Wine 4 Your Life
Bob and Chris Doan, Wine Bloggers and Independent Consultants invite you to learn the joys of wine and finding out how easy it is to enjoy the fruit of the vine. Wine may seem overwhelming at times, but it does not have to be that way.
Friday, August 30, 2024
A Bob's Life: On the MD Wine Trail - Catoctin Breeze Vineyard
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day
It is that day!
It is the day the first wines of 2023 are released and it, as always, happens in France.
Have a glass and enjoy the mystique of the day.
Welcome to the first wine, it is Beaujolais Nouveau Day.
Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL
Sunday, October 22, 2023
A Bob's Life: Wine Event - Doris Market
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
A Bob's Life: Escape to the Wineries
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Wine Tasting Disaster
Chris and I decided to visit a few local wineries and vineyards to enjoy the fruit of the vine and see how the wines are progressing. We ended up visiting two wineries that we had last visited a few years ago and one winery that we had never visited. Wine Tasting in Small Plastic Cups
I was disappointed in the quality of the tastings. And of course the wines suffered as well from poor presentation.
In my mind, winemakers should ensure that their wines are presented in the best possible manner for people to enjoy and hopefully purchase.
All three of the wineries visited were doing tastings by the flight. Which, in my mind is the worst way to do a tasting. There is little interaction with the staff and almost no knowledge transfer regarding the estate and the wines.
At one winery Chris and I tasted 12 wines--but they were served in small plastic glasses--single serving glasses not much larger than communion cups. It is impossible to enjoy the intricacies of wine in small plastic cups which provide no space for the bouquet to develop. At least when I had decided that I wanted to taste a couple of the wines in glass, the tasting room manager accommodated me.
At another winery we were seated outside, under alleged heaters on a cold November day, to taste wines in flights of four. At least they were serves in glass--although not wine glasses. And since the day was cold the wines definitely did not overheat. The reds may have been a bit cool. As the cold November wind blew, we definitely did not enjoy the wines in the same manner that could be done in a warm tasting room with knowledgeable staff to help us understand the vintages and processing.
The final winery's tasting was probably the most egregious. The wine tasting was $20 for three wines. They were served in wine glasses and were a sufficient pour--but the server poured the wines, placed them in front of us and went back to her computer and continued shopping on Amazon. So much for as personalized tasting experience. We did not even get a written description of the wines. Did I mention that there was only one other two-some in the tasting room? Well, at least we were in the tasting room.
Based upon our experience we likely will never return to any of the three wineries.
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Central Loudoun County - Middleburg AVA
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Tarting Room Casanel Vineyards Leesburg, VA August 13, 2021 |
Let me begin by writing that there are more wineries and vineyards in this region of Virginia than can possibly be sampled in a single weekend or for that matter likely in a month. Trying to keep the weekend sane and to truly experience the wines and ambiance of the vineyards we limited ourselves to three tastings per day. So for the weekend we visited six wineries or vineyards. We had alternates selected to account for unforeseen circumstances and, in fact, the first stop was at a winery we had previously visited, but forgotten, and so we went to our second planned stop instead and added the alternate to become the third stop of the day.
The six wineries or vineyards were chosen based upon a review of their websites and the types of wine offered. Two were chosen because they offered varietals not normally experienced in Virginia. One offered both a Tempranillo and an AlbariƱo, while another offered a Vermentino. We were not disappointed at either vineyard, although truth be told, the Tempranillo was made with grapes sourced from Washington State. My understanding is that Tempranillo does not grow well in Virginia.
So the scorecard for the weekend was six stops at wineries or vineyards. Of there six, four were definite keepers, one is on the must revisit after COVID list, and one was truly disappointing despite having a magnificent facility and a seemingly diverse and exciting wine list. That said, we purchased wines from all six wineries and vineyards and joined the wine club at one of them. Yes, I came home with bottles of all three of the wines that most interested me and many more.
So the top four, in no particular order:
Important safety tip: Check the websites at any winery/vineyard you intend to visit to determine how or if they are conducting tastings during COVID and whether reservations are required.
Important Safety Tip #2: Drink and drive responsibly. It is OK and desired for you to spit after tasting to avoid alcohol loading.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Key Lime Pie and Shiraz
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Key Lime Pie and Shiraz |
I initially thought that this experiment was doomed for failure. How possibly could a fully bodied Australian red wine work with one of my favorite desserts: Key Lime Pie.
But work it did.
The pie and wine went together exceptionally well and it wasn't to just my opinion, but the opinion of everyone at Happy Hour. The deep rich flavors of the Shiraz blended perfectly with the sweetness of the Key Lime Pie and made a very pleasant and enticing dessert combination.
When working with food and wine it is important to experiment and sometimes something good happens, like Shiraz and Key Lime Pie!
I am going to save this combination for the future.
-- Bob and Chris Doan, Elkridge, MD