BooksByVicki

vlt@booksbyvicki.com

Month: April 2017

White Wine Wednesday

Chateau Morrisette- Our Dog Blue White blend

Floyd, Virginia

The tasting notes read “Aroma: Melon, Citrus, apricots, flowers. Palate: Sweet, firm acidity. Finish: Soft. Semi-sweet blend of Riesling, Traminette, Vidal Blanc. Serve Chilled. Pair: Barbecue, Spicy Foods, try over rice with a slice of orange.”

I heard much about Our Dog Blue well before I ever tried it. To my surprise it was my non-wine-loving friends who were ranting about it. In Virginia Chateau Morisette is a well known Virginia winery. Their wines can be found in grocery stores and at times the liquor store. This particular one I believe does well because it is delightful. Drink it chilled and you are instantly on vacation. The tasting notes are quite accurate if you sip it slowly enough to appreciate all the flavor notes.

Chateau Morrisette has a number of wines I enjoy! If you see the label with the Labrador on it, you are bound for a treat!

Roanoke Throwback

TBT Roanoke, Virginia

 Roanoke is a city nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains. I think of it as the blue bowl, this is because when you look around in each direction you are surrounded by mountains in the distance with a bluish hue. There is a large star on one of those mountains and that is why myself and many others refer to it as the Star City of the South.

  Before visiting Roanoke Virginia, I had been to the Virginia coast, I had been to southeast Virginia, central Virginia, and northwest and northeast Virginia. I had never been to southwest Virginia. I didn’t think there was anything there but farm land and a few big universities. The first time I visited Roanoke I was in for a pleasant surprise.

  It was a city, albeit a small, historical railroad city but a city none the less. I felt like it was hidden by the mountains and the plains out of site. But no, due to the railroad Roanoke is not out of sight and has been around for quite some time.

  It has a great farmers market on the weekends and has boutique shops and many restaurants downtown. It’s impressive that this small southern city has many different types of ethnic food you must keep your eyes open for them in order to try them all.

  I love staring up at the big star on Mill Mountain and looking over at the classic Dr. Pepper and H&C coffee lights from the heart of downtown. If you go for a visit you must go up to the star, do a little hike and maybe even visit the zoo there. There is also a modern art museum, railroad museum and a bunch of new breweries opening! Enough to keep you entertained for the weekend. This is the town my husband is from and it is turning into one of my favorite places to visit.

 

 

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Wine Wednesday RED

2010 Danais Cabernet Sauvignon

Brad Smith-Napa Valley, California

The label reads 2014 SF Chronicle Gold

I tried this lovely wine at Silenus Vinters in Napa. The smell was refreshing and relaxing I wanted it to be a candle. On my 1-5 Scale I gave it a 4+ for flavor and smoothness. At the time I tasted it, it was being sold for $36 a bottle.

I now use the vivino app on my cell phone and it will tell me the nearest place I can purchase a certain label. See if it is near you and give it a try. This is a good one to sip alone or share with friends!

 

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Three Sisters Island Trilogy

   Nora Roberts is a new guilty pleasure. You may laugh that I say new when she’s been around for a while and has written more than 100 novels-but she’s new to me! I enjoy reading her witch books. They have magic, the right amount of romance and good always triumphs over evil. Her latest series is the Dark Witch trilogy. I’ve only gotten around to reading the first one. I enjoyed the storyline, the horses, the men. Thankfully I had not read Gallaghers of Ardmore, like so many other fans have and I was not tainted by the similarities between the two.

I’m not writing today about those though. I’m posting about the Three Sisters Island Trilogy. At this point in time I’ve completed Dance Upon Air and Heaven and Earth. I’m such a sucker for 3 sisters, being one of three myself. When you add the elements Earth, Wind, Fire… (Nora where’s Water?) It really gets me going. Nora Roberts characters have their struggles, their character flaws, accomplishments and failures. Despite being a fantasy trilogy the 3 Sisters and the people they share their lives with are quite lifelike. I look forward to getting around to reading the final book. I will probably pick it up fondly at a used book store and crack it open while sitting on a blanket overlooking the sea <3

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