Back to VA wines

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Sonadora

I’m still uncovering wines from our move that I misplaced, if that’s the right word, while living in our apartment. Yes, even though I had entered it into CellarTracker, I still managed to lose track of parts of my stash. It happens when wine lives in every empty nook and corner you have.

Anywho, the wine! The evening’s bottle was a Tarara 2004 Pinot Noir, from Virginia. Somehow we ended up with a quite a few bottles that managed to escape our gullets from our day trip to VA wine country last fall. The wine cost $20, was 13.5% alcohol by volume, and had a real cork closure.

At first on the nose I got candied cherries. After a while they turned into sweet red cherries, which I swear is different than candied cherries (I think I mean marachino cherries) and spicy oak.

In the mouth the wine was smooth, though it had a hint of spice and a bit of a kick in the finish. Oddly enough, the cherries were much tarter in the mouth than on the nose. This is a light-bodied Pinot Noir and overall I would describe it as fruity. A different kind of Pinot Noir than a CA one, but a very nice light summer red overall. I served it with grilled lamb chops, 2 cheese risotto and broccoli. Not the best match, the lamb needed a heavier bodied red.

Filed under: Pinot Noir, Red, Tarara, Virginia Wines | 1 Comment »

Love VA Wines?

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Sonadora

Go over to Fermentation and read this post.

I knew that these laws were being pushed here by lobbyists. As we were visiting Virginia Wineries earlier this year at least one of them, Tarara, had a sign up asking patrons to sign a petition against the enactment of the law forbidding VA wineries to sell directly to retailers and restaurants. Something they had previously been permitted to do.

I wish I knew what good, if any, wine distributors actually did. To me, it seems like they are simply a middle-man in the process of getting wine to retailers and restaurants, thus driving up the cost for the ultimate consumer and hurting small wineries, especially local ones who could use any leg up they can get.

The development of this law makes me sad for the future of the wine industry in VA. And for me, since I doubt I will be able to get the Governor’s White from the Williamsburg Winery for $7 in the store anymore.

Filed under: Fermentation, Tarara, Williamsburg Winery, Wine Laws | Comments Off on Love VA Wines?