Vino Volo: Dallas/Fort Worth

Recently I was lucky enough to get to take a trip home to warm & beautiful California.  It was a solo trip (I risked the Hubs killing off my vegetable seedlings), as well as my second time flying alone.  I am not the best flier. I am a panicky person; it happens to the best of us. But since I had previously forged the way, this trip was easier to handle. The more you fly, the easier the process gets.

Or maybe it was just that I was so completely stoked to finally have a layover at an airport with a Vino Volo and a couple of hours to kill. A little wine to calm my nerves?

Vino Volo is a tasting room I first crossed paths with back in 2012 at the Dulles Airport in Washington DC.

What better way to wait for a flight than to casually sample wine flights or drink full glasses of multi regional wine?  And if you are hungry you can take full advantage of an artisan menu equipped with tapas style delights.

This time I enjoyed the Shades of White (feeling reminiscent of a 50 shades reference)   wine flight and was pleasantly buzzed by the time I took the tram to my terminal.

Here is what I tasted:


2012 Pinot Grigio - Cantine Settesoli, Italy: this wine is light and crisp. It is easy to drink but lacks some defining pizazz that would make me say "I have to have a bottle of this". It has a sweet nose, and is very opaque in color.  It carries strong melon notes of c antelope and some sweet notes of honey. Summer BBQ or deck wine.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc - MaiMai Haukes Bay, New Zealand: New Zealand wines are exciting to me. This is not your average class act of a Sauvignon Blanc by any means. Grassy, juicy nose, more yellow in color but still pale.  There are sweet notes of pineapple  that makes this wine almost juicy but it has a nice dry finish the brings you back to a grassy, minerality or earthiness. It's easy drinking and worth sharing.  At $9.00 a bottle, this wine is more than a deal and I would gladly tuck two bottles under my arms and prance off into the night.

2011 Chardonnay - Hill Family Castle - Napa, CA: Looking at this wine, I was pleasantly surprised. Its a classic Chardonnay; rich buttery yellow. A little mirky and thick but not so that it lost it's opaque qualities. The nose is mellow, slightly oaky, and the taste is smooth, buttery and filled with oak. It's not just the buttery oak that resonates in this wine; it's a toasted bread, warm and full bodied. It is dry. It warms the entire palate as it rolls over your tongue. It gives the body of this wine something to talk about. There are fruit notes in the background, some apple, but they are not overwhelming and it's a good mix.  It isn't quite your typical chardonnay. It brings back taste-bud memories of Roussanne wines.  This wine is also worth a purchase to at least make a good chocolate and cheese plate (buttery triple cream brie, super soft and milky milk chocolate, and some dry roasted almonds to really balance out your meal).

By the time I was done at Vino Volo, I was toasted in a wine filled bliss.

In short - when traveling, make the most of your time. Seek out what you love and indulge in it.

Salute!

Wine: Derby Pinot Grigio

This wine is Ah-maz-ing. I can't remember the last time I was excited about a Pinot Gri (more of a Chardonnay kinda gal).

It's a beautiful crisp white with subtle fruit notes, most notable to me is apricot. It's not a sweet wine but on the sweeter end, definitely not dry. We paired it with a salad, linguine and salmon.

Derby 2009 Pinot Grigio is definitely a diverse crowd pleaser, a definite white table wine.

Salute!

Wine Time: Morovino Winery Review

Morovino Winery is located in Avila Beach, California. It is the home to two of the first two Pinot Grigio's that have floored me in a long while. Nay nay; I am not prejudiced of any wine, I love all equally and... Perhaps too affectionately ... We all have out go-to white wines and mine are usually Chardonnay or moscato varieties. [My favorite pinot gri was a White Cranberry Pinot Grigio produced by a Clovis, Ca winery, Water 2 Wine, who unfortunately went out of business (shakes fist to the sky)].


We stumbled across Morovino this past weekend while enjoying a day trip to the beach to celebrate a friends' birthday. This day included soaking up sun on the beach until we were baked and burned like roasted tomatoes, partaking in comprised jello cups (chamboard and raspberry jello shot recipe to follow eventually...) and celebrating her birthday at every single winery we walked into. Literally. Wineries within one block of each other, as if we already didn't have a reason to celebrate.

Morovino was stop #1.

All 5 wines were delicious at this venue, with 2 Pinot Grigio varieties, a Barbera, Malbec, and a Dolcetto. I have a soft spot for Barberas; there is something about the robust but smooth nature I adore in that variety... All wines, however, were exceptionally delicious, smooth, and true to their name.

I even bought a coaster to add to my collection of winery coasters (the label is a pretty colorful bird). I am a sucker for overpriced gifts at gift shops. The insanity will not stop until I have 8 coasters for my coffee table!!!

You should be warned, you can call the bird that is their label a hawk, a seagull... Even a chicken. Pretty much anything but a duck. You will get cut off for this blasphemy!!! Of course this was our first stop of the day, so we had no issues of sputtering out bird names ... It was a delightful stop located next to a taqueria with delicious fish tacos. Definitely worth a stop for your next visit. Follow it up with a fish taco... And a "jello cup"...