All Good Things Must Come To An End

I've decided to end the Kristy Wine Vine blog in order to concentrate on my YA writing.

Mediterranean Cellars, Warrenton, VA

Mediterranean Cellars

8295 Falcon Glen Road

Warrenton, VA 20186

540-428-1984

http://www.mediterraneancellars.com/

Open daily 11-6pm 

Mediterranean Cellars opened in 2003 and is owned and operated by the Papadopoulos Family. My friends and I met Mr. and Mrs. Papadopoulos and they are lovely. Equally lovely winery & view. 

The Goods:

06' Chardonnay- aged in stainless steel & French oak. Very light hint of oak, more fruit forward. 

'06 Vidal Blanc- fermented in stainless steel, aged in French oak, dry, full bodied

'06 Rechina- traditional Greek wine, lightly resinated, intoxicating scent which reminds me of Xmas in a bottle 

'06 Matina's Rose- aged in stainless steel and French oak, dry

'05 Merlot Reserve- aged for a year plus in French oak, dry, fuller bodied, hint of pepper

'08 Chambourcin- spicy and peppery, fuller bodied. Niiiiice! This is the bottle my friends and I enjoyed. 

'05 Cabernet Franc- aged for a year plus in French oak, notes of green bell pepper

'07 Cabernet Sauvignon- fermented in French oak, well balanced. I think I'm in love ;)

'07 Romance- 4 grape secret blend, fruity, light, great sipping wine

'05 Sweet Romance Reserve- dessert wine, well balanced, yummy

'07 Sweet Lucia- late harvest blend, 4.1% residual sugar, aged in stainless steel and French oak

'07 Vidal Blanc- reserve wine, sweeter on the nose than the tongue

'08 Calypso- 100% Chambourcin, rose, serve chilled, perfect for summer

'07 La Fos- Just released, secret blend of two grapes, amazing!

'07 Mejortage- aged for several years in French oak, secret blend of 3 grapes, complex. 

Molon Lave Vineyards, Warrenton, VA

Molon Lave Vineyards
10075 Lees Mill Road
Warrenton, VA 20186
540-439-5460
http://www.molonlavevineyards.com/
Open Daily, 11-6 pm
"Molon Lave" is Greek for "Come and Get Them." King Leonidas of Sparta uttered these words to the Persian leader Xerxes during the Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC. Xerxes offered to spare Leonidas's 300 men from Sparta (there were about 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans as well) if they gave up their arms. But Leonidas wouldn't budge. Molon Lave!
Molon Lave is owned by the Papadopoulos family. My friends and I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. P and two of their daughters Evy and Katherine. We had an amazing experience! Molon Lave is beautiful and their wine is of high quality!

The Goods:
'10 Riesling- Kosher, aged in stainless steel, crisp, refreshing.
'10 Vidal Blanc- aged in stainless steel, unique taste, fuller.
'10 Autumn Nectar- semi-sweet, a little over 3% residual sugar, blend of late harvest Riesling, Pinot Gris and Viognier.
'07 Kokineli- the Kokineli grape dates back to the 13th century, oldest known specialty wine, traditional Greek rose table wine. Distinct rosemary and thyme. Rose is a popular wine in Greece. Pairs well with olives and cheese.  
'10 Katie's Charm- 100% Chambourcin, aged in stainless steel. Hints of strawberry, light, perfect for sipping.
'10 Merlot- aged in French Oak barrels for 12 months, spicy but light.
'07 Chambourcin- aged for 18 months in American Oak, rich wine, one of the top sellers.
'07 Noiret- hybrid grape, created in '06 at Cornell University, long lasting finish, kosher.
'10 Cabernet Franc- aged for 12 months in American Oak, their first Cab Franc, smooth.
'10 Cabernet Sauvignon- aged for 12 months in French and American Oak, high quality, delicious, my favorite!
I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single one of their wines. I had such a great time that I joined their Wine Club. Every 4 months, I'll purchase 3 bottles of wine at a 15% discount, with unlimited free tastings, 10% discount on wine purchased at winery and 25% discount on cases, tasting of new vintages before they're released to the public, use of their private Small Barrel Room, Annual Winemaker's Dinner.

Word Couture

The Word Couture Boutique sent me a personalized wine bottle hurricane lantern!

"Kristy's Wine Vine"

This looks perfect on a shelf in my wine room! 

*Word Couture offers lanterns in: 750ml (which is standard) 1.5L (magnum) and a 3L size.  

*You may personalize your lantern in various ways including: 3 letter monograms, single letter monograms, logos or short sayings. 

Examples are: Good Friends, Good Wine

Pour, Sip, Relax, Repeat

Sip Happens

Wine Goddess

Keep Calm, Drink Wine

You had me at Merlot 

*If interested in ordering 5 or more lanterns for a special event, you'll receive a discount. These would be perfect for a wedding gift, birthday gift, housewarming gift, Christmas or other holiday gift, wine event, gift for yourself to add to your wine room, etc. 

*These lanterns come with a real wax battery operated flame-less candle

*These wine bottles are all recycled. The bottoms are removed and sanded. Vinyl monograms, sayings or logos are applied. 

*Prices range from $25-$85   

*Make sure to check out the Word Couture website! I'm going to order a house warming wine bottle for my friend Carrie right now :)

 http://www.wordcouture.com/

06' Stratus

Stratus Vineyards, Niagra-on-the-Lake, Canada (VQA Niagra Peninsula)  
'06 Stratus red - musty, slight oak scent, tickles the tongue, bold and smooth. Blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Gamay.  $44
https://www.stratuswines.com/store/index/display/sku/010910
Patrick and I visited Stratus Vineyards during our honeymoon in August of '08. I had a rough week, so we decided to crack open an expensive bottle of wine. It's ahh-mazing. ; )

Re-Re-Re Visited Vint Hill, VA

Vint Hill Craft Winery
7150 Lineweaver Rd
Vint Hill, VA 20187
703-991-0191
http://www.vinthillcraftwinery.com/
There were 4 flights to choose from
1. Petit Manseng/ Viognier
2. Chardonnay
3. Rose, Cab Franc, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot
4. Cab Sauv, Blend, Syrah * I chose this flight because Cab Sauv is one of my top wines.
'09 Cab Sauv, Lake County, CA, aged in new American Oak. The tasting notes say that it's built for aging and best 2013-2020. Who can wait that long to drink their wine? ;) This one tasted light, young, eh.
'09 Cab Sauv, Wahluke Slope, WA, new American Oak. More complex nose, "oaky,"reminds me of a Cab Franc.
'09 Enigma Blend, grapes from VA, CA, WA, aged in new American oak, secret blend- I'm guessing it's a blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. Deep purple color, earthy, complex. Yes!
'09 Syrah, Wahluke Valley, WA, aged in steel. I couldn't get passed the steel taste.
'10 Syrah, Wahluke Valley, WA- aged in steel. This one is preferable to the '09 but still not a fan.
I also tasted a few from the other red flight:
'08 Cab Sauv, Charlottesville, VA, aged in new American oak, much more complex than the other Cab Sauvs. Yes!
'08 Petit Verdot, Charlottesville, VA, aged in new and used American oak, fruit forward, smooth. Yes!
Safe Harbour Dessert Wine- Port style. I'm a Port fan and I had to add this one to my collection. It cost $35 and I didn't receive an industry discount ;( but I bought it regardless!

Wine in Old Town Occoquan, VA

Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe
408 Mill Street
Occoquan, VA
703-494-1622
http://www.olddominionwine.com/
* Wines available from over 60 VA wineries
* Free Daily Wine Tastings
* Saturday Wine Tastings with a Visiting VA Winery
* Winter Hrs: Th-F 12-6, Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5
* Today, Doug Fabbioli, wine maker at Fabbioli Cellars was pouring Sanigiovese, Chambourcin, Pear Wine & Raspberry Merlot. My husband and I arrived late in the day and only the Sangiovese & Raspberry Merlot were available to taste. The Sangiovese ('10 I believe) has soft tannins, hint of cherries, well balanced,  and the Raspberry Merlot is a semi-sweet, AMAZINGLY delicious dessert wine
* I've never been to Fabbioli Cellars but will definitely visit in the near future. Doug and the folks at Old Dominion Wine Shoppe are fabulous ;)

Next door is Tastefully Yours at 406 Mill St.
Hrs: M-Th 11-5, Fri & Sat 11-8, Sun 11-5
http://www.tastefullyyoursva.com/
* Free wine tastings daily - wine from around the world.
* The folks here are equally fabulous. Tastefully Yours offers wine, beer, coffee, tea, delicious food...
* For once I didn't take copious notes which is unfortunate because my husband and I tasted quite a few beers and wines. I did however, purchase the NV Anthony Road Tony's White from the NY Finger Lakes for approx. $13 for my friend Peg's birthday. Tony's White is semi-sweet with 3.3% residual sugar but well balanced. I prefer dry wines but this one was fruity and fun. Made with the Cayuga white grape.

  * Here are some of the beers that we tasted. ;)
* My husband and I both ordered "The Dubliner" sandwich- turkey, ham, Gouda, caramelized onions and beer which was heavenly!