OKTOBER in September

It's the time of year where were all the little German towns in this area (and other towns as well) celebrate their local Oktoberfest and yours truly is not only a wine lover but also a beer lover (maybe it's my German heritage). So what better way to celebrate the German culture then to study both.

Oktoberfest originated 1810 with a 16 day celebration in honor of a royal wedding. Since Oktoberfest started in the heart of Bavaria, beer was the drink of choice and is also the drink of choice of Germans nationwide currently. There are some phenomenal beers coming out of Germany now...breweries such as Augustiner, Hofbrau, Spaten, and Paulaner are a few of the excellent breweries you will find from this country. These breweries craft great pilsners, weisbiers (white beers) and heffeweizen. But in true stereotypical German fashion they are very committed to excellence not only in the breweries but also in the wineries.

Germany's government is highly involved in the quality of wine that comes out of there. They are producing EXCELLENT Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris & Muscat and as for reds Pinot Noirs are up and coming. With every wine that is created in Germany 2 bottles must be sent to the overseeing organization of wine called easily abbreviated to VdP. One is ALWAYS left corked in a wine vault and the other one is kept so that if their is every a dispute of someone misrepresenting a wine they can test it against the one given to the VdP.

Okay, I'm sure some of you are like "enough with the history lesson, Kim" but I think in order to understand what it is we are drinking we have to know the care that goes behind it. And for those of you who don't know last weekend we just released or 2008 Riesling so during the month of "Oktober" come drink like the Germans do at Corcoran Vineyards.

Eat Well! Drink Well!
Kim

As another harvest is upon us...I say let the tasting begin.

It seems the fall is the busiest time of year to visit wineries. Everyone is out and about enjoying the autumn colors, the cool breeze, and tasting new wines.

I always like to think of Corcoran as a place to get more of an educational experience because you can taste and learn about the wines. We offer wine and herb pairings with either myself or Sommelier, Mary Watson in our aroma garden where we show how the power of herbs can influence your palate. Our Chief Tasting Officer is Kim and she is studying to become a Sommelier, so she too is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to wine.

A couple things to remember when going wine tasting this fall...

1. Eat breakfast, pack snacks/lunch and drink lots of water.

2. Swirl the wine in your glass...this will open up the wine and enhance the aromas.

3. Sniff the wine...how does it smell? Fruity? Floral? Spicy?

4. Sip...always try and make your wine sample into three sips so you can get the full flavors on your palate...remember that the first sip is usually a palate shocker so always try a second sip.

5. Savour...enjoy all those flavors of that wine on your palate from the front, to the middle and the finish.

Come out to Corcoran this fall to enjoy a day with friends and family as we hope to make your tasting experience a little better, one glass at a time.

Cheers!

What a Novel Idea....

Fall time in Loudoun County is extremely picturesque. The leaves have turned beautiful shades of amber, gold, and sun burnt orange and you can hear the cool breeze rustling through the rainbow colored leaves......As you can see I have been inspired not only by the weather but also reading.

A great way to spend one of your weekend days is to head out to a new winery or one of your favorites but don't forget to bring a book. This last Sunday I spent the afternoon out on a patio of one of our local wineries, did a tasting, and then chose a bottle to pair nicely with my novel.

It was extremely relaxing and a great way for me to get engrossed into my book without being interrupted by phone calls, kids crying, making a snack, etc. All those things that really stop us from turning our thoughts into creative images of what our book is reading to us.

We all deal with stresses in our lives and fortunately we have a little piece of color, peace & libations just in our backyards.

Eat Well & Drink Well!
Kim