Well, not really—we visited Naked Mountain, and we did keep our clothes on. Winter time is lasagna time at Naked Mountain, but the opportunity to sample some nice wines is always available at Naked Mountain.

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Our focus was a wine to enjoy with sausage lasagna, and we honed in on the reds. Of course, Naked Mountain is known for their Chardonnays, and we did both the 2003 and 2004 vintages at the tasting bar. Paul and I were split on favorites; Paul favored the toastier 2003 Chardonnay, but Warren preferred the crisper 2004. Both were quite good, though. However, we did have our minds made up to have a red wine to accompany lunch, and we found our match with the 2005 Raptor Red. This blend includes 47% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 4% Tannat, and 3% Petit Verdot. A dense garnet color best described its appearance in the glass; cherry and spice notes prevailed on the nose. Of course, it’s the mouth that makes the final decision, and we both noted dark cherry and plum flavors. “Medium bodied” and “fruit forward” finished our notes. We both gold-starred this one!

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Our tasting finished with the 2006 Chardonnay/Riesling. I’m not a fan of sweeter wines, but I found myself liking this one. At 3% residual sugar, it is on the sweet side, but not cloyingly so. It possesses a floral/honeysuckle bouquet and a pleasant honeyed texture with pear flavors. In fact, I placed an “MT” next to this one, because I know that our friend and guest blogger would love this Chardonnay/Riesling. Quite nice to sip on its own, I’d serve this one as a dessert wine partnered with baked pears.

By the end of our tasting, we were definitely hungry, and we could scent of lasagna and garlic bread wafted from other tables in the tasting room. We selected a table near the glassed door that opens out to the deck so that we could view the mountains on the horizon and try to guess which species of birds were visiting the bird feeders. The lasagna was soon brought to our table, and it was absolutely delicious; the Raptor Red matched the red sauce, sausage, and herbs quite well. (For the vegetarians out there, they also offer a vegetarian lasagna.)

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We enjoyed a winter’s afternoon lunch with wine, but before we know it, it was time to leave. We are sure to return to Naked Mountain to sample upcoming releases of their unoaked Chardonnay, oak-aged Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. In the meantime, we can think of no better way to spend a chilly afternoon than with lasagna and wine at Naked Mountain. Drink Naked, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

We recently visited friends who lived in the Northern Neck of Virginia, and we used the occasion to visit some wineries in the area. (Would we pass up the opportunity? Of course not !) In fact, our friends, Bob and Jackie joined us on the wine trail. They prepared a lovely picnic lunch to bring along, and we headed off to Ingleside Vineyards for our first stop. We’ve been to Ingleside on several occasions, and we were anxious to try newer releases. Bob and Jackie were also eager to sample Ingleside’s numerous offerings, and we were all on a quest to find a wine that would pair with lunch!

We sampled several selections from three tasting menus—the Premium Wines, the Chesapeake Wines, and the Black Label Wines. Each menu offered something for everybody. The Premium and Black Label wines might be featured at dinner parties or black tie affairs; the Chesapeake Wines lend themselves to picnics, sunsets on the balcony, or summer concerts. With four different palates at the tasting bar, sampling from all three menus proved to be interesting.

Jackie tended to favor drier white wines and dinner-friendly reds. For her, the premium Chardonnay and the Black Label Sangiovese topped the charts. Warren concurred with these ratings. The Sangiovese presented notes of violet and plum with subtle smoky aromas. Cherry/berry flavors with a rustic, earthy charm made this one irresistible. Herb-crusted beef tenderloins would simply moo with delight when paired with this Sangiovese. And what if seafood is on the menu? Jackie’s preferred Premium Chardonnay would be just fine. Done in the classic French style, the Premium Chardonnay has a gentle toasty finish that suggests an appropriate oak treatment..

Jackie’s husband, Bob, likes his wines on the sweeter side. Two Chesapeake Wines struck his fancy—the Blue Crab Blush and the Sweet Virginia Rose. Both wines are done in the rose style and possessed bright strawberry flavors; pinkish colors suggest a sweeter style appropriate for the picnic table, poolside, or dessert! One Chesapeake Wine that did earn unanimous approval was the Blue Crab Blanc. The Blue Crab Blanc is a blend of white wine grapes, and the final product is not as sweet as its pinkish siblings. In fact, this off-dry selection would be quite lovely as a partner to light fare such as salads topped with crabmeat.

So what about Paul’s favorites? Surprisingly, the Black Label Syrah finished ahead of the Merlot! Paul was enticed by the leathery/spicy aromas and was then hooked with its dry fruit and peppery flavors. Warren detected more black cherry on the palate, but each palate is different, and no one argued with Paul’s gold star selection.

After our tasting, lunch was calling us from the trunk of the car. Jackie and Bob prepared sandwiches that included chicken salad, cheese and pimento, salad. and ham/cheese. Paul brought along various cheeses and nuts. Now our task was to find the right wine, and we actually selected two wines from our tasting options. One wine, the Rosato di Sangiovese, satisfied the dry wine lovers; the other, the Blue Crab Blush, pleased the sweet wine lovers. (Of course, we did not finish both bottles of wines, and leftovers came home with us!) At a loss for a wine for to serve with baked ham for the holidays? Try either of these wines.

We enjoyed food, wine and conversation amidst fall colors and crisp breezes that made us forget about the global warming autumn that characterized most of October. We all purchased bottles of favorite Ingleside wines and we bid our farewells. For those who plan a trip to the Northern Neck, do stop by Ingleside Vineyards and tell the tasting room staff that Virginia Wine sent you!

Our friend and wine enthusiast, Michael Tyler, joined us for wine and lunch at Winery at La Grange. It had been a while since we last visited Winery at La Grange; of course, it’s enough to visit the facility just to tour the historic home and lovely grounds. On this crisp fall afternoon, though, we were also interested in Michael’s impressions of Winery at La Grange’s wines.

The tasting menu featured six wines to sample, and our associate, dressed in her finest Halloween fashion, guided us through our tasting. Of the dry whites, the unanimous favorite was the 2006 Fletcher’s Chardonnay with its apple flavors and buttery finish. Michael tends to appreciated off-dry white wines, and the Cuvee Blanc was made just for him. In fact, Michael placed a check mark next to this one, and we knew that he would be contributing comments on this selection. Done in stainless steel, the 2006 Cuvee Blanc features three varietals that include Pinot Grigio, Viognier and Rousanne. The 1.5 residual sugar makes it slightly sweet but not cloyingly so. More on this from Michael later!

Six reds were next up for a taste, and the first three were lighter-bodied reds. The team favorite here was the 2006 Cabernet Franc. In fact, Michael placed another check mark next to this one, and we’ll let Michael do the commentaries on this one. Three bolder reds were also presented, and Warren’s own favorite was the 2005 Meritage. The 2005 Meritage blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot; it was the most complex of its “red” siblings with darker fruit aromas and flavors with an earthy undertone. Done in American and French oak, this Meritage leaves a lengthier finish and destined for a favorite beef dish. We were also treated to a sample of the Reserve Cabernet Franc; aged in American oak for 20 months, the Reserve Cabernet Franc was surprisingly smooth and sophisticated.

So on to lunch. We brought along herbed chicken, pasta salad with chopped ham and parmesan cheese, and a wedge of cranberry cheese. Our selection for lunch was Michael Tyler’s favorite, the 2006 Cabernet Franc. Michael noted woodsy/herby characteristics on the nose with bright berry flavors. He appreciated its lighter body and smoother finish and suggested that the 2006 Cabernet Franc might please those who would ordinarily drink a white wine. In fact, Michael stated that he would even sip a glass of the 2006 Cabernet Franc on the deck after work. Of course, Michael “check-marked” another wine that he sampled at the tasting bar, and he graciously jotted down his comments on the 2006 Cuvee Blanc.

Michael really enjoyed this one. He appreciated its pear and light citrus bouquet and “sparkling” color; Light and crisp, Michael commented that its melon flavors made this one a crowd-pleaser; if cerviche is on the menu, Michael would opt to pour the 2006 Cuvee Blanc.

As we finished our lunch and then toured the grounds, we enjoyed the pleasant breezes and mountain views. With fall finally in the air, it was a relief to even see some autumn colors. We know that we will return to Winery at La Grange, and we may even have Michael along with us. In the meantime, pay a visit to the Winery at La Grange and let them know that Virginia Wine Time sent you.