Tag Archives: blenheim

Dinner at Black Salt

Posted on by
1

Last week we went to Black Salt. Black Salt is a fish market and restaurant in NW DC. Michelle Obama and three friends dined at Black Salt back in April and enjoyed halibut, clams, and coconut cream pie. We decided to eat at Black Salt because they serve Virginia wines.

From the menu Warren selected seared scallops with mushrooms and gnocchi. Our wonderful waitress Beth helped me select pan seared fluke flounder with roasted potatoes. With our meal selections, we went with the 2008 Blenheim Farm Chardonnay from Blenheim Vineyards. We noted apple and pear on the nose and in the mouth we noted a creamy mouth feel. It was the perfect selection for our meal. We are looking forward to tasting Blenheim’s Viognier during Viognier Night: A Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers on Thursday night.

Fourth of July Wines

Posted on by
Reply

I know the 4th of July was a few days ago but I thought we’d share what we enjoyed on our nations’s birthday. The 4th of July this year (as in many years) was hot and humid. We were looking for a cool sipper to enjoy before dinner and a wine to go with our burgers for dinner.

We selected the 2010 Hildersham Sauvignon Blanc from Aspen Dale Winery for our pre-dinner sipper. It had a light straw color with a floral nose with citrus notes and a hint of grass. On the tongue we noted large citrus flavors, minerality, crisp acidity and some stone fruit. We paired this with manchego cheese, crackers, and strawberries. It accompanied our food selections nicely.

For dinner, we decided on the Red Table Wine from Blenheim Vineyards. This is a blend of 66% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 14% Syrah, 4% Cabernet Franc and aged in stainless steel. On the nose we noted berry fruit and hint of violets. In the mouth we picked up more berry fruit and very smooth tannins. This light bodied red sipper went perfectly with our burgers. We did not want a big heavy red with our burgers and this was the right choice. What did you enjoy on the fourth? If you visit Aspen Dale or Blenheim anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Friday Sips

Posted on by
Reply

Our Friday sips consisted of the 2009 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards and the 2009 Syrah from Blenheim Vineyards.

We had the 2009 Pinot Gris with bread and cheese. I’m a big fan of the stainless whites and this one doesn’t disappoint. I. Noticed the flowery nose and lit color. In the mouth I noticed the crisp mouth feel, grapefruit flavors, and nice acidity. I thought it paired nicely with our before dinner nibbles.

We had the 2009 Syrah with pasta and red sauce. We weren’t sure of the pairing but it went very well with our meal. We noted a floral nose with bright red fruit and spice on the tongue. It’s a smooth, lighter bodied red. We tasted this back in February and enjoyed it then.

We will be back on the wine trail this weekend so stay tuned for updates from the road. And if you visit Pollak or Blenheim tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!