Italian Dinner Night with Friends

Every now and then, it's nice to sit around with friends over a nice homemade dinner and enjoy some good food and great wine. That's what my friends and I decided to do last week and it was a fun filled evening. With the cold weather looming, a hot pasta dinner sounded like the perfect cure. I made spaghetti, meatballs, and homemade pasta sauce. We also sauteed some squash and zucchini as a side. Everyone had to bring a different bottle of wine that would pair nicely with the pasta dish.

Pasta and Wine Night!

I chose to bring a 2009 Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore for $13. It was recommended to me by a sales associate at the Vintage Cellar. This was a nice, full-bodied wine that paired very nicely with the spaghetti and meatballs. The nose on this wine had a touch of dark raspberry which made the final taste a little sweet. However, the sweetness was not overpowering and really added a touch of spice to my palate.

Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore 2009

My friend Ali brought an 2010 Alamos Malbec from Argentina. When I was in Argentina this winter break, I drank Alamos wine so I definitely have a soft spot for this winery. This wine was a beautiful dark violet color. Alamos Malbec is also a full bodied wine with a very rich taste. It also had hints of raspberry and even chocolates on the palate. . However, since it is aged in oak, it also had that nice element of spice which paired very well with the pasta sauce. Malbec is my favorite type of wine so I thoroughly enjoyed this selection.

Alamos Malbec 2010

Diana brought over 2008 Senda 66 Tempranillo, also recommended to her by the Vintage Cellar. This wine is medium-full bodied and was also a rich purple color. It had hints of blackberry on the nose and almost had a coffee-like aftertaste. This wine paired well with the spicy meatballs we had with our pasta dish. The sales associate said this wine would pair well with hearty meals and that was definitely the case with this tempranillo. This was the first tempranillo wine I have ever tasted and I appreciated the fruity nose. Like the Chianti and Malbec, the "oak monster" came out in this wine and it ended with a nice, light-spicy finish.

Senda 66 Tempranillo

The next wine was 2010 Old Vines Garnache de Fuego from the Aragon region of Spain. This was a very intense wine and my least favorite out of the five wines we tasted during the evening. The nose was very powerful and smelled like too much alcohol. After I tasted this wine, the taste lingered in my mouth for a little too long. Although she was told this wine would pair well with our meal, I thought it was too overpowering for my palate. I thought the aftertaste was smoky, instead of spicy which I definitely prefer. It also had hints of blackberry which toned the smokiness down, but not enough in my opinion.

Garnacha de Fuego 2010

The final wine we had this evening was 2007 Biagio Chianti Riserva from Italy. This wine was aged 24 months in oak cask. This "oak monster" element brought the nice spicy after taste which paired very well with our pasta dinner. I have had this wine before with pizza and recommend it to anyone eating hearty Italian food. This wine had nice blackberry scents on the nose. It had a medium to long finish which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Biagio Chianti Riserva 2007

This wine dinner was a great success. My friends and I have had wine dinners before, but it was nice to sit around and discuss the different tastes and smells from the different wines. We all preferred different wines which was nice because it really shows that everyone has such a different palate. I did not like the Garnache de Fuego; however. this is one of Katie's favorite wines and that is why she brought it to the tasting. I had never gone into the Vintage Cellar before and asked a sales associate what type of wine they recommend with a certain dish. It was nice to get someone's professional perspective on what I should drink. Both of their recommendations, the chianti and tempranillo, were delicious pairings with the pasta dish. Everyone had a great time that evening and I look forward to many more wine dinners.

Veritas Vineyard and Winery

After enjoying a wine tasting and a bottle of Steel Chardonnay at Afton Mountain Vineyards, we made our way down the street to Veritas Vineyard and Winery. This vineyard was much larger than Afton and was also packed with tourists from all over the region. Once you walked inside, someone greeted you and seated you at a table. This was different from the Afton Vineyard because there we just sat ourselves. The wine tasting could only been done inside, which was very packed with people. I didn't really like this because it made the experience seemed rushed since we could tell people were waiting. Perhaps on a slower day, the tasting would have been more fun and relaxing.

A Beautiful Day at Veritas Vineyard

At Veritas, there was only one option for wine tasting. The tasting cost $5 and we tasted seven wines.

The first wine was the Sauvignon Blanc 2011. It was harvested only six months ago yet was very tasty. I could smell grapefruit and lemon right off the nose. The bouquet was very fresh and was the perfect wine for a day like this. Because this wine was so delicious, it was the best wine to start the tasting off.

The next wine was the Saddleback Chardonnay 2011 which is modeled after the "old world" style from Chablis, France. I liked seeing the "old world" style because I was able to explain to my sister what this meant. This wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and matured in French oak barrels for four months. This wine smelled like apple and melons. The oak aging definitely gave it a spicy after taste.

Next up was the 2011 Viognier. This wine had a citrusy-taste on the palate with a long finish. Although it had a spicy taste to it as well, it was also very light and had a fruity aroma.
White Star was the next wine we tasted which was a blend of Viognier, Traminette, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc. This wine also had a fruity nose and was very fresh. This was my favorite white wine of the tasting.

Rose 2010 was a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This wine tasted like strawberries and was very fruity. I decided that I am not a big fan of Rose wines. It felt slightly artificial on my tongue. However, I was told that this was one of the more popular wines at Veritas!

Next up was Vintner's Reserve 2010 which is comprised of 42% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petit Verdot, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet on this wine was a nice balance of cherry and chocolate. This wine was a very dark red and had hints of vanilla on the palate along with the chocolate taste.

Red Star was the last wine I tasted. This red wine tasted fruity but still had nice balance. It was very easy to drink and palate-friendly. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Chambourcin and tasted like raspberries. 

Wine Tasting Menu and a bottle of my Favorite- The Red Star

After the tasting, we decided to enjoy the winery and purchase a bottle of Red Star. We found a nice table on the deck and ordered the Red Star and a cheese plate. The cheese was a nice complement to the red wine. We decided to go with the Red Star because it pleased our palates the most and because we already had a bottle of white wine at Afton. The first couple sips of Red Star were kind of rough but after we let the wine air out a bit, it tasted much better.

Me and fellow Wine Geographer sipping on Red Star and enjoying the beautiful weather

I would rate Veritas Vineyard a 7.5 out of 10 based on Virginia Wineries. It was a beautiful landscape and the main building had a lovely deck. However, there weren't enough staff to accommodate the large amount of visitors during this holiday weekend. This winery seemed much more commercialized than Afton which seemed more homely and rustic. If there would have been more staff or less people, I'm sure my experience would have been different.

A Day at Afton Mountain Vineyards

Over Easter weekend, my sister and I decided to finally visit two wineries we've been driving by for the past ten years- Afton Mountain Vineyards and Veritas Vineyard. Since my father bought a mountain house in Wintergreen Resort, a thirty minute drive from these wineries, I've been hearing only positive feedback of these wineries, located two miles away from each other off of Critzer Shop Road in Afton, Virginia. Since the weather was absolutely perfect we decided to finally give these vineyards a try.

Welcome to Afton Mountain Vineyards!

The first winery we visited that day was Afton Mountain Vineyards. This was by far one of the most beautiful wineries I have been to in Virginia. Nestled away from the main roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Afton Mountain Vineyards landscaping is breathtaking. We drove right up to the main building, parked, and started our wine tasting within five minutes of arriving. The staff was very warm and welcoming and helped us figure out exactly what wines we were in the mood to taste.

There were two options for wine tasting: a $5 house tasting and a $8 premium tasting. We decided to go for the $5 tasting of five house wines.

The grapes!

The first wine I tasted was their Gewurztraminer. This wine was light but spicy. It was also more on the sweeter side. The lady assisting us with the tasting and my sister absolutely loved this wine. I liked it because it was dry, yet crisp. A nice wine to enjoy with spicy food on a hot summer night.

The next wine was their Steel Chardonnay. This wine got me very excited, especially with our many in-class discussions on the "oak monster" vs steel. This wine was my favorite because it was very light and refreshing. Perfect for the warm Spring day we were enjoying so much.

We then tried the Mountain Rose. In my opinion, this wine didn't really bring anything to the table. It didn't have as pronounced flavor as the others I tasted. However, if you enjoy fruity wines, this may be the wine for you.

Riesling was next up on the list. Again, this was a very sweet wine and not really my favorite when it comes to white wines. The bouquet smelled absolutely delicious with orange flavor coming right off the nose. It also smelled very floral and was light and refreshing. This was my sister's favorite choice of wine.

The last wine I tasted was the Mountain Red. This wine is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. This wine was very pleasing on my palate which I enjoyed because that does not happen with many red wines. This is what I would call a nice table red wine. I could imagine this going well with almost everything because it also had a hint of sweetness.

After the tasting, we decided to buy a bottle of the Steel Chardonnay and enjoy the day on the patio.

My sister, Catherine, enjoying a glass of the Steel Chardonnay on the patio after wine tasting

Luckily, we beat the crowd and got a nice table in the sunshine on the small lake located on the grounds. We enjoyed our wine there for nearly an hour. Next to the patio were lawn chairs on the grass and the winery had corn-hole set up. This was a great place to come hang out with your friends and enjoy a day of wine and light foods.

Overall, I would rate Afton Mountain Vineyards a 9 out of 10 based on Virginia Wineries. This winery had great wines and a friendly, open vibe. The staff was very knowledgeable on the wines in the area and were intrigued by the fact that I was in a class all about wine and getting credit for visiting the winery. I would highly recommend this winery to anyone in the Charlottesville area.

Charlie and I in front of the vineyard

Brewery Visit: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company.

With the last semester of my college career starting up, my friends and I decided that a relaxing weekend away from Blacksburg was a great decision. We decided to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit Wintergreen Resort for the weekend. With temperatures in the upper 50s, our great plan of a ski trip went sour. So we decided to do what every other college student would do in this situation- we started to drink.

We made our way down the mountain to Devil's Backbone Brewing Company (DBBC) for great beer, delicious food, and fine entertainment. Devil's Backbone is one of the most popular breweries in the area and the atmosphere was full of energy and great southwest Virginia culture. As the 2010 World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Small Brewpub, my friends and I had high expectations.

My First Beer Sampler! Yum :)

I decided to start out with the beer sampler that featured six different beers on tap. The first beer on the list was their most famous beer, the Gold Leaf Lager. This beer is considered an International Style Pilsner and was the 2009 and 2010 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal Winner. This beer is pale gold in color, light body, with a crisp and dry finish. It has 4.5% alcohol by volume. I would recommend this beer to anyone after a round of golf. Definitely hit the spot and was a great first impression of what Devil's Backbone had to offer.

The next beer on the sampler was the Vienna Lager which was the 2009 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal Winner. It was amber colored with medium body and a surprising caramel and toasted nuts finish. The flavors reminded me of Christmas and the winter Holidays. This was for sure a beer I could enjoy after a long day on the slopes in Wintergreen.

The next beer was by far my favorite. The Wintergreen Weiss is a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen that was smooth and refreshing. After the sampler, I ordered a large glass to finish off my day. This beer was the 2010 Great American Beer Festival Bronze medal winner. It was also light gold in color, with a fruity finish of cloves and banana. This was the beer that first inspired the owners of Devil's Backbone to start a brewery. When founder Steven Crandall was on a trip to the Alps, he fell in love with Hefeweizen and had to bring this style of beer back to the Blue Ridge.

Enjoying a nice, tall glass of Wintergreen Weiss

Next up was the Eight Point IPA which is an American-style India Pale Ale. Even though IPA's are the most popular beer due to their strength and flavor, I personally have never been a huge fan. However, Eight Point definitely brought something to the table. With medium body and intense "hoppy" flavors and aromas, this beer had a great smell. DBBC calls this IPA a "west coast" style because of the variety of flavors produced by the different types of American hops. This beer is 5.9% alcohol by volume. For all the true IPA fans out there, this is surely a beer to try!

Morning Bear Coffee Stout was the most interesting beer I tried in the sampler. I had never had an Imperial coffee stout before. The beer smelled like coffee and chocolate. The first thing that came into mind after my first sip was a Irish Car Bomb that I frequently get at Rivermill in Blacksburg. The final flavor was a smooth mocha finish. This beer had by far the highest alcohol per volume of 9.1%. Yummmmmy!

Reilley's Red Ale was next up on the list. An Irish-style red ale with medium body and a nice copper color, this beer was also full of flavor. This beer had a hint of caramel. I am not a huge fan of dark ales so I would have to say this was my least favorite beer of the bunch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the beers at DBBC. Along with over ten of the own beers on tap there was also an extensive wine list. The DBBC was moderately priced and also had a delicious menu. I ordered their chili of the day which was turkey chili. It came with three mini jalapeno cornbread muffins that were heavenly. I would recommend DBBC to anyone traveling around this area of Virginia. This would be the perfect spot to relax in the winter time after a long day on the slopes or in the summer time after a round of golf. The restaurant was fairly large and had a nice outdoor seating area. They don't take reservations and at lunch time were completely full with plenty of parties waiting. I would highly recommend calling ahead or going down for a late lunch or early dinner. This was definitely a place that I want to go back and visit sometime. Thanks DBBC for a great experience!