Basic Juice Wine Meme -- The Best in the Last 30

My Utah-living vinobrother Beau of Basic Juice has started a wine meme -- with two tails, and he's called upon me as his first "tag, you're it" victim.

For wine bloggers, he's interested in knowing what the best wine (bottle or glass) is that I've tasted in the last 30 days. I've tasted so many wines in that span that it's tough to say...but luckily I've got my handy dandy wine notebook to guide me.

Thumbing through, there are several contenders...but the winner is:

Roanoke Vineyards 2000 Merlot

I've had this wine several times in the past ten months, so it's not a new discovery, but a recent experience with the wine took the whole sipping experience to a new level. A few weekends ago, at Roanoke Vineyeards' tasting room, we met up with friends, some old (Matt and Maureen) and some new (Fred and Eileen) for "Wine 'til Nine" -- an event that happens every Saturday night at RV.

Basically they just stay open until 9 p.m. on Saturdays...and customers, family and friends (including the winemaker from Waters Crest Winery) come around to hang out, drink some fabulous wine, listen to music and just immerse themselves in wine country celebration.

Many factors contributed to the perfect wine moment.

• It was Ben's first visit to the wineries (he loved it once he relaxed a little)
• We always enjoy drinking wine with Matt and Moe (going to a couple wineries with them this weekend)
• It was a beautiful summer night among the vines

It almost didn't matter what I was drinking, but the fact that I was drinking one of my favorite local wines made it a truly perfect wine moments. You know, the kind of moment that makes you realize how lucky you are to have such great friends (on both sides of the wine tasting bar).

So that's mine. So who should I forward this too...one food blogger (to tell us about the most food-friendly eats he or she has had in the last month) and a wine blogger...hmmmm

Wine blogger: Let's stay local with The Wine Chicks

Food blogger: Derrick...what have you paired with lately that you particularly enjoyed?

Comments

[Beau]

I was betting on a Cab Franc. But you surprised me and went with a $%^%^&* Merlot! Next time I'm out your way, I'm getting a couple bottles of it.

[Lenn]

Might not be any of it left...they didn't make much...and don't have many cases left (which reminds me that I need to buy some myself).

But...he has a 2003 Cab Sauv and two different meritage-style blends he's releasing this fall...when you're here...we'll taste em together.

Oh...and yes...there were a couple Cab Francs that would have won out if not for that "perfect wine moment"