DEMOCRACY Vineyards' " Velvet Revolution " Reserve 07 With Mark One Evening Late In Annandale, Va Late : This Red Is Superb! Cheers ...

The other evening I got a call from Mark our neighbor saying that he wanted me to try a bottle of Virginia wine that one of his work colleagues made : and would I be interested in trying it? I said something like : " sure, come on over " and he did.

We were all outside enjoying a nice evening out back on our deck and a late dinner as matter of fact. Other neighbors had come over just before Mark's call ( I think this all happened Monday, June 15th, 2009 if I am not mistaken ). We chatted and so the meal that I had just prepared on our grill waited for us.



I love this atmospheric picture that I captured here with only the flash of my Cannon camera and candlelight of both Mark and the bottle of DEMOCRACY Vineyards' " Velvet Revolution " 2007 Virginia red blend.

It was dark by the time that Mark joined us and we had pretty much finished dinner and were just relaxing outside. These pictures were taken mostly by me after my wife and daughter went inside. Mark and I were just chatting and catching up on each others lives and enjoying this bottle of 2007 DEMOCRACY Vineyards " Velvet Revolution " Reserve blend of 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Chambourcin, 25% Tannat, 12.5% Petit Verdot and 12.5% Merlot.




I'm trying to see the color of this DEMOCRACY Vineyards red blend. Perhaps when you enlarge the picture on the screen more of the actual color will be visible? I'm hoping this is true. It;s still an interesting photo anyway.




I can't wait to try the white wine from DEMOCRACY Vineyards and find out what the blend of this wine is? I hope it's an equally interesting white blend just as is the red. I get to try it in two days, on Thursday June 25th, 2009 if I am correct?

Stay-tuned for more really soon.




I was immediately intrigued by the blend of this wine : Chambourcin and Tannat and Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in a bottle of Virginia wine : this I found compelling and fascinating, really.

We are selling now the Doug Fabbioli red Chambourcin that Doug makes at FABBIOLI CELLARS in Leesburg, Virginia. Doug was nice enough to come to our store a couple of months ago to taste his wines with our customers, The Chambourcin red is excellent and sell for around $19 a bottle I believe. I've blogged here about his tasting if you are interested.

Above we have Mark enjoying the bouquet of the wine.

I love the flame of the torch behind me in the picture above : what a bright flame of yellow light on a pitch-black background!






I didn't pick up on the fact that it was made in Charlottesville : that came later inside the next morning when I looked more closely at the label. It says " Monticello, produced and bottled by Virginia Cellars, Charlottesville, VA.

I was immediately impressed when I tried the wine : it had good balance and taste and flavors : a real wine made with strengths and weaknesses. I liked it's authenticity from the get-go. This was clearly a wine made to go with food and made in a traditional style ; just trying to make a good bottle of wine. Whoever made it succeeded in my opinion and I shared this more than once with Mark.

In the picture above I am totally relaxed and pleased with this wine and being playful for Mark and the camera.






I love to take these more artsy pictures and I always hope for the best results. Often I get some really good ones, too. Sometimes most of the image works but not all of it. In this case might have his eyes closed in one here but I still really enjoy the feel and the mood that it sets.

It was a nice time to talk openly with Mark about life and to wax poetic and unwind to the full extensions of our inner chords, just as if we were yo-yo's and free ( flung-spun-out ) to do exactly that before being summoned back to face whatever music awaited us. The being " set free " motion as we left the hand of reason and responsibility and order was exhilarating and liberating, even if only for a brief period in time.




How did they arrive at this red blend? What were the options available to them? Will they do the same blend next year or will it change? So many questions ...





Here I'm clowning around again for the camera and for Mark. It's been a great evening and day and I am am feeling no pain and no inhibitions. Mark is amused and pleased both I believe.

My blue t-shirt was given to me years ago by my mother that she bought when she went to the Caribbean and it says in white lettering : Life is too short to drink cheap wine ". Thanks Mom, I have always liked both the color and the sentiment of this gift from you which I still wear and enjoy having.




I am hoping that the owners and perhaps the winemaker of this " Velvet Revolution " 2007 Reserve Virginia red ( as well as a white I am told ) will be able to come to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) where I manage the wine department and be our " special guests " when we have our second monthly " Big Theme " Wine-Tasting Celebrating both the Fourth and the Fourteenth of July : Our July 4th and France's " Bastille Day " : our two days of Independence.

It will be on a Wednesday evening from 5:30-8:30 PM at our store in Cleveland Park N.W. Washington D.C. We will pour about thirty or so wines from the U.S. and from France. Everyone is welcome : no need to call - the more the merrier. Please join us if you can make it.


Not that you can tell from these angles of the pictures , but I am wearing my Jed Steele cap that he gave me. Thanks Jed.

The label of DEMOCRACY Vineyards reads on the side in small print : " Velvet Revolution Reserve commemorates the 1989 peaceful uprising of the people of Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the government imposed by the Soviet Union. The wine is a blend of Virginia varieties. Democracy starts with a bold vision and succeeds with bold action ".

Enjoy these pictures , TONY