Harvest Time at Fabbioli Cellars

Sadly, I have never been able to participate in harvest in VA wine country because most of the time, they ask for volunteers during the week. Much to my surprise, Fabbioli Cellars in Loudoun County sent out a tweet about helping on a Saturday! Of course, I was in!

I arrived there shortly after 9am, grabbed a bucket and some sheers and starting clipping. This particular day they were harvesting Cabernet Franc, one of Virginia's most popular grapes.

There were quite a few of us out there helping that day, including family and friends of the vineyard. General conversation with fellow wine lovers was a great attribute while working hard! ;) Once we filled up the bins, vineyard workers/volunteers came through with a trailer to empty the bins and then the clusters were headed to the destemmer.

After a few hours of manual labor (I kid, it wasn't bad at all!), we went inside to wash up. While inside, I decided to stick around for a tasting of their wines. There were 8 wines to taste and the tasting fee was $10. This included food pairings! The tasting room was inviting and each tasting table had seats for you to rest your feet. Both the chairs and the food pairings were an added touch.

I'm looking forward to tasting the 2012 Cabernet Franc reserve, knowing I helped out in a tiny way!

 Cheers!

Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer

October is breast cancer awareness month. This year I volunteered to help Pink Jams, a breast cancer charity based right here in DC. They focus on awareness for breast cancer under the age of 40.

This October will mark the 2nd Annual Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer. A benefit at local restaurants to help raise money by dining out! Plenty of restaurants around town are participating, take a look at the calendar from their site.

I will be participating on Saturday, October 13 at Cafe Soleil! They have graciously signed up to participate EVERY Saturday and Sunday night in the month of October! If you can't join me on the 13th, please try to visit another weekend and show your support for breast cancer awareness!

I have set up a Facebook event to keep everyone in the loop and I really hope to see you there! RSVP here.

Hope to see you out at some of these great events to help raise money for breast cancer!

Cheers

A Visit to Santo Wines in Santorini

While honeymooning in Greece, we consumed quite a bit of Greek wine! Thankfully, when we got to Santorini we were able to squeeze in some visits to local wineries.

Tourists in Santorini have a few options when it comes to transportation around the island. There's the standard cab or bus or moped rentals. We chose the non conventional route of 4 wheelers! Going back to my southern, country roots, we took the 4-wheeler around the southern part of the island, stopping at Santo Wines, Boutari and also the black sand beach.



Santo Wines is a very popular, local winery in Santorini. We even tasted the wine on a boat tour the day before! The view from the tasting room is unparalleled. I must say, Napa, this may have you beat ;)


The vast seaside overlook was filled with chairs, welcoming wine lovers to enjoy a glass with a view.


The tasting was 1 euro per taste, not bad, and you were able to select which wines. The tasting was very impersonal. We were told which wines we could select from, a brief description of each and then we sat ourselves. No tasting notes were provided, just a handwritten list of which wines we were tasting. However, the view of the sea made up for the impersonal staff.

As for the wines I tasted, I chose the Athiri, Aidani, Assyrtiko and Nykteri. All 4 are white wines. The Nykteri is a blend of the 3 previous grapes and also my favorite. It is the most complex of the 4 and also easily drankable on its own, perfect for a sunny afternoon in Santorini. The Athiri and Aidani were a bit acidic and monotone. The assyrtiko was a little more lively and balanced. Blending all 3 produces a great blend.


All in all, it was a great visit. Wine was decent, views were fantastic, I just wish the tasting was more personal so we could gain more from the experience.

Even the hubby enjoyed sipping wine in paradise!

Cheers!