Virginia Does Cab!

Tucked away in Caroline County, Virginia, there is a gem that should be the next winery on your “places to visit” list. The Vine Wine Club had the pleasure of exploring local vineyard, Castle Glen Estate Farm and Winery, found right off of Route 1, nestled between oak trees and not much else. Nature is the gorgeous frame that captures the picturesque beauty of Castle Glen.  But there is one true star…and that is what is in the bottle!  

I have a confession.  Castle Glen Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best that I’ve ever tasted!  And it makes me proud to know that it is grown and bottled right here in Virginia. 

It is a familiar story that someone falls in love with wine and all of its nuances and decides to try to make it.  Not everyone gets it right.  As Ed Cowdrey, owner of Castle Glen Estate Farm and Winery and winemaker-in-chief, found out, it isn’t an easy process.  After visiting numerous wine shops and tasting thousands of wines, Ed found a love for wine.  He was intrigued with how the beverage was so versatile and how manipulating the process created a difference experience in the bottle.  His first attempt at wine making was with a wine kit and led to him eventually growing Concord grapes.  Unfortunately for Ed, he didn’t enjoy the “sweet” fruit of his labor since he had come to enjoy drier styles.  Fortunately for us, he didn’t give up!   Ed’s passion and commitment only grew. 

Castle Glen Winery’s 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon was the first wine for retail.  The research and persistence paid off. Cowdrey has perfected the wine’s dark, inky color while finding the perfect balance of fruit and acid.  The wine offers a softness that is not always found in a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Aged 14 months in French oak barrels, it lends a currant quality on the mid-pallet with a nice peppery finish.  The wine pairs very well with dark chocolates, various cheeses, and red meats. 

Ed Cowdrey credits his winemaking expedition to his lovely wife, Pamela, who graciously shared the kitchen with Ed to start his wine growing in their home in Chesterfield, Virginia. The vines quickly outgrew the small space and soon decided to purchase enough land for a house and a vineyard.  Ed plans to extend the vineyard with 6,000 additional vines to be planted in Spring 2017.

Castle Glen Estate Farm and Winery is a private winery where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot flourish.  Stainless steel tanks and French and American oak barrels throughout the property almost make you forget that you are “home”.  In addition to producing wine that rivals some of the best Bordeaux, the setting takes you to something that must be close to Utopia. 

The Castle Glen Estate Farm and Winery is more than a home for phenomenal wine but also a venue for private wine tasting events, weddings, and private parties. The vineyard is a gorgeous space to hold a special event as well as space for more wine!

To contact Castle Glen Winery for a private tasting or a private event, you can visit www.castleglen.wine or you can send a message to ecowdrey@castleglenfarm.com.   Castle Glen Cabernet Sauvignon is available at www.thevinewineclub.com.  Bring the experience of France directly to your door.

Check out my interview with Ed on the "Off The Vine with Benita and Terricinia" radio show on the May We Help You Radio.  Click here!

Deck The Halls and Fill The Cellar!

The holidays!!!  What a great reason/excuse to fill your cellar with various types of wine!  Some of the wines would definitely be your personal favorites, others could be bottles that you've always wanted to try and the last few could be strictly for the cellar.  Let's go shopping!  Click here.

The Vine Wine Club has partnered with other small businesses this holiday season to offer you some of the best and most creative gift ideas for adults.  Thank you for supporting us!  Whether you are buying gifts for yourself or others or you simply want to share our list of gift giving ideas with others, we want to help you.  The Vine Wine Club is making it easier to find the perfect gift for wine lovers all over Virginia.  Of course, gift certificates to wine classes and tickets to The Exclusive Blacklist are fabulous gifts, but we have even more to offer.

Let's go shopping!

"The Gourmet at Home" Gift Package:  Enjoy two bottles of wine, one white and one red, plus a signed copy of the acclaimed cookbook by Paula Garrett, "From Miss to Mrs:  Recipes to Capture His Heart."  $50 plus shipping.  Orders must be placed by December 12, 2015 to guarantee Christmas Delivery.

Shoes and Elephants:  Get a bottle of Shoe Crazy Wine and a signed copy of "Conversing with The Elephant: Things Your Girlfriends Don't Have The Balls to Tell You" by Terricinia St. Clair. $30 plus shipping.  Order must be placed by December 12, 2015 to guarantee Christmas Delivery.  

A Sweet Treat:  Get 4 Tastrie Jars (Desserts baked in a jar by JBel's Tastries") and a bottle of our sweetest new craze "Little Bosco".  $45 INCLUDES shipping. (The dessert will arrive in separate packaging)

The Vine Wine Club 3 Month Membership:  For only $99 receive 2 bottles of the best pours delivered directly to your door.  Includes shipping.  If this is a gift, we will send a card to the receiver to let them know that the wine delivery will begin in January 2016.  

Holiday "Cellar"bration:  Get 4 bottles of top rated and limited produced wine from our new "Thirty-6" for $180 plus shipping (at least a $200 value).  In order to secure this prior to Christmas, the order must be placed no later than December 12, 2015.

So get your shopping started by simply going online and taking advantage of these easy ways to put a smile on someone's face.  Click here to visit The Vine Wine Club to take advantage of these great gift ideas.  Need help or more ideas?  Call us at 804-993-4130.

Happy Shopping!

SAVE THE DATE:  December 1, 2015, The Vine Wine Club is launching "Thirty-6".  Thirty-6 is our cellar of top rated and limited produced wines that are perfect for drinking today and even better when saved in ideal conditions.  We will feature 36 of the world's finest varietals from the most prestigious regions.  Our members will be invited to our private tasting party in January.  Stay tuned!

Drink Pink!: A Quick Lesson in Rose'

I love a good Rose'.  To me, they go perfectly with lots of foods and are even as great as your chosen sipping wine. I don't know that I am the only one but the first time I had a Rose' that wasn't White Zinfandel, I expected sweet and fruity.  Some are!  But they can also be bone dry, like the first one that I had ever tasted.

Today's blog can be classified as a quick intro to Rose'.  It isn't meant to be heady or snobby...it is just meant to answer some very basic questions.  So if you are looking for big, fancy, wine words, stop reading now!  It's Thursdays AKA Little Friday!  Chill out!

What is a Rose'?  Where does that pink juice come from?  Well you're right if you said that they come from red grapes where the skin has had very limited contact with the juice.  You're also right if you said that it is a combination of a little white wine and a little red wine.  We did learn in kindergarten that red and white make pink, right?  The first method that I briefly described is the most common method.  I will admit that I think that second method, although acceptable in the wine world, is cheating.

Are Rose' wines sweet?  I guess they can be but, like other wines, Rose' wines come from all over the world and take on the characteristics of the grape used to make it.  What is missing is the tannins that are sometimes associated with red wines.  Since the tannins come from the skin, you don't get that with a Rose'.  Pink wines made from grapes and in a style that traditionally produce a more acidic juice, you can expect the same from that juice, acidic and a great compliment to your meal.  If the grape and style making traditionally produces a more fruit forward wine, you can expect the Rose' to be very fruity and soft with notes of berry.

Where is Rose' produced?  EVERYWHERE!  About a week ago, I had the opportunity to drink pink from Vinho Verde!  What???  I thought that all wines from Vinho Verde had to be green.  That is what the name translates to, right?  Well this Rose' from that Vinho Verde region was as light and crisp as one of my favorite summer sippers.

Join us tomorrow on "Off The Vine with Benita and Terricinia" as we devote our entire show to Rose' wines.  We will be joined by our well-informed guest Brian Fairtile as he accompany us on a trip around the world with Rose'.  To join us, click here Friday at 3:00 pm.

Done!

When Was The Last Time You Had Viognier?

It’s been years ago but I remember this story well.  We always remember the stories that make us feel some kinda way.  It was in 2006.  I was in Charlotte taking my intro Sommelier course.  The four instructors were all Master Sommeliers.  During the breaks, they engaged the class and asked the common question, “Where are you from?”  My ears perked up when I overheard one of the other students reply that he was from Virginia.  The instructor had a slight smile on his face.  My thought was that it was a good smile since Virginia was finally on the map as a serious wine making state. So I was waiting for him to say some good things about the wines that were being produced in VA.  “Viognier is the only noteworthy wine that comes out of Virginia.”  Those words stung.  Not that I had enough knowledge to argue what he said with anything other than affinity and loyalty to my home state.  Heck, I didn’t even drink a lot of Virginia wine myself.  But I wanted to hear that Virginia was making wines that could rank against some of the finest in the world.  I never heard those words that day.

So, when I got home, I wanted to pay attention to Viognier.  Before I heard the commentary between the instructor and fellow student, I had drank Viognier several times but had never paid any real attention to it.  I liked it well enough but I really couldn’t share any distinguishing characteristics if my life depended on it.  I had to change that.  In Virginia, it was easy to find Viognier.  What I like about Viognier is that it reminds me of spring.  With hints of honeysuckle, the grape produces a wine that is round, well-balanced, and perfect with a mixed green salad, chicken, fish or simply chilled in a glass.  Popular in the Rhone region (France), it is growing in popularity in the United States.  The grape benefits from a long, warm growing season and can sustain in drier or drought conditions. 

If you haven’t tried Viognier, don’t let the season so by without doing so.  If you are fortunate enough to be in Virginia, get a bottle of something local.  It is delicious with fruit, light cheese, and white fish dishes.  A great beverage to beat the summer heat, try Viognier today.

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Pairing Smairing....Just Drink What You Like!

Last week, Off The Vine with Benita and Terricinia was a great show!  Not that others haven't been great but our guest and my friend Brian Fairtile made it extra special.  Of course it is always to connect with old friends (Brian and go way back like car seats), but to have a "second" to what Terricinia and I say all of the time.  Our radio show discussion related to grilling, the wines that we typically drink with grilled foods and why.  Not only is Brian a wine expert, he also co-hosts a radio show called "Grilliant Ideas".  Since he knows his way around the grill, Brian led in the discussion about the food.  We talked about the wines that we (meaning the three of us) typically enjoy with beef, various forms of fish, including shell fish, and grilled vegetables.  You can click here to listen to the show.

If you only remember one thing from the conversation, that should be to drink what you like.  Yes, so many wine experts and aficionados suggest Cabernet Sauvignon with steak but if you like something else, drink it!  Wine is for pleasure.  You should enjoy what you drink.  Enjoy White Zinfandel with steak?  Have at it!  A lot of wine snobs will swear by certain pairings.  And yes, they have a reason that makes perfectly good sense.  The balance between fruit and acidity is a key factor the wine pairing process and of course, each wine has its own distinguishing characteristics that make it a likely palate pleaser with foods.  But your palate rules.  Do you!

Don't forget to join us for Downtown UNCORKED with Internationally Acclaimed Jeweler Jay Sharpe on July 15th.  The cost is $55 to include jewelry making materials, hands-on learning, wine, and light refreshments.  The class starts at 6:15 pm.  RSVP to thevinewineclub@gmail.com or call 804-993-4130.  Class size is limited.

Check out Milo Case, our celebrity guest on Friday!  His show was hott!!!  Listen and purchase his music here.  

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