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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Great football wines from Virginia
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Loudoun County News
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Date: September 26, 2011 10:14AM
Great football wines from Virginia
Sunday, Sep. 25 by Chris McGurn
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/great_football_wines_from_virginia945/
Football season is upon us, and regardless of whether you follow a professional or college team – or both – chances are your weekends are occupied to some extent with watching football, eating unhealthy food and, if you’re like me, getting mocked repeatedly for preferring wine to beer while watching the game.
While it’s true that football – and sports in general – tend to be associated far more with beer than wine, there are some great options available for someone who would rather be drinking wine when the game is underway. If you are a wine lover, it is worth the taunts of your friends to drink what you want rather than fall into line behind the drumbeat of beer advertisements.
Luckily, there are many wines made right in Virginia that go extremely well with football. I suggest any easy-drinking red wine that is light to medium-bodied, not overly complex with a little spice on the finish as a football wine. There are many choices available – any of which will be a great accompaniment to the wings, dips, chips and other game foods that are usually widespread.
For Virginia wines, I am a huge fan of the Cabernet Francs coming from the state, and Loudoun County makes some of the best. Fabbioli Cellars, Tarara, Rappahannock Cellars (not in Loudoun County but pretty close) and Notaviva all make excellent Cabernet Francs that are perfect for the game. All of the Cabernet Francs mentioned are medium-bodied, brimming with dark cherries and finish with a subtle spice that seems as though it was made for buffalo wings and bleu cheese dressing.
While Cabernet Franc is my preferred Virginia football wine, there are other great wines out there, too. If you are looking for something a little bit different, Tarara makes a Long Bomb Blend that works on multiple levels. For one, it’s called “Long Bomb” and the Xs and Os are right there on the label. More importantly, it is another great Saturday or Sunday afternoon wine. Long Bomb is a blend of 39 percent Cabernet Franc (I knew I liked it), 34 percent Merlot and 27 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. While this is the most full-bodied of all the wines I mention, it is neither too heavy nor too dry, but complex enough to be an interesting and extremely drinkable wine that can be paired with either chips and dip, sliders, grilled steak or enjoyed entirely on its own.
Another varietal that grows extremely well in Loudoun County is Chambourcin. Chambourcin is a great football wine given its easy drinking, lighter style. Notaviva makes a great Chambourcin as does Dry Mill Vineyards.
Once you muster up the courage to be seen sipping a fine Virginia wine rather than chugging a beer while watching the game, you will be able to tolerate the strange looks people give you and the names they will call you. Smile, swirl, sip, enjoy and hope your team wins.
Sunday, Sep. 25 by Chris McGurn
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/great_football_wines_from_virginia945/
Football season is upon us, and regardless of whether you follow a professional or college team – or both – chances are your weekends are occupied to some extent with watching football, eating unhealthy food and, if you’re like me, getting mocked repeatedly for preferring wine to beer while watching the game.
While it’s true that football – and sports in general – tend to be associated far more with beer than wine, there are some great options available for someone who would rather be drinking wine when the game is underway. If you are a wine lover, it is worth the taunts of your friends to drink what you want rather than fall into line behind the drumbeat of beer advertisements.
Luckily, there are many wines made right in Virginia that go extremely well with football. I suggest any easy-drinking red wine that is light to medium-bodied, not overly complex with a little spice on the finish as a football wine. There are many choices available – any of which will be a great accompaniment to the wings, dips, chips and other game foods that are usually widespread.
For Virginia wines, I am a huge fan of the Cabernet Francs coming from the state, and Loudoun County makes some of the best. Fabbioli Cellars, Tarara, Rappahannock Cellars (not in Loudoun County but pretty close) and Notaviva all make excellent Cabernet Francs that are perfect for the game. All of the Cabernet Francs mentioned are medium-bodied, brimming with dark cherries and finish with a subtle spice that seems as though it was made for buffalo wings and bleu cheese dressing.
While Cabernet Franc is my preferred Virginia football wine, there are other great wines out there, too. If you are looking for something a little bit different, Tarara makes a Long Bomb Blend that works on multiple levels. For one, it’s called “Long Bomb” and the Xs and Os are right there on the label. More importantly, it is another great Saturday or Sunday afternoon wine. Long Bomb is a blend of 39 percent Cabernet Franc (I knew I liked it), 34 percent Merlot and 27 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. While this is the most full-bodied of all the wines I mention, it is neither too heavy nor too dry, but complex enough to be an interesting and extremely drinkable wine that can be paired with either chips and dip, sliders, grilled steak or enjoyed entirely on its own.
Another varietal that grows extremely well in Loudoun County is Chambourcin. Chambourcin is a great football wine given its easy drinking, lighter style. Notaviva makes a great Chambourcin as does Dry Mill Vineyards.
Once you muster up the courage to be seen sipping a fine Virginia wine rather than chugging a beer while watching the game, you will be able to tolerate the strange looks people give you and the names they will call you. Smile, swirl, sip, enjoy and hope your team wins.