I see that regular commenter, Dezel, has started his own blog. Check it out.

As I mentioned below, I went to the Release Tasting at the Farm this weekend at Fabbioli cellars. Some pictures:





I finally got to try Doug's Raspberry Merlot. It is an excellent dessert wine. The Raspberries add a unique flavor to the Merlot, the barrel aging really blended the flavors well and created a unique wine. The staff at the winery were also nice enough to keep the bottles of this wine chilled, making it perfect for the warm day.

We also got to sample Doug's Cabernet Sauvignon, which is being barrel aged and won't be ready to bottle for about a year.

Overall, a great time.

Wine: Camelot 2004 Pinot Noir



Review: I had dinner with a friend at GG Cafe. It was my first time eating at this restaurant, and was interested in their wine list. I was disappointed not to find any local wines on the list, and their Italian wine selection was limited.

The Camelot Pinot Noir looked interesting, and it was not bad. The wine is 76% Pinot Noir, 21% Syrah and 3% Sangiovese. The Syrah and the Sangiovese help calm the natural exuberance of the Pinot Noir grape. It is still a bold wine, with the distinct flavors of a Pinot Noir, but it is smooth and a good value.

Price: $24 (street price < $10)

Grade: 85

At today's barrel tasting my meetup group got to meet Stephen and Shannon Mackey of Notaviva Vineyards. They were being filmed for an episode of HGTV's series Dream House -- to be aired sometime next fall (2007).

This is a couple that is living their dream of owning a vineyard, putting in the hours and the planning that it takes to succeed. More importantly, they are blogging it.

Wine: Lost Creek Winery Late Harvest (Alyce)



Review: This is a dessert wine based on Vidal grapes. It is a hybrid ice wine. The grapes are picked late, but not frozen on the vine, instead they are frozen at the winery before they were pressed. It is a very sweet wine with the full bouquet of flavors normally associated with Vidal wines. A good dessert wine.

Price: $25

Grade: 90

It been a while, but back on April 7th, I went to a barrel tasting at Tarara. I got to taste several just bottled vintages, plus a couple of surprises. The focus was primarily on the whites, with their Pinot Gris, Viognier and Chardonnay being prominently displayed. The Viognier was the only one that stood out for me -- although, I am not a fan of whites.

In addition to the whites, there were two reds offered for tasting that were very interesting. The first was a Pinot Noir. This was the first Pinot Noir from Virginia I have tried. It was bold, but not as bold as what you expect from a Pinot Noir from California or Oregon. Very full bodied, with hints of raspberry and strawberry.

The second was a reserve Cabernet Franc. This was the one wine still in the barrel, and it was excellent. It was young, and heavily tannined, but the flavors really shone through, in another 6 months to a year it will be fantastic.

If you are looking for something to do this rainy weekend, there are two barrel tastings happening in the area:

The first is Loudoun Valley Vineyards, which is going on Saturday and Sunday, cost is $7.00. The second is at Fabbioli Cellars and is Sunday only, no charge.

I went to the Tarara barrel tasting last week and will write something on that shortly.

Wine: Barboursville Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc Reserve



Review: Barboursville used to produce two versions of Cabernet Franc: the reserve, which sold for $30 and the non-reserve which sold for $15. Starting with the 2004 vintage they started selling just the reserve for $20. This is great for Virginia wine drinkers because their reserve Cabernet Franc is fantastic.

This is a rich wine with a deep color, full body and aromas of black cherry and cedar. It has an intense flavor that stays on the palette and very light tannins.

Price: $20

Grade: 95

Are you doing anything this weekend?

No?

Check out the Barrel Tasting at Pearmund Cellars Saturday and Sunday from 11:00AM to 5:00PM. If you have never been to a Barrel Tasting they really are a lot of fun. It is great to sample excellent wines in their infancy, and Pearmund makes great wines