Wine and Cheese Tastings

By: Genevelyn steele | Richmond.com
Published: August 05, 2010

This week River City Cellars celebrates and Wine & Beer Westpark hosts a winemaker. RSVP now, but save the date, for J. Emersons wine class next weekend.　

Thursday, Aug. 5, 6-7 p.m., Foxglove Wine Tasting @ Wine & Beer Westpark

Bob Varner of Varner-Neely-Foxglove wines web-hosts this free tasting. Notes from Robert Parker on the wines:

2008 Foxglove Chardonnay — The sensational 2008 Chardonnay Central Coast, which is fermented and aged completely in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation. Loads of tropical fruit, honeysuckle and orange blossom notes fill the olfactory sense, as does the luscious medium-bodied texture on the palate. The wine is buttressed by crisp underlying acidity, and the result is a fresh, naked expression of Chardonnay that is top-flight.

2007 Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon — A blend of all-Paso Robles fruit and composed of 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the wine has a dense ruby/purple color and plenty of black fruit intermixed with loamy soil undertones, licorice, and spice. The wine is luscious and. medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a heady, opulent finish.

Also try the 2009 Foxglove Zinfandel, the 2007 Varner Home Block Chardonnay and the 2007 Neely Hidden Block Pinot Noir.

Friday, Aug. 6, 5-7 p.m. Wine and Cheese Tasting @ River City Cellars

Enjoy window shopping on the way to this weekly Carytown tasting. Friday, River City Cellars celebrates its 12th birthday, so that means something extra special will be poured and presents will be exchanged. Spend $50 at River City Cellars and receive a $12 dollar gift card to redeem at their sister enterprise, the adjacent Secco wine bar. It’s sort of like River City Cellars is buying you a drink on their birthday.

Cost: Free tasting (gift cards offered now through Aug. 7)

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, Aug. 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wine Class @ J. Emerson

This hour-long class is held in the wine cellar. This month’s topic: demystifying French and Italian wine labels. Taught by Josh George, the intention is to guide buyers into finding value in Old World wines, using their labels as a map to quality, terrior and grape varietal. The seating is limited to the first eight people who sign up with the shop.

If you haven’t signed up for the monthly newsletter at J. Emerson, you can do so by following this link: http://www.jemersonfinewine.com/index.php/includes/mail_newsletter/　

There you will find special offers and invitations for newsletter subscribers, such as the 2008 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay at half price.

Cost: Free

Have a wine event I need to know about? Email me, genevelyn@gmail.com