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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This is a wine that smells like nectar from honeysuckle blossoms poured over candied apples.  It smells like marmelaide zested with lemon peel.  It smells sweet and sticky, yet it isn't full of flabby, syrupy mediocrity like so many Rieslings that have a fair amount of residual sugar left in them.  There is a pop of acidity that balances the body of this wine, and even some effervescence that tingles your tongue and releases pear, apricot, and green apple flavors. 
If you are the type of wine drinker that avoids Riesling on account of sweetness, do not give up on this wine before you try it.  If you like Gewurtztraminer or Moscato, then go find a bottle of this harvest-select treat right away.  I give this bottle a B+ and recommend it highly as its price tag will be just over $10 in most stores.
Pairing this wine might lead your ideas toward desert, which would be delicous (I'm thinking peach cobbler, apple tart, vanilla ice cream, whatever...), but try this wine with a salad:  baby spinach or mesclun greens, slices of ripe pear or apple (or both), toasted almonds and crumbles of salty gorgonzola... finish it all with a honey vinagrette and this duo will be an experience you'll never forget.
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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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My second stop of the evening was Barrel House liquors down on 14th st. NW.  I opened up three wines from one of Washington state's biggest producers, Columbia Crest. 
The 06 Chardonnay, 06 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 05 Shiraz were the samples being poured, offering a diverse range of flavors.  The Chardonnay was oaky, buttery, and for me a little bitter.  I really don't like it, even for $9.  The Shiraz and the Cabernet were both low B wines for me.  The Shiraz has that peppery spice with some jammy fruit leading the way in the flavor profile, but there isn't much structure or finish.  I liked the Cab a bit better.  It's a cherry dominated wine with some oaky aspects, but for me it was the smoothest and most balanced of the trio.  These two reds were also priced at $9. 
Having just returned from living in Walla Walla, WA, I'm familiar with the Columbia Crest label.  I'm also familiar with some of the higher quality wines that come out of the Pacific Northwest.  These are bottles to buy as alternatives to Yellowtail or Kendall Jackson, but they don't really represent the true depth and quality of many of the wines coming out of Washington's Columbia Valley.
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All mixed up 11/10/2009
 
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A well-made Southern Rhone style red wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle.  This is the best wine I have ever tasted from them.
This bottle, Chateau Ste. Michelle's Orphelin blend threw me for a loop.  I had my sister pick a bottle out of my growing collection and pour me a glass.  Immediately when I lifted the wine toward my nose, I thought Malbec, and that dark plummy color and the prune and chocolate-covered cherries aromas had me thinking maybe Merlot, maybe Malbec.  The flavors were fruit driven with some spicy undertones.  I really liked the way the wine was in my mouth until a strange, bitter and metallic aftertaste crept in.  I was intrigued with this wine, and into my third glass, the interest is only growing.  I rate it a B+, but it pairs very nicely with Eva Cassidy's Live from Blues Alley album, which almost bumps it up to an A- wine. 
The blend on this Rhone style blend consists of a bunch of different grape varietals: Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pedit Verdot, Touriga, and Viognier.  It doesn't drink like a Cotes de Rhone or Chateauneuf de Pape, but it is a wine worth trying priced around $15.
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