2006 » A Glass After Work

Winers on the Roof

Sep 012010

Thursday was one of those days at work that I was thankful that I had a lot to do; otherwise, I would have spent the day thinking about my evening plans. My neighbor invited me to a wine happy hour, but this wasn’t just any happy hour. Not only had the group I was joining been together for a while, but also several of them are regular “A Glass After Work” readers. Meeting readers in person is always exciting, but it also can be a little nerve-wracking because there are expectations that are sometimes hard to live up to.

Clearly, I had nothing to be worried about. This group, which originally coalesced while putting together a back-to-school school supply donation program, is affectionately known as the Winers. They’ve been gathering on the rooftops of DC for wine happy hours for a while, but they welcome newbies (like myself) as if we’ve always been part of the group. As one of the original Winers described it, it’s an evening where a “group of strangers become friends with the magic of a glass (ok, two) of wine.” I definitely had more than two glasses, and there is no question that I also made some new friends.

I spent most of the evening talking with Doug, Jeff, and Judy—all three of whom are regular Winers—as well as with Susan and Richard, neither of whom are part the original group, but are fellow wine lovers. In fact, Richard does some work with Vienna Vintner when he’s not at his day job.

The evening started with a refreshing rosé, which was contributed by Jeff. I’m embarrassed to admit that I missed all of the details on this wine, but it was a good way to start the evening.

Our Virginia wines for the night

After that, there were a number of Virginia wines, which Doug kindly brought. Unfortunately, I only tasted the 2005 Chrysalis Rubiana (winery), and I was not a fan. I know they are a popular Virginia winery, but I am regularly underwhelmed by their wines.

I do want to try Rappahannock Winery’s Viognier and Meritage wines (winery). There was a bottle of each at the happy hour and a number of people mentioned enjoying them, so it’s clearly time for me to revisit Rappahannock. I’m sorry I missed the chance on Thursday.

2006 Château Croque-Michotte

Judy brought a bottle of the 2006 Château Croque-Michotte (winery) back from her recent visit to France. There is something particularly exciting about opening a bottle that was carried back from Europe, and I’m thrilled she wanted to share. Admittedly, the wine was a little light on the fruit and a bit high in acidity, but it would probably pair well with food. Several of us were thinking lamb.

2005 Les Crêtes Coteau La Tour

The winner of the night for me, though, was the 2005 Les Crêtes Coteau La Tour (winery), which Jeff brought. This wine was 100% Syrah grapes and was beautifully balanced. It had a nice mixture of ripe fruits, sweet spices, and a hint of smokiness. It may be difficult to find the wine and it looks like it costs around $40, but even at that price, if you see a bottle, it’s worth grabbing. The wine was delicious!

I definitely feel like I was invited to be one of the “cool kids,” and I hope I have a chance to drink with the Winers again. The view was magnificent, the wine was fantastic, and the company was outstanding. What more could a social, wine-lover want? Thanks for including me!

Our backdrop while drinking wine on the roof

Breaking Out The Burgundy

$21-$30, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 3 Responses »

May 182010

While it’s hard to believe, I passed the 6-month mark at my “new” job. It’s been an eventful 6 months— record breaking snow shutting down the office for a week, 6 major projects (and 2 more waiting in the wings), the creation of “Allison’s Law” about all the things that will wrong during a one of my major projects, a Spanish wine tasting with my new coworkers, numerous fun happy hours, and just a general feeling of constantly being busy. I feel like I’ve been in my position just long enough to be comfortable, but not quite long enough to avoid the occasional newbie hiccups. In celebration of my transformation from being a true newbie to a more seasoned member of the staff, last Wednesday I brought out the Burgundy glasses that my former coworkers gave me at my going away party and popped the cork on a Burgundy that I bought 6 months ago to break in the new glasses.

2006 Domaine Besson Les Grands Pretans Givry 1er Cru

The 2006 Domaine Besson Les Grands Pretans Givry 1er Cru (snooth) was a dark ruby with a garnet rim. On the nose, there were cherries, cranberries, and raspberries with the slightest hint of cooking spice. In the mouth, there were tart raspberries, sour cherries, and a hint of nutmeg and roasted meat. The wine had low tannins and high acidity with a 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 $28, this wine had very reserved aromas that, once decanted, came through as a brilliant mix of red fruits. The wine was quite enjoyable on its own, particularly as I drank it while watching Hubby make dinner, but it also paired nicely with the chicken that he made. All in all, if you’re looking for a solid Burgundy, this is one that you definitely don’t have to be afraid of opening.

Overall: 4 Corks

Galil Mountain...Not Your Mom's Manischewitz

$11-$20, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Mar 302010

Work is officially quiet for the next two weeks, which is such a relief after the last hectic 5 weeks. There’s no doubt that once these next 2 weeks are over, the following 7 weeks will be insanely busy, but for now, I’m enjoying the chance to catch-up on old emails, to do some necessary research, and to take advantage of slightly shorter work hours. On top of yesterday being the beginning of a quiet period at work, it was also the first night of Passover, which is one of my favorite holidays and definitely my favorite Jewish holiday. As regular readers know, I normally don’t keep kosher, but during Passover, I do make some significant dietary changes to observe the holiday, such as giving up anything made from the five major grains—wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt—that are mixed with water for long enough to rise and drinking kosher wine. To start off the holiday, I opened a bottle of the 2006 Galil Mountain Yiron.

2006 Galil Mountain Yiron

The 2006 Galil Mountain Yiron (winery, snooth) was 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% merlot, and 5% Syrah grapes and had a deep purple color with flecks of ruby throughout. On the nose, there were blackberries, black currants, dark plums, dark cherries, and blueberries, which were followed by vanilla, fennel, and a touch of smoke, thyme, and cloves. In the mouth, there were similar black fruits, with some blackcurrant leaf, smoke, cedar, cloves, and a touch of vanilla. The wine was full-bodied, with medium-to-high acidity and tannins.

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 surprised me. At first, I thought the wine was more enjoyable with a juicy brisket or some chocolate covered matzah than it is on its own, as the food helped tone down some of the wine’s initial harshness. The aromas had beautiful, jam-like quality that the flavors lacked; in fact, the flavors were dominated by a bitterness that I couldn’t quite identify. However, after decanting the wine, I was beyond impressed. This was a beautiful, full-bodied red that nor only paired perfectly with food, but also was great for indulging in good, relaxing conversation at the end of the evening. The stereotype of kosher wines being inferior is shattered by the 2006 Galil Mountain Yiron, as there is a delicious wine. The key to enjoying it, though, is making sure that it has plenty of time to breathe. Also, if you don’t mind letting the wine age for 2-3 years, you should buy it and cellar it, as I think that with a little more time, this wine will continue to mellow and become even more enjoyable.

Overall: 4 corks

Happy Passover!

Books, Haikus, and Wine

$10 and lower, $11-$20, $21-$30, $41-$50, $51 and higher, 2 Corks, 3.5 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Mar 222010

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Anne mentioned that she had an extra ticket to Michael J. Gelb’s book launch, and she asked if I would like to attend with her. The event included a wine tasting, some food, and a copy of Gelb’s book. Combine all of that with Anne’s good company and there was no way I was going to miss the event. So, Monday night after work, I headed to Zola Wine & Kitchen, where the DC launch for Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices was held.

Overall, the event was fun and well attended. There were 5 wines to taste—2 French rosé sparkling wines, 2 Sicilian red wines, and 1 French dessert wine. There were also some delicious hors d’œuvres, which were made while we were watching, and wonderful cheeses and chocolates.

Gelb’s approach to tasting wine is differs from the traditional taste-and-take-notes approach in that it focuses on the idea of using wine as a muse. Therefore, after we all had a chance to get comfortable and taste a few sparkling wines, he read a little from his book and then asked all of us to write wine-inspired poetry instead of traditional tasting notes (I did a little of both). He then collected what everyone wrote and read several winners aloud. While mine wasn’t chosen as a winner, I think that was because there wasn’t enough grape juice flowing to get my creative juices going. That said, here is my Haiku:

Juiciness takes over,
Luscious and warm in my mouth.
Wine is perfection.

Michael Gelb reading from "Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices"

As for the wines themselves, the night started with bubbly—a Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé and a François Billion Brut Rosé Champagne Spécial.

The Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé (vineyard, snooth) was made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The sparkler was a light, salmon color with persistent bubbles. On the nose and the mouth, there were red fruits and flowers, with a hint of toastiness. The wine had nice acidity, was refreshing, and made for a pleasant start to the tasting. At $20, this is definitely a sparkling wine worth looking into.
Overall: 3.5 corks

The François Billion Brut Rosé Champagne Spécial (vineyard, snooth) was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. The wine was a medium pink, with a lot of small, persistent bubbles. The sparkler had a beautiful nose, full of toast and a hint of strawberries and cherries. In the mouth, there was toast, cream, cherries, and strawberries. The wine had a crisp acidity, which was very refreshing. At $55, this wine was by far the best of the night.
Overall: 4.5 corks

The two red wines were both made in Sicily from the Nero d’Avola grape—the Cossentino and the 2006 Feudo Maccari Saia.

The Cossentino Nero D’Avola (snooth) was a deep purple. On the nose, there were big fruits, lots of wood, and some herbaceousness. In the mouth, the wine had something “funky” mixed in with blackberries. It was very acidic, and even at $12, it’s not a wine I would recommend.
Overall: 2 corks

The 2006 Feudo Maccari Saia Nero d’Avola (vineyard, snooth) was also a deep purple. On the nose and in the mouth, there were blackberries, cooking spices, and lavender. The wine had a full, luscious body, with smooth, soft tannins. At $42, this wine offers something a little different from the better-known Italian wines. If you’re looking for a new grape, this Sicilian red is worth considering, even at the higher price-point.
Overall: 3.5 corks

The last wine of the night was an intense dessert wine that paired beautifully with Zola Wine & Kitchen’s handmade chocolates. My favorite was pairing the salted caramel squares with the 2007 Domaine du Mas Blanc Rimage Banyuls (vineyard, snooth). The Rimage was a dark, inky purple. On the nose and in the mouth, there were ripe dark cherries, raspberries, and cocoa dust. The fuller body mixed nicely with the creaminess of the caramel in the chocolate. At $30, this wine is a nice dessert wine that isn’t overly sweet.
Overall: 3.5 corks

I was surprised to be the only blogger at the event, but that worked out well, as it gave me a chance to talk with Gelb not only about his books, but also about wine blogging and twittering. I was also thankful that Anne was able to give me the ticket for $30 instead of the full-priced $60, as that was probably a little over priced for this event. That said, I had a good time tasting wine, listing to other attendees’ wine-inspired writing, and meeting Michael Gelb.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts on Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices, once I’ve had a chance to read it. In the meantime, Kudos to Heather Freeman PR, Hooks Books, and Zola Wine & Kitchen for putting together a good event and to Michael Gelb for publishing his latest book.

"Flesh and Fire" Paired With A Pinot

$41-$50, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »

Mar 192010

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

Over the weekends, I tend to drink wine at restaurants more often than I drink wine in the condo. However, between the rainy weather and Hubby recovering from living the rockstar-lifestyle of happy hours that go late into the night and an overnight trip to Atlantic City, neither of us was interested in venturing too far on Sunday. Instead, it was the perfect opportunity for me to make progress on my latest book, Flesh and Fire: Book One of The Vineart War by Laura Anne Gilman—a fantasy novel about magic and wine—and enjoy my last bottle of Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir.

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (vineyard, snooth) was a light-to-medium ruby, but with a brightness to it that was stunning. On the nose, there were big, ripe berry flavors, although they were a surprising mix of red and black fruits—strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry—followed by a touch of vanilla, cloves, and moss. In the mouth, there were cherries, cocoa, earth, and a touch of black pepper and cinnamon. The wine had a bright acidity and medium tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. Of the several sample bottles of Pinot Noir that Willamette Valley Vineyards sent me, the 2006 Estate Vineyard was my favorite. Not that I wouldn’t drink the other Pinots, as I definitely would, but this wine maintained the classic, wonderful characteristics of a Pinot Noir, while also offering a touch of uniqueness that made it stand out among the rest. The wine was warm and ripe, without being overbearing or jammy. It was food friendly, although I preferred to drink it on its own while reading my book, this way I could really sink into the flavors of both.

Overall: 4 Corks

"Flesh and Fire" Paired With A Pinot

4 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Mar 192010

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

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

Overall: 4 Corks

Coppola Cabernet...A Year Later

$11-$20, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Mar 012010

Today was my last day before a very large project deadline. This project has been quite a challenge, as it’s dealing with a topic that is new for me. This meant late hours last week, a significant amount of reading and learning about the issue in a short period of time, and a bit of panic as I walked into the office this morning, particularly as I encountered a few unexpected pitfalls. By early this afternoon, things brightened, and the project was back on track. By the time finally I left work, everything was in place for a smooth day tomorrow. Whether that actually happens still remains to be seen, but, in the meantime, I have a good feeling about how the day will go. Today, though, was definitely one of those days where I earned my paycheck and looked forward to heading home afterwards. While waiting for Hubby to get home, since he was working late, and, in honor of A Glass After Work’s birthday, I opened a Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon because it was the first wine I reviewed.

The 2006 Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Collection (winery, snooth) had a medium-to-dark ruby color, with the slightest hint of garnet on the rim. On the nose, there was cedar, followed by cherries, blackcurrant, and a hint of blackcurrant leaf, smoke, and vanilla. In the mouth, there was cedar, smoke, black cherries, dark plums, and vanilla. The wine had a nice, full body with big, firm tannins and high 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 $17, this wine has a lot of complexity, particularly for how inexpensive it is. The wine is fun to really puzzle through, as I enjoyed doing with this bottle. However, it’s also a good, easily drinkable option for someone who doesn’t know a lot about wine, but is still looking for a quality glass. This is evident from the review that I did a year ago when I was just learning how to taste and talk about wine. The Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon is very food friendly, but also can stand on its own big, beautiful legs.

Overall: 4 Corks

A Storybook Day & A Storybook Wine

$31-$40, 2.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Nov 192009

My second week had a phenomenal start. On Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my office, listening to my favorite NY radio station on the Internet, drinking my coffee, reading the morning work news, and loving my job. Sure, things were crazy (the rapidly approaching holidays, a special condo board meeting that night, my project deadline looming at the end of the week, deliverables for my school group project due Thursday night, and the final term paper for my class due Monday), but I felt good. I only belong to one wine club—Storybook Mountain Vineyards—and I was able to pick-up the latest shipment before heading home. When I walked into the condo, still glowing from the fact that my commute is 10-15 minutes shorter every day, I couldn’t help but gush about everything to Hubby before collapsing on the couch with a glass of wine. Could life be any better?

The 2006 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Estate Reserve Zinfandel (vineyard) was a deep ruby with a garnet rim. The wine smelled like a warm, baking spice cabinet, mixed with big, juicy blackberries and blueberries. There was also a hint of mulch and earth. In the mouth, there were nice spices and berries, but they were mixed with prunes. The wine had high acidity and medium 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 $35, I was expecting lusciousness like I found in the 2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Mayacamas Range. Instead, the 2006 Estate Reserved tasted more like prune juice and less like jammy goodness. I hate to say this, but this wine was a bit of a disappointment. If you’re looking for a great Zin from Storybook Mountain, a I do mean a GREAT Zin, skip over this one and grab their 2007 Mayacamas Range; it will be everything you want from a California Zinfandel…and more.

Overall: 2.5 Corks

A Fool For Michel-Schlumberger Pinot

$31-$40, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Oct 212009

Yesterday was one of those work days where I thought that things would be fairly quiet. I had a handful of meetings on my calendar, but otherwise, my plan was to catch-up on some of the work that was piling up because of the ongoing sickness circulating in my office. By 10am, though, it was clear that not only wasn’t it going to be a quiet day for me, but also it wasn’t going to be a day for me to catch-up on work and emails. Between unexpected meetings, a few problems that popped up out of nowhere, and a few people being slow to finish their part in a project, I ended up have to stay at the office late and was answering my blackberry long after I was home. However, answering the blackberry didn’t stop me from wanting to indulge in a glass of wine, and since I’m feeling 90% better, the bottle I opened was the first bottle in several weeks that I opened with the intent of writing a review—the 2006 Michel-Schlumberger ‘Le Fou’ Pinot Noir.

I purchased this wine while I was out in California for the wine bloggers conference (WBC09). While I haven’t had a chance to write about my walking tour of the vineyards yet, they were wonderful. After exploring the vineyards, I had a chance to taste a number of the wines being made at Michel-Schlumberger and because I enjoyed what I tasted, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to purchase a few bottles. With the feeling of adventure, 2 or 4 bottles I purchased were actually ones that I didn’t taste while I was there. Since the Pinot Noir was one of the untasted wines, it was a bottle that I was looking forward to opening and, therefore, was saving it for a night where I could indulge in little bit of “me” time.

The 2006 Michel-Schlumberger ‘Le Fou’ Pinot Noir (winery, snooth) had a beautiful, medium ruby color. On the nose, there were animal notes mixed in with bright raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate aromas. In the mouth, the raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate flavors mixed nicely with warm spices—mostly cinnamon and nutmeg. The wine had low tannins, medium-to-high acidity, and 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 $32, this wine is the perfect bottle to make you feel like you’ve indulged a little without breaking the bank. The Pinot Noir is a nice, food-friendly wine that easily transitions to drinking alone. For dinner, I paired the wine with a grilled basil-garlic chicken, which actually brought out a slight vegetal and mineral aspect in the wine, which was quite unexpected, but very pleasant. As an evening snack, I paired the wine with homemade zucchini bread, and the spices in the bread accentuated the spices in the wine to create a nice fall weather combination.

Overall: 4 Corks

Uninspiring, But Not Unenjoyable Côtes du Rhône

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

Oct 152009

Thankfully, I’m at the tail end of the plague that is still circulating around my office. I’m tired of being sick and I miss drinking wine. Plus, as I look back on my tasting note backlog, I wonder if these wines have all been on my “waiting list” because they are mostly ones that just didn’t speak to me. For example, my notes on for the 2006 Du Peloux Côtes du Rhône La Grande Cuvée are fairly sparse. I drank it alone and paired it with food, but neither experience prompted me to gush or rant about the wine. It just was what it was; so, I drank it, I wrote about it, but I just never felt inspired.

The 2006 Du Peloux Côtes du Rhône La Grande Cuvée had a purple core that was transitioning to ruby. On the nose, there were strawberry, raspberry, and violet aromas, followed by a hint of white pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. In the mouth, the spices faded, but the strawberry, raspberry, and white pepper flavors remained. The wine was a little hot, with medium acidity, tannins, and body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $15, this wine was good, but not very memorable. I paired it wine with a meatball parmigiana sub from our local Italian restaurant, which definitely helped give a little more depth in the taste of the wine, but the wine was actually fine on its own.

Overall: 3 Corks

Older Entries

Winers on the Roof

Breaking Out The Burgundy

Galil Mountain...Not Your Mom's Manischewitz

Books, Haikus, and Wine

"Flesh and Fire" Paired With A Pinot

"Flesh and Fire" Paired With A Pinot

Coppola Cabernet...A Year Later

A Storybook Day & A Storybook Wine

A Fool For Michel-Schlumberger Pinot

Uninspiring, But Not Unenjoyable Côtes du Rhône

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