As the weather grows warmer, our minds turn to lighter-bodied wines that pair well with meals cooked on the grill, including barbequed meats and vegetables, as well as light fare like salads, or merely a wine to enjoy while sitting on the porch, or in the yard. Rosé wines always come to mind, because they fit the bill beautifully.
With the “Stay in Place” order across the state of Virginia in effect until June 10—unless we hear otherwise—restaurants, wine stores, and wineries have had to adapt their business models to still serve their customers as best they can, given the constraints of the official order. Businesses have ramped up their carry out, added or adapted curbside pick-up, and upped their shipping game, in order to keep their beloved business open so they can serve their loyal customers, both old and new.
This year, instead of donning one’s newly acquired dress or suit, new shoes, and matching accessories—perhaps including a proper bonnet—those who celebrate Easter will not head to church to gather and worship, but instead will be at home with only their immediate family, or even alone. These are times of safety first, stay in place, and quiet contemplation.
The Governor declared on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, that beer, wine and liquor stores are considered essential and will be allowed to remain open for normal business hours. For the moment, we are planning to stay open normal business hours. As we move though this next month, the number of hours open may be adjusted as necessary. At City Vino, we appreciate all your support and are committed to meeting your wine needs safely, by providing curb-side pick-up; shipping; and delivery, where possible.
The “Look of Wine” is the first part of a multi-part blog that we’ll spread out over the next couple of months about how to taste wine. Each post will cover a different component of wine tasting. The key to beginning wine tasting is that there are no wrong answers! You can like a wine, not like a wine, or be ambivalent about it, and it’s all good. Wine preferences are subjective, even though wine scores tend to imply otherwise. Find out what you like, and don’t like, and own it. Explore outside your preferences and you may be surprised to find more wines or styles than you knew you like. The first thing you notice when wine is poured in your glass is the color. Wine Folly’s website released this graphic about wine color that is helpful in showing a wide array of shades of wine, and possible wine varieties or styles that the shade may indicate. For all wines, the grape variety itself, or the winemaking style, may produce juice that is either light or dark or somewhere in between as this chart indicates.
