Who knew? Right down the road all these years!

Ingleside Plantation Winery in Oak Grove is one Virginia's oldest and largest wineries. I have always heard of it but had never been. My mom's best friend, my "second mom", used to go there quite often and spoke very highly of it. However, she passed long before I ever even could fathom wine.  (Yes, there was a time when I did not like wine at all)  Well, a few weeks ago, Mom, Dad, the Evil Red Genius and I decided to go check it out! Who knew it was only 12 miles from the beach house!!!

 

 

Not expecting much, I was highly impressed! I had no idea such a beautiful secret had been kept from me! Beautiful European style gardens and courtyard and vines for as far as you could see!



 

entrance to the tasting room

pretty water fountain

 

 

 "Wine is sunlight, held together by water."

-Galileo Galilei

After we picked our chins up off the gravel, we decided to walk to the tasting room and try out the wines! To our surprise it was beautiful and spacious inside as well!

 

Ingleside has a few different tastings you can try.

We, unanimously, opted for the Premium Tasting for $7. No sweet wines for us!!!

 

We tried a: 2012 Albarino which was crisp, dry and lemony

 2012 Chardonnay which was crisp and fruity

2012 Viognier (not as disgusting as most Viogniers to me)

 2013 Cab Sav Rose (yuck - Rose)

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (now we're getting better but still not "big" enough for us)

2012 Merlot (not too shabby but Dad really appreciates WA state Merlots now)

 

Then, just when I was ready to say this place is nice but the wine is exactly what I expected - nothing to be excited about - we had the last two wines. We all agreed they were, by far, the best two!

 

 

 

2007 Virginia Gold - a blend of Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab Franc and Touriga Nacional in French and American oak

 

Fruity aromas with a hint of vanilla and a smooth concentration of fruit flavors on the palette.

Now, we're talking, Ingleside!!

 

 

Saving the best for last, was the 2007 Reserve Merlot.

2007 was evidently an ideal harvest season for Virginia winemakers and the Ingleside

winemaker selected his favorite barrels to produce this Merlot. With exceptional fruit, balanced structure and finesse, it was definitely a crowd pleaser. So much so, that Dad bought a bottle to take home!

 

 

We were offered a free tour of the facility and graciously accepted.
With a glass of 2007 Reserve in hand, we were ready!

here we go!
 

 

 

Where the magic happens.....

Barrels make me smile.

our awesome tour guide



production line starts here!



looks way too scientific for me!

 

 

 

"Wine is the pleasantest subject in the world to discuss.

All its associations are with occasions when people are at their best; with relaxation, contentment, leisurely meals and the free flow of ideas."

-Hugh Johnson

something about this view that calms me

 

 

Heading into the barrel room

 

The barrel room was definitely my favorite room. Too dark to take pictures but very elegant.

Great for private tastings/parties.

 



our new buddy, the tour guide

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. "

~Galileo Galilei

 

Oh, how lovely you are, Merlot grapes!

"If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere." ~Vincent Van Gogh

 

 

 

 Ahhh, so nice to meet ya, Ingleside!

I apologize for it taking me so long but rest assured we will return!

The one with the hands

 

There are times when the fewer the words spoken, the more powerful the message. 

 

 

Papillon

 

 

 

 

 

“Wine is bottled poetry.”-Robert Louis Stevenson

 



 

 

“The wine- it made her limbs loose and liquid, made her feel that a hummingbird had taken the place of her heart.”

― Jodi Picoult

 

 

 

 

 Orin Swift Cellars

 

 

My epicurean delight

 

Sometimes when just the right food and just the right wine are paired it becomes magical.

 

All senses are heightened.

 It's not only pleasing to the eye, it's delightful to the nose and your taste buds are overjoyed!

(Wait, what about your ears? Yeah, well, you can almost hear the food and wine

 whispering, "oh yeah, go ahead, you're gonna love this!")

 

You take a deep breath, sit back and savor every single sip and bite.

 

That's what happened when Orin Swift's wine, Palermo, met my beef wellington!

 

Before you sit back and think oh, BEEF WELLINGTON, that's too fancy.

Or that's too hard. Or pate? Ewww, I don't like pate.

Work with me here.... it's worth it.

 

**** 

I was making dinner for four people so it was easiest for me to buy the beef tenderloins in packs of two and individually prepare them. It's also easier to "cater" towards the persons likes also (don't like bleu cheese - ok, I won't include it in yours!)

 

First, heat a tad bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for no more than 10 minutes flipping it once.  You do not want to "cook" the meat; you just want to do a little more than sear each side.  Put on plate, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

 

In a small skillet, with small bit of butter, sautee a box of finely chopped up mushrooms and onions, minced garlic and black pepper.

 

On lightly floured parchment paper, roll out a puff pastry sheet. All recipes say cut the pastry into a 14inch square. Seriously? Unless I get a ruler out, I'm not measuring my pastry. Roll it out so it's not super thick but definitely not paper thin either. This will be the nice yummy blanket that all the goodness goes into so it needs to hold up!  Once it's rolled out, cut it into 4 squares. They don't have to be perfect. Come on!

 

In the center of each square, add a tiny bit of crumbled gorgonzola cheese and then some of the mushroom/onion mixture. This is when you can make each one individualized.

(For example, I put less mushroom mixture in my mom's but a lot of cheese. I put more mushroom mixture and no cheese in my dad's.)
 

Place a tenderloin on top of the mixture.

Fold the two opposite pastry corners over the beef, slightly overlapping. Press to seal. Brush with a beaten egg.  Repeat with the remaining corners.

 

Place the beef pastries seam side down on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. If you don't have time to wait another hour (which I often) don't, that is fine. I have done it both ways and it doesn't make that much of a difference.  Also you'll want to take a butter knife and gently "write" the first initial of the person's first name on it so you'll know which one it belongs to.
 (God forbid, Aunt Becky cuts into it and hers has mushrooms in it!)

 

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Before placing the sheet in the oven, brush the pastries with more of the egg. You don't want to soak it and make it soggy but you want just enough (especially on the corners) to brown it.  Bake for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

I often struggle with which sides to include with beef wellington.  Something green, something colorful yet something that won't overpower the beef. I try to stay away from carbs and starch because it is already wrapped in heavy pastry.

 

****

 

It's summertime and what's better than homegrown tomatoes and fresh basil?? Not much in my mind! I could make a meal simply out of those two things and not much more!

 

A simple tomato caprese would work as a side for this meal.

 

 

What do you need?

1-2 large round homegrown tomatoes

a bunch of fresh basil

fresh mozzarella

 

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella about the same thickness - 1/4 inch or more even.

(It really is up to you. You know what you like.)

 Place a basil leaf or two, depending on how big they are, on top.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Refrigerate.

 

 *******

 

Now, we just need one more side - a green side. I don't like green beans and others don't like kale.  I wanted to roast brussel sprouts but everyone "thumbs-downed" that one.

So roasted broccoli instead!!

 

Talking about simple!

 

Get a crown or two of broccoli and chop off the trunk of the "tree".

Toss the pieces in a mixing bowl and coat them with black pepper and Wegmans Basting Oil (or you can use olive oil and throw in some other herbs but why when this is already made for you?)

Coat the broccoli and then lay the pieces on a sprayed foiled baking sheet.

 

****

 

You can put the beef pastries and the broccoli in the oven at the same time! (425 for 20 minutes)

The key though is to make sure to eat it immediately after removing from the oven!!

If the broccoli doesn't get eaten right when it comes out of the oven it gets cold and loses its crispness rather quickly (I learned the hard way).  I also found that the broccoli is yummy dipped in the balsamic vinegar juice from the tomato caprese too!

 





“Wine is meant to be with food - that's the point of it.”

-Julia Child

 

 

How does this get any better?

Easy!

Open a bottle of 

Orin Swift Palermo!

 

 

 It's earthy. It's fruity. It has a spicy tobacco-like aftertaste. It's balanced. It's silky smooth.

It is heaven in a bottle and you never want it to end.

 

This, my friends, is what I refer to as my epicurean delight! 

Honestly, I don't know how I did it - but it sure worked.

 

 

“Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.”
-William Shakespeare

 

Something this simple shouldn't be this good!

Sometimes I don't need wine. Shocking statement coming from me? It's true, though.

Some nights, most nights actually, I don't need or feel like drinking wine.

 

Last night, I did feel like something delicious for dinner though.

It had to be simple AND delicious at the same time however.

 

If you love seafood, particularly crabs (blue crabs, not king or snow), then you should enjoy this dish I threw together.

 

Crab and Vodka Sauce Pasta

 

 

Boil some penne pasta (or bowtie or even angel hair would work) according to the directions on the box.

You can make the pasta sauce from scratch, but I wasn't empowered to do so at the time.

Simple, remember?

 

I do love Wegmans Vodka Blush Pasta Sauce though (in the prepared foods aisle) and haven't had it in a while. I just happened to have a container of it in my fridge!

 

For one generous helping (obviously just double the recipe if you want more), pour half of the sauce into a small pan and heat on low for about 8 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, use lump blue crab meat, or if you are really lazy like I was take two Wegmans crabcakes, and lightly sautee it in a skillet in a little bit of olive oil on low heat.

 

Once the crab is warmed up, combine it with the heating pasta sauce and stir. The crab meat will start to break up and blend in with the sauce. (Including some diced tomatoes at this point if you'd like.) Be careful not to burn the sauce; keep it creamy.

 

 

Place the pasta in a bowl, pour the sauce over it and top it with a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese (not the shredded kind - get a block and use the cheese grater so it's fine). The cheese will begin to melt just enough once it hits the pasta.

 



 

I cannot begin to explain how scrumptious this was; perhaps even succulent!

 

Something this simple shouldn't be this good!!

 

 

and the cork goes to...............

Want a medium-bodied red wine that is easily drinkable on its own or with food?

Not as light as a Pinot but not as big as a Cabernet?

With a pleasant aroma of dark chocolate and a smooth, jammy taste?

Priced at under $20?

 

Well, you've come to the right place!

 

2010 Seven Falls Merlot

Wahluke Slope, Washington

 

 

 

Just this week, I heard someone say "Sideways (the movie) didn't kill Merlot. Merlot killed Merlot". Luckily, I don't remember much about that movie and luckily, I didn't know anything about Merlot, much less wine in general, when that movie and supposedly, the demise of Merlot occurred.

What I do know is that I am extremely fond of Washington State Merlots.  I love how they are typically very easy to drink, smooth and no specific "fruit" or taste stands out like in a lot of other varietals.

 

Wahluke Slope. Pretty cook name, right? Well, I thought so.

The Wahluke Slope is in south-central Washington State and nestled above the Columbia River. This area has one of the warmest and driest climates in Washington and with its sandy loam soil, it evidently tends to be perfect for creating wines with outstanding structure. I mean who ever turned down a wine with good structure? Right? Someone with no sense, that's who! ha

 

Also, look at the label! Isn't it beautiful? It reminds me of the framed Ansel Adams photograph I have of a waterfall in Yosemite National Park from the 1990s. On this label, you see the Seven Falls which was inspired by a series of seven waterfalls that once flowed along the Columbia River through what is now the Wahluke Slope.

 

Typically I like a Chardonnay or a refreshing white wine in the summer. It's very rare that I have a desire to drink a red wine but on this particular evening that's exactly what I wanted.

 

Why, you ask? Good question.

 

 

Was it because my REDskins were playing their second preseason game?

 

 

Was it to celebrate the fact that after a rough couple of days (involving a visit to the emergency vet) my sweet Prowler was starting to feel better and making a turn for the better?

 



Was it in honor of the potential of there being good, genuine men still out there other than my father and my boss? Was it the fact that not only did I have a good date last Friday but that the same man actually asked to see me again this Friday?

 

Perhaps it was all of the above combined.

 

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen!

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, but after four months and four first dates amounting to nothing, we just may have someone worthy of receiving a cork from Val, the Virtual Bachelorette!

 

Calm down, calm down. I don't "cork and tell". Stayed tuned....