But even if you don’t own your own vineyard or winery in the South of France, Tuscany or the Napa Valley, you can still serve friends a personally created wine from the micro-winery, Carafe Wine Makers in suburban Alexandria, VA.

The concept of a boutique micro-winery or “brew on premise” winery is big in Canada, where over 600 micro-wineries are operating. Carafe Wine Makers, a franchise company with 16 locations in the U.S. and Canada (4 in Virginia), lets customers create their own wines at their micro-winery and store on S. Alfred Street.  Open since late 2007, Carafe shows people how to make wine as well as sells wines it makes and blends.

Juice from grapes grown in California and Washington state as well as places such as Chile, Australia and Italy, make up the 28 varieties of wine you can create.

Store manager Rhett Orem explained the simple process to me. After selecting your style of wine, grape juice and skins, water, yeast and other chemicals used in the fermentation process is added to the on-site mini-fermenter. Oak shavings or flavorings may be added to replace the flavoring traditionally absorbed during the fermenting and aging process. The initial wine making process takes only a half an hour.

Around 4-6 weeks later, the fermenting process is completed, your wine is filtered and it’s time for you to return to the store to bottle, cork and label your wine.

What’s great about the process, is that you won’t have to spend hours cutting and pressing grapes, or fermenting your wine in century old wood casks or expensive charred French white oak barrels, as everything is handled on the premises.  

Of the 28 wines you can create, red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and a couple Italian favorites, Amarone and the “wine of kings” Borolo. Whites include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurtztraminer, among others.

If you are not sure which a style of wine you want to make, start off with a visit to Carafe’s wine bar, to sample a flight of your personal favorites. 

Top it off with a personalized label, and you’ve got your own personal wine ready to impress your friends.

Wines should be allowed to rest for a minimum of two to four months before drinking, to help mature the flavors. And while the wines you create may never rival a Château Rothschild, you will have the satisfaction of having created a special wine with your personalized label to share with friends.

Here’s a video of the process from the Hampton Roads, Virginia store.

The cost for creating 30 bottles is surprisingly inexpensive, coming in at under $10.00 per bottle (includes wine, bottles, corks). 

If you want to design your own label, just create it using your favorite software program and send it to the shop a couple weeks before bottling.

Don’t want the time and bother of making your own wine, Carafe can custom design a label and private label a wine just for you.

Carafe Wine Makers
111 S. Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA (map it)
703-739-5850

Dates and Times – Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Cost – Starting at $255, plus tax for 30 bottles.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – King Street – Blue and Yellow lines, then take the FREE King Street Trolley or walk the 8 blocks.

Parking – Free and metered street parking is available. 

Images – from personal collection   © 2008 – Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

And the annual Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate is once such event.

The gardens at Mt. Vernon will be in full bloom and the views of the Potomac River from the lawn, accompanied by live jazz, should make for a perfect evening of relaxation.

An evening Candlelit Mansion tour is also available and includes a visit to the rarely-visited basement cellar. The ground’s outbuilding can also be toured, but not the wharf, Washington’s tomb, the pioneer farmer site, or the gardens. 

Expect an appearance by the General himself, George Washington.

Tickets for all three nights go on sale tomorrow.

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway – 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121 (map it)

Dates and Times – Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. nightly

Tickets – $30.00 and are available online at Ticketmaster or by phone at or 703-573-SEAT. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.

Note - No outside food or beverage is allowed. You can purchase a variety of food, desserts, snacks and beverages at Mount Vernon. No tables, pets,  Event occurs rain or shine. Designated drivers and under 21 visitors will receive free soft drinks.  ID required for purchasing alcohol. This event is designed for adults, not families.

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, then catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

Images – Flickr – people on blanket, all others – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti _____________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

It’s this one is sure to be well attended. Read about last year’s festival here.

And while you’re at the Reagan Building, check out the piece of the Berlin Wall that’s on display in the lobby. 

And if you are not the wine and cheese fan, you might enjoy this recent anti-wine-tasting party Super Bowl commercial from Bud Light.

Washington Wine & Food Festival
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300  Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20004  (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday  and Sunday, Mar. 1 and 2, 2008

Tickets – $$85.00 (until Feb. 22), then $95.00 and are available by calling 1-800-343-1174. This event is for 21 and over only.  A designated driver is recommended.

Nearest Metro subway station – Federal Triangle – Orange and Blue lines, and is connected to the Reagan Building or Metro Center – Red line, then a 2-block walk.

Parking – limited paid garage parking is available in the Reagan Building or look for free or metered street parking.

Images – Flickr 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The Virginia Wine Showcase is this weekend in suburban Chantilly, Virginia.

Forty wineries will be serving, selling, and bragging about some of the 300 wines available for tasting.

The showcase also offers a series of fee-based wine seminars where you can learn about wine, winemaking, food pairings, and improving your enjoyment of the nectar of the gods.

Some of the more interesting seminars include:

• It’s All About The Chocolate – Perfect for planning a Valentine’s Day celebration, how to pair wines with chocolate. 
• Virginia Versus The World - Just how do Virginia wines compare to wines from other regions of the world? 
• Wine Futures And How to Buy - Similar to investing in stock futures? Find out.
• Winemaking Overview – Learn about the art and science of making high-quality wines.

Enter to win one of many door prizes and get a chance to win dinners, weekend get-aways and a 42″ LCD television. There’s also a Bounce Room to keep the kids distracted (they really shouldn’t be drinking wine anyway).

Virginia Wine Showcase
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Center
Chantilly, VA  (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9 – 10, 2008, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tickets – $35.00 and are available at the door, $15.00 for non-tasters

Parking – Free parking is available.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Here’s a great chance to sample 50 East Coast wines, an assortment of artisan cheeses from Virginia, Maryland and Vermont and foods with a local flair prepared by ten DC area chefs at TasteDC’s first East Coast Food and Wine Festival.

Expect some exciting dishes from the chefs using local ingredients to match the local wines including Williamsburg Peanut Soup with Jalapeño Chicken Fritters, Sea Scallops with Truffled Parsnip Puree and Parsley Coulis and Prawn and Tangerine Soup Shooters.

East Coast Food and Wine Festival
Whittemore House (The Woman’s National Democratic Club Museum)
1526 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036

Date and Time – Thursday, May 10th, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Tickets – available online for $75.00 or $90 at the door. This is a walk-around event, no seating is available.

Nearest Metro subway station - Dupont Circle – Red line, then a two block walk.

Parking – Free on-site parking is available, but often fills to capacity.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway – 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121

Dates and Times – Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. nightly

Tickets – $30.00 and are available online. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.

Note - No outside food or beverage is allowed. You can purchase a variety of food, snacks and beverages at Mount Vernon.

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, the catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

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Post from: The DC Traveler