AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Don't Give Up on EUROpean Wines! DATE: 5/09/2008 10:49:00 AM ----- BODY:
Just because the dollar is tanking against the euro doesn't mean we should forsake European wines when hunting for bargains. Yes, we may have to pay a little more than we used to, but that enticing $8 Minervois you bought at the start of this decade is still a good value at $12. In my May column for Washingtonian, I give some suggestions of where to look for Europe's best values under $20. You can find it on my newly revamped Web site, dmwineline.com.

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----- -------- AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Virginia's Garagistes DATE: 3/15/2008 02:18:00 PM ----- BODY:
Virginia wine gets more exciting all the time. We have celebrity sightings and Falcon Crest-style soap operas (the recent saga of Oasis winery), our wedding palaces and a lot of successful people living out their dreams of owning vineyards and producing their own wine. And the quality level is rising as well, despite the state's reputation for inconsistency. (Hey, I've tasted a lot of bad California wine lately.) As the Old Dominion continues to thrive, with more than 130 wineries, there are some smaller ones that deserve attention. They don't seek out the limelight, they don't host polo matches and they won't appear in glamor shots in hunt country lifestyle magazines. Show up at their door, and they'll gladly pour you a taste of wine, but please don't show up in a bus or limousine and by all means don't ask them to host your wedding. I call these winemakers "Virginia's garagistes." We've seen some of this type before, who have succeeded and grown fairly big - Jim Law at Linden Vineyards and Shep Rouse of Rockbridge come to mind - artisans whose focus is on the wine, not the lifestyle, and who sometimes act as though selling their wine is a necessary evil, an unpleasant flip side to the joys of mucking around in the vineyard and tinkering with ornery equipment in the winery. In the March issue of Washingtonian magazine, I profile two of these garagistes. Bernd Jung of Chester Gap Cellars near Front Royal is very much in the Jim Law mold - a winegrower above all, who does his work in the vineyards, sometimes even with a rifle! And Michael Shaps, who made a reputation as Virginia's premier consulting winemaker when he helped several Charlottesville wineries in their early days, is setting out on his own with Virginia Wineworks, the Old Dominion's first custom-crush winery. The March issue is on news stands now, and should be posted late this month on Washingtonian.com. But my detailed tasting notes of wines from Chester Gap and Virginia Wineworks are available online now.

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----- -------- AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Washingtonian Magazine's Best 100 Restuarants 2008 DATE: 1/05/2008 11:48:00 AM ----- BODY:
Washingtonian magazine's January issue contains its annual roundup of the Best 100 restuarants in the metropolitan DC area. Having joined the magazine as its freelance wine columnist last summer, I had the pleasure of participating in this in-depth survey of capital dining, along with the magazine's full-time restaurant critics, Todd Kliman, Ann Limpert and Cynthia Hacinli. I also contributed a column about positive trends in wine service at area restaurants. There may not be a whole lot of surprises to this year's list (Michel Richard Citronelle remains #1 for the second year), but there is definitely some movement. Twenty new restaurants made the list, including several that just opened their doors in 2007. This was the year of the bistro in DC, with top chefs such as Michel Richard and Robert Weidmaier opening second restaurants themed as bistros or brasseries to give diners a chance to taste their creations without going totally luxe. Central Michel Richard debuts at #10 on the list, while Weidmaier's Brasserie Beck comes it at #36. What's fun is to see who changes from one year to the next. Ristorante Tosca surged dramatically under its new chef, Massimo Fabbri, from #85 in 2007 to #20 this year, going from 2 stars to 3. (Four stars is the highest rating, given this year only to Citronelle, CityZen and Komi.) Oval Room ascended from #49 to #13, adding half a star to climb to 3 stars. Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong were named Restaurateurs of the Year for their expanding empire that has made Old Town Alexandria a dining destination. The husband-and-wife team operate Restaurant Eve (#4, 3.5 stars), and their latest venture, The Majestic, debuts at #42 with 2.5 stars. They also own Eammon's A Dublin Chipper and the speakeasy PX. One notable newcomer: Cynthia's in Severna Park, Md., which should be a mecca for foie gras lovers. And chocolate soufflé lovers ... It opened at #25, with 3 stars. To read the entire list and the reviews, you'll need to get a copy of the January issue of Washingtonian, now on newstands. The magazine's Web site, Washingtonian.com, is counting down the top 25 restaurants and will post the entire list at the end of the month.

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