OK no small talk this time let’s get down to business.  In a previous blog I gave the description from the http://www.vawineclub.com newsletter about this merlot called EQUATION from Breaux Vineyards in Loudoun County, Virginia  http://www.breauxvineyards.com .

 “The nose features dark cherry and plum undertones the medium licorice filled attack leads to an anise mid palate that cascades to a memorable lingering finish with tobacco and dark coca.” 

EQUATION - Merlot by Breaux Vineyards

Honestly I really tried sip after sip and glass after glass, but I guess my uneducated palate didn’t even come close to the description above.  I can see already I need a lot more practice at this.

However, I did pick up a couple of distinct flavors.  The first was a hint of (hold on now this is really exciting) APPLE, and the second grape leaves.  Now you are probably asking yourself, grape leaves?????? Where did you taste that before? 

Well as a kid we had grape vines in our back yard.  My mother made my favorite grape jelly.  Anyway I have always liked anything that had a tart flavor and these leaves had a little of that.  It’s been to long for me to remember why I put the leaf in my mouth, but that is the taste I remember.  So there you have it apples and grape leaves.  Now granted there were other flavors, but none that I could put a description on other than to say I liked them.

Don’t get me wrong this was actually a revelation.  I could expect the taste of grape leaves, but apples.  To me that was an exciting find.  Now when you taste the same wine you could find something different.  So if you ever get the opportunity to try the EQUATION come back and let us know what you found.

I guess you can see from my comments I did like this merlot and would recommend it to those that like a medium merlot.  Hmmmm I’m not sure that “medium” is a wine term, but it wasn’t as bold as some I have tasted.  Enjoy until next time.

Ok now my disclaimer.  You may not have heard it before.  “I am not a wine expert I only pretend to be one on the weekends.”  Also I am a REALTOR® licensed to sell real estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Tasting Willowcroft 2006 Cabernet Savignon.

As I sat down to start on this article a great idea came to me.  Everybody seems to love "Dancing With the Stars", there is even a new show coming that is" Skating With the Stars".  How about somebody producing a "Tasting With the Stars" show.  I'll bet there are more wine drinkers out there than dancers.  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments section below this article.

This months Wine of the Month Club is a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Willowcroft Farm Vineyards.  This winery is promoted as Loudoun County's' original winery.  Wine has been producing here since 1981.

 Winemaker and owner Lew Parker founded the winery in 1983 and oversaw the restoration of the historic red barn that houses the winery and tasting room.  The barn dates back before the civil war.

 When you visit Willowcroft Farm Vineyards you will enjoy the panoramic views of Loudoun Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains from high atop Mt. Gilead.

 "Willowcroft produces a number of popular varietal but their line up also includes ........Riesling,Cabernet Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Traminette."

Here is what the Pro has to say about this wine.

The Pro - "In the glass the wine presents a full deep garnet from rim to rim."

ME - Here the professional and I almost agree.  I didn't feel that it was quite as dark as other Cabernet's I have sampled.  Maybe it was the light or the cheap wine glasses that I use.

The Pro - "The nose features plum, black cherry and perhaps a touch of green peppercorns.  A very smooth attack has hints of coca and fig."

ME - As I have stated earlier I am only pretending to be a wine expert.  So this is where it really shows.  The black cherry I seem to be finding fairly frequently, but I am still at a loss for the plum.  Plus when did anyone ever smell a green peppercorn frequently enough to remember?  The smooth attack and the hint of coca I did barely picked up on.  However, like I said I am still at a loss for the fig and the green peppercorns.

The Pro - the...."wine's midpalate is a touch thinner than previous vintages but still has the expansion of the plum undertones and a distinctive accent of red cherry.  The finish is smooth, long and memorable.  Lengthy barrel (and bottle) aging has resulted in layers of flavors revealing themselves long after the wine has left your mouth."

ME - Again I agree to a point with The Pro.  To my taste it isn't quite as bold as I had expected it to be.  Yes I picked up on the cherry, but again the plum escaped me.  I agree that the flavor lingers.  As an amateur I would call this the after taste, but that doesn't sound as sophisticated does it.

Now to answer the real questions that is on your mind.  Did I like it?

 I can answer that with a yes.  Would I recommend it if someone ask?  Again yes.  Would I buy it again?  Maybe if it were on a shelf and the only label that I recognized.  I hope that the wine maker is not offended here.  Let me explain:  For me there are a lot of other wines that I want to taste so I haven't been buying the same wine over again for quiet a while.  You know limited budget and all.

 Perhaps one day I will run across one that just reaches out and grabs me.  However, until that time I will keep my notes, and go back one day and select one to try again.  Maybe at the end of the year.  If you think I am going about this the wrong way let me hear from you.

 I hope you enjoyed my review.  Now get out there and buy some Virginia Wine.

If you have any questions concerning real estate in the Charlottesville, Virginia area I would love to be of assistance.  I am a REALTOR® and Associate Broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate III "Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Virginia"

This months Virginia Wine of the Month club selection is from Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery.   The wine is the Old Town Alexandria Vintner's Reserve Merlot.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Old Town Alexandria - Merlot

 This is the fourth shipment since my wife signed me up for the Virginia Wine of the Month Club for Fathers Day this year.  The first 3 selections were from wineries in Northern Virginia and just a little to far to pop over and say hello.  Prince Michel on the other hand is just up the road about 35 minutes north of Charlottesville on Route 29.  Plus they now have a tasting room right in Charlottesville on Carters Mountain.

Oh by the way here is my disclaimer.  I am not paid by nor do I receive free samples (not that they would be refused) from any of the wineries that I may mention.  Also, I am not a wine expert, but I like to pretend I am on the weekends.  I am a big believer in buying local and in Virginia if at all possible.  Now that I have that out of the way let's get on with it.

Each month I have tried to be as objective as possible about the wine that I am tasting.  First off I inform the reader of what the real wine experts say and then I take a laymans approach and relate what I taste.  Everyones taste is different and what I like may be way off the mark of what you like.

Here is what the professionals say about this Merlot.  My comments are in parenthesis.

"Aged fifteen months in 85% French oak with the balance in a mix of Virginia and Pennsylvania oak, ( I am not sure about this, but I believe it means 15% of the wine you are drinking was not aged in French oak  It is mixed together with the Virginia & Pennsylvania oak.) the color fills the glass from rim to rim (meaning it doesn't get lighter toward the edge of the glass?) with small tell tale legs along the sides (legs I believe are the little rivulets that run down the side of the glass when you tilt it and then bring it back to a level position).  The nose is filled with black cherry undertones and a hint of dark baking chocolate."

"The attack is subtle featuring plum and licorice.  The expansive mid-palate provides foreshadowing to the well rounded tannic finish that includes anise and a touch of tobacco."

As stated earlier I am not a wine expert, but I enjoy a good wine as well as the next person.  So let me tell you in my own words what I thought.  Again this is just my opinion and after you taste this wine your thoughts may be at odds with mine.

First, being aged in French Oak must be important or it would not have been mentioned.  As for me tasting the difference between French, Virginia or Pennsylvania oak is way beyond my pay grade.  I would think that having it aged in VIRGINIA oak would be a selling point for things made in Virginia.  How much this improves the flavor is something I still need to learn.

The professional and I are in agreement on the color.  It was the appropriate color and did not fade close to the side of the glass.  By the way if you pour a wine into your glass and it has sort of a brown tinge to it you most likely will not like it.

Now for the legs.....  Try as I might I could not get legs to appear on the side of my glass with this sampling.  However, this may be due to the type of dishwashing detergent that my wife uses or the cheap glasses that I buy.  I have a tendency to break my fair share so my sweet wife keeps the fine crystal out of my reach..

The "nose" or fragrance did have a hint of cherry however, the dark chocolate eluded me.  I have noticed though that a lot of wines are noted as having a "dark cherry" in the "nose".

My favorite part is next.  The tasting.  Again having an uneducated palate (for now) the licorice flavor was lost on me.  I did pick up on the plum however not the anise or tobacco (thank goodness).

Overall this Michel Merlot was pleasing to my taste buds, but it was not as bold as I had expected it to be.  I guess my mid-palate likes a little stronger "attack".

Food recommendations by the professional stated this wine would pare well with roasted beef, Italian pasta dishes "with a tomato sauce" or hearty cheese.  My choice was pizza and found that it did the job.

If you have tried this wine or would like to recommend another please let me hear from you.  So until next month always remember you can't go wrong by drinking what you like.  Have fun with it, and drink Virginia Wines.

I am curious as to how others might feel about this so I thought I would ask the question.  Well actually I thought of it when my wife commented that she now rarely sees me without my Blackberry and I am reading or chuckling at something on this little screen. 

How would you feel about a scheduled social media day off?  This would be an entire day, 24 hours, without your smart phone (except for voice communications) and your computer except for real business.

You would decide what day of the week or month this would be.  On this day you would socialize face to face with your internet friends and family.  This could take place at a ball game, a community event or a gathering at the local watering hole.  Or spend it with your family.

Do you think that this is a good idea?  Bad idea?  Doesn't matter or isn't worth the effort.  Most of all do you think you could do it?

Also, if you decided to take the "Social Media Holiday" what would you do with it?

I am looking forward to hearing or seeing your comments.

Have a great day.

Who needs California when we have access to a great selection of vineyards in Virginia?  Why in the Charlottesville area alone there are over 30 Wineries. 

With the economy like it is more and more of us are staying close to home for our vacations.  Why not take a trip through our wine country and enjoy the tastes of Virginia Wine.  It will be good for you and great for the Virginia economy.

Another idea is plan out a few weekend trips and visit what our state has to offer.

If you are a wine connoisseur and like wine related events why not visit this site and see what's coming up.

  http://www.virginiawineevents.com/calendar/events/index.php  

After your visit comeback to this blog and let us know what you have found.

http://www.charlottesvillebydave.com

If you have any questions concerning real estate in the Charlottesville, Virginia area I would love to be of assistance.  I am a REALTOR® and Associate Broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate III "Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Virginia"

A few years ago I ask this questions, and I am still asking it today.  I am really serious about this, and would like to open a dialog asking anyone that is thinking about purchasing or selling a home or has bought or sold a home in the past to respond.  It doesn't matter if you live in Virginia or another part of the country the questions could most likely be appied in all areas of the country.

This would be a great forum to address any concerns or questions that you may have.  Maybe you have a questions that you have not found the answer for yet.  As a member of the Real Estate Community we would really like to know what answers you are looking for.  For Example:

What concerns or scares you the most about the real estate process?

What do you consider when thinking about a real estate firm to work with?

What do you look for when you interview agents?   What questions do you ask?

What is holding you back from considering purchasing a property?

No questions is to small.  Like the saying goes there are no stupid questions you know the rest.  Add your own questions or concerns to the blog and let's see where it leads.  Who knows maybe you will find the answer out there that will help you with your decision.

Come on don't be shy.  All that can happen is that you might get your question answered.

Let me provide a short update for those that haven’t visited this blog previously. I am not a wine expert by any means. My lovely wife is the reason I started this section on wines. She, being the wonderful partner she is, provided me with a membership to the Virginia Wine of the Month Club this past Fathers Day. That started the adventure of relating my tasting experience each month. Over the past three months I have been having a lot of fun with it. For past articles go to the drop down menu on the right that says Select Topic then choose Wineries or Wine & Travel to read where we have been so far.

Now let’s get to this months’ selection. I always like to say a little about the vineyard. August previews the CHRYSALIS VINEYARDS in Middleburg, Virginia, Loudoun County founded in 1997 by Jennifer McCloud, the winemaker is Alan Kinne. This Winery has the largest planting of the Native American grape the Norton east of the Mississippi. Therefore, the selection that I received is a bottle of the 2006 NORTON.

The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful label. If you were buying wine based on the label you would definitely purchase this one. I found it fantastic. Maybe a little whimsical, but tastefully done.

After seeing this label I am thinking for the first time about getting one of those label saving kits and starting a scrapbook.

You are probably saying by now, enough about the bottle, what about the wine. Well without tasting it I am going to provide you with a little of what the Virginia Wine Club says in its newsletter. (In Parenthesis are my words.)

Like I said before I am not a wine expert I only pretend to be one on the weekends. Now I quote “In the glass, the 2006 vintage is opaque filled rim to rim with a deep shimmering garnet. ……”open in the glass a few minutes, or better yet decanting,” “….opens up the wine’s jammy licorice and plum filled nose.” (I guess there are some that decant their wines. If you do please let me know if it makes a difference. I may try it with this one.)

“The attack is fairly sharp leading to a robust mid palate” (as opposed to front or rear palate I guess) “that has layers of dark stone (?) fruit flavors.” “The full bodied dark cherry finish lingers nicely and features a minimalist rounded tannic structure.” (Next stop Barnes and Nobles for a wine dictionary)

“The round tannic structure and bold mid palate makes this an excellent pairing for traditional Italian dishes.” (So I guess it goes well with pizza.)

Later this week ,I will post in my words, what I think of this wine. I may wait until the weekend so I can take my time with it. You wouldn’t want me to rush this would you? Based on the label it has to be good so taking my time is important.

If you don't want to miss the next wine post you can subscribe and be notified via email on my main blog at CharlottesvillebyDave

Also, if you would like information on homes for sale near a vineyard just let me know. I am a REALTOR® "Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Virginia"

It seems that almost everyone now understands that the real estate market has cooled. Analyst are implying that if you didn't get into the market before the boom it's no use investing now. WHY? Again I ask Why? When you get down to it and talk with real estate professional in the local market you may get an entirely different response.

True the real estate market has cooled off even in the Charlottesville, Virginia area, but the real estate market has always been cyclical. Supply and demand may change in the local market, but the feeling is that real estate is one of the better investments still to be found in our Nation. Granted the cycle may be longer now. The need will always be there as the population continues to grow. There is always going to be a need for shelter whether it is for a family, and individual or a business.

On a national average real estate has historically increased in value each year. There have always been drops and spikes, but in the majority of cases the rate has continued to increase over the decades. You may have noticed I said decades not years.

Even though the market has cooled, there are still great opportunities for making a sound investment through real estate. It often comes down to your knowledge of the market, and your ability to negotiate or have a professional negotiate for you.

There are still great advantages to investing in real estate. The tax benefits and the ability to leverage your money. You can deduct the interest on your mortgage payments, thus reducing the taxes you owe. You can also as an investor claim the depreciation and expenses to lower your taxes.

Plus mortgage rates are still at a historical low. Just take a look at your local mortgage companies on the internet and you will still see interest rate around 5 percent and less.

So what are you waiting for?

Shopping for a home in the Charlottesville, Virginia area or anywhere for that matter?  Below you are a few helpful tips to keep in mind.

Few things in your life will be as exciting or nerve racking as locating and purchasing a home ranks right up there with divorce and a death in the family.  It's not unusual for good and bad emotions to converge during the search process.  Don't despair, this is a normal reaction.  Even seasoned home buyers go through the same thing.  The tips below will help you organize a house buying plan.  This in itself will help relieve a lot of tension.

You have already made a start by deciding to take the leap towards home ownership.  However, before you leap you need to take time to prepare.  It is very tempting to just start looking, and it is very easy to do so with all of the information at your finger tips.  Doing so without being prepared can be disastrous and can cost you time and money.

Get your financial house in order first!  Getting this out of the way in the beginning will save you an enormous amount of time, heartache and aggravation.

You will need to determine what your budget will comfortably allow and then stick to it.  What!!!!  You don't have a budget?  You should prepare one if you don't.  There is plenty of information on the internet to help you with this.  By having a budget you will avoid spending yourself into a "house poor" situation.

Next get familiar with the areas that you are considering to help narrow your search.

Decide on what your minimum requirements will be as well as those additional features that you would like.  For example do you really need a four bedroom or will a 3 bedroom with a bonus room work just as well.

Make a good list of items that you do not want in a house.  (steep driveway, small yard, small kitchen etc.)

What locations will work best for schools, work, shopping etc.

Then begin to familiarize yourself with the home buying process in your area, and the paperwork necessary.  Talk with a friend that has been through it or better yet contact a REALTOR®.  This can also keep your stress levels down.

When you start visiting properties carry a notepad and your digital camera so you can compare homes later at your leisure.  If you look at more than a few properties features of the homes may start to run together.  The notepad and camera will help you avoid this.

The important thing is to purchase the home that is best for you.  By maintaining your perspective and your emotions the process will be a lot more enjoyable.

I hope these few suggestions are helpful.  Please don't hesitate responding with any questions you may have.

As REALTORS® we are held to a high standard because what we do affects the lives of others. (As do the actions of loan officers & appraisers) If we are careless or sloppy we are reported to the board and the board looks into the matter. Then a decision is made whether the complaint is substantial enough to proceed.

The thought of being called before the Board is almost as frightening as being audited by the IRS. Most of us never have been and hopefully never will be.

That is why we have CE classes etc. to make sure we are not found by the Real Estate Board to be "Unworthy & Incompetent" or other violations which carry disciplinary actions anywhere from a fine and required CE courses to the loss of our License.

Why shouldn't these other groups involved in real estate transactions be held to the same standard?

I would love to hear your how you feel about this.