Hook, Line and Sinker

The hunt begins for a new seafood oriented wine list I am writing to be launched later this year and what better excuse to sample a few seafood whites than during the mock service dinner at Hook, a new seafood spot in Georgetown with Chef Barton Seaver at the helm.

I opted to bring a few of my own wine choices for the evening not because Hook's list is lacking imagination, but I had been dying to try a few items I had tucked away in the wine cellar. The wine list at Hook has plenty of excitement; look for a very eclectic collection of wines ranging from the Oremus Tokaji Dry Furmint 'Mandolás' from Hungary to the Xarmant Txakolina from Spain (which is being offered by the glass). A good mix of known grape varietals and the unknown. I wouldn't expect anything less from Chef Seaver, who chooses the wines.

On the docket for the evening were the Bainbridge Island Vineyards Müller-Thurgau from Pugent Sound, Washington; the Huber Sauvignon Blanc from Traisental, Austria; and the Frogtown Cellars Rousanne from Lumpkin County, Georgia (that's the state, not the country folks).

And now the tasting notes:

2002 Bainbridge Island Vineyards Müller-Thurgau, Puget Sound, Washington--an interesting dry version of the grape with notes of lime peel, white flowers, hint of orange blossom, crisp and dry. Great for oysters.

2005 Huber Sauvignon Blanc, Traisental, Austria--not your average SB, this one bursts forth with ripe tropical fruit aromas, white peach and apricot flavors and a refreshing finish. Great with salad greens and smoked salmon.


2003 Frogtown Cellars Rousanne, Lumpkin County, Georgia--full and rich with notes of almond, honeysuckle and mango. A tad oily but good for rich seafood items like scallops, salmon or swordfish.


Hook
3241 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
202.625.4488

There's Gold in Dem There Hills

Liquid gold, I say. Tucked away in the Northeast Georgia Mountains...ok, let's call them hills, I struck gold this past weekend. Voluptuous, ripe and lively liquid gold in the form they call Frogtown down yonder.

Spent the past long weekend down in Hotlanta and sheesh was it hot. Happened to find my way with some friends up into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at a little place called Frogtown Cellars about an hour from Atlanta. What started as a trek into the hills to go tubing down a lazy river turned into an afternoon of wine sampling.

Frogtown is a 57 acre family-owned wine estate located in Dahlonega, Georgia and grows a variety of grapes ranging from Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Sangiovese, Touriga Nacional, and Norton.

The location and view are simply spectacular: the winery is set atop a hill overlooking vineyards with rolling hills in the distance. The perfect spot for sipping on a 95 degree day.

I was most impressed with their white wine offerings, specifically the Rhone Valley varietals. Could the soil and climate of Northeast Georgia be similar to those of the Rhone in France? Hmmmmmm.......

2003 Marsanne--My favorite of the bunch. Rich and highly perfumed with ripe pear, honeysuckle and almond notes. Full bodied. Lingering almond finish.

2003 Rousanne--Notes of green apple, honeysuckle, pear, a hint of nuts. Full bodied.

2004 Viognier--Heady with notes of peach, honeysuckle, a hint of passion fruit. Voluptuous texture.

These wines tickled my fancy to such an extent, I had a mixed case shipped home. Stop by sometime for a first hand sampling.

Frogtown Cellars
3300 Damascus Church Road
Dahlonega, GA
706.865.0687











Wine label image from www.frogtownwine.com

Virginia Wine Takes the Cake

Its official: Virginia is crafting some incredible wines. Today, this became apparent as I tasted through some wines with Jenni McCloud of Chrysalis Vineyards. Of course, the proprietress of a vineyard and winery would like to think her wines are world-class--and after tasting through three Tannat based wines over dinner, I think she is right.

We settled down for a light summer meal of deer tenderloin and tomato/mozarella salad paired with 3 wines: 1999 Tiger Mountain Vineyards Tannat from Georgia, 2000 H. Stagnari Viejo Tannat from Uruguay and the 2002 Chrysalis Vineyards Papillon (51% Tannat). The Chrysalis wine stood out among the crowd: it showed incredible depth and structure, much more than the other two. The Tiger Mountain wine had a pleasant fruity and floral noise, but was overly acidic. The H. Stagnari Tannat was a little more full bodied but lakced the richness and complexity of the Papillon.

The show-stopper was the 2001 Locksley Estate Norton from Chrysalis--an incredibly rich, sily wine which blew the other wines from the table. If you have not tried one of the premium wines from Chrysalis Vineyards, I suggest you pick up a bottle very quickly!

Vino from the Peach State

Last evening I decided to be adventurous and crack open a bottle of 2000 Tiger Mountain Vineyards Touriga Nacional from the great state of Georgia. Touriga is native to Portugal and is one the grapes used for Port as well as many Duoro Valley table wines.

Tiger Mountain is located in Northwest Georgia at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 2000 feet above sea level. The mineral-rich soils, well-drained slopes, warm days and cool nights are the perfect combination for producing flawless fruit.

This Touriga is one of the best wines I have tasted as of late. Rich notes of spice, dried cherries, and cedar on the nose followed by an extremely smooth and almost tannin-less mouthfeel. Excellent on its own or paired with grilled pork or duck. Even better with a nice, juicy Ostrich loin steak. YUM!