Am I crazy?

So you know by now I'm running a half marathon in June through VA wine country. My motivation to run that far is because it starts and stops at a winery. Obviously, wine is my main motivator.

However, I have signed up for yet another race THIS weekend! Spur of the moment.

I came across this great 5k through Rock Creek Park in remembrance of the Virginia Tech shooting victims. Sadly, I was there that crazy morning and remember it vividly. I will be running those 3.2 miles for the 32 victims wearing my maroon and orange proud!

I guess you can say the running bug has bit me. Wish me luck!

Picnic Basket, Wine and a Blanket

Simple, yet always fun.

Packing a picnic and bringing the dog and the boy along is one of my ideal Spring afternoons. It's something we like to do on occasion when the weather is nice. After moving out to the burbs, we had to find a new picnic location close-by. We found a great park only a few miles from our home. Although, my first choice is always visiting a local winery to picnic but we wanted to stay closer to home.

I came up with a list of things to bring:

• Chicken salad sandwiches
• Deviled eggs
• Veggies and Dip
• Cheese, crackers and fig spread
• Knife with plenty of paper towels, including wet ones
• WINE (duh!)

I made the salad and eggs from scratch which kept me busy most of the morning. Here's how I made the chicken salad:

2 Chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1/2 c Mayo
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 Green Pepper, diced
1/4 Red Onion, diced
Salt & Pepper

Combine. Let sit covered in fridge for half hour. Assemble on your choice of bread. I used kaiser rolls. Top with fresh spinach and tomatoes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.






We loaded up everything in the cooler, grabbed a nice bottle of French white and dare I say, plastic cups and we were headed on our way! Knowing the sun would be shining and temps would rise into the 70s, I selected a crisp white wine to enjoy with our lunch. Nothing like sippin' on something cool and refreshing when the temps rise!

Picnics are great for a date idea in the springtime. Pack some goodies, take the dog along and maybe even picnic at a local winery!

Cheers!

Around the World Wine Tasting

The plus side to living near a city like DC is that you are never short on things to do.

Another plus side, most of those things to do are offered at half off through all those deal sites.

Not usually a sucker for the deals but definitely a sucker for the wine events, I jumped on the opportunity to attend Around the World in 80 Sips. It was offered for half price on LivingSocial a few weeks ago and when I woke up to see it my inbox, I immediately sent it to a few fellow winos. Last year, I didn't jump in time and it was sold out before I could buy it.

I was lucky this time. My friends and I bought tickets and marked our calendars.

Having been to quite a few of these wine tasting events, even pouring wine at some of them myself, I pretty much knew what to expect. Way too many people crowded around one table with 15 wines and only 1 pourer. Everybody stretching their arms as far as they would reach for the chance that they may get a miniature taste. You know, the usual.

We arrived to check in and were greeted by a mob of thirsty wine lovers. We then proceeded to visit each table and taste whatever we could get our hands on. It was exactly like I expected; overcrowded, loud and way too many lines of anxious people. It's a great opportunity to meet fellow winos but if you want to go to really learn about the wines being poured, this is not that type of event. If you are lucky to be in the industry, I believe going to the trade tasting would be best. I'm sure it's more calm and one-on-one.

Regardless, we made the most of it and tried numerous wines at each table. Of course my favorites were the French wines. They were pouring great Burgundies, white and red. That toasty, oaky Chassagne-Montrachet sticks out in my mind. I'm picky about my Chardonnay and a white Burgundy is the way to go!

Conclusion: As long as you're with friends, you can have fun with just about anything!

I'm running a half marathon baby!

What a goal for 2012!!

I'm a beginner runner, actually a beginner at even working out. I woke up one morning earlier this year and decided I wanted to run, to be more active, healthy and toned. I immediately signed up for a small 5k and quickly realized I need a bigger goal. I came across this Wine Country Half Marathon in our area and just HAD to sign up. If you know me, you know I'll do anything for wine!

I'm currently working on training and getting in shape for this run and thought what better way to become motivated than to raise money for one of my all time favorite charities, American Diabetes Assoc! As many of you know, Bryan has had type 1 diabetes since he was 11 months old. It's something we cope with on a daily basis. It doesn't only affect him; his father, my grandparents, friends are all coping with the same thing.

Back in 2010, Bryan and I raised a lot of money for the DC Step Out walk held in October. We'd love to continue to show our support for the ADA when we run our first big race!

Any donation is welcome and greatly appreciated! You can even get creative and buy a mile, we'll showcase your company logo or whatever you want! Or donate a certain amount per mile we run. (Remember, a half marathon is 13.1 miles)

Thank you all for your continued support as we raise funds for Diabetes.

Donate to ADA here.

Best Bargain Wines? South Africa!

South Africa is gaining more and more exposure in the US market these days. Known for their Chenin Blanc and Pinotage, these are some of the best value wines, most under $15.

Most recently, I poured wines for Wines of South Africa at Washington DC's International Food and Wine Festival. Great crowd pleasers, I hardly had anyone dislike any of the wines I was pouring. Their eyes lit up when I mentioned they were all under $10. I was pouring wines from Two Oceans, who source grapes from the Western Cape region. They were a delightful Sauvignon Blanc, a not-to-sweet Moscato and a fruity Cab/Merlot blend. Ranging in price from $6.99 to $9.99, the everyday wine consumer is their ideal market.

Well-made, becoming more easily accessible, and at that price, South African wines are the perfect everyday wine. The crisp, citrusy chenin blancs and the smoky, meaty Pinotage's pair well with food as well as easy to drink on their own. A classic New World wine, you can expect them to be very fruit forward, light, and fresh.

Perfect for patio drinkin' and your wallet. Seek out something different, pick up a bottle of South African wine next time!

Italian Wines in Loudoun County

Plus side of moving outside of the Beltway? MUCH closer to VA wine country!

Bryan and I cruised down Route 50 for about 15 miles and reached Quattro Goomba's Winery in Aldie, VA. To me, this was a lesser known winery in the Loudoun region. I glanced at their website and noticed they made "Italian" wines. Hmm..you don't see a lot of Sangiovese grown in VA but I'll give it a try. Come to find out, they source all their grapes from Italy and California and just make the wine here. In their words, it is a micro-winery.

I was intrigued and delighted to see something off the beaten path. They had 7 wines to taste, 2 reds, 4 whites and a sweet wine. Glancing at the tasting notes, I noticed a Russian River Chardonnay and a Napa cab. Again, I was a little surprised since I recognized the Napa cab, Sean Minor. I once sold a lot of this at the wine store. So we get started with the tasting.

The Vino di Frascati is a white blend of Malvasia Bianca and Trebbiano. Crisp citrus notes and slightly fruity, this was an easy drinker but still a little too fruity for me. I knew I would love the next one on the list. Teresa's Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. I'm partial to Russian River chard's because they tend to be unoaked with bright flavors. This one was just that!

On to the reds. Vino di Nonni is a blend of 2 red grapes with 1 white grape, all sourced from California. To the eye it is a deep rose color and very light on the palate. I described it best as a pizza wine. The Vino di San Peitro is a Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Sadly, the bottle was just opened before she poured our tasting and it had a strong diesel odor. This one definitely needed to breathe before pouring. Next up was the Sean Minor Cab from Napa. This wine they buy from a distributor in order to offer to their patrons. A little weird if you ask me. I come to a winery to taste your wines, not ones I can find in the neighborhood store. And I must say, this was my favorite red wine of the day. Elegant, smooth, fruit forward and a long finish. Classic California cab. Lastly, they poured us the Tradizione, full-bodied, strong finish, very big wine in my opinion. The color was a bit cloudy and the finish had a tad of spice. Pretty complex but again, definitely needed to breath and be enjoyed with food.

The winery itself is a large garage with a pizza oven in one corner and tasting table in the other. There were plenty of tables in the middle to sit down, enjoy some pizza and a glass of wine. This particular day they had a live musician playing the guitar as entertainment. Other things worth noting was that they offered a Frappe Vino Slushie, perfect for the summer time, and a mulled wine which was ideal on that cold Saturday.

We ordered a glass each. I got the Vino Di Nonni, the lightest of the reds and Bryan got the Sean Minor Cab (go figure). All in all, it was a great Saturday afternoon but I must say, I probably won't return. I like to visit wineries where the view is spectacular, overlooking the fields of vines. Also to be an Italian winery where only one wine was made from grapes from Italy. Sadly, I just wasn't impressed.

Best Skinny Margarita Ever!

Ok, so it's not wine related but it's alcohol related!!

While making amazing, healthy for you mahi tacos at my girlfriend's house the other night, we just had to have the perfect margarita to pair. We're both on a health kick with exercising, eating well and just feeling all around healthier in 2012. There are a ton of skinny margarita recipes out there but most are very similar. We started with the basics and she happened to have blood oranges on hand. Great choice!

I came up with this concoction:

2 parts tequila (we like boozy drinks)
1 part Triple Sec
Juice of half a lime
Juice of half a blood orange
Top with homemade club soda
(Makes 1 drink)

By juicing your own citrus and not using that pre-made mix, you're saving a lot of calories! At first taste, we both were immediately impressed! "This tastes just like summer!" "It goes down sooo smooth!" Not super tangy or sour, the lime and blood orange were a perfect fit. Not to mention how perfect they were with the amazing mahi tacos!