Clean Up - Aisle 6

Posts have been few and far between over the past few months but things have been a bit crazy in the Good Life world.  In addition to the usually holiday nonsense, we suffered the loss of a parent and a dear friend, within the span of two weeks, which kind of put a damper on things...to say the least. 

My mother-in-law didn't drink...ever...although she did accidentally take a sip one night and promptly spit it back into the glass -  my PIC's glass!  That doesn't mean that we haven't been working our way through the cellar so, in the spirit of my good friend Donna, who was always up for a drink and a good time, let's start clearing out the backlog.

We'll start with Penns Woods 2007 Ameritage.  This deep garnet wine had some oak on the nose but  not in a woody way at all.  The firm tannins mellowed in the glass with some time but there was something on the palate that I found somewhat unpleasant and a hint of latex squeaky toy on the finish.  It was kind of surprising because we have enjoyed several of their wines.  It wasn't cooking wine but we didn't enjoy it as much as we have other Penns Woods wines.  Also from Penns Woods, we tried the Lacrima Dolce dessert wine.  There must have been something about it that we liked when we tasted it at the winery but it is sitting in the pan sauce section of the refrigerator.  This wine is overwhelmingly banana - not something that I look for in my dessert wines - but some may find it pleasant with the right pairing.

Speaking of dessert wine - there's Atwater and Billsboro, from the Finger Lakes, and Pearmund from Virginia.  The Billsboro Apres, a late harvest Vignoles, is one of our very favorites - loads of mango and tropical flavors, honey and a hint of vanilla.  My PIC cannot handle Chardonnay but we both love Atwater 2008 Chardonnay Ice.  It's honey and peach with a beautiful balance of acid and sweetness.  Finally, was the Pearmund 2009 Late Harvest Mt. Juliet Petit Manseng.  White chocolate on the nose, creamy on the palate, and honey on the finish.  Perfectly sweet but not cloying.

And then there's Shalestone Vineyards Beyone Rose.  We first tasted this at the event to celebrate the life of Deb Whiting and we immediately knew that we needed more!  75% Pinot, 25% Syrah, it's a non-rose rose.  It's a gorgeous ruby color with black cherry and subtle spice on the palate - we cannot get enough of this.  It's equally good chilled or at room temperature.....and probably sold out as of this writing!

Some winners, some losers.  I think I'll call it a night.  Stay safe and among friends!!

Rendezvous with Clark and Judy

Every now and then, we get a yearning for some Virginia wine country.  That's not to say that we don't get the same feeling for the FLX, but with cousins in Northern Virginia, it's an easier, and less expensive, getaway.  They enjoy the occasional glass of wine but are not as into it as we are.  Mobility issues limit them to one, maybe two wineries and Pearmund Cellars has been one of our usuals. 

It's been a great place to stop by with them on a Sunday morning before heading home and we have always had a great experience there.  Not only have we enjoyed the wine but they have always been so considerate to my cousins who don't do a tasting but love to sit at the tables in the tasting room and just enjoy each other's company.  From time to time, they will taste one of the white wines that are on the tasting menu, but mostly, they cherish their time together...they are so in love and so I want to be them when I grow up.

Our last visit found us there on a Saturday afternoon.  We've been so spoiled going on Sunday that we forgot how crazy these wines trails can be on the weekends!  I say trails because this phenomenon is not unique to Virginia, we find the same thing everywhere.  The first bad sign was a bus in the parking lot and you can pretty much bet that it's filled with ridiculously dressed, soon to be married, drunk people and their drunk best friends and drunk relatives.  Sadly, that was the case this time but fortunately, they were at the end of their tasting so normalcy was quickly restored upon their departure. 

I thought about all of this when we opened the Pearmund Cellars 2008 2 Principals Vineyard Petit Verdot .  It is deep garnet, almost inky in color with a nose that is earthy and mushroomy with some foral notes.  It's got great structure with some dark berries - blackberry, blueberry? -  and a dusty, cocoa finish.

I sure hope that bus load of party people took some PV home with them because they should be very, very happy right about now!