Australia-Qupe Syrah 2004 at Urbana

Rich and full-bodied syrah. Had with bluecheese, prosciutto and pear pizza at Urbana. Food and wine: not bad; venue: not good. Urbana=lame and contrived. Skip this place if you actually want a selection of wine and atmosphere.

The ad copy for this restaurant reads "Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar: A destination in and of itself...where the subterranean restaurant, reminiscent of a Tuscan wine cellar brings to life an imaginitive menu..." Translation: basement Olive Garden with large selection of four wines, where khaki-cladded warriors and fans of the OC meet to discuss IT and HR (and Harry Potter).

http://www.urbanadc.com/

Australian-The Lucky Country Shiraz Cab 2003

Matt gifted me six bottles of awesome reds:

Had this one last evening.

The Lucky Country Shiraz Cab blend Barossa Valley 2003, really rich and fruity

Tryst

I love Tryst. They have the best soy lattes, interesting sandwiches, and free internet. The crowd is nicely diverse. A lot of emo and literati types as well as urban scenesters and internationallies can be found lounging there.

The Keflom sandwich:

Smoked salmon, wasabi cream cheese, watercress, and tomato on baguette. Awesome.

http://www.trystdc.com/

Value Wines from Paul's

Bought 6 bottles from Paul's yesterday. Paul's is a no nonsense wine and liquor store in Friendship Heights (right below my dance studio). By far, this place has the best selection and most knowledgeable staff around, not to mention great deals. Check this place out (unless you love Disneyland and the mall--in which case, you should just head to Best Cellars).

http://www.paulsdc.com/index.php

Opened a Penfold's Kanoonga Hill Shiraz Cab blend. Nice, smooth, understated. Notes of vanilla.

Purchased:

2 Penfold's Kanoonga Hill Shiraz Cab 2004
1 Rosenblum Zin Vintner's Cuvee (a concept where the vintner combines grapes from different areas--a starter, table wine) very nice and inexpensive
1 Ravenswood Zin Vintner's Blend 2004 (again, combining grapes from different areas--comparable to the Rosenblum)
1 (Marquis) Philips Shiraz 2005 (Wine Advocate rating of 91 points)
1 Ferrari Corrano Fume Blanc 2004 (Of course I always go for this reliable screw top. Barrel aged, light but with a hint of oak, a unique style not found in a lot of California whites)

Date Reds

2004 Hendry Block 7 Zinfandel at Matt's : Very fruity, notes of black cherry, hints of vanilla--Zin is so reliable (and that's RED zin, Simians).

2004 Minervoise Chateau Cuvee Grenache Cab Syrah blend at Cashion's : Extremely smooth, oaky finish--drink these blends early.