Wannabe Wino

Friday Wine Down
Friday, September 7, 5:30 - 7:30
Bill McKenney of Michael Downey Selections will be presenting a delicious range of wines from Italy. Take advantage of special discounts during the tasting.

Saturday Tasting
Saturday, September 8, 1-4 pm
Tom Kiszka of Potomac Selections will be here with wines from France and California, some new ones and some old favorites. Take advantage of special tasting discounts!

At Out of Site Wines in Vienna, you also have two great tastings to choose from!

Summer hangs on, as it often does this time of the year. Many of you can't wait to open up big cool weather reds, but the stretch of warm weather underway has many of our customers running out of wines to refresh. We have a delightful new Spanish Cava Brut and an Italian Orvieto to help keep you cool this weekend.

ON THE TASTING BAR THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1-4 PM: DECIDEDLY NEW WORLD WINES STYLED FOR FALL DINING AND ENTERTAINING

Despite the current heat, cool weather can't be very far away. That calls for whites with more body and richness, as well as heartier red wines. Rob Davis of Associated Distributors is back with some standout wines this Saturday. Two of these wines are made by superstar winemakers of the Southern Hemisphere -- Aurelio Montes of Chile and Rolf Binder of Australia.

• 2005 Montes Alpha Chardonnay (Chile/Casablanca Valley). In 2000 this wine was voted "Best Chardonnay in the World" in a simultaneous cyber-tasting in 26 cities hosted by Slow Food and VinItaly. About this vintage the Wine Spectator said (89 points): "Pretty pear, apple and piecrust notes on a creamy frame. Judicious toast on the finish lets the minerality come through. Nice length." During an April 2007 blind tasting event of over 60 Chardonnays from Chile and Argentina, The Wall Street Journal selected Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2005 as the Best. Nice pedigree.
• 2005 Incognito Viognier (California/Lodi). The Viognier formerly known as Roussanne. The vines that provide the grapes for this award-winning wine have an interesting and controversial history. Previously awarded "Best Rhone in the World" as a Roussanne at the 2000 Los Angeles International Wine Competition, subsequent DNA testing at U.C. Davis determined that this unique grape is a rare clone of Viognier that mysteriously appeared in California during the past decade and is not, in fact, a Roussanne after all. Properly named Viognier, the wine won Gold at the 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition as Best in Class. Tempted?
• 2004 Santa Ema Merlot Reserve (Chile/Maipo). Since Rob introduced this wine to the shop in early August, it has been one of our best sellers. We couldn't resist sharing it with those of you haven't found it yet. By the way, it's also got good press. Ask Rob.
• 2004 Rolf Binder Heinrich (Australia/Barossa Valley). 45% Shiraz, 35% Grenache, 20% Mataro. Wine Spectator (91 points): "Light on its feet. Dances across the palate with berry, pomegranate and rhubarb, picking up sweet spice and fresh orange peel notes on the expressive finish. Drink now through 2014." Robert Parker, Jr. calls Binder "one of Australia's finest winemakers." This wine is delicious!