Appreciation in a bottle

:: Potomac Point Vineyard Norton 2006, $14.99 ::

This Norton was another bottle that I picked up at the Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery in Stafford, VA. Thought it was special since the Norton grape (aka Cynthiana) is native to Virginia, and it is apparently also the oldest native North American varietal in commercial cultivation today. I generally think Virginia produces better white wines than red, but this is one that's worth trying... especially if you're a local and can actually hop over to one of the wineries! It's a medium-bodied dry wine that's smooth and fruit-forward; finishes pretty tart and tangy. I noticed the intensity in flavor a lot more when sipping the wine on its own. I would recommend it with food if you prefer something that's not too intense. I had it alongside some chicken sausage in a spicy tomato-spinach sauce (cooked by LG!), and I remember feeling like the wine was really balanced. It's a really rich, almost opaque burgundy in color. On the nose I get ripe plum. On the tongue I get pepper, citrus and jam.

I seem to vaguely remember that the bottle is 100% Norton (too lazy to head over to the kitchen to check), and when I first tasted it at dinner the other night I remember thinking it was a nice straightforward, pure (all Norton), genuine, unique kind of wine. I happened to be drinking and dining at the time with two of my most genuine and straightforward friends, so this is a little shoutout to them. Caroline was visiting me for the weekend; it had been a LONG time since I'd spent so much quality time with her. I knew she and LG would appreciate each other, but I didn't actually realize that they are pretty similar in random ways. They studied the same things in college and seem to take a pretty carefree attitude toward life. They also seem to play a similar friend function for me. This is the part that kind of left me in awe... but maybe we always end up gravitating toward people that have certain types of traits? Do your real-world friends have qualities that are eerily similar to some of your friends from college or high school? But anyway, the point is that I really appreciate the role that each of them plays in my life: they are the friends that are up for whatever, whenever. There's no drama. There's the ability to laugh and put up with me when things don't go to plan (which happens all the time, because I'm ridiculous.) Got to test this out with Caroline when my car ran out of gas and stalled Saturday... whoops! (At least the AAA guy was hot.) And with LG at Inauguration when we ended up out in the freezing cold and unable to get into bars at 4 a.m. instead of trashed and warm as planned. (F* D.C. for making us think bars were open and serving till 5!) And when I tell her I'll be ready at 8 and really she gets to my place, and I make her cook dinner while I continue getting ready... lol.

Ok so it's a bit of a stretch from the Norton grape, but I really did make a mental parallel to the two of them while drinking (with them). It could be the wine talking... haha. I can't compare it to Cab, Zin or Shiraz though. Maybe something like a combination of the three, but the wine is really not like anything else I have tasted. And my friends aren't really like anyone else you will meet! LG and I have been hanging out a lot since the new year, and I love it. Cheers to the good times ahead.

Wow, I'm a little cheesy. (Speaking of cheese, I'm checking out Cowgirl Creamery with Laura on Thurs! Ha.)