Do you remember the gods-awful editorial in The Roanoke Times in October? Well, Jim Vascik has a great rebuttal. Read the whole thing, but this passage struck me as particularly good:

Who wins here? Not Virginia wineries that get a lower price for their products. Not the retail shops and restaurants that have to pay a higher price for the wine, and certainly not Virginia consumers who have to pay a significantly higher price for the same wine.

Only the distributors win by involving themselves in a system that did not want their help nor require it. We collect and pay taxes too.

Archer says that "this bill would have had devastating consequences for wine distributors and their nearly 3,500 employees." This is far from true.

The distributors were doing just fine without controlling the small- to medium-sized Virginia winery, or for that matter the small out-of-state winery.

Small out-of-state wineries have too little wine to try to sell in other states' retail stores to any significant degree. However, should a Virginia restaurant desire to offer its customers a fine wine from an out-of-state winery, where is the wrong in being able to buy that wine directly from that winery?

And while you are at it, support Valhalla by buying some wine :).

I commented on the review of Mendocino in the Washington Post a few weeks ago. The December issue of the Washingtonian also a has a review (not online yet) of Mendocino. This review focuses on the transition of the new chef, Barry Koslow, and Kliman gives the restaurant three stars.

However, he also ignores the wine list, giving it only a passing mention in discussing how Koslow's French influence contrasts with the California-centric wine list.

Alder caves into pressure and gives his recommendations for good Thanksgiving wines -- Champagne tops his list. Others think Beaujolais nouveau and the wine panel from the New York Times has some ideas.

Oh, and every vendor at every wine tasting I have been to over the last month has told me how well their wines go with Thanksgiving dinner.

My tip? Drink what you like. No wine is going to match everything on the Thanksgiving table, so do a Billy Joel and grab a bottle of red, a bottle of white. I would recommend a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Franc -- but you all probably knew that :).

WWAs for this weekend:

1. Alliance Francaise is celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau a day late with a wine and cheese party


2. Also on Friday, The Wine Specialist is offering a tasting of wines from Barboursville


3. On Saturday, Pearmund Cellars is having their Beast Feast


4. Saturday and Sunday Veramar Vineyards will be hosting their holiday open house

I'll be at Veramar :). Whatever you do, have fun!

Review: 1999 Marojallia Margaux

Before reading the review, you can get some background information on so-called garage wines. Marojallia Margaux is considered a garage wine. Generally speaking I don't worry about this type of stuff. But, as I have mentioned before, Margaux is, by far, my favorite Bordeaux appellation, and because of the rules they have in place I know that there is a better than average chance that I will enjoy any wine from the Margaux region. While I respect wine makers who do innovative and unique things, it is important to me that they do so only while continuing to make a quality product.

Wine: 1999 Marojallia Margaux



Review: This is the first vintage of Marojallia Margaux wine and it is fantastic. Marojallia is the Latin word for Margaux. This vintage is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, not a typical Bordeaux blend, but it works well in this case. This particular vintage received 90 point or better scores from the Wine Advocate, the Wine Spectator and Stephen Tanzer.

For me the defining description of this wine is elegance; every aspect of the wine speaks to that elegance. Starting with the presentation the label is simple and understated, not the usual crowded Bordeaux label. When I opened the bottle and poured my first glass, I was immediately struck by the color: a deep rich purple. The wine also has an intense aroma with hints of blackberries and vanilla.

I let it decant in the glass for several minutes before I tasted it. I was awed by the concentration of flavors. I am used to complexity in a Bordeaux, but I was surprised at the range of flavors I could discern. Certainly multiple fruit flavors, but also licorice and tobacco and a very long finish...it stayed on my palette for while allowing me to truly savor the experience.

Price: $90

Grade: 100

The Planet Wine 2nd Annual Holiday Wine festival was a lot of fun. There weren't as many wines as some of the other festivals, but they did have a good selection of hors d' oeuvres and they had specific wine and cheese pairings, which was a good idea.

Some highlights from the festival were the 2005 Bodegas Arrocal Tempranillo, 2003 Ken Forrester Wines Shiraz/Grenache blend, 2005 Il Cavaliere Cantine Sant'Agata Ruche, Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir, and Trevor Jones Boots Sparkling Red.

In the movie Thank You for Smoking Nick Naylor has a meeting with a reporter and during that meeting he orders a bottle of 1982 Chateau Margaux. If you were wondering what that cost, here you go (multiply by 3 for restaurant price)

WWAs for this weekend:

1. Planet Wine is having their 2nd Annual Holiday Wine Fesitval on Saturday at Tallula Restaurant in Arlington. The wine list looks interesting and it is only $40 if you buy your tickets in advance.

2. Tarara is holding a barrel tasting on the 11th as well. Tickets are $45 and you get the chance to sample some of their upcoming vintages. It is always fun to try a young wine and then go back and see it mature...

3. Breaux Vineyards is also having a barrel this weekend.

And don't forget, this Thursday is Beaujolais Nouveau!! I'll let you all know where to get your free wine :).

A friend of mine got laid off last week. So, Friday night she came over for comfort food and a lot of wine. Chinese was the comfort food with my famous red-wine brownies for dessert. I tried something a little different for a Chinese food pairing, a Condrieu and it turned out to be a good match.

Of course, with anything chocolate a good Eiswein is a match. Reviews for both are below.


Wine: 2003 E.Guigal Condrieu



Review: A Viognier from Fance. This is a light wine, despite being partially oak-aged (2/3 steel-aged and 1/3 oak-aged). Very low acidity with a smooth taste with flavors of peaches and nuts. A lightweight wine that went well with the Chinese food (Orange Chicken and Shrimp and Cashews)

Price: $40

Grade: 85


Wine: 2004 Kafer Eiswein



Review: A low-cost Eiswein is always a good find, especially one as good as this. A sweet wine from the Rheinhessen region of Germany with a high amount of residual sugar. It was very flavorful with a fruity boquet that lingered on the palette.

A great value!

Price: $20

Grade: 90

Wine: 2001 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin



Review: A Bordeaux-style blend out of British Columbia, how could I possibly pass this up? Osoyoos Larose is the result of a venture between Group Tailan, from Bordeaux and Vincor International from Ontario. You can read about this partnership and history here. The vines were transplanted from Bordeaux to British Columbia, starting with the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

This vintage is comprised of 66% Merlot, 25% Cabernet SAuvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. I know this because they were nice enough to put the blend on the bottle. The blend is a good one although the Merlot is more dominant than I am used to tasting in these blends. That may stem from the vines being so young but it does make the wine less complex than I would expect. It has strong tannins and a smooth finish with hints of Molasses and Cherry.

Overall an interesting experiment, and I predict future vintages will be even better.

Price: $30

Grade: 90

Okay, I am not a famous food critic or anything, but should a review of Mendocine Grille and Wine Bar include more of a mention of the wine than:

A diner can also end (or begin) a meal with a selection of cheese and wine; Mendocino prides itself on both. The most indulgent combination might be something blue with something red -- say, a glass of the 2004 Turley "Old Vine" zinfandel, which costs $16 and delivers a rich taste of California with every sip.

Note, where it says a selection of cheese and wine; Mendocino prides itself on both. Well, if those are the specialties of the restaurant, why not talk about them?

I have been meaning to go out there, but have not had the time. Now, it appears I am going to have to make time and do a proper review. Anyone want to join me for lunch next weekend ;)?

WWA for this weekend?

The French Wine Society is sponsoring the Tour de Champagne 2006 at the French Embassy on Saturday. Cost is $125.

If you are a member of the Prince Michel Wine Club it is not too late to get a seat at their Harvest Dinner for Wine Club Members.

Virginia has some great mountains, with some wonderful views in the fall...one of the best is the view from the observation deck at Stone Mountain Vineyards. There are only a couple more weeks of fall to enjoy that view, I highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Review will follow soon, but let me just say, run to your local wine shop and a buy a bottle of Marojallia.