The top Rieslings that had everyone delighted (in no particular order):

2005 Pegasus Bay Riesling - Waipara, New Zealand

A multi-faceted interplay of complementary aromas and flavors. With elements of ripe apples, white peaches, nectarines, quinces, raw figs, and citrus fruits. This bottle wowed a lot of people who had never had Riesling with a bit of age on it, was simply gorgeous, wish we could get more.

2009 Domaine Weinbach Riesling "Reserve Personnelle" - Alsace, France

Typically Alsace in presentation, with a long concentrated finish with bracing acidity. Domaine Weinbach's entry-level Riesling really shows why Weinbach is one of the top estates in Alsace (general rule of thumb is that if the wine is from Weinbach it is going to be great and very fairly priced).

2008 Caspari Kappel Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling Kabinett - Mosel, Germany

A lighter style, semi-sweet with crisp acidity providing great balance. An excellent introduction into what good off-dry Rieslings from the Mosel are capable of.

2006 Monchhof Urzig Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese - Mosel, Germany

Scoring 92 points in both Wine Spectator & The Wine Advocate, this wine lived up to its billing with good acidity and a "citric core of juicy primary fruit, even as mocha vanilla, and nut oils suggest themselves in the long finish." A nice step up in complexity from the Caspari Kabinett.

2007 Weingut Schafer Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spatlese - Nahe, Germany

With bright aromas and flavors of pineapple, lime and melon the Schafer Frohlich Spatlese was very well-balanced with an elegant finish. A great bottle showigng that the Nahe region is definitely producing wines that rival the more famous Mosel.

2007 True & Daring Riesling - Nelson, New Zealand

The winner of the Riesling trophy at Britain's International Wine Challenge, True & Daring is a phenomenal slightly off-dry riesling with a delightful pure and zingy core with notes of lime, mandarin, mineral. The second great bottle from New Zealand, and one we'd love to revisit in 5-10 years once it will really start to strut its stuff.

Along with the taste, we also had the pleasure of serving a variety of beautiful cheeses which included Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon, Brillat-Savarin and Demon du Midi. Midnight Moon is a pale, ivory goats milk gouda (made in Holland to Cypress Grove's specifications) that is aged six months or more. It has a firm, dense and smooth texture with a nutty and brown-buttery flavor. Brillat-Savarin, on the other hand, is a triple cream, luscious Brie that is a faintly sour cow's milk cheese delivering loads of rich, buttery sweet cream flavor and a nice touch of saltiness. Lastly, Demon du Midi is a beautifuly ripe style of Brie with a nice pungent aroma and a rich full earthy, yet creamy flavor.

All in all a very successful tasting! If you couldn’t make it out, we do have weekly tastings held in the store as well as more events to be announced.

One of the things that drives us crazy is the complete and total lack of respect that Riesling gets from wine lovers. The prevailing opinion seems to be that Riesling makes sweet, simple wines--the years of Blue Nun being synonymous with German wine, and therefore with Riesling, helped to drive this perception (though any wine that has been immortalized by both the Beatles and the Beastie Boys gets a pass from me)--which are fine for quaffing but not suited for anything more serious. The truth, though, is that Riesling is one of the great white varieties, and is capable of delivering wines of remarkable complexity and ageability at a very modest price tag.

That said, the shock and horror on people's faces when we suggest a delightful off-dry Riesling to complement someone's meal (there really is no companion as consistently wonderful for Asian dishes) has been something that has consistently bugged us and is the impetus for this tasting, which might be better titled "Discover Riesling" as anyone who has experienced the myriad faces of Riesling (or the pure joy of a well-aged bottle from the Mosel) tends to become a true-believer.

While we could focus solely on Germany, we decided to branch out and hit the big regions in Europe, Germany, Alsace and Austria as well as a few new-world examples that we find particularly compelling (including a bottle from New Zealand that is stunning, really shockingly good Riesling). So, if you are part of the group making the those faces at us, or simply would like to know more about Riesling, come on by, this is a great opportunity to learn about this neglected variety, as well as the often quite intimidating labels that adorn it.

To be tasted:

2008 Caspari Kappel Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling Kabinett
2006 Monchhof Urzig Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese
2007 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Auslese
2007 LEO X-Treme Sundowner Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese
2005 Pegasus Bay Riesling
2009 Roots Riesling "Cherry Grove Vineyard"
2005 Hunold Riesling
2009 Domaine Weinbach Riesling "Reserve Personelle"
2006 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru
2007 True & Daring Riesling

There is no charge for this tasting.

Ibores Cheese paired w/ 2008 Caspari Batterieberg Kabinett Riesling

This delicious Spanish cheese is made from unpasteurized goats’ milk in the province of Extremadura. The rind has natural color of straw to dark ochre depending on the amount of paprika and olive oil used during the two month aging process. Its firm, smooth texture has a pleasant, lingering tangy finish. which paired very well with the light sweet of the 2008 Riesling, giving it more depth.

The 2008 Caspari Batterieberg Kabinett Riesling hails from Mosel, Germany and received high marks from Wine Enthusiast this year. ”Ripe nose of peach, apricot and honey with some petrol. This is sweet yet refreshing, with moderately concentrated ripe flavors. Smooth texture across the palate, attractive mineral notes and some spice on the finish.” (W.E. 3/2011) This duo is a great balance of tangy and sweet.

Cacciotta Tartufo w/ 2009 Corte Lenguin Valpolicella

This black truffle infused cheese is made from pasteurized sheep's milk from the region of Umbria, Italy. It’s aged about one month resulting in a semi-soft, gentle texture along with an interesting balance between the truffle flavor and the sheep's milk flavor. The rich creaminess of the cheese is an absolutely perfect pairing with the light fruitiness of the 2009 Corte Lenguin Valpolicella wine.

The Corte Lenguin comes from Veneto, Italy and is a fine Italian dry wine, deep in ruby red color. The nose is intense, fruity with notes of dark cherries and dark berries followed by spicy notes and sweet liquorice. It's dry and soft on the palate with pleasant heat and elegant tannins, very persistent with a long pleasant finish.

Dairy Vale Vintage Cheddar w/ 2003 Barnadown Run Shiraz

This gold medal award winning cheddar comes from grass fed, BST-free, Australian cows. Aged for over three years,it proudly bears the trusted Dairy Vale name - a brand with over 50 years of heritage in South Australia. The cheese boasts a sharp, tangy taste with a dry but smooth texture. These big flavors compliment the 2003 Shiraz very nicely.

The 2003 Barnadown Run Shiraz is made in the Victoria region of Australia. It has an opaque black crimson color with a deep crimson hue. The ripe grapes take on classic notes of black pepper and leather that add depth and complexity to the black cherry and plum fruits on the palate. Australian Shiraz has typically been aged in American Oak barrels which leave the wine with a distinct note of vanilla that can add to the impression of ripeness many of these wines have, but the time in barrel also allows the wines a chance to settle and reveal their rich, voluptuously styled mouthfeel.

There you have it, just a start to a long list of combinations you could try. Hope everyone has been enjoying their summer!

Basically a rose is a while that has been left to ferment with it’s skin for a short amount of time. This gives the color a flush pink, and leaves a crisp refreshing feeling like a young white wine.

Pinot noir roses are probably the most delicate roses. The thin skinned pinot is a difficult grape to produce, making it an expensive product. Now I’m not talking ridiculously expensive. But typically, roses can be around 8-18 dollars. Pinot Noir roses will range around 18-20+. Which isn’t a bad deal, considering the quality you get from some producers.

2010 Domaine du Pre Semele is an excellent example of quality product, with a quality producer. Domaine du Pre Semele is run by the Raimbault family, who has been running the vineyard for nearly 5 generations. Slightly chilled it’s a refreshing, beautiful bright nose of red berries, and balanced acitity. A wonderful wine that I will consuming often when the temperature heats up. If the world doesn’t end tomorrow, then stop by for a bottle!

La Quercia Speck Americano! I love speck, and it's so hard to find sometimes it really gets annoying. Speck, for those who don't know, is a cured and smoked meat from the hind leg of pork very similar to prosciutto. The difference is that speck is boned before it is cured, where prociutto is left on the bone. This particular type of speck has been lightly smoked with applewood and hails from Norwalk, Iowa. Many specks you see in the stores come from Italy.

The flavor is more subtle than its Italian counterpart. Less smoky flavor, so you can really taste the sweetness of the pork. Also there isn't a use of heavy spices. Which is nice to see, but no garlic?! When researching about this speck, I was very surprised there was no garlic. I'm a big garlic fan, but after tasting this I didn't miss the garlic at all… I guess I just sort of assumed it was in there. Oops.

Can't find great gnocchi? Now I wouldn't mention gnocchi if we didn't have a delicious on in stock would I?

Nuovo handcrafted potato gnocchi. It's a fresh pasta made with only 7 ingredients. I love reading the back of a label and understanding every ingredient.

A really great dish is this speck, tossed with some potato gnocchi and olive oil. This simply dish makes a great quick weekday meal for the family.

The dish was actually suggested by one of my co-workers. I tried it the other night and now I'm going to have to take her advice more often! The speck paired well with the gnocchi. Just boil the gnocchi for 2-3 minutes. Saute the speck in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil. Toss the gnocchi with the speck, salt and pepper to taste. YUM! You can always add herbs and such to the mix as well. I added fresh basil in mine. The speck's rich cured fat almost melted with the gnocchi, giving each bite a wonderful bacon quality.

A great wine to go with with the speck is 2009 Buccia Nera Chianti "Guarniente". This wine is a classic Sangiovese wine. The nose has subtle floral notes with lovely fresh red berries. On the palette is a smooth refreshing crispness that lingers with youthful tannins. Overall a fantastic wine, especially for the price!

$9.99 a bottle, but goes down to $7.99 a bottle when you buy a case. Deal!

I think I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!

Also if don't forget about our wine dinner with Shane Finley on April 14th at Ruth's Chris in Tysons Corner (check events page for more details). Seats are still available!!!

Now for the real blog!

Oooo Potato Chips….

If there's one thing I have an absolute weakness for, it's salty crispy foods. No dessert for me! I'll take a bag of potato chips any day of the week, which makes it troublesome when you have such amazing potato chips at work! Now I know what you're thinking, "why would I go to a wine shop to buy potato chips?" One of the best pairings for something salty is something bubbly! A bag of potato chips with a bottle of NV Gatinois Champagne (which got 90 points on Wine Advocate!) is a classic pairing. The Gatinois "impresses for its precise, chiseled expression of fruit. A vein of minerality runs through the wine, adding freshness and length to an overall sense of classiness. "(Wine Advocate). So you got your champagne… now you just need a quality chip to go with it! And I'm not talking about Lay's potato chips… not that I'm against them! I grew up with those and have eaten several hundred bags. I only have one word for you….

Tyrrells

Some of you may have heard of this brand before. They are based out of the United Kingdom and have gained popularity in pubs and small retail shops. It's a relatively young company started in 2002 by a farmer Will Chase. Chase's goal was to produce unique, tasty potato chips all sourced from his own farm. That's a lot of potatoes! Here at the Vineyard we currently have three types: Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt, Worcester and Sundried Tomato, and Mature Cheddar and Chives (which I have opened right now for research purposes). Tyrrells offers 16 different varieties! From the simple "Naked Chips", to the unique "Chicken and Tarragon".

When you first open the bag you notice most of the chips are relatively small. You can tell they were cut with the skins on, and were cut more on the thick side. At Tyrrells, they do that on purpose. These chips are thick slices of potato that are cooked without removing the starch. This greatly improves the taste of the potato, and reduces the fat content of the chip. This is good because I can't stop eating my research bag! The result is a tasty chip full of flavor. So really, Tyrrells is better for you than a regular chip!

The Cheddar and Chives chips are up there with my favorites (the Worcester is by far my favorite!). They have a nice crunch with subtle cheddar and a hint of chives. I think the real focus is on the potato, which is great because the potato already has great texture. I can definitely imagine this bag at a party with glasses of champagne. That would be a real treat!

These chips are not only popular with me, but they have won over 50 different awards in 7 years. Recently they have won Gold for the Great Taste Award for their Naked, Mature Cheddar and Chives, and Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt to only name a few.

On the back of the bag it notes: No artificial or GM products, suitable for vegetarians, gluten free, and trans fat free. So the chips are great for everyone! Stop by soon to get a bag of these delicious chips, and don't forget your champagne!

Now my research bag is gone.... Oops... got a little carried away.

There are 34,250,000++ subscribers to www.groupon.com. With that kind of exposure, it's surprising when a small business does not take advantage of this new phenomenon. Everything is made very easy for both the customer and business. Simple, just sign up on the website, and each day there’s a new deal!

The Vineyard successfully accomplished our second groupon this past Sunday. The deal was for $16, you would get three Wild Flower Boutique wines: Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Merlot with a Vineyard wine tote. Regular price $35.71. The ad went out at Sunday evening at midnight and was sold out by 9:30am! Talk about great PR! It gives a small wine shop, like ourselves, to get people into the store who would of never come otherwise. It’s a great opportunity for exposure and possible sales.

It’s always funny to see a new customer come into the store, waving their groupon redemption slip shouting “I have a groupon!” so happy and excited. I slip away to the back to get their order, and when I return they are wide eyed in amazement looking at the wines and cheeses. They wander around the store for a bit, not realizing I have returned with their order, but I don’t bother them. “Oh! I never realized you were here! I’ll have to come back!” is a common statement as they are walking out, groupon deal in hand.

For those who missed out on this opportunity (sorry we only could offer 250 orders), don’t worry! I’m looking into my crystal ball... and I foresee more groupons in the future. Keep a look out for The Vineyard!

Oregon Love...

Another successful tasting last night! Special thanks to Gray Mosby for setting that up for us.

The wines were truly special and unique. The pinots had a certain fruitiness and complexity that made you crave more. Very easy drinking! I don't want to compare the wine to candy... because it didn't taste like candy. But they had such an ease about them you couldn't really stop drinking, kind of like candy in that sense, once you have one, you can't stop! You had to get every last drop in your tasting glass... hope no one saw me licking the glass! Oops. Each had its own individuality, but you could really sense the care and love that was put into these small production wines. It's really what I love about small production wineries. You can really tell when talking with a wine maker, that every ounce of passion and love they have goes into that bottle. Each bottle is like one of their own. And it was nice to see Chris Berg and Glenn Bartholomew really put their blood, sweat, and tears into the wine. Well not literally.

But the most popular was by far the 2008 Roots 49 pinot noir. So popular we sold out! The wine had rich dark cherry with a hint spicy cinnamon. Velvety with a deep complex finish. It's no wonder we sold out! But the other wines were just as fantastic. The 2006 Dominio IV Tempranillo "Sketches of Spain" was a herbaceous, earthy wine with a touch of fruit and minerality. The rich flavors would be great with grilled meats! I'm looking forward for this stormy weather to roll past so I can warm up my grill and drink this wine. Spring couldn't get here fast enough!

March Madness: Sweet 16

Usually the first four days of March Madness is when people go out, hangout at bars, and watch their beloved teams get destroyed by double digit seeds (VCU coming out of nowhere!). After the bar crawl, and hangovers, the tournament really starts to heat up. But unless you want to put yourself in that state of mind two weekends in a row (I know I can't anymore) then I suggest a bottle (or more) of wine and relax on your couch, and have a big bowl of chips and dip at hand. It's recovery weekend! And believe me, we have a lot of easy drinking wine perfect with those chips and dip!

This just in! Wine Dinner at Ruth Chris!

Breaking news literally two minutes ago. We have a go for a wine dinner at Ruth Chris' - Tyson's Corner on April 14th with Shane Finely from Shane Winery in Sonoma County. We'll be showcasing his rich syrah's that is sure to go great with Ruth Chris' delicious steaks! Please contact us if your interested in joining us!

Info@thevineyardva.com

703-288-2970

Things are getting pretty exciting around the shop. There are a lot of events that are in the works that should make the next few months exciting.

For those of you who missed it, we had a tasting of high end Italian wines last night from Luigi Ferrando and Montevertine wines. All were fantastic! And the atmosphere was laid back and fun! People were enjoying the wines, as well talking with Trey Stevenson, who had a boat load of information. One of the stand out wines would have to be 2006 Carema "Etichetta Bianca". So rich and complex, it'll be a wine I will remember for years to come.

Good cheese, fun people, and great wines! I can't think of a better way to spend my Wednesday night!

The best part is there are so many tastings coming up! We have an Oregon wine tasting this Wednesday. Then April 6th we have a Best of California tasting. (Check out our events page for more info). So if you missed last night, you should check out these upcoming events!

With the weather warming up and spring just around the corner, I realize that my wine fridge full of rich cabernet sauvignon, jammy zinfandel, and tannic merlot won't satisfy the upcoming spring season. I was craving a crisp floral white to get me ready for the warm weather. It's time re-stock my fridge! And The Vineyard has the perfect solution for my problem.

Jezebel wines!

Jezebel wines are made by Aron Hess at Daedalus Cellars Company in Dundee, Oregon. The name "Daedalus" is from Greek mythology. Daedalus was an inventor, most famously of the Labyrinth at Knossos, a stylized version of which is represented in the logo. Unfortunately, he was also later imprisoned in his Labyrinth, along with his son Icarus. They managed to escape, with wings Daedalus crafted of wax and feathers. Only Daedalus made it; Icarus succumbing to hubris and flying too close to the Sun. The wings are featured on the bottle labels as well. You could compare the story of Daedalus to Hess himself, as he had been through a lot of trails is tribulations to start his winery. But once he escaped his labyrinth, he started to passionately produce some interesting wine!

The 2009 Jezebel Blanc is a blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris. This is a nicely balanced field blend wine with the right amount of crispness to ease me into the spring season. It should pair well with a variety of seafood and Asian dishes, or be even great by itself!

It's available for $17.99 at the Vineyard. Stop by and get your introduction into the spring season!