Twice Thankful

• Posted on 23 November 2022
• Posted in argentina, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, califonrnia, chardonnay, Chile, cidar, Malbec, New Zealand, pinot noir, Sauvignon Blanc, spain, tannat, Virginia
• 0

This week, City Vino is indeed twice thankful. We are first thankful for our staff, our customers, and club members for your support again this past year. We love to be able to expand our customer’s wine experiences by sharing wines from small producers and small lots that you will not find in a supermarket or a big chain wine shop. Being able to assist you to pick a bottle or two or twelve for your everyday table, family or friend gathering, or that incredibly special occasion, means so very much to us.

Our second reason to be thankful is to be able to be one of the small businesses making up the heart of the Fredericksburg community. Partnering with other small businesses for theater events, wine dinners, celebrations, and First Fridays means the world to us. 

In honor of our twice-thankful theme, City Vino has two tastings for you this week. One will be held pre-Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 23, to allow those last-minute wine purchases to enjoy during your holiday weekend, and another tasting on Saturday, November 25, in keeping with the Small Business Saturday initiative. As always, shop at your local small shops this holiday season, if you can! 

For our pre-Thanksgiving tasting on Wednesday, November 23, our five selections are:

• Virginia’s own NV Albemarle CiderWorks Goldrush. GoldRush Cider is a wonderful choice for the holiday table. This beauty is made solely from the Goldrush grape, and is named for its golden hued skin and the “rush” of flavors it brings to your palate. This richly complex cider features tart acidity, spiciness, and sweetness, with tones of citrus, honey, and ginger.
• 2018 Highway 12 Carneros Pinot Noir. This second selection from Highway 12 is 100 percent Pinot Noir, and is ripe with aromas of strawberries, raspberries, red cherries, and hibiscus flowers, culminating in hints of sandalwood and cedar. The palate runs away with additional notes of prunes, stewed prunes, cola, vanilla, and earth. The tannins are fairly soft in this fairly light-to-medium-bodied red.
• Inu Chardonnay Maule Valley Chile 2016 Aromas of bright citrus accompanied by superb minerality. On the palate fruity flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, lemon and lime zest combine with a balanced minerality, giving it a nice freshness. Aged 100% in stainless steel tanks.

For our Small Business Saturday tasting on Saturday November 25, our five selections are:

• NV Lake Chalice Skye Bubbles Sauvignon Blanc. This sparkling Sauvignon Blanc comes to us from Marlborough, New Zealand. It is off-dry with intense aromatic and zippy flavors of gooseberries, melon, tropical fruit, lime juice, white grapefruit, and herbs or grassy notes. It is lovely as an aperitif, or served alongside seafood.
• 2020 Bodegas del Palacio de Fefinanes Albariño. Albariño, from Rias Baixas (Green Spain), is always a vibrant treat, and this wine with peach, pear, lemon, and orange blossom characteristics fits the bill. This is another delicious wine for pairing with seafood or soft cheeses.
• 2020 Lapis Luna Wines Cabernet Franc Reserve. This California red is 75 percent Cabernet Franc, 17 percent Petit Sirah, and 8 percent Merlot. Typical aromas of raspberries, cherries, blueberries, violets, and earth may be found here. The flavors echo the aromatics with the addition of some pepperiness, tobacco, dried herbs, vanilla, and coconut. There is a nice level of concentration of flavors in this wine, along with good acidity and medium, yet gentle tannins, wrapped up in a medium-plus-length finish. Think grilled meats, roasted veggies, and stews for choice pairings.
• 2019 Cafayate Arnaldo B Gran Reserva. This wine is from the Salta region in Argentina, and is a blend of 60 percent Malbec, 30 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a 10 percent blend of Tannat, Syrah, Bonarda, Ancellotta, and Petit Verdot. Wow, that is quite the blend! Lots of aromas of black fruit, like black cherries, plum, and bramble with earth, smoke, cigar box, and nuts. The palate has some subtle tones of cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry, along with black pepper, balsamic vinegar, leather, vanilla, and coconut. This would pair well with carne asado, empanadas, fatty fishes, dark-meat poultry, kebabs, and hard cheeses, like Cheddar or Manchego.
• Our homegrown offering is the 2017 Jake Busching Wines F8. The name can be thought of as “Fate” or “Field 8,” which is the designation where the grapes were grown at Honah Lee Vineyards in Gordonsville, Virginia. The blend is a 60 percent Tannat, along with 40 percent Petit Verdot. We may have mentioned that this wine has a cultish (in the best sense of the word) following. In addition, 2017 was an excellent vintage, so consider taking it home and pairing it with fatty and or red meat now, or lay it down for a rest to soften.

Tis the season to be with friends, family, and community, and for all of this we are indeed “Twice Thankful”! Cheers!