By: Bruce Watson

The White Stone Wine & Cheese's Wine Board enjoys tasting many different wines from all over the world. Over the past couple of weeks we have especially liked the following:

Talbott Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir. Very much a Pinot Noir without all the cherry flavors...much like a Burgundy with a wonderful finish and great balance in the mouth...we thought it would be great with Salmon or Pork. $40

Newton Claret. A Bordeaux Red Blend from one of the top wineries in California...a big wine yet very smooth and a long lasting finish...Newton hits it out of the park with this wine. $30

Cono Sur Vision Pinot Noir. Chile continues to make some great wines at affordable prices. This Pinot follows the California style with lots of fruit both in the nose and mouth. It is very rich and elegant. $20

Goodnight Central Coast Chardonnay. Classic California Chardonnay with lots of oak, pineapple and toasted almond flavors and a long finish. The cool breezes of the Central Coast give this wine from Firestone Winery its style. $12

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I have a 14-year-old daughter. She hasn’t always been fourteen, and she’s pretty easy going in most ways. But she has never been a fan of traditional breakfast foods. Eggs? Bleck. Cereal? It usually goes stale in the box before it ever ends up in the bowl.

She’s a grab ‘n go kind of breakfast gal. But don’t think that means she’ll eat granola or oatmeal bars. Pop Tarts are popular, but void of nutritional value. As are the $7.00 box of Power Bars, which are healthy but pricey.

I could fill countless garbage bags with the failed attempts at finding cost-effective, nutritious and easy-to-make breakfast items that turned up at the wrong end of a turned-up nose.

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The Second Annual Kilmarnock Wine Festival, featuring wineries from the Northern Neck Wine Trail, is scheduled for Saturday June 26th. All the wineries that participated in the first festival have committed for 2010.

The Festival will be held at the Kilmarnock Farmer's Market location on North Main Street. The Wine Festival runs from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is $5.00 in advance and $7.00 at the gate. Admission includes wine tasting and entertainment under the tent. The first 250 guests will receive a festival wine glass. There will be plenty of parking on site!

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By Bruce Watson, White Stone Wine & Cheese


Something old, something new – and an old favorite.

Quite a cross-section of wines are featured this week at the White Stone Wine & Cheese, including wines from Spain and California.

Alvear Solera 1927 Sherry. What a wonderful example of Solera Sherry. Very rich and a match to dessert or a cheese plate. If you are interested in a classic wine with many years of age, here is your opportunity for only $29.99 for a 375ml bottle.

Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva 2001. This is one of the best Rioja wines we’ve tasted in the past two years. A rich blend of 96% Tempranillo and 4% Graciano, it has been aged in new American Oak barrels for more than two years and bottle-aged even longer. A classic Spanish wine for $32.99.

Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay. Michelle McClendon, winemaker from Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in California, came to the Wine & Cheese last year and she was a great hit with everyone she met. Read the story here. Now we have the 2007 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay available. As is always the case, this is one of the very best California Chardonnays on the market today. Rich, with a touch of oak and a wonderful balance of fruit. $24.99 a bottle or $240.00 a case.

What a great way to make all the snow disappear: three wines, all very different but each special in their own way.

Before long, bloggers all over the world will be able to read about life on the Northern Neck of Virginia. Technorati is a resigstry for all the best blogs out there. Once they check us out (46PKP5DDV6TX), we'll be good to go.