Great Grapes at Reston Town Center

I didn't realize that the fall edition of the Great Grapes Festival at Reston Town Center is coming up this weekend. The event is always a lot of fun and its also a great place to bring the kids!

DCs Wine Country Food and Wine Festival

I haven't mentioned this yet, but if you are looking for something to do either tonite or tomorrow night, you might want to check out the first ever DC's Wine Country Food and Wine Festival, a festival dedicated strictly to Loudoun County wineries and restaurants.

Tickets are only $30 at the door, and it looks to be a lot of fun!

There are a couple of wine festivals coming up you should know about:

1. Cecile's Wine Cellar is having their annual tent festival this weekend. One of their featured wines is St Francis Sonoma Red, one of my favorite sub-$20 wines. This one is free.

2. Th Wine Tasting Association is having their Holiday Wine Tasting on October 25th. I've been to this the last couple of years, and it is really nice...and they always have a great selection of cheese.

If you are looking to mix Virginia wine and summer today is the day to do it!! First, Breaux is having their Key West Festival from 11:00 to 6:00.

Then, from 7:00-10:00, Chateau O'Brien is having a Crab Boil.

I completely left out the 4th Annual Manasses Wine and Jazz Festival from my WWA post below. They have some good performers and great wineries. Note, this is not a whole weekend festival, it is only on Sunday.

Looking for fun stuff to do this weekend? Breaux is having their 11th annual Cajun Festival -- this is always a great time!

Clifton is also holding their second annual wine festival.

Don't forget, Vintage Virginia is this weekend out at Bull Run Park.

Don't forget that this weekend is the Great Grapes Festival at Reston Town Center. This event is always a lot of fun and wineries are usually spread out enough that the crowds aren't too bad. Tickets are $25 in advance.

Another wine festival coming up: The Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival is June 7th at White Fences Vineyard. Its small, but they have some nice wineries participating and part of the proceeds go to the local YMCA.

One of the side benefits of going to many wine festivals is getting to sample a variety of food. I don't mean the concession stands, but wine festivals tend to attract interesting vendors with food that matches up well with the local wines. This has been my experience not only in Virginia, but also in California, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Some of the highlights from last weekend's expo:

Cabot Cheese: Not local, but a staple at almost every wine show I have been to, and thank the gods for that. Rounding a corner and running into the Cabot Cheese booth always brings a smile to my face, not only are the cheeses good, but they also always seem to place the booth right when I need some protein (and the generously handed-out coupons don't hurt either).

Wine-Ohh: I actually don't like their name all that much, but most people thought it was cute. The jams listed on their site were good, the highlight, though, was their wine salsa (not listed on their site). A fantastic alternative to grocery store salsas.

Carriage House Products: Another staple at local wine festivals their Cheese Straws are like crack. I always pick up a couple of tins, they are a great evening snack with a bottle of red.

Simply Cheddar: A yummy cheddar ball mixed with onions and a pecan crust. An interesting alternative to standard cheeses.

Velatis: If you are like me, your only experience with caramel was wrapped around an apple around Halloween. This is nothing like that, these caramels were amazing, but I have to warn you, if you get the chewy ones, make sure your teeth are firmly attached. Wondering what wine goes well with Caramel? Try a Seyval Blanc.

Are you looking to re-stock your wine cellar after a winter spent emptying it out? There are three really good opportunities coming up over the next three months:

1. The Virginia Wine Showcase is coming up February 9th to the Dulles Expo Center. Dezel says there may be a blogger's booth there (I won't be in the booth, I have drinking to do ;)) and Deidra will also have a booth. It looks like a lot of fun, but it is the first year this has been done...so be patient.

2. Later in the same month, and spilling over into March is the 9th Annual DC Food and Wine Festival. This festival attracts wineries from all over the world, and 1000s of people. Last year it was a little crowded, so I recommend getting there early. Also, while the sampling of wines is great, it is light on the food part (at least it was last year), so eat before you go.

3. Moving to the end of April, the St. Michael's Food and Wine Festival runs from April 24th to the 27th. I've never been but I have heard really good things about it and I am trying to set up an interview with the organizers to get more information for you all.

Sorry about the dearth of postings, I have a whole bunch coming up :).

In case you hadn't heard, there is a new Virginia wine festival in town. The Virginia Wine Showcase is being held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Virginia on February 9th and 10th. They even offer gift cards, which is a neat idea.

They look like they have some interesting seminars -- including one on Bordeaux futures -- and most of the big Virginia wineries will be there. All this and it is indoors :).

The Bordeaux Harvest Festival was the second wine festival put on by the French Wine Society I have attended. I have to congratulate them on knowing how to put on a festival. There was a good mix of both food and wine tables and the wine tables were spread out enough that the lines never got too long.

Overall, it was a good evening. Some of the highlights for me were the 2003 Chateau Magdelaine (I know it is not a Margaux, but it is still one of my favorites), and the 2003 Chateau Monbrison which is a very affordable Margaux.

The pourers were, for the most part, very knowledgeable and it made for an enjoyable evening.

I've mentioned before that we are entering the season of wine tastings and festivals. I love a good wine tasting as much as the next person, but I get the feeling that a lot of people need some help with how to act at a tasting. So, here are some tips to help make every wine tasting event more enjoyable:

• It is not a drinking contest. A wine tasting is a place to find out about new wines in a, hopefully, fun and relaxed environment, not a place to see how drunk you can get.


• They are wine pours, they are meant to be savored, they are not shots.


• They are wine pours, they are not a glass of wine, the idea is to get a sample not a whole bottle


• No one cares how much you know about wine. If you have questions about the wine or region, ask. But please don't ask just to show off how smart you are.


• Like drinking, swirling should be done in moderation.


• Stand still. The table is already crowded enough, you don't need to move in front of each wine as it is being poured.


• Once again, the table is crowded. Taste your wine and move on, the tasting table is the wrong place to discuss your dog's worm medication


• As long as people are moving at a good clip, wait your turn. At the very least don't stick your arm in my face while trying to reach over me because you can't wait 5 seconds.


• If your winery is coming to an event, bring enough wine to last the entire duration of the event.


• Yes, they are cute. Yes, they are impressed with your vast knowledge of wine. Please just pour their wine and get to the rest of us...flirt on your own time.


• Know something, anything about the wines you are pouring. If they are good we might have actual questions. At the very least, if it is a blended wine, know what the blending is.


• I usually spend between $200-$300 when I go to a festival, I am sure most people are like me. Act like you are interested in my business,


• On a personal note: A woman with a French accent will absolutely sell me much more Bordeaux.

Tomorrow the DC Chapter of the French Wine Society is holding their Bordeaux Harvest Festival tomorrow. You can get tickets up until 3:00PM. It looks like alot of fun!

The 2007 Virginia Wine Festival was this past weekend. I went early on Sunday and it was a perfect day for it. Not too hot, but not yet chilly. The festival was spread out under 5 tents and was very well attended.

A couple of highlights: Waterford Vineyards and Windham Winery have successfully completed their respective name changes. In a weird way, I guess it is nice that Virginia wineries are becoming so well-known that they draw the attention of other wineries/crystal companies.

I also came across a winery I was not familiar with, Athena Vineyards. They had some nice wines. I especially liked their Nightingale Red a Chambourcin-based wine. They also had a Cabernet Franc that was ok, but a little light for my tastes in Cab Franc.

Overall, a good day.

Don't forget, the 32nd annual Virginia Wine Festival is this weekend. Tickets are $25 at the gate. My recommendations: 1. Get there early. 2. Stay Hydrated.

The 3rd Annual Manassas Jazz and Wine Festival is coming up on the 17th of June. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate. There are some good local jazz musicians performing and wine from 11 vineyards. Check it out!

Getting a jump on WWAs for this weekend: The Monticello Wine and Food Fesitival is this happening Saturday and Sunday. Advanced tickets are $15 and there will be 25 wineries present. The festival is at the intersection of 29 and 33 in Ruckerville. So, if you are going to be in Charlottsville this weekend make sure you stop by.

I went back on Sunday for a second day of wine tasting at the DC Wine Festival, I went with a friend and was supposed to meet up with Leah but missed her due to a cell phone mishap.

Sunday was less crowded, but still pretty bad, they did a better job of keeping the meager foodstuffs filled, which was nice. We also stopped by igourmet first thing and picked up a tray of cheese. I was a little disappointed that they vendors pretty much shut down by 18:00 (an hour before the Festival was supposed to end), but we were pretty much done by then so it was not a huge deal.

Some highlights:

Grover Wines, the first wine I have ever had from India. The wines were okay, but unremarkable, except for their Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauvignon Blanc had a crisp, light taste with hints of fruit and honey.

Montesquieu International Wine Brokerage is kind of a neat idea: They track down wines from all over the world and provide only the best for their clients (presumably only the best, it may also be the wineries that give them the biggest bribe ;)). According to the representative, their service is designed for everyone, not just the rich. I am going to contact them and see about getting more details.

3 Blind Moose had a great series of wines, including a really good Merlot.

Finally, Four Vines Winery home of the "Zin Bitch" shirt and some very good Syrahs.

The DC Wine and Food Festival is over and my review is mixed. First, anyone who went and assumed that the word "Food" implied there would be plenty of food to sample was severely disappointed. There were crackers and bread, though the tables that had them were often empty, and there was not even a cheese table. Fortunately, Cabot iGourmet were both there with some really good cheeses.

I was also dissapointed that the Champagne table ran out about halfway through the first day and did not appear at all during the second.

I went with the wine club the first day, and it was definately more packed than Sunday. It was difficult to move around in some areas, though I am finding that is par for the course at most large wine festivals. Too many people just love wine :).

Cotes du Rhone was out in force, they had an excellent selection of Rhone wines, and they had three, for lack of a better term, Jagermeister girls, on the floor passing out pins and encouraging people to visit their booth.

There was an interesting wine from South Korea called Pomegranate Wine, made from Pomegranates and Apples. It was very sweet and an interesting combination -- I could not find a website for them, but it is distributed by IN Trading Inc.

Robert Wale had some great wines from Austrailia and New Zealand including their Hell Raiser Cabernet Merlot blend, which had a lot of taste for a $10 bottle of wine.

Bully Hill, a New York winery, had a good Cabernet Franc, it was dry without being too tannic.

Hunt Cellars had a good California Meritage, it was smoot and had aged very well.

Craftsman Wine, from Hungary had a very good selection, including a 2003 Cabernet Franc. The Cab Franc was a little bland, but still enough peppery taste to tell that it is a Cabernet Franc.

From Argentina, mil piedras had a variety of reds, but their Sangiovese and Tempranillo were excellent.

Back to California, the Jan Kris Winery had some unique blends, including Picaro which is a blend of 50% Zinfandel, 25% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and their Crossfire which is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah and 25% Merlot.

After the show on Saturday, I went to Matchbox with some people from the wine club including Leah and TravelGirl. The pizza and the burgers were excellent! A great place to go to fill up after a day spent drinking.

More on Sunday's visit later.