Sunday, July 29, 2012

Shirlington Jazz Festival

For those of you who may live in the Washington, D.C. area or are simply visiting and looking for something to do, it's worth a stop by the Shirlington neighborhood for the annual Jazz festival.



Running every Thursday from July 12th through August 30th, you can sit at outside tables in the quaint Village at Shirlington, enjoying some great Jazz bands and sampling wines from the local wine and cheese shop, Cheesetique

For $5 you can sample four wines; two red and two white.  Proceeds go towards the Arlington Food Assistance Center.  When I went, I also received a 10% off coupon for Cheesetique and a Village at Shirlington wine glass (not sure if quantities were limited).  Come enjoy some music and some wine, all for a good cause!


Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon

Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon
Harris Teeter
2 for $10 (on special)

This blog has been a little quiet lately, due to me doing the whole diet thing and wine just didn't fit into my calorie counts.



This is my second foray into what Yellow Tail has to offer.  Cab sauvs have consistently been my favorite type of red.  I read another budget wine review elsewhere that it was decent and I decided to try it for myself.

After pouring, I let it air out for a small amount of time next to me and I could smell it from the table.  It's a pungent wine with scents of dark berries and chocolate.  Not unpleasant at all.

The berries and chocolate translates well into the taste.  You catch a hint of spicy peppery oak on the end, but it's not as smooth as other cab sauvs I've had before.  It is drinkable but I'd recommend having it with food.  There's a slight bitter mineral taste on the tongue at the end and it's a bit astringent to the point where it leaves a 'cotton mouth' feel.  The taste of alcohol is noticeable above the other notes and almost gives it a vinegar like flavor.  It's a bit off putting, to be honest.

I tried it with a little dark chocolate to see how that experience was and it didn't change much.  There are wines where on the first sip or two, I can tell I like it.  This one, even after a glass and a half, hasn't impressed me.  Not the worst, but I probably won't buy it again.

SCORE: 4/10