate all the groups that want to pay them a visit, which is a great problem to have. Although they are still new, Paradise Springs can do wine tastings well – they were able to accommodate a group of 50 of us without making us feel crowded, cluttered or rushed. We arrived before they opened, and even after their doors swung open for other people, the personal attention never wavered. In fact, I got the sense that the only reason our group left the winery at all is because we had a lunch and two more wineries to get to during the day. Otherwise, everybody would have been happy to stay put, drinking and buying wine and learning about the winery’s history – both recent (as a winery) and historic (as the land has been in the proprietor’s family for generations).

I have mentioned in the past Paradise Spring’s 2008 Viognier and their 2008 Cabernet Franc. I will add to this their Cabernet Sauvignon. While not as thick, bold and aromatic of Napa cabs, it is good for a Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a little thin, but still has a nice aroma to it – with hints of blackberries, currants and chocolate – with a nice raspberry taste on the finish. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon that goes down smooth, albeit with less body than I usually like. It is a drinkable wine, though at $32 is a bit overpriced. In terms of white wine, I would stick with their Viogniers and stay away from their Chardonnays, which get into the bad habit of spending too much time fermenting in oak, overpowering any other flavors other than firewood that would be present in the wine. That said, their Vidal Blanc, while not quite as intricate as their Viognier, is a very nice, fruit-filled wine with a sweetness that is well-balanced against spicier, heavier foods.

The first time I went to Paradise Springs, it was cold and snowy. The last time I was there, it was warm, sunny and crowded. It is great to see a winery that fought so hard to open its doors continue to grow its base of fans and supporters, as well as expanding the number of wineries in Virginia that are producing interesting wines.

RappAdventure

Although it is several weeks gone now, I am finally getting around to writing about Rappahannock Cellars, who was the gracious host for the inaugural TechAdventureDC event. Followers of Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and other social media platforms have probably already seen and read all that they need to about the event from the social media and techie perspective. I will add my three sentence write-up of the event from that point of view, then move onto the wine: It was a great way to continue online conversations offline and actually meet people face-to-face. I enjoyed receiving all of the positive feedback about the blog, and was surprised by how many people actually read it! It was a great way to get out of the city for a day, spending time in a beautiful setting, eating great food, listening to music in a barn and drinking some very good Virginia wines.

The winery was started by California transplants who moved to Virginia over a dozen years ago to start a family winery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a member winery of the Blue Ridge Wine Way, and a winery that produces over 8,000 cases of wine a year, Rappahannock Cellars is now one of the bigger wineries in Virginia. Despite the many challenges that growing wine in Virginia has compared to California, the owners, winemakers, vine-growers, along with everyone else involved in the production of their wines seems to welcome the challenge. The ultimate payoff, of course, is what ultimatly flows out of the bottle.

During the tour of the vineyard, we were told that chardonnay does not grow well in Virginia, though they devote some acreage to it. From what I tried, I would agree that it is not the best white that they make, but their 2008 Noblesse Viognier was quite good, with a nice, dry blend of citrus and mineral flavors throughout the body and a rich, golden color.

Like chardonnay, Virginia is not known for its cabernet sauvignon. Rappahannock makes a drinkable one, however. It is not, by any means the thick, full-bodied wine that California has become famous for producing, but it serves as a good table wine that is more that able to accompany red meats, cheese and even pasta dishes. A better red that they produce is their 2007 Cabernet Franc. Perhaps cabernet franc just grows better in Virginia, or maybe I just know what to expect with Virginia cabernet franc, but I enjoyed it more likely because the cab franc had the subtle taste of peanut butter and jelly in the finish.

I found their dessert wines way too sweet and thick, with jumbled, muddled tastes that didn’t really offer anything too distinctive. The best way I could describe their 2007 Red Dessert Wine is like diluting a jar of jam with water and letting it ferment. Not my favorite, but many people on the trip enjoyed it - further reinforcing the fact that every palate is different, everybody likes and looks for different things in wine, and all tasting recommendations should be viewed as guideposts more than anything else.

Overall, a big thank you goes out to the organizers of TechAdventureDC and to Rappahannock Cellars. I would strongly encourage you to take a trip out to the winery, spend a day tasting what they have to offer and exploring their grounds. You will leave happy, with some very good bottles of Virgina wine.

TechAdventureDC is Only a Day Away

What can be better than writing a blog about wine and the DC area's wine culture? If you answered "going to one of Virginia’s great wineries to mingle, taste what the winery has to offer and get to know other DC-area social media, bloggers and general tech-savvy wine lovers?" than you are absolutely right.

Tomorrow is the inaugural event that is hosted by TechAdventureDC. The organization aims to "put the social back into social media," and was organized by some of DC's preeminent social media experts. Rappahannock Cellars is hosting the event, which should provide a great venue for what is likely to be a fantastic day and a great event, with or without the expected rain. Rappahannock has a particularly good cabernet franc that I would encourage attendees to try.

Caitlin and I are both going, and, last time I checked, tickets were sold out. Not to worry, though. There will likely be many, many tweets and blog posts discussing the event from every angle and every detail in the days following TechAdventureDC.