Down Memory Lane: Virginia Wine!

Purchasing wine can be an adventure. How do you make a selection? Tried & true? Recommendations? Cool label? Grabbing the closest bottle so you can get out of the store quickly? I can honestly say I've used all these methods with varying degrees of success. Last weekend, however, I used a method I haven't before: nostalgia.

I was in Washington DC for a conference and I flew out a couple of days early to spend some time with my friend Diane who now lives in Springfield. She picked me up at the airport and we drove straight to a local winery, Paradise Springs of Clifton, to enjoy a snack and wine. Diane selected a bottle of Viognier. It was a great match for the meats, cheese & dried apricots!

Later in our weekend, we stopped at Total Wine and headed for the Local Wine section so I could get a bottle of Our Dog Blue to take home. While there, I noticed Lake Anna Winery. It's been 10 years, but back when Maggie was a baby, we took a family weekend trip to Lake Anna, stayed in a cabin with our dogs Nala & Otis and had a quick stop at the Lake Anna Winery. I don't really remember the winery, but I remember it was spring and Maggie was probably 6-7 months old. So, with nothing other to go on than a memory of a weekend with my family, I picked up this pretty rosè Lake Side Sunset.

This is a dry, semi-sweet (gets sweeter as it gets colder). Light & perfect for a warm summers evening. I finished it tonight on the deck. If I were in Virginia, this would be on my regular purchase list!

Girl Scout Wine Pairing Party

I can't believe this post got a little lost! It's been almost a MONTH since my tasting party, but still worth sharing. 

It was a rainy rainy day. I had really hoped we'd be able to hang outside by the fire pit so we could also enjoy s'mores made with Girl Scout Thanks-a-Lots. But it was not to be. The rain let up by the time my friends arrived, but a wet backyard is not my idea of fun!

The sink is STILL my favorite ice bucket -- no mess!

Here are the official pairings. J Lohr Chardonnay with Lemonades. Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin with both Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwiches (mostly because I didn't have a chance to pre-taste), J Lohr Reisling with the Cranberry Crisps. We also tried the Gnarly Head with the Thin Mints and I must say, again, Wow. I never would have dreamed that Thin Mints would pair well with wine and now I have 2! We all enjoyed the Thin Mint & red blend pairing as well as the Shortbread and Moscato d'Asti. 

Overall, I would drink any of these again, but I think my favorite was the Cranberry Citrus Crisps and the Riesling were my favorites. They balanced together well, bringing out some sweetness in each one.