We had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday at the beach – the in-laws all wanted to go to Chincoteague, Virginia and rent places for the holiday. It was a really nice idea. Hubby and I rented a little house that took dogs, loaded up the work car and I got to take my first trip over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This is 17.6 miles across (and under) the bay at it’s southern end. I was actually a bit scared of it, but it doesn’t feel anywhere close to 17 miles long, and you move quickly through it. I imagine it would be scarier in a storm. There was even a massive cargo ship going over the tunnel shortly before we went through it.
At Hubby’s insistence (lol, as if), we took 10 bottles of wine to share over the three nights. All but one were Virginia, and the non-Virginia (Silver Oak Cab, of course!) was not even opened and returned home to wait until Christmas.
Before we hit the road on Wednesday, I will admit to finishing the open bottle of 2021 Arterra Petite Sirah – I mean it was only one glass, it was after 10 a.m., and Husband was driving (and sometimes I need wine for that!). This dark, rich wine is just sneaky and stunning – so full of vibrancy and flavor. I have one bottle left, and I will truly miss it when it’s gone. I’m going to wager that the 2023 version will pack even more punch, and I am banking on that two years from now….. wonder if they are letting us buy futures?
On arrival at the house and unloading/move in, I went ahead and opened up a 2020 Grinning Fox from Mountain and Vine. This wine was a Petit Verdot/Malbec blend. Despite being 75% PV, it is surprisingly gentle – the influence of Virginia Malbec is just stunning. When it’s good, it’s really shockingly good. I confess to having two glasses before heading out to pick up takeout seafood to bring to the in-laws for dinner. I brought over the 2021 Walsh Twin Notch Red blend and a Michael Shaps Merlot to have with the dinner. Of course Hubby made everyone vodka drinks too, and most had those while I enjoyed the Twin Notch. Eventually, most sampled the Twin Notch and really loved it! It is a lighter red blend and makes for very easy drinking. While I prefer white wine with seafood, this was great alongside the dinner (especially hush puppies!). We didn’t open the Shaps, and I actually sent it home with the in-laws. Once we got back to our place, I had a little more of the Grinning Fox too.
Thanksgiving day itself came – the crew had a brilliant idea to get on a boat and tour the bay to go see the Wild Ponies on Chincoteague and Assateague. It was cold, so we all bundled up and headed to the park to get on the boat. This was really fun – the bay area is about 4 feet deep, so not scary and not too wavy on the ride, plus we didn’t go too fast (which was great, cause the wind on the face was already a little bit painful). We did get some pony sightings, and the coastline area of the bay is just gorgeous. We had a late charcuterie lunch afterwards with some 2020 Ankida Ridge Blanc de Noir – this is an amazing wine – everyone loved it, and I think it starts a celebration right – it’s crisp and bright.
After charcuterie, we went back to our place to take care of the dogs for a bit and prep our sides for the dinner (hubby did his sweet potato soufflé and I did my classic stuffing). That Mountain and Vine wine may have been finished off while cooking.
We brought our sides to the dinner along with the 2021 Mount Alto Manteo-Nason and a 2022 Walsh Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc (there is a theme here with the Walsh wines this Thanksgiving!). The Manteo-Nason was a big hit and well-received, and people enjoyed the story of the place. We didn’t end up opening the Walsh at this point, because we were focused on chowing down the Thanksgiving goods.
While the reds don’t pair great with turkey, this wine is so good, and so different, that it goes great with everything, and is wonderful to drink on it’s own. I was so pleased that this was a hit with everyone. It’s one of my favorite finds of 2023.
Friday came and it was a day of digesting ALL THAT FOOD, and just enjoying the aftermath of the holiday. The fact that there was no shopping madness to rush through, (though the downtown area, such as it was, was a little busy), made it so great. We drove to the beach in Assateague and go some nice photos there, headed downtown to walk around and get pictures in the “Love” chairs, and then went to have leftovers lunch with the in-laws. I got to try out a really cute little coffee shop too – had an amazing chocolate croissant and latté. We ordered seafood again for dinner and I had oysters on the half shell and a crabcake sandwich – this time we opened the Sauvignon Blanc, and it was the perfect pairing – the crisp acidity goes so nicely with seafood. This was a big hit, even with those who don’t like Sauvignon Blanc as a rule. I’m so glad I scooped a few of these on my last trip to Walsh.
Once we got back to our house, I relaxed by opening the 2019 Walsh Russ Mountain Merlot. This is such a great wine to relax with – so consistently good and rich, and unlike any other Virginia Merlot with its silky texture and smooth, pleasant fruit.
VIrginia wine continues to impress and improve in overall quality and in terms of its distinctness from all the bottles on the grocery store shelves. Overall, I really enjoyed the broad sampling of these great wines over the holiday time. There are so many good Virginia wines out there. I really loved seeing people post about their Thanksgiving wines on the Virginia Wine Love Facebook page. I hope you were able to enjoy some with your thanksgiving!
Don’t forget that there is a new shirt design, and a hat design available now on the My Nova Wine Blog store! No need to brave crazy crowds, check them out and order to receive in time for the next holiday!
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