Cherry Blossom Martini

This weekend was the finale of the 2013 National Cherry Blossom Festival. How fast cherry blossoms fade away!

Two weeks ago, Shawn and I were enjoying a stroll around  the Tidal Basin and White House, while the blossoms refused to emerge from their buds.  Yesterday, I watched it rain pink and white petals from my chair in my favorite coffee shop while getting some GRE study time in.  There they were, dancing in the wind, leaving behind them the pale green of the newly emerged leaves.

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The Cherry Blossom Festival is more than an annual Washington, D.C. event for me.  Many of you know that I grew up in Okinawa, so this Japanese tradition was

2006 Cherry Blossom Festival – View of the Jefferson Memorial

part of my childhood.  It seemed befitting then, that during the heart of the 2006 festival, my sister and I re-united with  two of our closest friends that we had grown up with…over a decade after last seeing each other in middle school.  Taren drove up from San Antonio, Mika metro-ed in from eastern Maryland, and Val and I metro-ed in from Virginia. We found each other on the steps of the  Jefferson Memorial, amidst peak bloom, and the energetic vibrations of taiko drums.  It was like old times enjoying street festivals in Okinawa.  We picked up right where we left off. You never would have known the three of us hadn’t seen each other since we were children.

Japanese taiko drummers

So I thought I would share this Cherry Blossom Martini as we say good-bye to this years blooms.  It is based on a recipe from Disney’s EPCOT Center (You know, the “It’s A Small World” park where you can “visit” a number of countries, including Japan).  This pretty pink cocktail gets its color from a splash of cranberry juice, but it’s flavor is all sake (think sherry) and sweetly tart plum wine.  If you like, a delicate sparkling sake is a fun substitute to the junmai sake I used.  Just be sure to use a good quality sake.  The kind you drink warm will definitely not work here!

based on Disney’s EPCOT Center recipe 

serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 part junmai sake
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 0.5 parts plum wine
• ice cubes

Directions

1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker and pour in all three ingredients.  Shake vigorously for a few seconds .
2. Pour into cocktail glasses.

~Ruth

Chocolate Cherry Kiss Martini – A Valentine’s Day Cocktail

As you saw in Monday’s post, chocolate and cherries create a beloved classic combination of flavors, especially at Valentine’s Day.  (That’s tomorrow, by the way).  What is more awesome than chocolate covered cherries? Okay, maybe chocolate covered strawberries, but today is Humpday and that usually means Happy Hour here at Cork and Spoon.  Not a problem, seeing as I love to make fun cocktails and I have been DYING to try out chocolate vodka!  Why you may ask. Well,  I find it a perfect,  lower calorie option for chocolicious flavor  in place of a cream based chocolate liqueur.  Enter this beautiful, ruby red gem, which is a delightful blend of chocolate vodka, black cherry juice, and the delicious fizz of dry sparkling wine. It even looks like Valentine’s Day! I think it will be perfect whether you are celebrating tomorrow’s holiday with a candle lit dinner or with an ex’s effigy burning!

Chocolate Cherry Kiss Martini

serves one 7 ounce martini or two 3.5 ounce martinis

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces chocolate vodka + 1 teaspoon
• 1 ounce black cherry juice
• 1.5 ounces sparkling wine or enough to top off (use Proseco if you prefer sweeter cocktails)
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• ice cubes
• frozen black cherries (optional)

Directions

1. Place dark chocolate on a small, evenly surfaced plate with 1 teaspoon of chocolate vodka. Heat in microwave at 50% power for 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Stir to create an even and smooth chocolate sauce.
2. Take a martini glass and hold it at an angle. Dip edge into chocolate sauce and slowly twist glass until entire rim is coated in chocolate.  
3. If using frozen cherries, place one in each glass.  Set glasses in refrigerator until cocktail is ready.
4.  Add ice to your cocktail shaker and pour in the remaining chocolate vodka and black cherry juice. Close shaker and give it a shake until surface is chilled.  Pour into martini glass(es).
5. Top off each martini glass with the sparkling wine.
6. Toast to love…or to shooting Cupid in his bare behind. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Multitasking Mango Lassi – A Breakfast Smoothie and Frozen Cocktail In One

Is there anything this yummy smoothie is not? Okay, okay,  it’s not a million dollars…yeah and it’s not a puppy…or a pair of Louboutins…but it is a pretty talented multi-tasker! Did I mention it’s delicious, too? Oh, and have I told you that I’m not that much of a smoothie fan either? I still prefer to eat rather than drink my calories, but once I got out of my comfort zone and gave my blender a whir, I was quite impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this mango lassi.

So what do I mean when I say this smoothie is multi-tasking. Well, let me show you.

1. Having both servings makes a pretty filling breakfast.
2. Mangoes are full of Vitamins C giving your immune system a nice boost. Who wouldn’t want that with flu flitting around like crazy?
3. A serving of  Greek yogurt provides about 20% of your daily calcium requirements.
4. The protein in Greek yogurt not helps keep your tummy full, it makes this lassi a great post-workout snack. I liked it as a pre-workout snack, too!
5. The Vitamin A from the mangoes gives your eyesight some loving.
6. Mangoes are great for keeping your cholesterol low with all its fiber.
7. Antioxidants…need I say more?
8. Add a shot of rum and you’ve got a healthy, creamy, tropical cocktail.

So how about it? Who wants to give it a try? I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Multitasking Mango Lassi

serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 12 ounce bag frozen mango, appx. 2 cups
• 1 6 ounce container fat free plain Greek yogurt, appx. 1/2 cup
• 1/4 skim milk
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon garam marsala (optional)
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
• mint for garnish (optional)
• 1 ounce white rum (cocktail option only)

Directions

• Combine all ingredients except garnish in a blender. 
• Pulse to puree per your blenders instructions until mixture is smooth. (If you have a less than stellar blender, use a flat spatula to push ingredients back down towards the blades in between pulses.)
            
• Pour into 2 10 ounce glasses. 
• When making the night before, pour into a sealed travel cup or simply cover the top of the glass with plastic wrap. 

Fabbioli Cellars

Shawn and I visited Fabbioli Cellars for the first time right before Christmas. Yes, I’ve had this one in my pocket for a few weeks, but only because I did not want it to get lost in the holiday shuffle (Happy New Year, by the way!).  We were headed to the Premium Outlet Mall in Leesburg, Virginia for some Christmas shopping. Since we were smack dab in the middle of DC’s Wine Country (Loudoun County if you recall from the Virginia Crush Bus posts) we thought we’d hit a winery or two before giving our credit cards some exercise.  Fabbioli Cellars was our first stop.

As we pulled up and got out of the car, the chilly winter air wafted the delicious smell of wood fires.  Fabbioli had several fire pits going outside for patrons who may have wanted to brave the cold with a glass of wine. Shawn mused about a cigar, at which point I glared at him through chattering teeth, lol.  Maybe on a warmer day. Today we would stay inside!

Speaking of inside, Fabbioli has a good sized tasting room.  Unlike most Virginia wineries where there is a standing tasting bar, Fabbioli has several long, kitchen island height tables set up with chairs to take your leisure.  That is not all that is unique about a Fabbioli tasting.  As I came up to purchase our tastings, I was informed that the $10 tasting fee included a food pairing. I had a choice between either chocolates or a savory platter.  Since there were two of us, I went with one of each, a course of action I highly recommend if you are visiting in groups. Each tasting platter easily provides enough nibbles for two. We even got a special treat from Fabbioli’s resident blogger, James “Jimmy Cocktail” from At Least I’m Enjoying the Ride, when he heard a fellow blogger was on site: two special tastings and a recipe!

Now on to the tasting notes we go!

Rosa Luna (2011) - Sometimes called their “cat wine”, as this dry, 100% Sangiovese  rosé is named after one of the owners’ late kitties.  In its third iteration, the Rosa Luna we sampled is the lightest version of the wine produced to date.  Fermented in stainless steel, this wine has a light and delicate nose and full of crisp flavors.  You’ll taste lovely watermelon flavors in this wine, which is a nice difference from your typically strawberry found in most rosés.

Chardonnay (2011) - Although their vineyards grow both red and white wine grapes, the owners of Fabbioli Cellars began the winery with a focus on red wine production.  This Chardonnay is Fabbioli’s second white wine in production (The Something White blend of Traminette and Vidal Blanc was not on the tasting menu).  As both Fabbioli 2011 white wines are now sold out, clearly they did not disappoint white wine lovers!  The 2011 Chardonnay has (had) a beautiful, fruity nose.  Aged in neutral French oak for four months, you will also find a light creaminess in the wine.  This wine was also the first on the list to pair with food. With the Chardonnay, we tasted a crostini dressed in olive oil and sea salt.  The fat from the olive oil along with the salt beautifully accented the creaminess of the Chardonnay.

Chambourcin (2010) - Shawn is not much of a fan of Chamourcin, but I am.  This wine is 96% Chambourcin with 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has a deep and concentrated nose of dried fruit and dark berries.  Dry with intense fruit flavors, the nose translates almost exactly onto the palate.  Another wine with a food pairing, the Chambourcin was accompanied by a crostini with olive tapenade and a 63% cocoa chocolate truffle with a cherry ganache center.  As can be expected when pairing chocolate and red wine, the cherry truffle intensified the fruit flavors, but what was amazing was how the olive tapenade played with the Chambourcin!  The saltiness and fat from the tapenade mellowed out the intense tannins of the Chambourcin.  It completely changed the character of the wine in your mouth.  Okay, not completely changed, but if you try this at home (or at the winery!) you will understand what I mean lol. Even Shawn enjoyed a sip of the Chambourcin with the tapenade.

 Cabernet Franc (2010) - Shawn and I are both fans of Virginia Cab Francs, we just love the red fruits (often cherry) and spice.  This particular vintage is the lighter of the two Cab Francs made by Fabbioli, the other being the Reserve. Composed of 87% Cab Franc, 3% Cab Sauv, 5% Chambourcin, and %5 Petit Verdot,  this wine is tart and dry, but smooth with nice clean spice. Lots of bright red cherry, too, my favorite part. Like the Chambourcin, this wine had both a savory and chocolate pairing to go with it.  The chocolate was another dark chocolate truffle, but this time made with spicy ancho chili,  Vietnamese cinnamon,  and cayenne pepper. Wow did it bring out the cherry notes of the wine! The savory pairing was a slice of salami. Again, the fat and salt tamed the tannins of the bold red while again accenting the cherry notes, softening them this time rather than amping them up as the chocolate had.  

 Tre Sorélle (2010) -  Or “Three Sisters” in Italian, this wine is Fabbioli Cellar’s Bordeaux style blend comprised of three of the five (0r six depending on who you ask) Bordeaux red varietals, all estate grown: Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Petit Verdot. What a lovely and supple fruit forward wine, very much like a Merlot, but with the added lushness provided by the Petit Verdot and some earthy grounding courtesy of the Cab Sauv.  Again, Shawn and I had both  a savory and chocolate pairing. Although the chocolate was delicious (a “plain” dark chocolate truffle this time), the savory pairing was both surprising and amazingly yummy. Mild Cheddar! Although I know there are many cheeses that go with red wine, I often forget it until it’s placed in front of me.  Wow did it bring out all the fruit in this wine. 

Raspberry Merlot - Not a dessert wine, but a “dessert inspired” wine. With 5% residual sugars, this wine is comprised of 1/3 [red] raspberry fruit wine and 2/3 merlot.  If you love raspberries, you’ll love a cordial glass of this wine. It has a bold raspberry fragrance (of course, right?) and though sweet, it’s a fruit sweet tinged with raspberry tartness as well as an accompanying hint of dryness from the merlot. The dark chocolate truffle paired with this wine was actually made with the Raspberry Merlot itself.  Definitely helped tame down the sweetness.

Rosa Nera - A port style wine made from [black] raspberries , this wine is fortified with brandy from Loudoun’s very own Catoctin Creek distillery. If you are a port fan, you definitely will enjoy this one with its rich and just a little tart dried fruit notes.  As the last food pairing, we enjoyed a smoked almond chocolate truffle and a walnut tossed in a spiced glaze (Jimmy Cocktails’s own recipe).  The natural fattiness of the walnut, along with the spices in the glaze definitely take the sweetness of the wine down a few notches. Now the chocolate…I can’t really read my notes, but I have OMG underlined with lots of exclamation points and something about the smokiness against the sweetness of the wine. I think OMG says enough, lol.

And now for the treats! In addition to the wines above, which is the normal tasting covered at Fabbioli Cellars, Shawn and I had the privilege to sample the following two wines.

Pear Wine – This lovely aperitif wine won a gold medal at the 2012 Los Angeles International Wine Competition. Made from Asian and Bosc pears and fortified again with brandy from Catoctin Creek, this lovely wine definitely tastes of pears and even has a nice spice as well. Think baked pears with a little cinnamon.  It’s aging process is also unique in regards to other Virginia wines (at least in my encounters), as it follows the Spanish solera system, an aging and blending system utilized by  the sherry industry.  I first encountered this system of wine blending while in Spain last year at the Tio Pepe bodega in Jerez. Using the solera system not only “pre-ages” the wine, but ensures a consistent flavor profile across the years. So, if you miss the 2012 award winning wine, it will still taste the same for years to come!

Royalty – This port style wine originated as hand crafted gifts for the owners’ friends and neighbors, but became so popular that they started bottling it. Aged for 22 months, this wine is made from Chambourcin, Tannat…and I apparently forgot to write the last half of which Cab grape (Sorry, there was a lot of chatting going on during the tasting, so my hand writing was much more horrid than usual!). Both Shawn and I were wowed by this wine. Not overly sweet like many ports can be, it had beautiful and intense fruit flavors and a delicious spice. I ended up buying a bottle to take home with us.

Now, I did mention another treat earlier: a recipe.  Do you recall the Rosa Nera pairing with a spiced walnut? Well, as I was checking out, I was given a print out of James’ recipe (also available at the winery if you stop by) to take home.  I used this recipe as a basis for one of my dad’s Christmas presents, so you’ll probably be getting to see it sometime in the near future, too!

Cheers!

~Ruth

Hump Day Happy Hour – Campari Mint Sparkler

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I revisited my maple glazed Cornish game hens with my mom and step-dad, watched a little TV, and indulged in a delicious lemon cake (recipe coming soon!), before having to drive back to D.C.  and get ready for work today. The best news for you, though, is that I got a new camera for the holidays – nothing too fancy but certainly better than the nearly decade old camera I had been using for pictures since Cork and Spoon’s inception. Hurrah!!

And now, with the wrapping paper cleaned up and the Christmas dinner leftovers in the fridge, its time to look forward to the New Year. Whether you are going big or celebrating quietly at home with loved ones,  New Year’s Eve is the holiday of champagne, Prosecco, and even sparkling apple cider for the munchkins. While you can certainly enjoy your glass of bubbly by itself, there are dozens of effervescent cocktails that can make the evening just a tiny bit more special. Ruth and I have shared a few ideas in the past, such as:

The Ginger Champagne Cocktail

The Black Velvet

Champagne and Lemon Sorbet

Never one to rest on my laurels, I wanted to bring you one more cocktail recipe, courtesy of The Kitchn, a fabulous site I’ve mentioned before and am guaranteed to mention again. At the beginning of December they posted a 10-minute happy hour featuring a Campari spritzer. I’m always interested in Campari based drinks, since I have a bottle of it that I’ve used maybe twice in its entire existence. So I book-marked the page, planning to revisit it before the New Year. I followed the recipe to the letter using a semi-dry prosecco. The first taste was more bitter than I expected, but after a couple more sips, I found the drink refreshing, light, and enjoyable. Although next time, I think I might pick up a slightly sweeter champagne, especially if I’m serving others who might not enjoy the herbal flavors as much as I do.

Campari Mint Sparkler
Makes 1 drink

ice
5 large mint leaves
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce cranberry juice
3 ounces Prosecco or champagne

1)     Fill a glass with several ice cubes and lightly bruised mint leaves.

2)    Add Campari and cranberry juice. Top with Prosecco or other sparkling wine. Using a spoon or stir stick, stir just once or twise to combine without disturbing the fizz too much.

3)      Toast the New Year.

White Cranberry Martini, a Winter Wonderland Cocktail

Oh, are you going to love, love, love this cocktail! I mean, just look at it. Doesn’t it make you think of the holidays? Seriously, I can hear Bing Crosby crooning “White Christmas” in my head right now. Love it!

Yes, I am gushing.  These White Cranberry Martinis are that good. They make me want to buy a ridiculously sparkly dress and throw a cocktail party so I can make pitchers of the stuff.

So what makes this winter wonderland cocktail different from everyone else’s? My addition of rosemary in the form of an infused simple syrup. Yes,  I put a little Christmas tree action into these beauties! (I so want one of those little rosemary shrubs they prune into Christmas tree shapes!). Please do not panic, though. I know what you’re thinking. “Ugh, gin!”, right?  And you’re thinking of what turns most people off from gin:  the juniper. We are not getting that kind of evergreen flavor here in these White Cranberry Martinis. Juniper is much more resinous and medicinal than rosemary. With the rosemary, the resin notes are milder, plus you get a little spice. Trust me, you’re not going to feel like you’re drinking a pine tree with this cocktail.

So what does it taste like? Very fresh. White cranberries are sweeter and less tart than your typical cranberries, so the juice has a lighter body.  Adding the lime brings back a little tartness, and both the lime and rosemary bring clean, fresh notes into the mix.

When I was drinking this cocktail,  it reminded me of a mild winter day where the cold isn’t horribly unbearable and the smell of firewood is in the air. You know, those days that make you feel all warm and toasty even if Jack Frost may be nipping at your nose.

Told you it was good.

Salud!

Winter Wonderland White Cranberry Martini

White Cranberry Martini Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka*
• 1 ounce White Cranberry Juice
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 ounce Rosemary simple syrup
• fresh or frozen cranberries for garnish
• ice cubes

Rosemary Simple Syrup

makes about a 1/2 cup of simple syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, crushed to release essential oils

Rosemary Simple Syrup Directions

1. For the simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add fresh rosemary and simmer for one minute.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and let the syrup stand for at least half an hour.
4. Remove rosemary from the syrup and pour into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Making you Winter Wonderland Cocktail

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with  ice cubes and add all of the ingredients.
2. Secure the cover of the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into your favorite cocktail glass and garnish with the bright red cranberries.

*Experiment with the vodka if you like. Cranberry vodka will bring more tartness. Whipped cream vodka may create a sweeter cocktail. Vanilla vodka may enhance the rosemary.

Hump Day Happy Hour: Mulled Wine

Holiday party season is in full swing, and if your calendar looks anything like mine, you will be spending nearly as many waking hours in the kitchen making side dishes and desserts for various parties as you will be spending at the parties themselves. And, of course, the number of hours spent in the kitchen will increase exponentially if you are hosting a party of your own. All of this time spent in the kitchen often has us at a loss for energy and creativity when it comes time to make crowd pleasing drinks that don’t keep the host “behind the bar” all night, but it shouldn’t. Don’t spend your next party mixing drinks instead of mingling. Mulled wine, for example, takes only minutes of hands on preparation time and then can be left alone for guests to serve up for themselves. This is exactly why I plan on whipping up a large batch as part of my contribution to an upcoming holiday dinner party my friend is hosting in a couple of weeks. In addition to the requested canned good for the local food pantry and the side dish I signed up to bring, I plan on surprising everyone (ok, so it probably isn’t much of a surprise anymore) with warm spiced red wine to help keep everyone warm in these freezing temperatures.

I created this recipe using a bottle of inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon and middle-shelf bourbon. I only used one bottle since I was not working with an existing recipe, but developing my own – no reason to waste wine if it didn’t work. The final result can easily be doubled or even tripled (I will probably triple it…) depending on your needs. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed the next day after a brief time in the microwave. I would recommend making multiple spice pouches – one for every bottle of wine instead of one large one, to make sure the spices fully infuse into the wine. If space on your stove top is scarce, you could make all of this in a Crockpot (which is what I plan on doing) with some minor adjustments:

• Heat the orange juice and whiskey using the Crockpot’s highest setting before adding the sugar.
• Reduce heat to the lowest setting before adding the wine, cover with the lid and let simmer an extra 30 minutes or so to make sure the flavors fully develop.
• Make sure to test it before you serve it

Mulled Wine

1 cinnamon stick
3 1/2-inch cubes fresh ginger
20 whole allspice berries
peel of 1 large orange
peel of 1/4 of a lemon
juice from 3 large oranges
2 ounces Kentucky bourbon
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 750-mL bottles dry red wine

1)     Using a sharp paring knife, carefully peel away as much of the orange peel as you can, leaving behind the bitter white pith. Do the same with the lemon, although you will only need one small strip of the peel.

2)     Place citrus peels, cinnamon stick, allspice, and ginger in the center of a square of cheese cloth. Bring the edges of the cheese cloth together and secure with a piece of string or tie the opposite corners of the cheese cloth together to create a small pouch.

3)     Pour the orange juice and whiskey into a large sauce pan and drop the spice pouch into the juice. Heat over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Add raw sugar and stir to dissolve.

4)     Pour wine into sauce pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

5)     Ladle into heat proof glasses, garnish with orange slices or cinnamon sticks if desired, and serve.

Virginia Crush Bus Wine Tasting Notes – Tarara Winery, Hiddencroft Vineyards, and Loudoun Valley Vineyards

On Friday I shared with you a little about the Loudoun County winery tour with the Virginia Crush Bus gang to celebrate the end of Virginia Wine Month. It was a pretty long post and there is still so much to share with you all!

As promised, today I am sharing my tasting notes from the tour. We visited three wineries and tasted 28 wines that day. Yes, 28! That is a LOT of wine! I’m pretty sure we could all use a glass…or bottle…or case…of wine what with Election Day and a hurricane behind us and the holidays fast approaching.
Soooo, we are just going to jump right on in here. Be sure to click on the links to visit each winery’s website to learn more about them. Just these three provide a glimpse of the varied character of Virginia wine and Virginia wineries.

Tarara Winery

1) Viognier 2011 – By picking the grapes early, Tarara’s presentation of Virginia’s signature grape preserves a fresh acidity of the younger grapes, making this wine similar in style to a Sauvignon Blanc. A nice zippy nose with hints of oak, you’ll taste bright grapefruit and fresh straw.

2) Petit Manseng 2011 – Tarara typically uses Petit Manseng in their white blends, rather than as a single varietal. In 2011, however, the conditions were just right for the creation of this wine. Deeper in color than the Viognier, you’ll find more complex flavors in the Petit Manseng. Lightly sweet, with oak and tropical fruit notes and a tiny hint of spice. Shawn liked this one the best of the whites. I think because of how similar it is to a “traditional” Viognier sans the blossoms.

3) Charval 2010 – The grapes of this white blend grew in a very hot, very dry year here in Virginia. Conditions such as this allow for a greater concentration of sugars in the fruit, which then produce very flavorful wines. The predominant varietal in the Charval is the Chardonnay, which you will notice from the wine’s very crisp citrus notes that balance out the creamy oak. You’ll also notice the tropical fruits of the Petit Manseng, which provide a touch of sweetness to the wine.

4) Rose 2011 – No residual sugars in this Bordeaux grape blend rose! Clean, light, crisp. Beautiful strawberry nose along with grass, you’ll definitely taste the berries along with fresh herbs such as sage. I wrote down in my notes that this wine would be awesome with goat cheese! Yum!

5) Long Bomb Edition 4 2010 – Dry year, remember? This wine had an amazing garnet color, hinting at the fruit flavors that will hit your tongue. A combination of raspberries and blackberries, a tiny bit of vanilla, and on the back of your tongue a touch of fresh grass/herbs.

6) Long Bomb Edition 3 2009 – This was my favorite Tarara wine. Deep purple, lots of black cherry and spice. So fresh and full of fruit flavors, I could easily drink this wine on its own or with a nice plate of pasta with fresh tomato sauce.

7) Whitie’s D9 - This was a bonus tasting for the group, as you will not find this port style wine, named for Tarara’s late owner and his Caterpillar D9 bulldozer, on the tasting list. Fortified with grape brandy, at 18% alcohol this wine does pack a punch with its sweet dried fruit flavors. A great wine for chocolate!

8) Late Harvest Petit Manseng 2010 - Take a dry, hot year and add to that a late harvest allowing the fruits already bursting with concentrated flavor to ripen into October and you have a very good combination with which to make a pleasant dessert wine. The 6% residual sugar of this Late Harvest Petit Manseng is all natural, nothing added. Very light bodied for a dessert wine with balanced acidity and some oak, it fills your mouth with a whisper of bubbliness. I think it wants to sparkle! lol

Hiddencroft Vineyards

10) Chambourcin Rose – As the winemaker, Clyde, poured this first wine for us, he told us we would taste strawberries and…watermelon jolly rancher! A very tart wine (that would the jolly rancher bit) this rose is not one bit sweet. Thanks to the Chambourcin it has a lot of red wine characteristics. It reminded me a lot of a dry plum wine.

11) Traminette (Dry) – Such a lovely fragrance! Pear and apple blossoms, which lent to a refreshingly crisp and light wine.

12) Traminette (Semi-Sweet) – Though the nose of this version of the traminette was not as prominent as the dry style, the pear and apple bouquet of the dry became the palate of the semi-sweet. With clean, grassy notes, the crisp flavors of pears and apple give it a nice acidity to balance on the just barely sweet wine.

13) Vidal Blanc 2010 - Remember how this was a hot, dry year? Yup, you can bet this one was full of lovely flavors. Lightly sweet with 1.5% residual sugars, you’ll taste lots of tropical fruits like pineapple that give that little bit of sweetness some complexity.

14) Cabernet Franc – Loved the beautiful nose on this one. A smooth red, it was deep and fruity with lots of pepper and tobacco.

15) Dutchman’s Creek Blend – Named after the creek that runs behind the beautiful barn, this Bordeaux style blended wine is predominantly Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Tannat. A bold red wine with lots of key Cab Franc and Cab Sauv characteristics in both the nose and palate.

16) Tannat – This varietal is often found in blended wines, mainly because this grape takes a lot of love to soften out its very bold tannic character. Hiddencroft ages this wine in the barrel for three years to give it time to mellow out. The result, a soft yet bold and dry wine with lots of smokey pepper and tobacco. Lovers of big, bold reds will enjoy this!

17) Cherry Wine - This fruit wine is made from cherry pie cherries! (That would be Montmorency cherry.) It smells like a jar of cherries sitting next to a lovely flower bouquet. Sweet and tart, but very clean with an herbal finish, it is a very pleasant and unique treat.

18) Grandma’s Love Potion – You got to love the name! This is a blueberry dessert wine like no other you may have tasted. It’s like smelling and eating a blueberry muffin or pie or compote. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves…even balsamic vinegar (don’t knock it, I use it on strawberries remember?). Not one bit syrupy, this wine is light bodied and lightly sweet. Clyde and his family like to make mulled wine with Grandma’s Love Potion for those chilly winter evenings!

Loudoun Valley Vineyards

19) Pinot Grigio – Not a varietal you see very often in Virginia, this is one of less than a handful I have come across. A very traditional Pinot Grigio, you’ll find the deliciously expected zingy citrus and a little bit of oaky vanilla . Crisp and delicious.

20) Viognier – Here, Virginia’s signature grape is done very French, very Old World style…but aged in stainless steel (yay!). So much flavor, but I tasted nothing our pourer described lol. Instead of melons, stone fruits, and flowers I got lots of fresh lemon and lime citrus and spice. The spice really stuck with me. We had time to relax a little before boarding the Crush Bus back to Fairfax and Shawn and I each bought a glass of this wine. As the wine got warmer (I’m notoriously slow at eating and drinking…I like to savor lol), I did start to find stone fruit flavors and some honey come forward.

21) Traminette – Here’s where all the Viognier’s flowers went! Just kidding. Beautiful orange blossom nose on this one, the citrus is more tamed in this wine with tangerine and grapefruit. Definitely tasted the stone fruit flavors in this one. Their sweeter acidity round out this wine.

22) Vin de Pomme – Granny Smith, Gala, and Honey Crisp apples all come together to make this apple wine. Not overly sweet, it reminded me of a hard cider, but without the carbonation.

23) Merlot – Smooth and delicious! The oak is very prominent on the nose. On your tongue you’ll find a lovely but gentle tartness of currants and berries.

24) Pinot Noir – Nice, deep black cherry and blackberry flavors with this wine. Intense, yet soft at the same time.

25) Cabernet Franc Reserve – Just how I like my Cab Francs…with lots of cherry and currants and just a little bit of pepper. The low tannins in this wine make it an approachable red. It’s a very pretty ruby color, too!

26) Dynasty – This red blend is made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Touriga Nacional (haven’t seen that grape in awhile!). You definitely taste and smell the Cab Franc in this wine with its pepper and cherry. The Merlot lends some nice berries and softness, while the Touriga rounds everything off with a dose of body.

27) Route 9 Red – Chambourcin! What a beautiful purple color this wine has. Almost as pretty as the scenic drive it is named for. This is one of those wines I could smell forever; fruity and earthy and a little sweet. This wine does have 1% residual sugar and reminded me of port, but unfortified. Think dried fruits like raisins and plums.

28) Legacy – Named in honor of the owners’ son, this 100% Touriga Nacional fortified wine is made in the Italian style of fortified wines (think Marsala), rather than the Portuguese port style most of us are familiar with. I found this wine quite interesting and very different. The full mouth feel with its astringency against the sweet richness of the wine, not to mention it smells like reduced balsamic vinegar and tobacco! All these rich, full flavors all just meld together into a unique and pleasant dessert wine.

Man, that’s a lot of wine! Now stay tuned! Sometime before Thanksgiving I have a lovely sauce recipe to share with you that was inspired by the lunch we had at Market Table Bistro.

Have a happy hump day!

~Ruth

Virginia Wine Month – All Aboard the Virginia Crush Bus!

“I apologize for the extremely late notice, but wanted to invite you ladies on our Virginia Crush Bus  this Saturday,” began the e-mail from Danielle at the Virginia Tourism Corporation.  You may remember from previous posts that  October is Virginia Wine Month.   For Virginia Wine Month’s 24^th year, Virginia Wine and Virginia Tourism teamed up with Whole Foods to celebrate Virginia state wines, culminating in a sweepstakes for two one day excursions into two wine regions: Loudoun County and the Monticello Trail outside of Charlottesville.  We would be joining the winners of the Loudoun County trip, visiting three wineries.  Along the way, we would have lunch at the Market Table Bistro in Lovettesville.  Since there is so much to talk about, I am breaking the experience down into a few posts.  This first one is more or less a little background.  Of course I will share my tasting notes with you, though I haven’t decided whether each winery will have its own post yet. Then I will share a recipe inspired by the dishes we had at lunch, which I also think might be a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving table.

Since Emilie was escaping zombies in the Run For Your Lives 5K in Maryland, Shawn joined me for the tour.  Just as we arrived at the Fair Lakes Whole Foods, the Virginia Crush Bus was pulling into the town center.  So exciting!  We found Danielle setting things up outside. Coffee, juice, water, pastries, and fruits to keep us energized for a very full day, courtesy of Whole Foods.  We were also joined by Jennifer from Visit Loudoun and Mary Catherine from Virginia Wine.  Half an hour or so later everyone had arrived.  The rules were read, and we were boarding the Crush Bus. Aaaaall aaabooaard! Yeah!

With some time to kill on our way to the first winery, we occupied ourselves talking about…you guessed it…wine!  The contest winners came from all over the region: D.C., Maryland, Northern Virginia, even as far away as Virginia Beach.  To my surprise, there were a few who had never had Virginia wine before nor had visited any of their local wineries.  Hence the inspiration behind the Virginia Crush Bus, which was to show locals, “The gem in your own backyard,” as Danielle phrased it.  You already know Emilie and I are fans and love visiting local wineries.   It looks like others are starting to catch on, too.  Recently rated by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as one of the Best 10 Wine Destinations in the world,  a list which includes Napa Valley and Champagne, France, Virginia wine continues to grow on the state, national and international scenes.   Loudoun County, with 33 of Virginia’s 200+ wineries, has more wineries than any other county in Virginia.  With Washington, D.C. within an hour’s drive, multiple national, state, and regional parks, and steeped in American history, the wineries of Loudoun County is one of many things that attract visitors to the area.

As with other wine regions, Virginia also has its own “signature grape”.  While Napa has Chardonnay, Willamette Valley its Pinot Noir, and Argentina the Malbec, Virginia’s star is the Viognier grape.  Nicknamed Chardonnay’s “sexy sister” among the Virginia Wine folks, Viognier does share some key characteristics with Chardonnay, mainly its acidity.  The twist, though, is the apple and orange blossom notes found in both the nose and flavor of Viognier wines. Almost every single Virginia winery I have visited produces a Viognier and each winery does Viognier different from all the others.  It is Shawn’s favorite Virginia wine, so I have definitely tasted a few!

It is amazing how far Virginia wines have come over the centuries.  From the early failures of the Jamestown settlers and the disappointments of Thomas Jefferson to finally succeeding in cultivating vines in the early 1980s and on to today’s growing, predominantly family owned,  industry.  I am very happy to know that “thinking locally” includes good wine!

Until next time, cheers!

~Ruth

Fall Spice Latte or My Mock “Pumpkin Spice Latte”

Now here’s something nice to start your day with!  I came up with this over the weekend.  My stomach was a little woozy from a migraine, so my typical four to six shot espresso was off the menu. Tea, on the other hand, well I need more caffeine than that.  So, why not combine the two and see how my stomach likes it?  My first sip of this combination of  comforting chai tea and an itty kick of espresso, instantly I thought pumpkin pie!! Yum!! So, rather than waiting in line in the early morning dark, tapping your toes eager to get your commute over with, why not make this super easy latte yourself?

Now, there is no pumpkin in this latte, hence the “mock pumpkin spice latte” bit.   Unlike last year, as you may recall from my pumpkin white mocha  post, I have not gotten around to buying or making pumpkin spice syrup this year.  Thanks to the spices of the chai tea concentrate, however, you get a lot of the flavors that go into your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Cinnamon and nutmeg of course, but cardamom, cloves, even peppercorn depending on the blend. The milk lends a nice creaminess and the coffee that baked flavor. This latte reminded so much of a pumpkin spice latte that I had to go buy one and do a side by side comparison. Verdict? Both delicious and both great ways to beat those chilly fall mornings!

Fall Spice Latte

makes a single  6 ounce serving

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Chai tea concentrate
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 ounce espresso or strong brewed coffee
• Optional: whipped cream
• Optional: ground cinnamon
• Optional: ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan, pour in the Chai tea concentrate and milk.  Turn the heat to medium.
2. Gently heat the Chai tea mixture to a low simmer. Stir with a metal whisk or fork to make a nice froth.  Be sure to keep the mixture at a simmer and not a boil.
3. When the Chai tea reaches your desired temperature. Coffee shops typically use the 140-160° Fahrenheit range (I like mine at 180°…yes, that’s very hot). Remove from heat.  Whisk again if froth has disappeared.
4. Carefully pour Chai tea into a favorite coffee cup and addespresso. Whisk to combine.
5. Serve as is, or topped with whipped cream and dusted with ground cinnamon.

~Ruth