White: The Other Healthy Wine
So red wine is better for you that white wine, right? Well, not so fast!
———————
Don’t forget to VOTE!
Barrel Oak Winery: “Green” Wine is Good Business
After a couple of months of adjusting to a new day job, this past weekend I took a jaunt toward Leesburg to attend the wedding of a dear friend. The location of the wedding provided for other interesting distractions as well. As I have mentioned before, some of my favorite Virginia wineries are in the Leesburg area — Hillsborough, Corcoran, Breaux, and Willocroft, for example. On this trip, however, I decided that I wanted to try some new and different producers. While I will write more about the wines that I tasted soon, one winery in particular deserves special mention, not just for its wine, but for its environmentally friendly approach to its product and its business: Barrel Oak Winery.
When I clicked onto the Virginia Wines site, this new name appeared at the top of the alphabetical listing of wineries in the Northern Virginia region. I was intrigued by what I read on Barrel Oak’s website, especially a note that it will be Virginia’s “newest and greenest hand-built winery.” Being almost as into the environment as I am into wine, I decide that I wanted to learn a bit more about Barrel Oak’s “green” efforts. Former vice president and 2007 Nobel Prize winner Al Gore recently praised the wine industry for being at the forefront of the fight against global warming, so I wanted to see how this local Virginia winery was contributing to this trend.
Brian Roeder, co-founder of Barrel Oak Winery, greeted a couple of friends and me on a sunny Saturday morning atop a small hill overlooking a beautiful green ridge. He invited me in for a tour of the winery as his wife and co-founder, Sharon, and their team worked below us in the cellar and production area. This close to the winery’s grand opening, every day is a week day.
Brian & Sharon Roeder
While a work in progress, it is already evident that Barrel Oak Winery will be a beautiful building. Brian has overseen and undertaken the work himself, having been in construction in his prior life. Features of the tasting room are a huge fireplace and long, elegant tasting bar as welcoming as any I have seen in Virginia. The Roeders have taken a “start big and grow into it” approach to the winery, with high expectations that are sure to produce strong results.
As we meander through the tasting room, Brian begins to tell us about what makes his winery environmentally friendly. Interestingly, he explains that the decision to go “green” was a practical, business decision rather than an environmentally motivated one. With energy prices soaring, Brian saw an opportunity to keep his future costs as low as possible by building his winery the right way from the beginning. His marriage of practical business considerations and environmentally conscious design are a model to be emulated.
Barrel Oak’s environmental efforts started with material conservation. The vast majority of the rock used to construct the winery was obtained on-site during construction. Furthermore, the flooring is made entirely from recycled wood, providing a beautiful foundation for the tasting room while conserving trees. All of the equipment being employed in assembling these components into a world-class, hand-built winery are new and efficient, minimizing the fuel used and the carbon emissions during construction.
To use the recycled building materials to their fullest, the entire winery is protected from the elements by extra insulation and state-of-the-art windows. Large glass doors and windows are carefully positioned so that they can be opened on hot summer afternoons and allow the refreshing ridge breezes in to cool off the winery’s patrons.
The Roeder’s also used the winery’s hill for more than its beautiful views. While the tasting room on the upper floor is open to the air on all sides, the cellar and production areas on the lower floor are built into the hill, and are open to the air on only one side. While cooling units will be installed in the cellar, it is evident from a quick walk downstairs that the power required to keep the temperature down will be minimal. Barrel Oak’s wine will age gracefully in this naturally cool environment.
Sunset Over Barrel Oak Winery
Perhaps the most impressive “green” feature of Barrel Oak Winery, however, is its state-of-the-art geothermal energy system. The system consists of a giant heat pump that uses the ambient temperature of the soil (appx. 58 degrees) surrounding the winery to heat or cool the winery, depending on the season. For example, if it is 20 degrees in the winter, and the winery needs to be 68 degrees, the winery only needs to use enough power to make up the 10 degree difference between the soil and the desired temperature, rather than the 48 degrees between the desired temperature and the ambient air temperature. Hence, the system uses much less energy, dramatically decreasing the carbon emissions of the winery, as well Barrel Oak’s energy bills.
Oh, yeah, and then there is the wine. The Roeder’s ultimate goal is to produce about half of the 200 tons of grapes that they will require on site. Rather than rush their first vintage to bottle, however, and sacrifice quality in the process, they have sought wines from several other well respected Virginia wineries and blended them with their own unique style for this first vintage. (You can learn more about these wines from Dezel at the Virginia Vine Spot and John at Anything Wine.) The winery’s Grand Opening on Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-26) promises to be an outstanding event.
A Bottle of Barrel Oak’s Bowhaus Red
The Barrel Oak story is proof that business and environmental concerns do not have to be at odds. In building their “green” winery, Brian and Sharon Roeder acted as smart, conscientious businesspeople, not as environmentalists setting out solely to save the world. Our society has reached the point where we do not have to choose between comfortable living and environmentalism. From compact fluorescent bulbs for the home to energy efficiency for businesses, If we are smart and forward-thinking, we can start down the path toward having both.
———————
Don’t forget to VOTE!
The First Wine with Dinner Reader’s Poll
Well, the drama is over. Those of you who have been reading in the last couple of days know that my content had been stolen from a “feed site” without attribution. I contacted the site they played nice with me until they saw that I had published their URL — I guess these guys don’t like sunlight. Anyway, the content has been removed (though other stolen content, funny enough, remains) and, while I will be monitoring them to make sure it is not stolen again, things appear under control. I will be deleting my last two posts on the situation, because who really wants to dwell on that. Hopefully the others who have had their content stolen will get it removed as well, and I am happy to help in any way that I can.
As I said in my last post, it appears that my work here is valuable to someone, so I am now wondering if I should move the blog from WordPress to somewhere I can throw up an ad or two. Nothing to retire off of, mind you, just “wine money,” so to speak. I am curious to know what the readers think, so please let me know by answering The First Wine with Dinner Reader’s Poll.
———————
Don’t forget to VOTE!
Rock Creek Mazza: It’s Amazing What You Can Do Without Butter
I’ve have been trying to eat a bit healthier lately. I have to admit that it is not always fun, but it is certainly necessary. So Mrs. Wine with Dinner and I were intrigued when stumbled upon a name that we didn’t know, Rock Creek Mazza. Rock Creek calls itself “Mindful Dining for All Seasons.” Mindful is not an adjective you see every day in the restaurant world. They had our attention.
Rock Creek Mazza, which opened on July 25, 2007, is one of two Rock Creek Restaurant locations in the D.C. area. They are the creations of owners Judith Hammerschmidt and Tom S. Williams. Judith is an international lawyer and executive with a focus on nutrition. She envisioned an upscale restaurant that provided alternatives to high-fat, high-calorie meals. She convinced Tom, a consultant and venture capitalist, that the D.C. area was a great place to begin their experiment.
Rock Creek Mazza is conveniently located on the third floor of the Mazza Gallerie accross the street from the Friendship Heights Metro. (There is also validated parking under the Gallerie.) It is right next to the movie theater in case you need a meal before your film. Rock Creek Mazza is elegant and friendly, and it is certainly healthier than a big tub of popcorn.
It’s a Picnic Under a Tree . . . Sort Of
Executive Chef Ethan McKee is in charge of the health-conscious menu. Chef McKee graduated from L’Academie de Cuisinein Gaithersberg, MD in 1998. After a year with a local restaurant group, he left for Vail, Colorado to work as a line cook for Left Bank. Chef McKee returned to D.C. after two years and joined Chef Todd Gray at Equinox. He worked his way up from line cook to Chef de Cuisine, developing menu items and managing kitchen staff. After seven years at Equinox, Chef McKee accepted the challenge of healthy dining at Rock Creek Mazza.
When we sat down, the waiter informed us that all of the food was prepared with the health of the patrons in mind (no butter, for example), and that all of the portions were appropriately sized for calorie control. I was a bit concerned, being a junk food lover as well as someone who can stuff his face with the best of them. That said, the menu looked interesting and the wine list was well organized. I’ll try anything twice.
Our waiter was very helpful and ready with suggestions for wine pairings. Mrs. Wine with Dinner opted for the Northern Neck Nutternut Squash Soup w/Shaved Apple and the Roasted Cervena Venison with Hunter Sauce, while I selected the Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi and the Muscovy Duck Breast with Cranberry Chutney. We took the house’s suggestions on all wines but the Australian sparkling shiraz that Mrs. Wine with Dinner had with her soup — we were both very curious about that one.
We were not disappointed with anything. A couple of bites into her soup and my wife came up with the title of this review, “It’s amazing what you can do without butter.” The soup was a lovely burnt orange color with a smooth texture and sweet flavor. The apple shavings with their tart acidity were a great compliment to the soup. The Paringa 2004 Individual Vineyard Sparkling Shiraz, 
3/4, appx. $11.99 per bottle, might have been a bit sweet for it, but it was still a pleasant match. It was dark and bubbly –maybe a touch cloying — but fun to drink. I envision enjoying it on its own while cooking as pretty much a perfect evening (hint to the Gourmet Girls).
I was also impressed with my Gnocchi. It was well prepared — firm with just a hint of crispness on the outside. The texture worked very well with the accompanying mushrooms (which is saying a lot as I am not a big fan of mushrooms) and caramelized onions, and some grated parmesan always makes the world seem a little brighter. If I had to come up with a criticism, I would have said that the ham, included to add a touch of saltiness, was maybe a bit too subtle in the mix. They paired well with Albert Seltz 2005 Alsace Riesling, 3/4, appx. $11.98 per bottle, which had a touch of latex on the nose and was otherwise dominated by notes of stone fruits. Semi-sweet and a bit viscous, this is not a riesling for dry wine snobs.
Relatively healthy appetizers enjoyed, it was time to turn to the relatively healthy main courses. My fears of starving all evening subsided as our waiter approached with our plates. Apparently, low-calorie preparation methods allow for normal-sized portions. The duck and venison were both cooked very well. The duck in particular was complimented very well by spinach, rice, a red wine reduction, and, of course, the cranberry chutney. Though, I do have to admit, I would have loved a little butter on the side of mashed potatoes that we ordered. I guess you can only change the boy so much.
Our main dishes were made even more enjoyable by a couple of very nice pinot noirs. Mrs. Wine with Dinner enjoyed Stoller Vineyards2005 Dundee Vineyard JV Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley), 
1/4, appx. $27.99 per bottle. This was a nice, complex wine with notes of red fruit and pine the most apparent, but also a bit of dark fruit and possibly some red currant. It is not a heavy wine, but it is does have some oak influence and a bit of a creamy finish to accompany its moderate acidity. My duck went very well with a Tazmanian wine, Tamar Ridge’s 2007 Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir, , appx. $15.00 per bottle. This was a bit simpler than the Stoller, but still very enjoyable. It was young, light, and fresh, with raspberry, cherry, and watermelon rind notes and good acidity. Our waiter showed good knowledge of the wines by recommending the heavier pinot noir with the venison.
Comfy Bar Area Too
(One more note on the wines. We decided at the restaurant that we wanted to try different wines, so we did not look at the by-the-bottle list. Mistake. As I look on the website now, I see that Rock Creek Mazza offers Mt. Difficulty’s 2006 “Roaring Meg” Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. As loyal readers may recall, Mt. Difficulty had some of the best wines that we encountered on our New Zealand honeymoonlast year. We may have to return to Rock Creek to get a taste of the 2006 Pinot.)
One more tip — after a pretty healthy dinner, you are entitled to some dessert. Pastry Chef Roger Potter, another graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine who has worked at D.C. favorites Clyde’s of Gallery Place and 1789, helps you to control you caloric intake in two different ways. First, Rock Creek provides desserts made without sugar, heavy cream, or butter. Second, you can satisfy your sweet tooth with the Small Bites plate, in which you can sample 1-5 small portions of desserts that are made with butter. I recommend the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch and the Cheesecake, though there are some other fascinating desserts on the menu. The Fonseca 20-year Tawny Port was also lovely.
If you are looking for a well-prepared, tasty, and healthy meal, Rock Creek Mazza is the place to go. I am sure I’ll be back, and ordering something to go with that Roaring Meg Pinot.
Appx. $24.00 per entree.
———————
Don’t forget to VOTE!
Welcome to the Blogroll
I hope to have a restaurant review coming up this weekend. In the meantime, I attended an interesting lunch last week at GiraMondo Wine Adventures where an upcoming article regarding wine blogging was discussed. At that lunch I met Andrew, also known as Chief Wino, and I would like to welcome him to the Blogroll. Andrew knows his stuff and I look forward to reading more on his blog. I will post more about the lunch and the article once the article is published.
———————
Don’t forget to VOTE!
