For Valentines Day, I ended up working from home while I oversaw some home remodeling projects. That also gave me some time to run up the street to our local seafood store and buy some local Cape Cod bay scallops for dinner. I'd like to say I had dinner on the table by the time my wife got home from work, but the truth is it took longer to make than I anticipated. But we eventually sat down to a wonderful meal of Bourbon Bacon-wrapped Scallops, asparagus spears, and sun-dried tomato risotto. To go with the meal, I chose a bottle of "Michael Shaps" 2005 Monticello Viognier from King Family Vineyards. What a delightful choice!As you might guess from the name, this wine is from Virginia. King Family Vineyards is located just outside of Crozet, VA which is about 20 miles down the road from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville. We stopped by the winery on the way home for the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I was trying to get to Monticello to take a tour of the estate, but we didn't arrive until 30 minutes before closing. Fortunately, there are a number of Virginia wineries in the area, so we availed ourselves of their hospitality. King Family Vineyards had been written up in a recent Wine Spectator article, so we made that our final destination. Believe me, this is a place to go to admire people with money. The winery is set on the edge of a huge horse farm and no expense was spared in its construction. Very beautiful setting. A shame it was a chilly day and we couldn't sit on the patio to admire the view while sipping a glass of wine.
"Michael Shaps" 2005 Monticello Viognier
Appealation: Monticello, Virginia
Cost: roughly $25
Appearance: Very delicate clear yellow. Almost colorless
Aroma: Apricots, pineapple, and kiwi (my wife thinks I'm dreaming about the last one, but I swear I smell kiwi)
Taste: Full bodied. Burst of apricots, pineapple, and other citrus. Very pleasing tang and minerality in the lingering finish.
Paired very well with the scallops and risotto!
Salute,
a Wine Student
