Rockfish from a Bucket Grill and a Finger Lakes Pinot Grigio

After the DC area got what seems like enough rain to frustrate Noah, the weather cooperated enough last night that Caitlin, (Kopek) and I could eat outside. The menu consisted of roasted red potatoes, squash and rockfish. The latter two items were prepared on the Crate and Barrel Bucket Grill. The bucket grill is exactly what it sounds like – a bucket that has been modified to be a grill. Since the fire code in Arlington prohibits gas and coal grills on balconies, the bucket grill is a wonderful and portable way for people who live in apartment complexes and condos to be able to cook on a real fire. As handy as the Foreman grill can be in a pinch, it is not a real grill. And every time you use it, somewhere, a bag of charcoal is laughing at you.

Accompanying last night’s meal was a Pinot Grigio from Dill’s Run Winery in Aurora, NY, which is on Cayuga Lake. Caitlin and I visited Dill’s Run last time we were in the Finger Lakes. It is a small winery that gets by primarily on its charm, its friendly and hospitable proprietors, and its curly-haired lab Abe, who is the winery’s mascot and inspiration for some of their wines. I am a huge fan of places that allow dogs, especially when they are big, friendly, and goofy ones like Abe. If you are able to get to Dill’s Run, ask one of the owners about how Abe came into their lives. It is a great story. Abe and I became fast friends, and I am sure he is part of the reason why we left Dill's Run with several more bottles of wine than expected.

As for the wine itself, the pinot grigio was not to my liking, though I am sure that it would be ideal for some people. It was a little too apricoty for my taste, and a bit more buttery than I would have liked. I tend to like the crisper, more fresh-tasting whites. Still, the heaviness of the wine went well with the rockfish. Since the food was grilled on cedar planks, the smokiness of the fish went well with the heavier body of the wine. I would not, however, recommend the Dill’s Run pinot grigio for those heavy, hot and humid days that are just around the corner in DC. When those hit, the wine needs to be light and refreshing, regardless of what comes off of the bucket grill. 

Welcome to a New Wine Blog!

Welcome to my new blog. The title of it is "Beltway Bacchus" because a) I live inside the Beltway of our Nation's Capital and b) Bacchus was the Roman god of wine (among other things, many of which will not be covered in this blog) and this blog will focus primarily on wine, as well as anything else I want. But mostly wine. 

Why wine? Because my fiancée and I love wine. “Love” might not be exactly the right word. We love each other, and we can still get into arguments from time to time. We love our dog, but she can occasionally be a pain. So maybe it's not "love." I have never argued with wine before. It has never argued with me, though it has caused me to argue with others. Nor have I ever felt like wine was being a pain. I have never had to walk wine at 3.30 in the morning, or relegate wine to the balcony, though being on the balcony with a glass of wine, my fiancée and my dog is perhaps the best place in the world to be.

With that all said, welcome, again to this blog and thank you for reading this far. Since you have made it this far, permit me to tell you a little bit more about what this blog is about. In a word, the blog is about wine.

In a paragraph, this blog aims to be a place for people to learn about wine, share their stories about wine, and take advantage to the culture of wine that exists both within the Beltway at the numerous restaurants, wine shops and markets, and beyond the Beltway in one of the most diverse and interesting wine-growing regions in the country in Virginia. Caitlin (my aforementioned beautiful fiancée) and Kopek (my aforementioned dog) will also be participating if I can persuade them to.

My qualifications for discussing wine are rather limited. I am not an expert. I am not someone who berates people for swirling their glass improperly. I do, however, make up my own wine terms (along with bouquet, my glasses tend to have haircuts…This is only the first post, there is plenty of time to learn.) And Caitlin and I never shy away from a wine tasting. We try a lot, sip a lot and enjoy a lot of different wines. We have been to many of the wineries in the DC region and are not shy about going back. We have spent some time in Napa and Sonoma where we learned to be snooty, yet sophisticated and honest about what like when it comes to wine. We have also had the privilege of spending time at New York wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Once, we even attended a wine tasting in the middle of the Caribbean while we were on a cruise.

So basically, Caitlin and I are like you. We like wine, we want to discuss it, learn more about it and enjoy it. It is with that in mind, and a glass of Corcoran Malbec in my hand, that I am writing this post and invite you to join us, comment and add your thoughts about being a vinophile in the Nation’s Capital. Bacchus, after all, would have wanted it that way.

Check back often for updates!