Wine
Chocolate and Wine Paring Class
I love this idea. I often find myself having a piece of chocolate for desert while I am still drinking a glass of wine having put no thought into how a particular piece of chocolate would taste with whatever wine I’m drinking. I recently met with Eric Nelson, the owner of Artfully Gifts & Chocolate, and he told me about this class. What a fun thing to do with a group of girls! The classes are limited to 20 so make sure you sign up in advance. Chocolate/Wine Pairing Class Learn the complexities of pairing wine and...
read moreThe Gift of Wine
Wine is a gift that is not only practical and classy but its easy. I always bring wine as hostess gift to parties and during the holidays I like to give special bottles to certain family members who truly appreciate wine. If your family is anything like mine (glad the city switched to the large recycling bins with lids) you like to stock up on wine before the holidays especially with out-of-town guests coming. If you aren’t a foodie or a wine connoisseur the idea of buying wine for someone else can be somewhat intimidating. Just like...
read moreNew Wine Bar near Alexandria
A week ago I posted about Cafe Caturra opening and last weekend I had the chance to spend an entire evening there. We arrived at 6:30 and the place was hopping. At first we thought there were no seats at the bar until we realized the bar is an oval and the whole back side was free. To my husband’s college football loving delight it turned out that the flat screens are also on that side of the bar. We were greeted immediately by friendly and extremely attentive bartenders. Yes, multiple people were waiting on us so we were never...
read moreGrape + Bean Alexandria VA Old Town
Grape + Bean is a cool hang out spot for a cup of coffee or a glass (or two) of wine with a gourmet sandwich. There is always great coffee brewing and excellent wine pairing specials. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about their offerings. The atmosphere is a perfect mix of casual and trendy. Even though the intimate interior can be crowded you can usually find a spot to sit. They offer salads, sandwiches, cheese boards – and they rotate the coffee selection, just as they do seasonally with different wines (I think). If you...
read moreLe Tastevin Fine Wines Alexandria VA
Today I stopped by Le Tastevin Fine Wines to pick up a couple of bottles of wine. I was greeted by Brian who was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The wines in the front of the store were all reasonably priced under $20 and there were some slightly more expensive wines in the back. I browsed for a bit and picked out two bottles -Bodegas Lan Rioja Crianza 2006 from Rioja, Spain ($13,99) and the Champteloup Sauvignon Blanc Touraine, Loire, France, 2010 ($12.99). I asked Brian for his opinion and he said they were both excellent choices, and...
read moreFern Street Gourmet
If your evening commute ends with the Quaker Lane exit the Fern Street Gourmet is your go-to market. They have a nice selection of wines in all price ranges as well as a variety of gourmet beer. they also sell gourmet snacks and have a counter in the back with specialty cheeses, French bread and charcuterie, olives, spreads, and a cool deli. It’s on Fern–the back side of the little Fairlington strip of shops. Nice selection of unique hostess-gift items, too (something I’m always looking out for) - from wine coolers (the...
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