White Wines Reviewed in 2009

With the official wrap-up of some of the blog posts and stories I covered in 2009, it is time shift attention to the more important list from 2009: the wines that were reviewed.

Below is a list of all the white wines that I mentioned on this blog in 2009. Hopefully you will be able to try – and enjoy – some of these and possibly even visit some of the wineries.

• Rappahannock Cellars Chardonnay: Chardonnay does not grow well in Virginia, though [Rappahannock Cellars does] devote some acreage to it. From what I tried, I would agree that it is not the best white that they make.
• Rappahannock Cellars 2008 Noblesse Viognier: Was quite good, with a nice, dry blend of citrus and mineral flavors throughout the body and a rich, golden color.
• Tarara 2007 Viognier: A very crisp wine with a touch of acidity on the palette that gives the wine an almost, but not quite, sparkling quality. The nose has some fruit to it, but also a bit of a chalky hue. In case you’re wondering, that is actually a good thing for this wine. Don’t ask how I got “chalky.” I did, and it’s not a bad thing.
• Swedish Hill 2007 Dry Riesling: A light, citrusy Riesling that had a nice body and decent finish. Being a Riesling, even though this was their “dry” variety, there was still a tinge of sweet syrupiness to it, which, given the characteristics of the Riesling grape should be expected.
• Swedish Hill 2006 Reserve Chardonnay: Unlike many chardonnays I have had from the Finger Lakes, this one was not too oaky. It actually tasted like wine instead of scotch. It did have some light oak undertones, as well as the buttery finish that one expects with a chardonnay. This particular wine also had some hints of pear and apple in it.
• Swedish Hill Blue Waters Riesling: A sweet, but not too sweet, taste throughout with a fruity, lingering aftertaste of peaches.
• Dill’s Run Winery Pinot Grigio: 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, whites with a fresher taste.

So there you have the white wines that I reviewed in 2009. Check back soon to see the list of reds that I reviewed in 2009.

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!