jingle – One With Vino

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You know how you go to a certain establishment, whether it be a restaurant, a bar, a grocery store, a library, a church, a winery, or anything for that matter; sometimes you feel an energy that seems familiar. You know it from somewhere but you can’t quite place it. The joke might be that if you’ve been there before but just don’t remember, it might not feel so spiritually enlightening upon further investigation.

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But something about Red Red Wine Bar feels like it’s a place that I’ve been to not just last year, or a random visit when I’m in Annapolis. But somewhere else. Whether it’s a previous lifetime, or something bigger than any of us, I don’t know. But there’s a vibe in there that I can’t put into words, I don’t need to put into words, but I’m going to to my best anyways.

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Red Red Wine Bar once again made the transformation into the Jingle Bell Bar for another year, and from the outside to the interior, it looks spectacular.

And just like last year (post can be found here) there was another fantastic holiday event promoted in conjunction with Anne Arundel County County Appointed Special Advocates (CASA for short).

The non-profit is something I’ve been a supporter of now for a couple of years and I’m grateful to call the Executive Director a dear friend, and even more so, family. And thankfully, I’m grateful to have made further friends involved with this great organization along the way. All that feeling of love and friendship is heightened during the holidays, and this event symbolized that. But like I was saying, so does this bar. It’s the perfect match, of now just what is great about Annapolis, or the holidays, but this journey of life in and of itself.

And just like last year we had a guest bartender who took good care of us, along with the great staff.

Something else awesome happened on this night. Just when I thought things couldn’t get more surreal, serendipitous, and spectacular (I did that on purpose, yes..) I checked out the wines that they had on tap, and saw they were serving Annapolis’ own Great Frogs Winery, and I am huge fan (evidence of that can be found here), and it just made this night all that more special. It’s those little things, that are the big things to me. How apropos to be having a hometown wine in a neighboring bar. Beautiful.

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Great Frogs’ 2015 Capital Red Blend was the wine of choice, and since it wasn’t on tap, I can’t show you a picture of the bottle nor can I find it on their site. But that’s ok, the notes tell you all you need to know. And when there’s Cabernet Franc, that will usually make myself and many others quite happy. Mixing Cab Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot can yield all types of results depending on the quality of the wine, your palate, and your mood.

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I was in a great mood, my palate loves all these grapes, and Great Frogs is no slouch. They are well respected in Maryland and I’m willing to bed in many parts of the country as well. That segues into their wines being able to be shipped in a plethora of states across the nation.

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This blend is perfect for the colder weather, the holidays, and maybe everything before and after that, if that makes any sense. It’s fruit forward but not too sweet. And when you have you tannins as smooth as this, with the Cab Franc, it’s going to be a winner. And this is all on tap! This was tremendous. This is tremendous.

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For more on the pizza, click here.

The Capital Red Blend is not listed, which is a bummer, but I’m sure there’s a wine or two that might cater to ones liking. The price points may be a tad higher for some, and I totally get that, and I would be lying if I’ve ever purchased a bottle of there’s myself. That’s not to say I wouldn’t in time, for a special occasion or for any reason to share with friends.

And this is where we are, this was a night of friendship, love, goodwill, and helping out an incredible cause. I was going to go into detail about the other two wines, but it doesn’t feel right. This may have to happen another time.

Which leads me to another story. I had intentions of visiting Great Frogs the day after Thanksgiving. They held a festive event for the day after, which many places did, since people are off and many are out shopping that day. Circumstances and life prevented me from attending, which tells me it wasn’t my time just yet. And I know it will be soon. Other than that, I know visits to Great Frogs are by reservation only. It’s only a matter of time.

Several years ago, I actually was at a residence not realizing that the winery was footsteps away surrounded by the most incredible shrubbery. The images you might be having in your head are as picturesque as being there in person. Too bad I’ve only been in, around, and in the vicinity of the winery, and had the pleasure of tasting their wines at wine festivals in the area.

It’s only a matter of time…

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But what’s most important is to appreciate the present, and all the good things we’ve done this holiday season. We’ve hopefully gone to some great parties, spent it with some fantastic people, of course eaten some delicious food, and embraced all the little quirks and joys that this holiday can bring. And of course that music, some great, and some that can drive you crazy. I think the staff at Red Red Wine Bar/Jingle Bell Bar can attest to that.

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But this is all the stuff (and so much more) that makes the holidays what they are. And that’s such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

As I first said, I have a connection with this place, that’s within a town I love so much, and to spend it with people I love and adore so much, is something that will resonate with me forever.

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For more on Red Red Wine Bar, everything you need can be found here.

Information on Great Frogs, including their story, wine list, and contact information can be found here.

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For more on Anne Arundel County CASA, here is more about them, how to volunteer, ways to get involed, and donation information.

This was fun, and this year was just as delightful as last. Every year, every event, every situation can tell a different and compelling story. This is one that has a great beginning, middle, and end, yet it’s still to be continued…

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Peace Be With You…

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Happy New Year everyone. There’s so many posts that I let linger too long that they no longer become relevant. It could be because seasons have changed, too much time has passed, or the time of year would become compromised.

If I let the wines I tried from Red Red Wine Bar of Annapolis, MD remain uncorked and without the proper review, then I would ruin Christmas and the holidays forever. That was a joke by the way.

I was of course going to write about my experience a few weeks back, in conjunction with the fabulous pizzas we had, but all of the holiday everything took over. That might be me making excuses but it also gave me time to reflect a little more on this experience, and see if these wines I tasted resonated with me into the new year. And has it aged well with me.

A great wine ages well but so does an organically awesome experience.

And I always attempt to write about wine in a way that is approachable, relatable, and accessible to everyone.

Little did I know that I would get such a valuable lesson in New World Vs. Old World.

It’s one of those things we often taken for granted. When we sip wine we usually just want it to taste a certain way, and for us to feel good about what we’re drinking. How often do we think about where the wine is coming from?

For me I’d like to know the source. Knowledge is power. But knowledge when it comes to wine is even more invaluable. It opens so many doors and steers conversations in regards to food and beverage into magical places. I’ve found myself in riveting discussions because of what I’ve learned about wine and even more what my peers have taught me, whether directly or by happenstance.

So without getting any more long-winded I’m happy to write about a new world and an old world varietal.

The 2015 Penya Viognier is a treasure. And as much as it paired great with the pizza we had, I can only imagine how great this would be in the summer. With its inclusion of summer fruits like mango, pineapple, and peach this is perfect all year round. But when it’s warmer in climate I can only imagine how joyous this is with a less hearty meal.

And the novice in me also thinks of New World (which is what this wine is) is the addition of fruits, more oak, and more creativity than it’s Old World counterparts. I also think many New World wines want to please many people at once. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Wine is intended to make as many people happy as possible.

For more on this wine, which is distributed by Regal Wine, click here.

Now for the Old World.

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The 2012 Villa Puccini Toscana is what old world is all about. It’s a medium bodied wine that is easy to drink and easy to drink now. I found it just as light if not lighter than the Viognier. But that could be because of the heavy holiday eating going on at the time. And what else screams Old World more than Italy.

90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot seems simple enough.

However, I’ve had the Villa Puccini countless times in the past. It’s just one of those wines that I tend to see everywhere. I’ve had it at restaurants, seen it at parties, and swear I’ve seen it sold in many a wine shoppe. And it has always been reasonably priced and easy to drink, and to pair with everything. If that isn’t old world then I don’t know what is.

But what’s old world and new world to me may be different for you, and different or everyone else. And that’s the joy in wine drinking.

And more for on this wine which is distributed by HeyDay Corporation, click here.

I want to once again thank Bethany at Red Red Wine Bar for a world class experience that will forever stick with me as a great memory for this past holiday season.

I’ve seen both wines priced in stores anywhere from $9-$12. Both are bargains for what you’re getting.

This is only the beginning. Their wine list is loaded with goodness and an inspired collection of wines that I won’t be able to ever do in its entirety. But I can try a few. And I hope to revisit this within the next month or so.

One wine I forgot to mention was their Chardonnay on tap. I may have actually enjoyed it more than the others. Not for the fact that it was on tap (well maybe). But for the simple flavor. It’s my fault I didn’t investigate further. But it was wonderful. Just another in the many reasons I will be back.