A few days ago I disembarked from a massive Airbus A380, and was back in the familiar gridlock of afternoon traffic on the beltway.  But Friday night out with some friends solidified my happiness of having returned from another winery internship.  I am stoked to be back and in love with D.C. once again.

Happy hour Sapporos and fries with truffle oil and parmesan at Mie n Yu (www.mienyu.com) was a great way to start off down in Georgetown.  Then I headed over to St. Ex (www.saint-ex.com) to meet my friend Tania for a pre-dinner aperetif.  Estadio was packed so we decided to let the restaurant gods guide us to whatever happened to turn up next, and a few blocks up 14th, we came to Cork wine bar (www.corkdc.com) where a bottle of '09 Juan Gil Monastrell (Spain, Jumilla DOC) and some deliciously crafted small plates helped us keep warm beside their heaters outside...

Later we headed over to Dupont to share a bottle of '05 Millbrandt Merlot with a few other friends.  This Columbia Valley wine has the chocolate and dark plum that great Washington State merlots are known for.  Elegant, full-bodied, and with a fantastic sense of balance between fruit and tannins, it accompanied our cheese plate perfectly, in particular complimenting the creamy texture of the Brillian Savarin.  Anyone who wants to have a great time in a relaxed, unpretentious wine bar, head to Veritas (www.veritasdc.com) and if dancing and drunken revelry is what you're after following a bottle or two, just head to the Russia House for a Moscow Mule!

After 10 weeks in a medieval village in the French Rhône-Alpes, where the average age of the 450 is about 65 years old, I am so excited to get back into happy hours, Maryland in the fall, the electricity in the air on U St. and in Adams Morgan, even the low-lit whisky and craft beer atmosphere of the Quarry House in Silver Spring... It feels great to be home!
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      Yesterday I finished running around the city and was ready to unwind while I waited for a couple friends who were meeting me in Georgetown.  I happened onto a bar called Bodega, with dark black and red décor that was 2 parts sultry to 1 part soothing.  In the mood for tapas I ordered some overpriced tomato-bread with manchego cheese (you toast bread, rub it with garlic and then with a half a tomato, letting the juice and pulp of the fruit soak into the bread...top with olive oil, salt, and cheese, and voilá).  I also indulged in one of my all time favorites: bacon-wrapped dates that are breaded, seasoned, and fried. 
      I bypassed the wine menu and went right for the coctails and this concoction jumped out at me.  A caipirinha, for those who haven't yet tasted this pleasure, consists of Cachaça (a sugar cane based alcohol), sugar, and muddled limes.  This redition was a blueberry twist on the original, but honestly I prefer the original.  This is a drink that I love because of the acidity.  It is a grown-up's, 80-proof, Sourpatch Kid Slurpee.  The blueberrys are too soft and, now I sound like a cocktail snob, they clog the straw.  Whatever, it was refreshing and good. 
      If you make caipirinhas from time to time, try throwing in a wedge of grapefruit with the lime when you muddle them.  The end result is a Greyhound-esque dose of refreshment.
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The first snow of the season fell on Saturday and I was in D.C. pouring wine at a YES Organic Market, where the wine and dairy sections share an aisle.  Needless to say, I was cold on that frigid day, and when my sampling duties were done, I went down a block to Busboys & Poets.  This was my first time here, but I'm planning on heading back this weekend.  The ambiance and noise and warmth were just what I needed.  It seems like a good place for a first date, but I could tell a lot of people were there for the food and drinks.  I, however, sat at the bar, opened a book, and thawed out.   A glass of Côtes du Rhone turned out to be the perfect wine for my brief visit.
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The 2006 Côtes du Rhône by Jean-Luc Colombo is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that has some dark cherry aromas mixed with a spicy, woodsy smell.  The alcohol adds its own spiciness to the nose, but the wine's structure is solid.  There is a good deal of acidity to balance out the tannins.  The dark berry flavors come through, but at the same time this wine isn't overly fruity.  The finish is lengthy and on the tart side, which I like.  This wine would be able to stand up to some duck confit or a hearty steak, but it's made well enough that it does fine on it's own.  A glass at Busboys & Poets costs $8, so I'd guess this wine runs about $13-$15 retail.  I'll be looking for it for my own wine cellar.
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After all my pouring and taking sips of wine, I went to check out Lima (www.limarestaurant.com) in downtown D.C.  Having only eaten an apple all afternoon, I arrived with an appetite and was glad to hear that the kitchen stays open until 11 on weekends.  With a Tanqueray and tonic in my hand I tried to decide between ceviche or a ropa vieja hoagie.  I opted for the sandwich, which came with a side of delectable sweet potato fries. 
Soon more people arrived and barstools were taken away as the DJ started his set downstairs.  The energy rose.  Lights dimmed.  My friend Sunny came down and I met some of his lovely friends (Happy birthday, Jen).  The next few hours were spent amongst a throng of beautiful people and the deep pulse of house music on the first two floors and hip-hop and R&B on the top level.  I finally left around 2, and when I got home I just wasn't sleepy, so I had a nice one-hour session of drinking Jameson and watching Wine Library TV (link it up: www.winelibrarytv.com).  Anyway, red eyed and sore, I awoke today with a headache and no plans to go out or drink wine.  It's a low-key kind of Sunday...some leaf-raking, a sad, but not uncommon Redskins loss, an apple and lot of water.  More wine mañana...
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Brewer's Art 10/16/2009
 
In Baltimore there is a basement full of brick walls, raucous voices, and a selection of delicious hand crafted house beers.  Between my two friends and myself we tried 5 or 6 of the 8, and  enjoyed the light or dark, the smooth or hoppy or spicy.  The din of voices rose up to meet the music of the Talking Heads.  Of the beers I tried, Le Canard was the best.  I will definitely be back to this spot.
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