NASCAR | Traveling Wine Chick

2008 Jeff Gordon Cellars Joie de Vivre, Napa Valley

Having lived near a NASCAR race track for 23 years, I know who Jeff Gordon is and have been to a few races. I admit I was a little star struck when I was asked if I wanted to participate in a Twitter tasting of the newly released 2008 Jeff Gordon Cellars Joie de Vivre. I was also very intrigued and curious about the quality of a celebrity-branded wine. I agreed to participate and anxiously awaited the arrival of my media sample graciously provided by Jeff Gordon Cellars.

The first thing I noticed was the packaging of the wine, as well as the care taken in providing me background information about Jeff’s interest in wine, Jeff Gordon Cellars, and the sample I would be tasting. I was very hopeful that the understated elegance of the bottle and the meticulous inclusion of relevant information would be an indication of the quality of the wine. Thankfully, I was spot on. Below are the specs:

2008 Jeff Gordon Cellars Joie de Vivre, Napa Valley
Winemakers: August “Joe” Briggs and Jesse Inman
Cabernet from Corbett Vineyards, Napa Valley/Spring Mountain
Merlot from Solari Vineyard, Napa Valley/Calistoga
Syrah from Page Nord Vineyard, Napa Valley/Yountville
254 cases produced. Release date: October 15, 2012
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L
Ph: 3.7
Barrel Aging: 20 months in French and American Oak, 30% New Oak, 70% 2-3 year Old Oak
$61.00 at jeffgordonwine.com

I opened the wine about two and a half hours before the start of the tasting and sipped it off and on both alone and with food until the tasting winded down (yes, I have half of a bottle left). To say I was amazed at the quality and complexity of the blend would be an understatement. The wine was truly amazing. It had complex aromas of earth, mint, red and black fruits, smoke, and spices. On the palate, the wine exemplified the best qualities of the grapes in the blend: blackberry, black and red cherry, blackcurrant, cranberry, pepper, plum, raspberry, smoke, spices, and mint. The longer the wine was opened, the more the complexity revealed itself. During the tasting, a few of us speculated that a wine with this complexity could be put back for at least 10-15 years and would only get better.

The Twitter tasting itself was lots of fun, filled with lots of camaraderie, knowledge, NASCAR puns, and input and participation from Jeff himself. I think he was amazed at the positive feedback, but this wine is a quality product, not just celebrity endorsed. This morning I woke up with a sort of wine-tasting afterglow, feeling as if I had been part of something very special with regard to both social media and the wine I had enjoyed. Perhaps by writing this, you, too, will give this wine a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Childress Vineyards’ Award-Winning Wines

As a North Carolina native, I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t know very much about North Carolina wine. When a friend asked me if I’d like to go to Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC, with her and another friend for a ladies’ day out, I jumped at the opportunity.

If you’re a NASCAR fan, you will recognize the name Childress immediately. The winery’s website explains that Richard Childress became passionate about wine while traveling the NASCAR circuit and decided to open his own winery.

The winery is located in Lexingon, NC, between Winston-Salem, NC and Charlotte, NC. It is a little over three hours’ drive from where I live. If you’re traveling from further away, there’s a Holiday Inn Express adjacent to the winery.

Shrimp and Grits at The Bistro

My friends and I arrived at lunchtime so we could enjoy lunch at The Bistro at the winery. I had the shrimp and grits ($14, Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Caramelized Onions, Sweet Peppers served over Creamy Polenta). It was simply amazing. My friends and I enjoyed a bottle of Childress Pinot Gris with our lunch (92% Pinot Gris, 8% Riesling, on sale for $10), a very easy-drinking, fruity wine. It was perfect for our visit on a 100-degree summer day.

After lunch, we headed to the tasting room to taste some of the other award-winning wines. The sweet wine tasting was $12 and the dry wine tasting was $15. I opted for the dry wine tasting. I tasted through eight or ten wines and decided to purchase the Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $15) and Sangiovese, Gianni Vineyards (SRP $17), as Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to white wine and I was intrigued by the North Carolina-grown Sangiovese.