Doing it even when you shouldn't....

I'm on day two after a small surgery...nothing life threatening, but something that needed to be done. With all surgeries, drinking and pain pills don't mix. Being the good patient I am, I have taken only a few pain pills (non-narcotic) since getting out, and have been "taking it easy." However, when the wife discussed dinner tonight and it involved Cabernet burgers, I couldn't resist just one glass of local Cabernet franc wine. Knowing that I'd only be drinking one, I wanted it to be good one. Reviewing out selection, we settled on a 2007 Cab. Franc from Ingleside Plantation Winery. Ingleside Plantation winery is one of the oldest in the state of Virginia with its roots going back to 1970.

As most Virginia wine fans know, 2007 was hot dry summer perfect for Virginia Red Wines. It was highly anticipated and many reserve and special red wines came from the local wine makers. Since 2007, there has been only one year that has come close to 2007, and that was 2010. It was even hotter and drier, and I know my wife and I are a chomping at the bit for the better red wines to be released from 2010.

Back to tonight's wine though, I quickly opened it and started decanting it a full two hours before we would even think about having any. I poured the half cup my wife would need for the burgers, and set the rest to the side to be enjoyed with our burgers.

Although it is a Cab Franc, like most good Virginia wine, there are few other wines blended in to add structure, and flavor. This wine is blended with 7.1 percent Cab. Sav, 7.1 percent Merlot, and 7.1 Malbec.




To accompany our burgers would be some roasted beets in a salad involving rainbow chard and a delicious Gorgonzola. Additionally, in the burgers would be a  black mountain cheddar cheese that is a sharp yet creamy cheese with an earthy flavor of mushrooms. In a phrase, full of yumminess. Even though I hadn't had a large appetite since my surgery, the thought of tonight's dinner had me salivating.








My wife helped herself to a pre-dinner beer, and of course I got talked into a sample. It was Wild Blue, a blueberry larger that was advertised a great summer fruit beer from BlueDawgBrewing in Baldwinsville, NY. I'm a little torn on fruit beers, some I like other's I don't. True to its name there was a light blueberry smell on the nose.







It was more that color of a dark pinot noir rather than beer. However that taste was a mild blueberry flavor with a good crisp bight to round out the flavor profile. I agree that this cold would be good summer sipper while sitting on the beach or lake on a hot August afternoon.
















With Dinner prepared it was time to pour my one glass of the night, no worries, the rest of the wine is not going to waste.










It was a lovely rich red color and displayed characteristics of raspberry and wood on the nose. My wife noted black pepper. The flavor of warm red fruit, ultra smooth with mid tongue light tannins. It also has really earthy lingering finish. This wine is wonderful right now. It paired well with the creamy Gorgonzola, but equally well with the burgers. A versatile wine for red wine food. The great part is you can still get it for just under $20 a bottle at Ingleside or on-line through their wine store. Something that is rare at other wineries, selling wine that is five years old that is.

Northern Neck Yields Rare Find.

Recently we visited Ingleside winery on the Northern Neck Virginia. It was bitter sweet day for me. On the one hand it had been more than 18 months for me since the last time I had been to the Northern Neck for wine tasting. If I only new that later that night I'd be in the E.R. it might make me rethink my choices.

Thankfully it was nothing life threatening, and with a little rest and recoup, I can now happily be wine touring and more importantly drinking good Virginia wine again, in moderation of course. But less about that and more about our trip. First Lessons learned:

1. Northern Neck is a summer time winery destination. Many of the wineries shutdown during the winter.

2. When visiting bring a DD, I'm previous trips I didn't realize how clustered the tasting rooms are. On this trip we only visited two, but drove by five in our short little day trip.

3. Ingleside plantation Vineryard is a day trip in and of itself. With three separate tastings "mostly whites" "mostly reds" and the "Full Tour." The first two are tastings themselves and the last one a combination of the first two, well if you go for the full tour, you are consuming almost two and half glasses of wine. You do the math.

We left Ingleside "like we usually do" with more than our fair share of wine, but the rare gem of the bunch was a wine they were still tasting from 2005. For those of you that travel to VA wineries regularly you know that most wineries don't produce enough wine that they can keep in the tasting room a year, maybe two and after that it is cellar collection at best.

Ingleside on the other hand, owns or controls so much acreage of grape vine that they grow the most unusual grapes, and can store it for you for at least the first three years. However even for Ingleside, a 2005 vintage is not common.

Most Virginia wineries say 7 years and a VA wine has peaked and starting to slide with rare exceptions. With that said, the night before we were heading off to NJ to sea concert of Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert, we decided it was time to open this rare gem and enjoy.

The Ingleside 2005 Cab Sav had a strong smell from the time the cork was pulled. It reminded me a really ripe black raspberry with a kiss of spice. It featured a smooth start with dark red fruit. It had light middle tannins and slight burnt tobacco finish. I think the light tannis says the wine is as good as it is gonna get, and my wife and I enjoy sipping it while watching upset night in March Madness.