$11-$20 » A Glass After Work

Bubbly & True Blood: A Perfect Sunday Evening

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Aug 262010

**I received this wine as a sample**

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut

Thankfully, work is quiet enough that I didn’t have to work on Sunday. However, Sunday nights in the “A Glass After Work” household have evolved into quick runs before an early dinner so that Hubby and I are ready for a night of True Blood. Neither of us are big TV watchers and the little TV that we each watch is not the same, but there is something about True Blood that keep both of us entertained. Since Sunday nights have turned into planned TV nights, I’ve started opening fun bottles that might pair well with the show, and last Sunday was all about bubbly.

The Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut (winery, snooth) was a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Trepat grapes and had a medium-to-dark salmon color with a slight orange tinge. The Cava had a lot of small, active bubbles. On the nose, there were raspberries and toast. In the mouth, there was a berry patch—ripe raspberries and strawberries. The wine had a light body, low tannins, and smooth acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At a suggested retail price of $18, this wine is light, refreshing, and enjoyable. The wine has a nice balance and is perfect for a perfect option for an every day sparkling wine.

Price: $18 (suggested retail)
Received as a sample
Overall: 3 Corks

One Sip Was Enough

$11-$20, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Aug 242010

The two days after my whirlwind work-related tour of Madison, WI were spent in all-day staff training. While the training was useful and the staff bonding was valuable, following two days of travel with two days of professional development meant that, by the time Friday arrived and I had a full day back at my desk, my inbox and workload was out of control. It looked like I’d been on vacation for the week, without my having had the fun or the mental break of being on vacation. Therefore, I spent most of Friday answering emails, returning phone calls, and just generally digging myself out after being away for four days. By the time 5pm arrived, I was ready for the weekend. Hubby and I decided to treat ourselves, even though we’ve been eating out less, so we ordered pizza and I opened an Italian red that I was looking forward to trying.

2008 Donnafugata Sedàra

The 2008 Donnafugata Sedàra (winery, snooth) was a blend of Nero d’Avola, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah gapes and had a purplish color with hints of ruby. On the nose, there were bright red fruits followed by nutmeg, cinnamon, and rose petals. In the mouth, there were Bing cherries, tart raspberries, unripe strawberries, and a hint of sweet cooking spices. The wine had a biting acidity with a light-to-medium body and low tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $12, this wine isn’t very expensive, but it also isn’t very good. The nose offers the expectation of a smooth, delicious wine filled with red fruit and spices. Instead, the wine delivers a surprising acidity that not only isn’t smooth, but also overpowers the fruit and spice characteristics. Pairing the wine with pepperoni pizza definitely helped take off some of the edge, but not enough to make me want to search this wine out in the future.

Price: $12
Purchased at: World Market
Overall: 2 Corks

Chilean on a Monday

$11-$20, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Aug 102010

Last week was the start a six-week “slow” period. Truthfully, though, when I looked at my schedule for the next month, things might be slower, but definitely not slow. The big change that my coworkers and I are always excited about is that we have slightly shortened worked days. So, last Monday, after a day of catching up on emails, organizing my files, and clearing off my desk, so I could start the work-period off fresh, I was able to walk out of my office at 5pm. While many people are fortunate enough to do this every day, I always feel lucky when I can leave at 6pm under normal circumstances, and to have a full month of 5pm days is particularly nice. When I arrived home, Hubby and I still had a whole evening ahead of us. So, even though it was hot, I opened a bottle of Chilean red wine and sunk into the couch and relaxed while Hubby made dinner.

2005 Maquis Lien

The 2005 Maquis Lien (winery, snooth) was a blend of 38% Syrah, 32% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec grapes. The wine had a deep purplish ruby color. On the nose, the wine was bursting with aromas—blackberries, plums, and blackcurrants mixed with hints of leather, fat, ginger, black pepper, dark chocolate, vanilla, and rosemary. In the mouth, there were black fruits, dark chocolate, vanilla, and something floral. The wine had big tannins, with high acidity, and was very dry.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $20, this wine was surprisingly complex and not overdone, even with the number of grapes in the blend. If you’re a wine novice, don’t let all of the characteristics and complexity scare you away, as the wine is very approachable. It’s big and juicy, and it paired beautifully with the grilled steaks and corn on the cob that Hubby made for dinner.

Price: $20
Purchased at: World Market
Overall: 4.5 Corks

A Paragon: Sauvignon Blanc

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Jul 282010

2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc

Last Monday was one of those days that reminded me of how different my job can be. Looking at the Capitol building every day, sometimes I start to take for granted that I live in an amazing city that is full of intelligent and interesting people, and the thrill of being on the floor of the House of Representatives while Members of Congress debate the merits of various pieces of legislation was the perfect reminder of what makes DC such a special city and what makes my job very exciting. By the time I arrived home on Monday night, I was ready to open a nice bottle of cool white wine to celebrate the perfect start to the final stretch of the latest busy season at work.

The 2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) was a pale, lemon yellow. On the nose, there were yellow grapefruits, mangos, pineapples, and a hint of limes and grass. In the mouth, there were yellow grapefruits, limes, pineapples, and a hint of oranges, wet stone, and grass. The wine had a light body with bright acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $16, this wine was refreshing and food-friendly. Hubby made seared scallops for dinner, which turned out to be a nice pairing, as the wine did not overpower the light flavor of the scallops. After spending the day wearing a suit in the ridiculously hot weather that has been plaguing the DC area, this Sauvignon Blanc had the crispness I needed to cool off and relax throughout the evening.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

A Riesling Rave

$11-$20, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 4 Responses »

Jul 152010

The short week following July 4^th was very quiet for most of my colleagues, but, because the next big phase in my project is going public in mid-July, there was very little break for me. That said, this will be the first time since I started my new job that I’m bringing a project into this next phase, and it has been an amazing experience. Obviously, every project has its obstacles, but I’m learning a lot and excited to see how things will unfold throughout the rest of the month. My project’s progress means that I’ve been working a lot, so I cherish my glass of wine when I finally walk in the door at the end of the day.

Combining my crazy work schedule with the scorching temperatures of last week, left Hubby and me eating lighter meals and opening up some cool, refreshing white wine. On my first day back to work after the holiday, I came home to a chilled Riesling, which was a nice accompaniment to the seared scallops and steamed fresh green beans that Hubby made for dinner.

2008 Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling

The 2008 Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling (winery, snooth) was a very pale lemon color with a few bubbles. On the nose, there was a lot of citrus—lime, lemon, and grapefruit—with a touch of honeydew and apple. In the mouth, there were mandarin oranges, canned peaches, and honeydew, followed by limes and pink grapefruit. There was a hint of sweetness behind the acidity, and the spritziness added freshness to the wine.

Is this worth a glass after work? It’s worth more than one! What are you waiting for? At $13, this wine smells like a springtime morning and is refreshing in the heat of summer. The wine was delicious on its own, but also paired well with the scallops. It was particularly nice after dinner, as the sweetness kept dessert cravings at bay without being overbearing and syrupy. All the way around, this was a great wine, particularly for the price.

Overall: 4.5 Corks

Up To The Roof With Big House

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Jul 132010

***I received this wine as a sample***

2008 Big House Red

Normally, I write posts about my workday and the wine I enjoy in the evening, but this July 4^th was a big wine holiday for me. Hubby and I stayed in DC for the long weekend, and, in an effort to avoid the crowds that are drawn to DC for Independence Day, we tried not to stray too far from the condo. Plus, this year, the high temperatures would have squelched any thoughts of heading to the National Mall for the Capitol 4^th Concert and fireworks. Instead, the holiday weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to open the box of 2008 Big House Red I had on my counter, as I could easily grab a glass on my way to the pool or before heading up to our roof deck, where we can watch not only the fireworks display over the Washington Monument, but also the fireworks in Maryland, which are visible along the horizon.

The 2008 Big House Red 3-liter Octavin Home Wine Bar (winery, snooth) was made with 23% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 9% Grenache, 9% Montepuliciano, 6% Mourvedre, 6% Sangiovese, 6% Algianico, 6% Tannat, 5% Nero d’Avola, 4% Sargentino, 3% Touriga, 3% Barbera, and 3% Petit Verdot grapes. The wine was a medium-to-dark purple with flecks of ruby. On the nose, there was a blend of red and black berries, mainly blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries. There was also black pepper and something oily. In the mouth, there were tart blackberries and strawberries, cranberries, smoke, cedar, and a touch of vanilla, dark plums, pepper, and something metallic. The wine had low-to-medium tannins, medium-to-high acidity, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $20 for 3-liters, or the equivalent of $5 a bottle, this wine has the quality/price ratio working in its favor. It isn’t a wine that stands out as something special, but it’s a surprisingly decent option. Admittedly, the 3-liter container is probably more than you need for after work, and it’s not a wine I would open and drink over a couple of weeks, as after several days, the wine developed a strong metallic taste; however, if you’re having a BBQ and are looking for a cost effective way to provide your guests with a good red wine, the 2008 Big House Red 3-Liter Octavin Home Wine Bar is worth considering.

I paired the wine with Hubby’s homemade Philly cheese steaks, which he makes with provolone cheese, and the wine definitely held its own with the big flavors of the sandwich. The key role for the wine, though, was played when I brought it with me to watch the fireworks, and there is no question that was a perfect pairing—beautiful fireworks, friends from our building, my Hubby, and a good California red.

Hope everyone had good Fourth!!

Overall: 3 Corks

Friday Night Rosé

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Jul 112010

***I received this wine as a sample***

2009 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah

The last four weeks at work comprised one of the busiest times I have had since I started working. My days were full of internal discussions on how to move forward with one of my biggest projects this year, intense meetings with people from other offices who want to work on the project, internal and external phone calls with additional people who are interested in the project, and more emails than I know what to do with. So, when my boss closed the office early on the Friday before July 4^th, I was ecstatic. I wasn’t able to leave at noon when we officially closed, but I escaped a few hours early. Since Hubby was going out with some friends, I made a few detours before coming home, where I ate some Thai takeout, opened a bottle of Rosé, and caught up on some trash tv.

The 2009 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah (winery, snooth) was made from 100% Syrah grapes and had a really dark pink color with hints of orange, particularly on the rim. On the nose, there were bright red fruits with a hint of perfume. In the mouth, there were strawberries, raspberries, violets, and something a little foresty on the finish. The wine was very dry, with good acidity, and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $17, this wine pushes the limit on what I’m likely to pay for a Rosé, as I am not generally a huge fan. However, this wine surprised me. It is slightly heavy for a Rosé, but that’s part of what I found intriguing about this bottle. It had nice flavor and a touch of body, but was still refreshing, light, and flirty—what I expect from a good Rosé. Admittedly, my pairing with Thai was probably not the best choice, but the wine was quite enjoyable.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

**I would like to extend my sympathy to everyone at Viña Montes.
I’m sure that Mr. Douglas Murray will be missed by you all.***

Work “World Tour of Wine” Tasting

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Jun 162010

For those of you who are Facebook fans, you already know that, at the end of May, I was working on a wine tasting for work. After having put together a Spanish wine tasting for coworkers during our April slow period, one of my colleagues talked to The Big Boss about my wine experience and about our staff bonding event. He was thrilled, and, as a wine lover himself, thought it would be fun to have a wine tasting for the staff in both of his DC offices. The tasting was held the Tuesday before Memorial Day.

Half of the people attending the wine tasting were at my Spanish wine event, so I decided that instead of doing a second Spanish-focused tasting, this one would be a “World Tour of Wine.” As the fun part of a tasting is being able to try new wines and broaden wine horizons, I wanted to focus on wines that moved away from the typical Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and Chardonnays by presenting varietals that are easy to find in wine stores, but that many inexperienced wine drinkers might shy away from buying. Additionally, since I was expecting 30+ people at the event, I wanted to make sure that I covered a range of wine styles.

With all of that in mind, I decided to begin the tasting with a traditional French Champagne—Montaudon Extra-Dry (snooth). The palate cleansing & revitalizing sparkler was followed by two white wines—a 2008 Paul D Grüner Veltliner (winery, snooth) from Austria and a 2009 Spy Valley (winery, snooth) from New Zealand. Following the lighter white wines were a South African Pinotage—2008 Painted Wolf (winery, snooth)—and a California Zinfandel blend—2008 Orin Swift’s “The Prisoner” (winery, snooth). The tasting finished with a Spanish Sherry—Nectar by González Byass (winery, snooth).

Everyone enjoyed the Champagne, which was no surprise to me or to them. However, the other wine that received the most questions and the most refill requests was Orin Swift Cellers’ The Prisoner, followed closely by Paul D’s Grüner Veltliner. The wine that received the most mixed reviews was González Byass’ Nectar, although everyone was happy to have tried it as almost everyone mentioned that it was not a wine they would have tasted on their own.

The Big Boss was very happy with event, particularly as he found a new wine that to enjoy. My coworkers tasted some wines that they loved, as well as some wines that they didn’t like, but there was a lot of conversation about those wines, as the likes and dislikes varied greatly. All in all, it seemed like everyone had a good time and that the tasting was a huge success.

***As a note, while the wines above are the ones I planned to offer and prepared tasting notes for, the wine store was actually sold out of the Spy Valley on the day of the tasting. Therefore, I used a 2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) as a fallback. I will do a separate review for the Oyster Bay, but wanted to keep the Spy Valley as part of this tasting, as I thought it was a slightly better wine.

Monday Night With A Spanish White

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Apr 262010

Looking back at the calendar, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 2 weeks since my last post. Work has been so ridiculously busy, with two major project deadlines over the last two weeks, that I’ve been spent most of my time at work or sleeping. While there are often one or two late nights in my week, almost every night for the last two weeks has been a late night. In the midst of all the chaos and with my 2nd deadline looming ahead of me, I walked in the door a little late last Monday night, made some grilled chicken, and caught up with Hubby over dinner and a glass of wine. As I had a bottle of Viña Leiriña left from a Spanish wine tasting that I put together several weeks ago, it seemed like the perfect bottle to open for the evening.

2008 Viña Leiriña

The 2008 Viña Leiriña (winery, snooth) is a blend of Treixadura, Albariño, and Godello grapes and had a medium lemon color. On the nose, there were strong honeysuckle, white flower, and peach aromas, which were followed by hints of salt, lime, and wet stone. In the mouth, there were peaches, limes, and wet stone, along with some white flowers, a touch of herbaceousness, and the flavor of contact lens solution. The wine had low-to-medium acidity and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll have a decent, reliable glass of wine. The bottle I opened was a little flabby and disappointing, particularly after such a long day at work. That said, the tasting in the store was full of a good, bright acidity, which left me wondering if the problem was my bottle rather than the wine. So, while I wasn’t over the moon about the bottle I opened, I think this might be a wine that deserves a second chance from another bottle.

Overall: 3 Corks

Bland Bubbly

$11-$20, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Apr 052010

Wednesday was a particularly quiet day, as many people decided to get an early start to the long weekend. My inbox was slow, my phone was quiet, and I even had a chance to meet some former coworkers for lunch. I left work at a normal hour, feeling like I’d accomplished a decent amount during the day, all without the being rushed. The best part of the day was that I was home early enough to pop open some kosher bubbly and make matzah lasagna for dinner.

Bellenda Prosecco

The Bellenda Prosecco (winery, snooth) was a dark lemon color with good, big bubbles. On the nose, there were pears, apricots, peaches, and grilled pineapples that smelled as if they were soaking in apple juice. In the mouth, there were apples and pears on the attack, but the flavor fell off almost immediately, leaving a chalk dust and basil aftertaste behind. The sparkler had medium acidity and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $20, this Prosecco tasted more like sparkling apple cider than it did like sparkling wine. While it’s hard to find a decent kosher sparkling wine, the kosher wine industry has made such drastic improvements in the quality of wine that is produced, it seems a shame to settle for a sparkler that just doesn’t live up the expectations.

Overall: 2 corks

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