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Month: December 2011
Holiday Open House
On Sunday we went to the Gray Ghost Holiday Open house. They hold this event annually and we try not to miss it. Each year they have a different holiday glass design. This year its a penguin. They also have a yearly cork contest. Al makes some holiday item out of corks and you need to guess how many corks it took to make the item. This year Al made a holiday mail box for letters to Santa. Warren and I guess every year but never win. We aren’t the best at guessing. At this time of the year the tank room is decorated for the holidays showing all the previous creations for the cork contest.
During the event we enjoyed some wonderful foods and all the delicious wines offered at Gray Ghost. I favored the Merlot this year and Warren decided his favorite of the day was the new Reserve Chardonnay. He has always been a big fan of the Reserve Chardonnay.
Here are some pictures from the Holiday Open House at Gray Ghost:
Friday Pours
The holidays are such a busy time of year. On Friday evening we were able to sit down, relax and have dinner at home. We decided to have dinner at my house and decorate my Christmas tree.
We began the evening with the 2010 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards. We had this with some sliced swiss cheese and water crackers. Right away on the nose we noted lemon-lime. On the palate we noted citrus as well. One thing we noticed was lacking was acidity. This pinot gris wasn’t nearly as crisp as we remember others being in the past. This made us wonder of this was a symptom of the 2010 growing season for whites. Have you noticed any 2010 Virginia whites lacking acidity?
For dinner we had ham steaks and scalloped potatoes. We selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc from Philip Carter Winery. We have enjoyed this one in the past and knew it would pair well with our meal. We noted violets, dried herbs, raspberry and cherry. We noted very similar characteristics in the mouth. The woodsy, herby, berry fruit really stood out. And yes, it paired well with our meal.
If you visit Pollak Vineyards or Philip Carter Winery anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Holiday Pours
So with the Thanksgiving week behind us and another holiday season ahead of us, its time to think about wines to serve with seasonal menus. My parents were town last week to celebrate Thanksgiving; of course, we ate lots of food! What wines did I serve? Here is a list of my favorite wines from the week along with the meals that I served:
Mid-week supper: Beef stew paired with Barboursville 2007 Barbera Reserve
Thanksgiving:
Appetizer: Cranberry cheese with baguette paired with 2011 Georges Duboeuf Beujolais Nouveau
Harvest Salad paired with 2010 Carrick Pinot Gris
Turkey with andouille cornbread dressing; cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, candied yams paired with 2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir
Mom’s Pecan Pie paired with Gray Ghost Adieu 2007
Tree Trimming Sunday:
Deli tray: Virginia ham, spicy Genoa salami, peppered prosciutto, cranberry cheese, mixed nuts
Wine: 2009 The Hague Cabernet Franc
Dessert: Martha’s Pumpkin Bread served with Community brand Coffee and Chicory (found only in New Orleans)
So what wines did you serve on Turkey Day? Please share!