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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So these things may be unrelated... maybe not. 
With the recent seismic shaking in the south island (Christchurch is just south of the Marlborough region by a couple hours drive), I've started thinking how Mother Nature can wreck anything she wants, any time she wants.  As a Marylander I really have no experience with earthquakes, and I hope to never get too familiar with these savage phenomena.  If I end up in Cali for wine work, though, I'll likely feel more than a few tremors.
The disaster in New Zealand also made me recall the Chilean quakes of last year.  This stuff had a huge impact on shipping and storage of wine for some facilities.  I wonder how the wineries of Marlborough and the Otago valley are coping. 
We are all at Nature's mercy, especially when our livelyhood is a product of the earth.  And now, a kick-ass Washington state Merlot:
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Northstar 2006 Merlot...
If you want to taste wine that validates the hype about WA, look no further.  Without paying the price you would for a bottle of Leonetti, you get the solid structure, the plum, black fruit and mocha, the velvet tannins, and that deliciously lasting finish.  Great with steak, but also a good wine for pairing with chocolate and fresh blackberries.
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This is the kind of Merlot that might incite some scoffing from Merlot-haters.  It has the fruit bomb characteristics, the lack of body or depth, the finish that is measured in milliseconds... but at the end of the day it tastes good, candy good.
There are cherry and blueberry notes mixed with vanilla and cedar.  It smells like a typical new-world style wine: lush and fruity.  While there isn't anything complex about the wine, it did remind me of the scent of blueberry muffins baking in the oven, which is a very good aroma.  Overall it's a low B wine, but not bad.  I have had a lot better Merlot from Washington state... Five Star, Tamarack, Pedestal, Revelry... there are so many; it is definitely a region where this varietal thrives. 
If you don't like the fruit dominating your wine, then steer clear of this one.  But if you like inexpensive yummy beverages with 13.5% alcohol content, then give this wine a shot.
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I tried a glass of this Cali Merlot the other day.  It is a great example of a wine where some vanilla aromas are easily perceived.  That smell mainly comes from the barrel aging process.  The oak used (Quercus alba) has vanillin in it inherently, so the longer a wine sits in the barrel, the more vanillin can integrate into the wine.  The particular bottle here also brings some fresh blueberry aromas, and an slightly herbal quality, which might have been what triggered my memory this morning when I had some Rooibus/Vanilla tea.  That's what really reminded me of sampling this Merlot almost a week ago.
The wine is very light-bodied, almost watery even.  It has a freshness, a juciness, and a simplicity that makes me think it would be a crowdpleaser for people who don't drink much wine .  It does have an oaky bite near the back end of the palate, but it's by no means a big, meaty Merlot.  It's a low B for about 10 bucks, perfect to have with pizza, maybe even pizza bagels like I used to make when I was kid.
For more info on getting some Gnarly Head, visit www.gnarlyhead.com.
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This bottle was brought to me to try out, becuase someone else liked it.  There is an aspect of open-ended vulnerability when you recommend something to a friend.  What if they don't like it?  Will your favorite wines or restaurants shed light on what type of person you are?  The answer, to an extent, is yes.  Fortunately, our palates and personalities are all unique.  Otherwise so many restaurants and wineries wouldn't be able to survive.  
Well, the person who gave me this bottle of 2006 Blackstone Merlot is not a person who spends a lot of time smelling and discerning the details or flaws of wine.  He just likes what he likes, and this wine fits that category.
For me, the aromas in this wine were better than the flavor and the body.  I caught whiffs of raisin and plums, and a resinous spiciness (due in part to the alcohol smell burning off).  In the mouth this merlot is fruity and fleshy with a moderate amount body, but it soon fades and has a bitter aftertaste.  I tried it with pizza later and the tomato sauce helped to soften the rawness of the finish, but overall I'd give this wine a B-.  Most stores sell it for about $10, so it isn't pricey by any means, but there are a lot of other wines that cost 10 bucks that I'd choose over this one.
I am a fan of all grape varietals, and love a well made merlot.  If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear your input.
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Before I began my journey into a bottle of Jameson last night, I did some drinking that involved a certain amount of reflection and sensory conciousness. 

As I began preparing dinner I uncorked a beautifully ornate bottle of Italian Pinot Noir made by Candoni Wines.  A 2007, this young wine exudes a berry freshness.  I normally prefer a little more meat and earth aroma from Pinot, but the crisp Goji berry, raisiny smells pulled me in all the same.  This wine has low alcohol and high acid.  It brings a tart berry flavor at the front end, then pulls a La Bruja move and, poof, it's gone.  After a pause the tart finish comes on strong and leaves a pleasant long-lasting semi-pucker that reminds me of Sour Skittles.  This get a B letter grade even though the structure and balance were a little off.  The wine won me over with its eternal finish.

Then I had to open a Chardonnay for the chicken I was making, so I got a $7 bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay.  It's a little buttery, but has a good amount of acid to keep it in balace.  For the money, it's a decent bottle; a B wine.

With dinner, my aunt and uncle blind tasted me on a Merlot that was so light and acidic that I was guessing it was Italian.  Not the case.  The 2006 (I was able to guess the vintage), Estancia Merlot from the Central Coast of CA is not the cocoa nib and prune kind of Merlot that I love.  But it is a solid 86 point, B wine for me.  Light berry aromas, some stoney minerality, and a solid overall balance... for $12 it's definitely a bottle I'd bring to a dinner party or wine tasting.

A couple curveballs in this round of tasting, which I love because it reflects the variability and versatility of vitis vinifera.  An then, the pitch came in tight and hit me(Why does Jameson have to be so smooth?!).  I'm walking it off today.  Tomorrow there will be wine to drink.
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