I’m Done in Loudoun

Tish was off to visit her mother over the Thanksgiving holiday (I told you I was behind). I was a good boy, I enjoyed a few plates of meat during this time. Since I knew Tish would be needing wine once she arrived home, I visited Glen Manor Vineyards to purchase a few bottles.

Shorty was coming back to the valley on Thanksgiving eve and we decided to meet and have a few adult beverages. We started at The Depot Lounge at The Hotel Strasburg. One of my classmates joined us (Dave) for a round or two. Dave called it a night and Shorty was ready to party!

The next stop was the Old Mill Grill for just a round. He wanted to head back to the Depot Lounge for a few more before we ended the night on my deck with Miller Lite’s and Ashton 898 stogies.

Joey came and picked Shorty up to take him to Momma’s house. I got my house in order then crawled into bed.

Thanksgiving fest at Momma’s and Pappy’s then I ended the day at Sandy & Mike’s for a night cap.

Tish came home on Friday and I decided to visit the newest watering hole in the Shenandoah Valley, Woodstock Brewery. Nice beer and wonderful Vanilla Porter.

Once Tish arrived home she dove into the Rose´ from GMV. On Saturday, she rested as I headed into Loudoun to visit my last two vineyards in that county.
I had to call Loudoun Valley Vineyards just to confirm they were open. There  were some rumors they had closed until Spring.

They responded that they would be open for the weekend. The vineyard has been purchased and the new owners won’t take over until the early spring. In the meantime, I would get to sample only 3 wines.

’09 Viognier, done in stainless steel. Grilled peaches and fresh apricots dominate the nose. Tropical fruits on the palate with a tart finish. This would go well with spicy Asian dishes.

’08 Legacy, a port-style made with Touriga Nacional. A bouquet of dark fruit. Dark chocolate flavors on the palate with a finish of sweet black cherries. A very nice port-style that will soon be gone.

My next vineyard is one I visited over a year ago. Sampling wines from a bag was a bit weird but they are worth a taste.

Raspberry Apple Wine, lush goodness from some nice fruit. This wine has a touch of dryness on the palate with a sweet shot on the finish. Anytime I taste one of these fruity wines, it makes think of field parties, ’80s hair bands and mullets. Not a bad memory. Basically I know most of my classmates would enjoy this wine.

Petit Verdot, rich black currants and leather on the nose. A very soft red fruit presence on the mouth. A smooth low tannin finish makes this a nice red wine.

Did I mention the wines are in three liter bags?

You get 4 bottles of wine in a bag for around $30, which isn’t bad.

I was in need of some food so I stopped and visited Jody & Jay at Quattro Goomba’s for some of their kick ass pizza and did a sampling of their beer. Quattro Goomba’s Brewery is open for business and is quite good.

Tish is on deadline this week which means I may visit a handful in the Richmond area or beyond.

With only 2 stops this week, It brings my total to 153 for the year.