Selma's Wine Blog

 Winery Visit #1: Stone Tower Winery This past weekend, I visited Stone Tower Winery with my family! Stone Tower Winery is a beautiful and unique winery located in the heart of Virginia wine country in Northern Virginia. The winery is set on a 206-acre estate and offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside, including rolling hills, lush vineyards, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. When we arrived at the winery, we were immediately greeted by friendly staff who guided us through the tasting room and introduced us to the winery's many offerings. We opted for the Cellar tour, starting off with a glass of sparkling wine, my favorite! The tasting room is warm and inviting, with comfortable seating areas and a large fireplace that creates a cozy atmosphere. During our tour of Stone Tower Winery, we learned about the winery's production process and what sets them apart from other wineries in the area. Stone Tower Winery is known for their commitment to sustainable...

 Wine & Cheese #1 My best friends and I went to Blacksburg Wine Lab to celebrate my new full-time job post grad! Since we'd be able to taste more wines and cheeses with more value, I decided to make this a wine and cheese tasting! For my three wines, I chose the Captain's Chair Flight, which includes a 2020 Serra Oca Moscatel Graudo, 2020 Siduri Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, and a 2020 Mollydooker the Boxer Shiraz. Moscatel Graudo Tasting Notes: This is a light white wine from Portugal, made from 100% Moscatel Graudo grapes. This wine was not my favorite, I found it to be too acidic and too musky for me. It had strong flavors, almost peachy with a hint of spice and grapefruit. I also could find hints of olive oil, weird! It is slightly sweet, but not too much at all. Served chilled, I thought of this as a good white wine for people that love oaky flavors. Pinot Noir Tasting Notes: This wine is 100% Pinot Noir from California. Some major flavors that hit me all at once were blac...

 Wine Tasting #8 Name: La Ferme Julien Varietal: Blended (rosé): Shiraz/Syrah ,  Grenache ,  Cinsault Re gion: Southern Rhône Country: France Year: 2021 Price: $5.99 Wine Tasting Notes :  " Limited time on the skins leaves behind a pleasing light pink with pastel highlights. These visual delights are amplified by the aromas of delicate red fruits, fresh flowers, and citrus. And after such preliminaries, your palate will only continue to applaud the persistent fresh fruit notes that are delivered dry (but not exceedingly so) with a clean finish." Wine Folly Specific Traits: " The meatiest of the bunch, Syrah rosé wines exude white pepper, red pepper flake, cured meat, and cherry flavors with a backbone of bitter lime zest. This is not your typical fruity rosé wine!" https://winefolly.com/tips/4-rose-varieties-to-know-and-love/ My Review: This is the perfect summer rosé! I can just picture myself out enjoying the sun with a crisp, chilled glass of this amazing win...

  Wine Tasting #7  Name: Grifone Varietal: Sangiovese Re gion: Puglia Country: Italy Year: 2021 Price: $4.99 Wine Tasting Notes :  " Notes of sweet fruits intertwine with hints of Mediterranean spices, vitalized by a bright acidity that is balanced by balsamic and fragrant flavors, extending its finish and inviting the next sip." Wine Folly Specific Traits :  " Tart Cherry, Red Plum, Strawberry, Fig ,  Roasted Pepper, Tomato, Leather, Clay, Brick, Tobacco, Smoke, Oregano, Thyme, Dried Roses, Potpourri" https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/guide-to-sangiovese-wine/ My Review: Since I love red wines that are on the drier and more full bodied side, this wine was perfect for me. I really enjoyed the savory, yet fruity flavors and smooth, rich mouth-feel that it provided. I definitely noticed some tart cherry and thyme flavors in this wine, as well as raspberry. After a few sips, I even got a hint of clove! It's rustic, jammy, and easy to enjoy. I'd recommend this win...