Wino Wednesday: White Varietals

Some ladies in the Hampton Roads area recently decided to meet up every other Wednesday and learn about wine and graciously invited yours truly!

The goal is to find at least one bottle for each variety that we love, and eventually to learn how to pair with food. Last night, we each brought a bottle of white.

Our hostess, Lauren, served up yummy snacks in her elegant silver trays — tres chic.

Since I was bringing a dessert wine — Bug Juice Moscato d'Asti — I brought chocolate chip cupcakes garnished with golden raspberries I found at The Fresh Market.

We tried, left to right: 

• Prince Michel Pinot Grigio: a tart, citrusy pinot with a nice finish. Certainly had some bite, though.
• Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc: A citrusy wine with a spicy bite.
• Schmitt Sohne Riesling: A fragrant, sweet and, for lack of a better word, drinkable wine. I loved it, but I love Rieslings in the summertime.

We also had:

• Ironstone Vineyards Symphony: A delicious, very drinkable mix with a really nice finish. This was my favorite!
• Horton Vidal Blanc: Another Virginia wine, it was dryer than we expected and for some reason, reminded us of bananas. But not in a bad way!
• Rinaldi Vini Moscato d'Asti Bug Juice: My pick, a very sweet, very sparkly and delicious moscato. I'm a sucker for asti in any case, but this was like drinkable cake. 

If you're in the Hampton Roads area and would be interested in joining in, shoot me an email at newlydomesticated(at)gmail.com.