On Sunday Warren, his parents (flew in from New Orleans), and I went to Gray Ghost to help harvest the chardonnay grapes. We’ve harvested several years in a row now and always have a good time. I was so distracted by the harvesting that I forgot to take some video of the actual harvesting. However, I did shoot some video of the process after picking the grapes. Here’s a short video of what happens to the grapes after they are harvested.
Category: Video
Michael Shaps 2007 Viognier
We are in Charlottesville enjoying the Michael Shap 2007 Viognier.
2005 Estate Bottled Norton
Warren and I met a friend at Chrysalis Vineyards for a tasting and a picnic lunch. We enjoyed the 2005 Estate Bottled Norton. We decided to make a short video.
Wine Review
Believe it or not, we don’t always drink Virginia wines. From time to time other wines make it into our glasses. This past weekend we visited friends of ours and they were serving an Echelon Merlot. I got the video camera out and decided to do a little wine review.
Time To Drink Naked
Well, we kept our clothes on, but at Naked Mountain winter season is lasagna and wine time. We look forward to the sausage lasagna with garlic bread served up at Naked Mountain, and of course, we also look forward to sampling current offerings on the wine menu.
Paul and I both agreed that the 2005 Barrel Select Chardonnay was the gold star white wine. Pears and honey on the nose and a creamy texture makes this one a classic. We were more interested in the red wines since we already knew that lasagna was on the lunch menu. In a rare moment, we again both agreed that the 2005 Cabernet Franc was the best red wine. Dark cherries and spice on the nose gave way to similar flavors in the mouth with a smoky finish. Small portions of Merlot, Tannat, and Petit Verdot are blended into this lush Cabernet Franc.
For those who are tired of winter’s chill and promises of snow that never seems to fall, the 2008 Cabernet Franc rose may bring summer closer to home. Strawberry characteristics abound here with a nice tart finish that conjured images of summer concerts, picnics, and barbeques!
Feeling the cabin fever this winter? Get out to Naked Mountain and enjoy lasagna and wine; of course, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Cutter & Buck American Classic Wine Set
We received a Cutter & Buck American Classic wine set from Forte Promotions and thought we’d review the products. In the set you get a classic waiter’s corkscrew, a drip ring, and a wine pourer. We chose to open a bottle of Woodland Vineyards Merlot with the set and record the opening for others to see. Other wine accessories from Forte Promotions can be found here.
All the products were of high quality steel and came in a decorative leather topped case. We started with the foil cutter part of the wine opener. The foil cutter does not have a serrated edge so be careful when cutting the foil. A serrated edge would make the foil removal easier. The corkscrew worked as expected. It opened the bottle without issue and the grip was very comfortable. The drip ring slid over the top of the bottle smoothly. The wine pourer fit snugly in the bottle but we must report that when pulling the wine pourer out, the rubber casket came off the pourer and stayed in the bottle. We had no problem getting it out of the bottle though. Overall it’s a nice product and works as expected. The packaging is very attractive and would make a nice gift.
Winter Holiday Wines
Thanksgiving Wines
Click play to see a short video about wines you could serve at Thanksgiving.
Gray Ghost Harvest
Click play to see a video about our day harvesting grapes at Gray Ghost Vineyards.
Wine and Cheese
Click play to see a short video of a cheese and wine pairing.