Megan's Wine Blog: Dinner-Palisades (Wines Around the World: Grenache Blends)

The sign for the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston, Virginia.

Right after my Geography of Wine Class this Thursday, my two friends (who are in the wine class too) and I went to the Palisades restaurant in Eggleston, Virginia. On the way to the restaurant, if it hadn't been for the GPS, I would've thought we were lost. The roads were typical country roads, very curvy and one way in both directions. The Palisades was located literally in the middle of nowhere, next to the New River. It was so quaint and I couldn't wait to dive in and taste some wine!

My friend Tiffany and I in front of the restaurant.

Their hours of operation.

Once inside, I loved the decor. The staff was very friendly and we were seated right away because we had a reservation.

Pictures of the interior of the restaurant.

My friend Kelsey and I at the table.

The theme for the night was "Wines Around the World: Grenache Blends" and featured three wines--one from Spain, one from France, and one from Australia. According to the write up given to us by the waiter, the Grenache wines have a fruit roll-up and cinnamon flavor. Grenache is a medium to full body wine that is slightly translucent. It smells of orange rinds and grapefruit. Old world Grenache can also have hints of oregano and tobacco.They were paired with tapas sized portions of Braised Swiss Chard stuffed Poblano, Arbol Chili Pork with Rhubarb Chutney, and Roasted Shallot Chocolate Thimble with Spicy Cherry.

The dinner write up we were given upon being seated.

The wines (from left to right) 2012 Honoro Vera from Spain, 2012 Little James' Basket Press from France, and 2008 Loose End from Australia.

The food (from left to right) the Poblano stuffed with Swiss Chard, Arbol Chili Pork with Rhubarb Chutney, and the Roasted Shallot Chocolate Thimble with Spicy Cherry.

The bottle from the 2012 Honora Vera.

I tasted each wine on its own before eating it with food to see if it would taste any different once consumed with food. The first wine, the 2012 Honoro Vera from Spain was a darker red in color. It smelled woody with a cherry aroma. On the taste I tasted the bitterness from the tannins and then I got the fruity flavor of dark red cherries. With the stuffed poblano, the wine became more fruit forward and smooth. With the pork, the wine accented the spiciness of the arbol chili. Finally, the chocolate thimble really brought on the fruit and really calmed down the tannic aspect of the wine. It was like drinking a wonderful chocolate covered cherry.

The bottle for the 2012 Little James' Basket Press.

The second wine, the 2012 Little James' Basket Press from France, was the other dark red wine. It was tighter on the nose and it took me several sniffs to figure out exactly what I was smelling. The first descriptor that hit me was astringent. Then I smelled a woody, earthiness. On the taste it was so smooth. I loved the slight woody, bitterness aspect from the tannins, and then I got a taste of dark black cherry and maybe a dark raspberry. With the stuffed poblano, I didn't really notice any difference. However with the pork, the spiciness was exemplified. I kinda liked it, but it may be a turn off to some. With the chocolate thimble I did not like this wine. It was a very poor pairing because it made everything really bitter!

The bottle for the 2008 Loose End.

Finally, the 2008 Loose End from Australia was the lightest colored wine. It had a rose look to it which means it probably had less contact with the grape skins during the wine making process. On the nose, this wine smelled like petrol oil. My friend Kelsey said it had a plastic plant smell to it. Both of these are very accurate descriptors in my opinion. On the taste, it was definitely the sweetest of the bunch but it still had a very off-putting oily taste like you just licked a factory floor. It was also the wine that changed the least with the food pairings. With the poblano, there was no change, it still tasted gross. It brought out some spiciness in the pork but still not enough to get rid of the nasty industrial taste. Finally with the chocolate thimble it was plain gross. I seriously wanted to spit it out, but I didn't think that would be very lady like.

My empty plate and wine glasses!

I enjoyed this dinner immensely. Without food I would've picked the second wine, the Little James' Basket Press, as my favorite. However, the wine that paired the best with each one of these food items was the first, the Honoro Vera. The Loose End just missed the mark completely with me. I would definitely visit the Palisades again. Everything was exceptional! And for $20, no one can really complain!