It’s Time To Exit…and Taste Wine!

The end has arrived.

Wednesday, was my last day in the office and it was bittersweet. We had to assist in the loading our equipment into the truck. The worse part of the move was we couldn’t enjoy an ice cold adult beverage doing this task. This was a first for me. I’ve never encountered a move without a least one beer.

Friday came and it was time to see what my employer had to offer. Not bad! Since the day was young I headed into Loudoun County for another tour of its vineyards.

It literally is a wine cave.

Located in the northwest part of the county is Maggie Malick Wine Caves. 20 acres of vines with 15 varietals, which means a lot of wine to offer. 10 wines on the list and these were my choices:

’12 Viognier, aromas of lemon and lime filled the glass. Tart on the front and transitioning to a vanilla finish. I could enjoy this with a wild mushroom risotto or a baked chicken breast with rosemary.

’12 Albarino, usually grown in Spain, this wine had a fruity nose with a ton of crisp apple on the palate that crossed over to a vanilla finish. The fruity acid in this wine would go well with any shellfish dish and could stand on its own with a plate of cheese and a baguette.

’12 Granacha, a Rhone Valley varietal – dark chocolate and cherries were dominate in the nose. Fruity raspberry palate, this wine would pair well with broiled salmon with blackened seasoning or a smoked pork loin with a dry rub. You could actually do a reduction of the Granacha and pour it over both plates to enhance the flavor.

’12 Petit Verdot, this full bodied wine had a very earthy or barn yard funk aromas. Currants dried fruits and tobacco rounded out this big bold red. This is a wine meant for red
meat or if you’re vegetarian a grilled piece of tempeh. This is a true cigar wine!

Some of Loudoun’s best reds.

Just to the south is one of Loudoun’s newest stops on the wine tour, Two Twisted Posts Winery.

A nice stop today, I even enjoyed a glass of their Petit Verdot.

A nice barn-like tasting room, which seems to be popular in NoVa, here were the ones would pour for my friends:

’12 Chardonnay, this was part of the Governor’s Cup a few years back and I can see why. Violets and a creamy nose makes way for a surprising tropical fruit burst on the palate. Just enough oak to give a subtle buttery finish. There is a enough oak, this wine would go with any white meat dish as well as gazpacho.
’12 Cabernet Sauvignon, smoky nose with a nice balance of acid and soft tannins. there is a black fruit presence on the palate along with nutmeg, cloves that finsh with what I started with smoky flavors. This is a burger wine, most of my redneck friends prefer to swill beer with their burgers but this wine will go with a good Wagyu burger with pork
belly, chipotle aioli and some caramelized onions. I’m getting hungry just typing this. Even a Cuban Sandwich would go well with this vino.

’12 Petit Verdot, wonder nose of…wait for it…cigar smoke! Hello Honey!  Cigar smoke of a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with filler from the Dominican. We are talking dense dark fruit flavors with a touch of lavender and of course…a spicy, smoky finish! My favorite wine of the day! This is a carnivores dream wine! I’m talking about a 2″ T-bone with an ancho
chili pepper rub pan-seared with a baked sweet potato slathered with a blend of butter, cinnamon, a little brown sugar. Someone just fired their grill up next door, I have a
suggestion!

’11 Sweet Life, this is a semi-dry Seyval Blanc, a floral of sweetness gives way to a crisp apple flavors and big acids. Think curry dishes! This wines acid can stand up to the spiciest of dishes.

Another good stop!

Then it was time to head over to the hell road, Route 9.

A very nice view from Notavia’s deck.

Notaviva Vineyards, this winery has a music theme to it simply because the owner was a sound person for a few major acts. The whole vibe from this place is like being stuck in
the ’60s. It’s not a bad thing. Here a few that I enjoyed at my final stop of the day:

’12 “Ottantotto” Viognier, this is a 100% barrel fermented Viognier, minerals on the nose, not just petrachor, but almost sandy beach aromas. Wonderful crisp lemony citrus flavors on the palate, finishes with a fruity finish. This is your sushi wine, maybe some Pad Thai. In reality, this is your deck/porch sitting wine.

’11 “Ode To Joy” Meritage, a red blend of Cab. Sauv., Cab. Franc and Merlot, the nose let off floral notes of cherries and strawberries. Fruit forward in the front of the mouth with smoky dark fruits on the finish. This is a true pasta wine. I’m talking Chicken Parmesan even a mushroom ravioli in a deep rich red gravy.

A cool Origami tip left on the tasting room bar.

Overall day, the morning sucked because I lost my job. The afternoon, improved with wine! A little vino always helps brighten a bad day!

Cheers Y’all…especially the Winos!

66 down with 34 to go!