On a recent sunny Sunday we went to Chateau O'Brien to do a reserve tasting with Howard O'Brien. We always enjoy spending time talking wine with Howard.

He showed us to his wine cellar and opened a couple bottles of wine. Since we have tasted many of his wines before we concentrated on two this time. We started with the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay. This is a French Burgundy style chardonnay. It spends 18 months on oak and Howard produced 145 cases. Warren enjoyed the bigger body of this chardonnay and noted the toasty finish from the oak treatment. Howard informed us this is a restaurant favorite.


Next up was the 2005 Limited Reserve Tannat. Howard has spent time learning about tannat and traveling the world to make what is considered by many to be one of the best in the world. Howard's tannat was inspired by tannat wines produced in Uruguay. Howard's tannat is 100% tannat. It is aged for 3 years between the barrel and the bottle. Currently Howard only has about 10 cases left. It's been a favorite of many of his customers. Once the wine was poured into our glasses we noted the deep dark color and blackberry on the nose. On the palate we noted layers of dark berries particularly blackberry and dark cherry. We also noted the smooth tannins on the finish. The next Limited Reserve Tannat will be released in early 2009.


If you find yourself at Chateau O'Brien plan to do a reserve tasting and be sure to bring home a bottle or two of the tannat before it's all gone. And of course tell Howard Virginia Wine Time sent you!

I've been collecting notes on some wines that I've recently enjoyed. The one thing that all of these have in common---surprising quality at affordable prices. All of these wines were under $15 and well worth the seeking out at the wine shop.

1. 2005 Grilos Vinho Tinto: Dense, inky color with cherry and anise on the nose. Flavors complement the cherry notes with pepper also noted. Here’s one to enjoy with smoked meats or game. I think I paid $10 for this Portuguese pour.

2. 2006 Martinelle Cote du Ventoux: Juicy!! Nice dark cherry and plum characteristics. A little tart at the end but overall a very nice finish. I could sip this one on its own or enjoy with anything that once mooed, oinked, or quacked. Of the three wines described here, this one was the most expensive but hardly the wallet breaker at $14.

3. 2006 Moschofilero Erasmios: I don't always drink red wines. This dry white wine is from Greece, and it shares some of the same flavor profiles as a dry Riesling. Floral and peachy notes are complimented in the mouth with flavors of peach and apricot. Very crisp! Serve with poultry or shellfish. An out of the ordinary pour to boot---Moschofilero is the varietal used to produce this wine that retails for about $12.

These wines prove that good wines need not break the budget. Give these a try, and while at the wine shop, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Tuesday is almost Wednesday, and that's almost mid-week. I popped a rack of herb-crusted lamb chops in the oven, roasted some veggies, and cooked couscous simmered with dried fruit, and my wine selection was the 2005 Mas Carlot Cuvee Tradition. This one is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, and it came at quite a bargain ($10) at one of my favorite wine shops, Pearsons, in Georgetown.

Lots of fruit offered here---nice, dark ruby color with a generous berry nose that also included hints of ash and tar. Lots of dark berries with some pepper in the mouth, and I noted some mocha at the end It does linger for a bit., and I'd consider it a medium to full bodied wine. Tannins are well-behaved and I enjoyed this with dinner; however, it's also fruity enough to sip on its own.

Give the 2005 Mas Carlot Cuvee Tradition with a favorite winter-time meal or with dried meats and cheeses, but remember that you heard about it on Virginia Wine Time.

It was a dark and stormy night----well, the cliché certainly fits. It's cold and snowy, and it is dark outside as the sun has set. However, it's bright and toasty indoors, and I've prepared a hearty beef stew in the slow cooker. What wine to pair with this substantive comfort food? The Trapiche Broquel 2004 Malbec from Argentina begged to be poured.

I sampled this one at a wine tasting and knew it was destined for a spot on the wine rack. Dark, deep color with this one---think ink. Rounded, integrated notes---raisins and earthy/spicy notes melded with another, subtle layer of cherry. Fruit forward indeed---deep cherry and plum flavors make no attempt to hide; mocha/vanilla appears at the end. Firm tannins give this Malbec a solid structure with a very lengthy finish.

I could sip this one on its own. However, food is its best friend, and the heartier the better. I bought the Trapiche Broquel 2004 Malbec for $15, and for the quality, that was a steal.

I'm not sure if this 2004 vintage is still available as I purchased this one about a year ago. However, it's worth the search at your local wine shop. Be sure to mention that you read about the Trapiche Broquel 2004 Malbec on Virginia Wine Time. (And let us know if you liked it!)

by Warren

This past weekend we enjoyed two favorites from Virginia: Linden's 2006 Shari Avenious Sauvignon Blanc and the 2004 Chester Gap Merlot.

The Linden 2006 Shari Avenious Sauvignon Blanc is a true gem. We've heard it even has a cult following, and we're already fans ourselves. The aroma is seductive enough---lots of lemon with grassy notes made us think of spring. Lemon and grapefruit flavors prevail with an undercurrent of mineral, and it finishes with a bright tartness. We enjoyed this Sauvignon Blanc with herbed chicken, but any shellfish dish would also be likely partners.

Paul was eager to savor the 2004 Chester Gap Merlot. He noted its deep garnet color and dried fruit aromas. I added spice to the list, and we both put dark cherry at the top of the flavors list. A hint of anise toward the end led to a longer than expected finish. We sipped this one with rib-eye steaks and roasted veggies. Anything that moos would have been fine with the 2004 Chester Gap Merlot!

Of course, we have started off a new year, and we look forward to tasting more great wines from Virginia this year. We'll be focusing on newer wineries in Virginia, and look for our next article in Edible Chesapeake that will appear in the Spring issue. The topic? We'll keep it a secret for now. In the meantime, if you visit Linden Vineyards or Chester Gap Cellars, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

This past weekend, I had friends over for dinner and on the menu was pork roulade with a side of cranberry chutney. Of course, the big decision was what wine to pour. The pork was stuffed with corn bread stuffing that included smoked sausage and dried fruit. I opted for a French burgundy, the 2003 Chateau Germain Bourgogne. Pinot noir can usually compliment a wide variety of foods including pork and can stand up to a number of spices, herbs, and other bridge ingredients like onions, shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Given my menu with its varied ingredients, the 2003 Chateau Germain seemed like a natural pairing.

So how to describe this lovely wine? The eyes observed the rich, dark garnet color, and from there, it's on to the nose. Aromas of plum, anise, cedar and smoke suggested a complex wine. The mouth confirmed this promise---opulent cherry and earthy flavors with hints of pepper toward the end gave way to a nice, lengthy finish. As the bottle floated around the table, it proved to be a crowd pleaser and the ultimate compliment to the meal.

Cold winter nights are usually a good time to serve up roasted meats paired with red wines. When not considering a Virginia wine, try a rich Pinot Noir from Burgundy such as the 2003 offering from Chateau Germain!

This past weekend we joined friends and other wine enthusiasts at Gray Ghost Winery to celebrate the release of their acclaimed 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. An elegant evening of wine, fine cuisine and music was held at the winery, and attendees were presented with their own keepsake glass, a lovely crystal red wine glass inscribed in gold ink with the Gray Ghost logo. Of course, the glass was filled with the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon!


And what an elegant pour it was---deep garnet in color, a bold bouquet that featured tobacco and dried currants, and a complex flavor profile rich in deep cherry/plum flavors with some spice toward the end. We all noted a lengthy finish . Our friend, Jason, remarked that it seemed to be a perfect cigar wine. However, all of us preferred the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with the evening's menu. This included prime rib with gorgonzola sauce, salmon filets, roasted vegetables, and potatoes. A richer experience was enjoyed with the Cabernet and dark chocolate desserts offered at the end of the meal.

Time did seem to fly, but we made certain to purchase bottles of the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Warren's bottle is destined for the wine rack as this one will only get better with age. This is a limited production wine, so be sure to make it out to Gray Ghost to purchase a bottle of this special offering--and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

On Memorial Day we went to the Bishop's Garden at the National Cathedral. While we weren't visiting a Virginia winery, we were enjoying a Virginia wine. With us we brought a 2005 Vidal Blanc from Gray Ghost.

The Vidal Blanc has a clear, pale yellow complexion; it possesses citrus and pear aromas. On the palate, citrus and melon flavors prevail with subtle hints of peach. It has a tart, crisp finish---somewhat sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. This Vidal Blanc has already won numerous awards including Best in Class at the 2006 LA County Fair International Wine Competition, and it is destined to be a crowd pleaser this summer. It's a lovely appertif and pairs nicely with spicy mango salsa; other spicy dishes would also be complementary. Feel adventurous and dare to pair this one with blue cheese!

On this particularly warm day, the Vidal Blanc was a perfect companion for our picnic. Fresh mango, strawberries, and light cheeses matched quite well; spicy ham sandwiches on baguettes seasoned with olive oil, cracked pepper, and Italian herbs likewise paired very well. A special mention of the buttery-soft St. Andre cheese should be made; this cheese is a delight, and we brought it along to enjoy with the fruit and wine. On this warm afternoon, the Gray Ghost 2005 Vidal Blanc was cool, crisp and refreshing.

Saturday evening we had a friend over for Paul's birthday. Warren selected the Kluge Estate Albemarle Simply Red to compliment our steak dinner.

This wine is a Bordeaux style red, predominately Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. We got nice big cherry aromas with hints of chocolate and vanilla. The color was a deep garnet. When tasting this wine the Merlot shined through with big red cherry flavors with some pepper qualities from the Cabernet Franc. It had a little bit of a herby flavor from the Franc as well. The tannic finish was smooth. The tannins didn't really grip you.

We had this with steaks, au gratin potatoes, and grilled vegetables. The wine paired well with our dinner selections.

We visited Kluge last summer and really enjoyed their facility. They have a wonderful deli with all kinds of cheeses, desserts, and foods. They have a nice tasting room to the side where you can taste all their wines. It was well worth the stop on our Charlottesville tour last summer. We hope to visit them again this summer.


Check out our latest submission to The Daily News Record about Chester Gap, a new winery in Virginia, and the first of a four part series about the evolution of wine.

Last Friday evening we had a small dinner party and decided to serve the Oakencroft 2002 Petit Verdot with a roasted leg of lamb. It was a cold winter evening and the conversation was flowing. As we poured the last drop, we were wishing we had had another bottle to open.

The 2002 Petit Verdot is a full bodied wine with aromas of raspberries, coffee and tobacco. Lots of berry flavors especially raspberry and cherry; some mocha too. Nice, smooth finish; this one complemented roasted leg of lamb and roasted winter vegetables. It was a crowd pleaser and fitting for a cold winter night's meal.

This evening we enjoyed the 2002 First Colony Merlot. We visited First Colony in September 2005 and saved this wine for a special evening. We had this merlot with some chocolates and nibbles appropriate for merlot.

Strong cherry aromas greet the nose; big cherry flavors fill the mouth with hints of chocolate and vanilla at the end. This merlot craves chocolates! It lingers in the mouth to provide a longer finish. Some tobacco/leather appears at the end. The tannis are fairly soft and accessible to the mouth; this merlot would be fine with food such as steak yet elegant and easy enough to sip on its own.

This weekend we are headed off to Charlottesville to attend the Mardi Gras event at Horton Cellars Winery. We will also visit Oakencroft Winery and Vinyard and Barboursville Vineyard. We will provide tasting notes on our upcoming wine experiences at Horton, Oakencroft, and Barboursville.

Piedmont boasts that it is the oldest producer of Charonnay in Virginia. This Chardonnay is quite nice. It's done in a classic Chardonnay style---not too oaky, but buttery feel in the mouth with nice tropical fruit on the palate. The color is crisp and golden. Lava personally doesn't mind oak in the Chardonnays especially if he is having it with certain seafood dishes. Winer is more particular and doesn't care for oaky chardonnays. This one would really shine with corn chowder! We had this with some nibbles: cheeses, herbed brie, almonds, pears, and apples.

Saturday night we decided to have the Barboursville Barbera. It's a more full-bodied red; well rounded with intense berry flavors with some hints of vanilla. Very distintive licorice aroma. Nice finish, too! Italian dishes pair well with this.wine. We had this with Lava's homemade lasagna; we finished the bottle with some chocolates and cherries, and that was quite a treat. Barboursville produces excellent wines, and this one is a winner!

To ring in the new year we had a couple of friends over and decided to open the Horton Sparkling Viognier. We visited Horton Vineyards in the summer and enjoyed a good handful of their wines but were very pleased with the Sparkling Viognier. We got a bottle and saved it for the new year. It was bottled in 2004. Very dry champagne-style sparkling wine with tropical flavors; quite bubbly and was very satisfying at midnight on New Years' Eve. We used the remainder to make mimosas for breakfast. Yummy bubbly!!

Tonight for dinner we had "chicken ala Lava". He created a chicken dish with chicken cutlets, almonds, lemon, parmasean cheese, and basil. Again this evening we decided to have a non-Virginia wine. Lava selected the 2005 Antonin Rodet Chardonnay. The color is clear and golden. It's dry with hints of apple, melon, and almond. It's got a honey texture with a full mouth feel. It lingers and has nice legs when swirled. This chardonnay complemented Lava's chicken meal nicely.

This evening we decided to stray from our usual Virginia wines and try a 2001 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon. Lava just returned from his holiday vacation and we decided to enjoy some chocolates with the wine. We selected some dark chololate truffles and some sharp cheddar cheese. The wine is 14.5% alcohol. It's got a jammy taste with a heavy fruit forward; cherry, chocolate, tabacco and pepper/oak. It's very full bodied. It's an unfiltered blend and the petit verdot comes through. It's a great wine but needs big foods to enjoy it completely. A nice big piece of meat would be nice with this wine. It's a classic Napa Valley Cabernet. We thought it went well with the chocolates and sharp cheddar cheese.

On Saturday evening, Lava and I went to Cafe Deluxe in N.W. Washington, DC for dinner. I had a herb(ed) roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, and Lava had crab cakes. Lava selected a bottle of Allan Scott 2004 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. We were both a little surprised when the waiter brought the bottle and it was a twist off top. We know that many wineries in New Zealand and Australia are using twist off tops but our experience with twist off tops on wines in America hasn't been very good. We were both pleasantly surprised to find that this wine was very good and paired well with our dinner choices. The wine has strong lemon notes and Lava noted grass as well. I did not notice grass hints myself. The winery describes this wine as follows:

A very full bodied wine that contains an abundance of fruit flavours and a spanking acidity. Pineapple, passionfruit and melon like flavours are all present, in addition to a hint of Marlborough herbaceousness. A very lively and approachable wine.

I would say that Lava and I would agree with this description. Try it. You may enjoy it as much as we did.

This evening for dinner Winer made pasta with alfredo sauce with diced chicken. For the wine, Lava picked out a 2001 Piedmont Vineyards chardonnay. It's fermented in stainless steel tanks so it does not have the oaky character of many chardonnays. This one was more fruity. It had a nice color and went well with the meal.






Before dinner we had were decorating the Christmas tree and having some simple nibbles. With the nibbles we selected the Chesapeake Wine Company Blue Crab Blanc. It went well with cheeses, smoked ham, crackers, and almonds.

Nice choice of wines for this evening's events.

After attending the Gay Men's Chorus' Holiday Concert, we went to Kincead's for appetizers. We enjoyed a Chardonnay from Firestone Vineyard in Santa Barbara, California. This Chardonnay is for the wine drinker who does not like an oaky Chardonnay; most California wines, the Chardonnays in particular, are heavily oaked. This one was very crisp and fresh with lots of tropical fruit characters. Lava enjoyed the hints of citrus as it paired well with his fried clams. The clams came with fried lemon slices and hush puppies. Winer had cod, and he found the Chardonnay pairing to be quite appropriate. For dessert, the bartender treated us to a splash of Blandy's Medeira; this was nice and toasty. This Medeira was like sipping on toffee---smooth honey texture with bits of chocolate. Nice long finish here. It was a perfect way to end a lovely meal on a night that was very cold and windy. If you haven't been to Kincead's, you should get dressed up and enjoy some wonderful food with delicious wines.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. There was plenty of food and delicious wines with each course. Here are the wines we had with dinner and what we paired them with:

Windham Fume Blanc: with appetizers: very crisp wine with nice tropical fruit characters; nice sipper or could pair with a seafood dish.

Butternut Squash soup with Willowcroft Traminette: dry white wine with spicy aroma; dried apricot and pineapple flavors. I would think that this would also pair with glazed ham.

Harvest Salad with Tarara Pinto Gris: very crisp and clean white wine; stainless steel fermented; citrus aroma and taste.

Turkey and dressing with cranberry relish; green beans with carmelized onions; mashed sweet potatoes paired with Gray Ghost Cabernet Franc: Dry, peppery red aged in French oak. Lots of raspberries. This one has been written up in the Washingtonian as a holiday favorite.