Washington Wine and Cheese

Wines I dreamed of in Iraq!

Well, since we have Two Blondes and and Brunette and Big A$% Reds, I thought I should have my own series. Since I’m not part of the writers guild I think its acceptable to have my own series - nothing against the union and I will work out a settlement agreeable to all sides. Did I mention the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl? Sorry for the departure, back to what you understand. Truth in advertising. While I would have loved to do a Malbec class, I am most happy to be doing garanacha. I was not a fan until doing the research and what I found was a grape that is multi-faceted, berry-like with hints of spice such as Cinnamon! Much like a lap dance, it is a wine that can open your eyes to things you have no experiences before! Hope you can join us! IT WILL BE FUN!

1. 2006 - Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines - Spain - $8.99
2. 2005 - Las Rocas San Alejandro Grenache - Spain - 10.99
3. 2005 - rincipe de Viana El Burro “Kickass” Garnacha - Spain - $11.49
4. 2004 - Turkey Flat Vineyards Grenache - Barrossa Valley - $26.99
5. Surprise?

Cheeses

1. Triple Cream Brie - 7.99
2. Manchego - $9.99

Wines ordered from Cleveland Park Wine and cheeses and bread from Calvert-Woodley

It was my intention to put together a very nice Malbec tasting for this Tuesday evening. I, along with a few friends, went to Pearson’s and asked Michael for his recommendations. We started with a wonderful Malbec which was medium bodied, nice fruit, good balance, etc. All agreed it was a good start to completing a good Malbec tasting.

Then a funny thing happened. Perhaps it was something someone in the background said. Perhaps it was an unexpected astronomical alignment. Whatever the reason, the next wine that we tasted wasn’t a Malbec. Michael opened a blend that was wonderful. Everyone agreed that this had to be in the tasting. Before I could ask if Malbec was one of the grapes in the blend, Michael had opened another amazing wine. This one was clearly not a Malbec, but the reactions of others made it
clear that I couldn’t pass this wine up.

By the end of the evening, I had picked out 5 beautiful reds and only 1 was a Malbec. I thought to myself, “What happened? I wanted to do a Malbec tasting and I only have 1 in the lineup.” No sooner had I completed that thought, I hear Michael say “You really have to try this before you leave.” And thus, the Malbec was replaced.

Join us this Tuesday evening for “The Malbec Tasting That Almost Was…” We will be having 5 wonderful reds, among them a beautiful grenache, a big and bold Rhone, and a bordeaux-style blend that are sure to please. If the crowd as Pearson’s that evening was any indication, these wines will be sure to please.

1. 2005 Bogle Petite Sirah - California $15
2. 2004 Mestezaje - Spain $16
3. 2005 Las Rocas - Garancha Spain $17
4. 2002 Furque Syrah Roble 2002 - Argentina
5. 2003 Grandy Vacqueyras - France

Cheeses:

1. Horlick’s Farm Cheddar - $12.99
2. Belletoile - $11.98

Wines from Pearson’s:

1. N/V Cristalino Rose,Cava (Pendes, Spain) - $8.00
2. 2006 Tres Picos, Granacha (Campo de Borja,Spain) - $13.00
3. 2003 Vigne Vecche Primativa (Salento, Apulia, Itlay) - $20.00
4. 2003 Amarone, Zardini (Verone, Italy) - $39.00
5. N/V Madeira, Brodbent, Fine/Rich (Madeira) - $18.00

Cheese and bread from Calvert-Woodley:

1. Blue Castello, Triple Cream Bule from - $??.00
2. Asiago, (the real Asiago),Sheep’s Milk from Italy - $??.00

Sorry, this has taken so long to get the wine and cheese information out from Tuesday’s class. I never got home until after 11:00 pm and have been out the last two nights after work until late.

Here is the list of great wines presented by our dear friend and all around nice guy Jeff Bryant.

1. Gazela Vinho Verde - $5.99 - It’s light, fruity, refreshing, great for a graden party and you can’t argue with the price.
2. 2004 - Montebuena Rioja - $8.99 - Medium red finishes silky and very easy to drink, with no rough edges. A great bargain in Rioja.
3. 1998 - Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva - $19.99 - Mature fruit aromas, complex and elegant, with notes of dark fruit, and full-bodied.
4. 2004 - Quinta Do Vae Meao Meandro - $24.99 - This wine is big and young still needs sometime to age.  Someone at the table even said it reminded them of beef jerky.
5. 1997 - Osborne vintagePort - $29.99 - Great port for the money and I’m not sure if you could lay this down until your really old, but a good number of years would be great. 

The two cheese that we had were:

1. English Stilton Blue Cheese - $12.99
2. Manchego - $12.99 -  sheep’s milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain.

 All the wine came from our good friend Mike Fraiser at Total Wine and More. The cheese and bread both came from Calvert Woodley’s.