A special thanks top Jeremy Kosmicki and Founders Brewing Co. for joining us on the Beer Theater. Here’s the recording of our 10/21 tasting.

We did run into one snag (first time) with this recording in an intermittent hiss/static… it’s a touch distracting from time to time, but I know you’ll forgive us since this is still a work in progress (think of it as a reason to attend in person so you can drink the beer too!).

If you would like to skip through or listen to a portion of the event. I suggest you start the video and pause it to let the entire video load. Then you can skip to these markers:

Centennial IPA 2:48, Harvest Ale 4:08, Red’s Rye P.A. 12:23, Porter 16:06, Breakfast Stout 23:02 and Old Curmudgeon Ale 26:50

Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Cheers!

Here’s the recap of our Virtual Winemaker event with Matias Mayol. I’ve decided to keep it as one uncut video – if you think it would be better to cut the video into smaller bits please let me know in the comments. Here are the time breaks if you would like to fast forward to a particular wine:

Sauvignon Blanc 4:33

Bonarda 8:23

Malbec 16:40

Cuatro Primos 24

Finca Montuiri 36

Cheers and Enjoy!

Ladies and Gentlemen it is my esteemed honor to publish our first Beer Theater recording for your enjoyment. This is an MP3 recording of our conversation with Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing from September 18th. Cheers! This is just the first of may to come!

The actions begins about 1:30 in…

Terrapin brewery of Athens Georgia will be arriving the third week in August – just before Octoberfest beers, can you believe it! I tasted through a few beers last night and thought I’d share my thoughts.

A quick tour of their website www.terrapinbeer.com, provides the historical context for the four beers I’ve got: Sunray Wheat, Rye Pale, Indian Style Brown, and Rye Squared. I’ve heard great things about their seasonals as well. I know Jonathan at TJ’s in the Jefferson is planning a Terrapin beer dinner in August, so we’ll keep you posted.

Sunray Summer Wheat – notably brewed with honey with a German hefe presentation. Solid for our kind of summer – appropriately (hefe) fruity with a honey lending to a plumper mouth-feel and richer finish. Session.

Rye Pale – the flagship ale – and theme? I was excited to try this because I adore Founders Rye PA and other Rye ales I’ve tried, but, alas, the bottle was not in top shape (not uncommon for samples), so I’ll pass on commentary.

Indian Style Brown – Pleasant bouquet, good balance, and not quite the mouthful of Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown, which isn’t a bad thing. I like this style, and I’m excited to see more breweries making it a core item.

Rye Squared Imperial Pale Ale – quite remarkable. Great arromatic nose without being a citrus bomb, lovely color and most importantly, for me the right malt structure for balance. Loved the caramel mid palate (swoosh it around your mouth a bit) and the depth of flavor through the finish (another tasty byproduct of the well balanced beer).

Look for a steady dose of the Sunray this summer, some shelf time for the Indian Style, and Rye Squared whenever we can get our paws on it.

Cheers!

Below is our latest, exclusive video interview with Gonzalo Perez representing Maipe Wines.

Thanks to Gonzalo for visiting and taking to the camera like a superstar and thanks to distributors Kysela Pere et Fis for bringing Maipe Wines to Wine and Beer Westpark and organizing Gonzalo’s visit. Stop by soon to try these gems (lower case) from Mendoza, Argentina. But you’ll only find Gonzalo here. Cheers!

This week we turn our attention to a very practical – and tasty – focus of our tasting, Thursday from 4-7.  With just about five weeks of the summer to go, we’re heading straight into the season of wine releases – many of our personal favorites included! This week we’re featuring great red buys that have great availability now, but will be in short supply before you know it. Add a rich Spanish white and we’ve got a great summer tasting!

The Menu…

2006 Valminor Albarino, Rias Baixas

With such an auspicious pair of reds, a noble white is required to kick start this tasting right! The Valminor winery is ultra modern at just under ten years old, and great heart is put into the production of this intensely fruity white, which is more than just a summer favorite. Of course Albarino is best fresh in the summer heat, but this wine’s impeccable balance and screw cap (yes, screw cap!) means you can enjoy this well through the end of the year.

2007 Ch Bianca Pinot Noir, Willamette, Oregon $16

A stellar value in the Willamette Pinot World, with terrific ripe fruit and cherry cola notes contribute to this wines shrinking lifespan. In’06 we were flush with Bianca through the holidays, in ’07 a late drop let us limp through Thanksgiving. This year I expect the wine won’t make it to November, which is when this Pinot sheds some of its lean, youthful exuberance for fleshier, earthy notes and texture. So, taste it Thursday and consider slowly stocking up through Aug/Sep or plan to buy a little volume so you can enjoy this over the holidays when it truly shines!

2007 Shotfire Shiraz, Barossa Australia, $18

This jammy Aussie mainstay has been a benchmark in quality to $$$s for years. However, a long dry winter and touches of spring frost contributed to a stressful ’07 vintage that saw extensive vine cropping and some vineyard production down 60%-80%. We’ll have our first wave of Shotfire Shiraz Thursday, which will treat summer grilling well today while waiting patiently for the cooler turn to fall and winter.

Sorry for the late post ladies and gents, here’s the menu for our most recent tasting. Stop by the store if anything strikes your fancy:

Last night we welcomed John Cheski of Free Run Wine Merchants for his first tasting with Wine and Beer Westpark. Having spent time in the vineyard and winery cutting his teeth on the industry, John has returned home to the familiar central Virginia area with a line devoted to the wonderful wines of the Pacific Northwest.

The Menu…

A month into summer and it’s apparent we’ll need some full refreshing whites to beat the heat. There was a broad lineup to help John get things cooking!

2007 Eola Hills Pinot Gris, 14

Round and fleshy with minerals and a refreshing hint of sweetness from the paltry residual sugar – a summer treat.

2006 Emerson Chardonnay, $17

This stainless steel Chard is bright and fresh with a rich creamy texture from the malolactic fermentation – a sipper or dinner mate.

2007 Thurston Wolfe PGV, $18

Well balanced blend of Pinot Gris and Viognier supplying aromatics and rich crisp fruit for seafood.

2006 Brandborg Or Blanc (White Gold), $14

Almost equal parts Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling bring a refreshing off-dry deck wine to warm up the palate for dinner or finish the evening off with dessert.

2007 Eola Hills Pinot Noir, $18

Good weight with some smoky mineral notes, join good cherry fruit in this traditional Oregon Pinot.

By the bye, next week will be the 2007 Chateau Bianca Pinot Noir release.

The Menu…

These days it’s not often that we see prices on quality wines actually drop, but that’s exactly what happened when this Western Australia winery moved to a smaller local distributor. Thursday we’ll get a great look at why Western Australia is highly regarded for its fine wine potential, and taste the difference 1,300 miles makes from the well known Southern Australian region.

2006 Evans & Tate Chardonnay, Margaret River, $17

A juicy mouthful of peach-accented pear and pineapple fruit, finishing with a stony note that carries the flavors through the generous finish. (Wine Spectator 10/15/07)

2004 Evans & Tate Shiraz, Margaret River, $17

Velvety in texture and generous with its mint-tinged blackberry and roasted meat flavors that linger against mildly chewy tannins on the long finish. (Wine Spectator 6/15/07)

2006 Pillow Rd Pinot Noir, $45ish

We’re not really featuring the Pillow Rd Pinot Noir, as having a welcoming party. With our decided focus on Oregon Pinot Noirs, I like to make a point of reminding our California Pinot fans (you know who you are) that I’m not completely cold-hearted. We’ll be stocking this regularly, so come have a taste!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday! This week we have a remarkable tasting with Jim Ungerleider, owner of Exclusive Wine Imports, who focuses on small, family run vineyards in Burgundy where the winemaker’s passion comes thru in the quality and value of their wines.

This Thursday, July 10 (also my lovely wife, Caroline’s, birthday) from 4-7 we’ll taste through two whites and two reds of Philippe Curial, while Jim adds some great history on the estate. Below is some information on Curial’s wines courtesy of Exclusive Wine Imports…

The Menu…

2006 Macon Villages, $19

The green tinged 100% Chardonnay’s golden appearance has floral aromas underpinned with a charming minerality, is cold fermented using natural yeasts, and sourced from 30 year old vines in clay soil.

2006 Saint-Veran, $22

Again, 100 % Chardonnay fermented in vats using naturally occurring yeasts from 40 year old vines, provides the pale golden color, limpid and bright. White fruit (peaches) on the nose, rich and supple in the mouth.

2006 Château Préty, Beaujolais Villages, $15

This medium-bodied deep ruby red wine made from Gamay starts with distinctive cherry and raspberry aromas and follows with hints of pepper and spice and a persuasive freshness. This wine can be drunk on its own or with cooked or roasted red meat, roasted vegetables, and cheese.

2005 Clos Du Perpetuant, Beaujolais Villages $24

The Clos du Perpétuant has been planted with vines since the 17th century! The soil is made up of clay, granite and sandstone, at an altitude of 360 m. above sea level, and is planted with the black Gamay grape. Its wines have a unique spiciness on the nose, with rich, red berry fruits on the palate, with a liquorice edge. The subtle and well-integrated tannins underpin the surprising structure of the wine and confirm the excellent aging potential. Barrel aged for eight months. This is the real deal!

Folks I must confess, I played a little switcheroo at the end of last week. This week we will be joined by Don Carlstrom of the Robins Cellars instead of Jeff Latchum of Simon N Cellars, who will join us on the 17^th instead.

You must be thinking, “whoa Matt, that’s just not that big a switcheroo,” but it is, and here’s why. We have procured a rare case (1 of 7 in VA) of the Pegasus Bay Sauv Blanc Semillon for our weekly tasting from 4-7.

The Menu…

2007 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon (roughly 90/10), $29

Many of you know my dynamic enthusiasm for Sauvignon Blanc and let me say this is the real deal! I’ve enjoyed multiple vintages of this wine, which is a treat from one of New Zealand’s elite wineries.

Neal Martin at the Wine Advocate had to this say, “the 2007 Sauvignon/Semillon is endowed with a vibrant fresh, animated nose so crisp and well-defined. Apple, limestone and a touch of smoke. The palate has a wonderful balance, perfectly-pitched acidity with a crisp, lanolin-tinged finish. This is how Sauvignon should be! Outstanding.” 95pts

2005 Cimicky Trumps Shiraz, $20.50

The Cimicky Trumps Shiraz is something of a lay-up for our Australian enthusiasts, but if you start by pouring good wine, you better finish with some good wine too! The cheeky side of me wants to say this is just another run-of-the-mill 90pt Aussie Shiraz, but, again, the Wine Advocate says it better, “purple in color, it offers aromas of cedar, smoke, pencil lead, and blueberry. This leads to a medium-bodied, smooth-textured wine with plentiful, ripe, spicy blue and black fruit flavors, well-concealed tannins, good length, and no hard edges. Drink this outstanding value over the next 6 years.” 90pts

Father’s Day wines!

We have a slew of new outstanding wines for dad for this Father’s Day… if you’re having trouble finding something special come by and ask us about these and our other new wines:

2005 Callejo Crianza $30 93pts Wine Spectator (200 cases imported)

2006 Varner Amphitheatre Block Chardonnay $45 – scores of ’05, ’04, ’03 were 94pts, 93pts, & 90pts respectively

2006 St Innocent Pinot Noirs have arrived Justice, White Rose, Shea, and Temperance single-vineyard offerings are now available.

2005 Papillon, $60 from acclaimed winemaker David Phinney of The Prisoner fame or ask about our Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon presale.

Father’s Day Café Rustica dinner $45 (sans tax and tip)

One 4-top remains for the Manfred Breit wine dinner at Café Rustica, which will begin promptly at 6:30 this Sunday the 15^th. Please contact me or Café Rustica (225-8811) if you would like to treat dad to a fine evening of German cuisine and handcrafted wines.