Comfort in a bottle

:: Indaba Chenin Blanc 2006, produced by Cafe Classics (South Africa), $8.99 ::

My friend Fred brought this wine to my "Around the World in Food and Drink" dinner party. Though I encouraged people to be more creative with the international drinks they were bringing, I forgive Fred for bringing the wine, because I love the label :) Plus (and perhaps more importantly), I don't think I had ever tried a South African white wine before.

I really enjoyed it. It's not very complex or interesting wine, but it's well-rounded and easy to drink. It's crisp, light and citrusy. It has some ripe fruit on the bouquet, particularly bananas... but not in a way that evokes warmth. I actually remember thinking it almost smelled like rain!

All in all, great wine for under $10. I think I've been a little stressed lately (between work, class and personal life), and it was the perfect thing to comfort me. Well, it was either the wine or my new kitten Andy (short for Ampersand)... or maybe a combination of the two made for the ultimate relaxing evening :)

In other wine news, I watched the movie Bottle Shock a few weeks ago. It's no Sideways, but you'll probably enjoy it if you're a wine aficionado. The preview makes it look funnier than it really is, and it may be a little too long, but I liked it okay. It's about California winemakers setting out to produce better wines than the French in the 1960s (and succeeding!). Based on a true story, apparently. Makes me feel better about California red Zinfandels being my preferred kind of wine, haha. Actually it's really funny I've consistently said red zins are my favorite considering the francophile I am! Guess I'm a true American at heart.

Speaking of being American, I'm going to my first professional baseball game tomorrow. Super-excited!

Summer in a bottle or two

Since I haven't written in a while, I'm reviewing two wines together this time around. With DC summer in full swing, I present to you two nice white wines to enjoy in the sun. They are both nice, "summery" white wines, though they have very different personalities. (I think they do anyway; I tasted the Viognier a while ago and am working off my notes, so I apologize if my description's a little muddy.)


::: Richland Reserve Viognier 2006, Potomac Point Vineyard, $20.99 :::

The first wine is from the Potomac Point Vineyard in Stafford, VA; I visited the winery on a road trip to Charlottesville with my friend Aditi in April. It's a great little spot not too far from DC; beautiful setting, decent wines and great service! I definitely recommend it. There's also just something special about getting local wine from the source itself. Getting a bit of the winery and region history makes the experience that much more memorable, I think. I hope to do a little wine touring again soon... Virginia has a lot of reputable wineries, after all. I was kind of on a road trip kick for a bit this summer: between late March and mid June I went to Philly, Charlottesville, New York and Atlantic Beach. I slowed it down a bit after that because an exhausting two week vacation to India got in the way, but next up is Dewey beach at the end of this month! :) It's nice to get away for a bit. Sometimes you just need to be in the middle of nowhere with your girlfriends belting out Shakira, snacking on Bugles and reminiscing about high school (as I did during the Memorial Day weekend at Atlantic Beach).

Anyway, so out of the 13 wines I tasted at the vineyard (for $10) the Viognier was my favorite. I thought at the time that it was the perfect spring/summer wine. I remember it being lighter than it really is, though. "Summer" in a bottle seems fitting, then, because I also remember DC summer being lighter than it really is. The beginning of summer was especially brutal since we had hardly a glimpse of spring before the sun was blazing. I was looking forward to festivals out on the National Mall, to outdoor concerts and to day trips this summer, but it suddenly got too hot for me to want to head out of the house. The wine is definitely crisp, floral and citrus-y, but it's more of a heavier white wine. It even has a warm appearance and scent: it is a dark yellow, almost apple juice color, and it smells of melon and flowers. It's not too sweet, but sweet enough that it's really easy to drink. It has a long finish; makes you feel warm and fuzzy a few moments after you swallow. (I recently learned from my wine book Alpana Pours that heavier whites have often been exposed to oak, and this wine has indeed been aged in French oak barrels in addition to stainless steel.) It is kind of a complicated wine, offering freshness, warmth and depth all at the same time, but it manages to strike a balance.

My summer has offered something similar. Before I left for India, thunderstorms and rain would cool off the air every few days. (In India, the monsoon would do the same.) Summer days can be awful, but summer evenings can be lovely, perfect for mingling on an outdoor patio. I've participated in many happy hours and nights out this sumer... maybe that's why I think summer evenings are "warm and fuzzy" even though they offer a kind of crispness! Highlights thus far have been Clarendon Ballroom (fun but dangerous) in Arlington and Red Derby in Columbia Heights. Sometimes these nights lead to complications and shenanigans, as Laura H. from work would put it, and other times they're just good fun with friends old and new.


::: Terrazzo Esino Bianco 2007, Verdicchio-Trebbiano blend, $9.99 at Best Cellars :::

This wine is more my style of white: light, fresh, lively and fruity! May not be how summer really is, but it's how I like summer to be. The wine looks and feels light too; it is a lot lighter in color than the Viognier. It smells and tastes very crisp. On the nose I get peach, lemon and melon... but not as ripe-smelling as the Viognier. On the tongue I get a little apple and lots of citrus. It's tingly on the tongue, and the finish is like biting into a lemon. You might compare it to a Pinot Grigio, but I think it has more character. I had a glass with some Pad Thai, and that seemed to bring out the apple taste.

(Quick design note: apparently Terrazzo Esino Rosso (red) has the exact same Mediterranean-style label except it's colored in with red; cute marketing technique for customer recognition, I think.)

How I've interpreted the wines may have something to do with my mood as I drink them. After my trip across the world to India and Paris, I'm happy to be back in DC and relaxing. I've taken it pretty easy since I've been back-- I was exhausted, and I'm craving some refreshment, so that may be reflecting in my Terrazzo tasting analysis. I'm settling into my new place, too, and it seems like it's going to work out really well. Feels like a fresh start.

Irony in a bottle

::: The Prisoner, Orin Swift Cellars, 2006 Napa Valley Red wine, $31.95, #17 in best wines of 2007 as ranked by Wine Spectator :::

I thought my next post would definitely be a white wine since spring is finally upon Washington, D.C. but tonight is a cool, rainy evening that seems perfect for The Prisoner.

You would think "prisoner in a bottle" would be an easy title for this one, but I just can't bring myself to wing it that way. I suppose you could say the wine is just waiting to "break away"-- i.e. to unleash its power and flavor-- as it does, but to me it's more than that. To me, it's not a prisoner at all. It's so intense, flavorful and complex that it seems free... full of vitality and energy. It's fruity and full of berry flavors, but has quite a kick all the same (spice, citrus, just a hint of tannin). It's full-bodied with a rich, dark red color. It's a fun mix of different grape varietals, yet has a very specific and balanced taste.

I also found (when looking up the price, bc this wine was a gift-- merci, Diane!) that this wine is a vintage. I didn't know what that meant, and this is what Wikipedia tells us: "A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. " In some cases this means higher quality. Anyway, just thought I'd share, since we're all learning :)

But back to the point. Perhaps the wine really isn't free, after all. Why is it named The Prisoner? Perhaps it's like the Macy Gray song says: "I may appear to be free / But I'm just a prisoner of your love." Perhaps it's like me.

Love in a bottle

So it's been over six months since I last wrote. Pathetic, especially since it was my new year's resolution to rev up the blog, and now it's almost April. But I'm inspired anew... so the blog is back with a fresh look and a more personal approach: I haven't worked out the details yet, but I will try to integrate my wine discussion with other things going on in my life. I also plan to post photos. Let's see.

::: Ce Vin Chateau Bellevue La Foret 2005, Negrette grape, $13 at Harris Teeter:::

This was my first experience with the Negrette grape varietal, and it was a pleasant one. I found this wine to be very fruit-forward, with an almost overwhelming taste of plum. The finish is very sour (almost as if you were biting into a lime!), but it doesn't have much of a harsh tannin feel at all. There's a little bit of pepper and spice. It is medium-bodied, with a very rich dark red tint. I snacked on chips and salsa while drinking, which was fine, but I imagine a steak (like the bottle recommends) may go over better... not that I would know, since I don't eat steak. I would definitely recommend it with food though; on its own, the citrus kick is intense! All in all, good wine.

I'm writing this on Friday night, drinking alone... it's been a while since I did that. (Before you get worried, let me assure you that I just had one glass.) It's nice though; it's nice to just be relaxing on my own and having a glass of wine to wind down the day. I really do love wine. Love. Funny thing, isn't it? My friend Aditi sent me the link to love on Wikipedia tonight. I found this line to be striking: "According to many philosophers, the only goal of life is to be happy. And there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved." Is love really all you need to be happy? I've actually been struggling with this for two weeks. It makes sense if I think about love in more than a strictly romantic sense, though. As in, my love for art, my love for friends, my love for wine, my love for the little intricacies of life all contribute to my happiness.

One of my favorite quotes about (romantic) love is Shakespeare's "Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; being purged, a fire sparkling in lover's eyes. Being vexed, a sea nourished with lover's tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet." So I choose to name this post "love in a bottle," because love has been on my mind, but also because I think the wine leaves you with this "preserving sweet" taste even though the sour ("gall") is very strong.