Rosé - Wine and Cigar Pairings with Virginia Rosé

A recent article in Forbes highlighted a new Jolie/Pitt wine that has brought new interest to rosé wine.
Jolie-Pitt’s New Wine Is Scarce, Twelve Best Rosé’s To Try Instead
Since starting the Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail 3 years ago I have had the opportunity to taste a number of new varieties and styles and several that I have disdained in the past, like rosé and have, with few exceptions, been delighted. 

One of the pleasant surprises is the number and the complexity of the rosés that we have had the opportunity to taste and pair. We have paired with 5 of them across our 15 (to date) wineries. Across the 5 we have paired them with 4 different cigars, some of them with two cigars that bring out different characteristics. 

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The differences in the way that cigars and cigarettes are made tells you a lot about the goal of the end product. For example, tobacco companies add ammonia to cigarettes while cigar manufacturers try to remove it. Why?

Cigarette manufacturers add ammonia to cigarettes to increase the absorption of the nicotine into the bloodstream, increasing the impact and the likelihood of addition. It is exactly the same process that is used to enhance the absorption of cocaine in the freebasing process. Think “Freebasing Cocaine.” In actuality, when you smoke a cigarette you are, in effect, freebasing nicotine courtesy of the tobacco companies. 

Alternatively, in the making of a premium cigar, ammonia is considered a bad thing and one of the specific purposes of an extended fermentation process is to remove as much of the ammonia from the tobacco as possible. Depending on the company and the tobacco this is a process that can take upwards of three years but, the more completely that tobacco is fermented the less ammonia you have in the tobacco and the resulting cigar. Because the ammonia, a critical component in the freebasing process is gone the amount of nicotine that is absorbed when smoking is reduced.

Panacea Cigars are noted for a full and complex flavor in a mild to medium body cigar. It is a tribute to the extended aging and fermentation of its tobacco and one reason why smoking a Panacea is an aesthetic experience, like drinking a fine wine and not like smoking a cigarette at all.

This is an excellent video on the aging and fermentation processes. Enjoy it with a good cigar, preferably a Panacea!

In indulgence,

CV

With Matt Brehony’s permission we have reprinted his article and added the cigar pairings of the Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail. VAWACT has 15 members as of April 1, 2013 with a number of wineries in the pairing process. VAWACT and sponsor CigarVolante LLC (CV) will do over 40 events this year, from small winery events to large festivals, promoting the aesthetics of cigar smoking, a civilized indulgence.

Virginia wine: A helpful primer

by Matt Brehony

I have become all that I hate. When my editor told me that, thanks to my articles, he went from “knowing nothing” about Virginia wine to feeling like he knew “too much,” I realized it was time for an abrupt about face.

Wine can be such an overwhelming topic, and I began this series with a rant about how much of the wine media exacerbates this option paralysis. But, in light of my editor’s comments, it dawns on me that maybe I’m just a little bit guilty of the same thing. With that in mind, let’s turn this ship back to ground zero (the ship is powered by mixed metaphors, BTW) with a Virginia Wine Primer.

A disclaimer: Never treat Virginia wine as a single entity. We have winemakers striving to emulate top European producers, winemakers striving to emulate the flavor of a chili dog, and pretty much everything in in-between. That being said, there are a handful of styles and varieties that you’ll encounter at almost every “serious” Virginia winery (spoiler alert: “Chili dog” is not one of them).

CV — What better place to highlight the synergy between cigars and wine than Virginia, the birthplace of the American tobacco industry, the new home of one of the fastest growing wine producing regions in the country, and a Wine Enthusiast Top 5 Wine Travel Destination for 2012.
Drinking wine and smoking cigars are similar aesthetics, marrying a combination of sensations; the bouquet of the wine, the room aroma of the cigar, the feel of a dry wine or a full smoke in your mouth or the complex flavors of either and both playing on your palate. Combine that with the camaraderie that goes along with the enjoyment of both and you describe the foundation for The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail.

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JUST ANNOUNCED:

Troy Mason will be offering autographed copies of his debut novel OUTLAW at Potomac Point Winery on Sunday, May 26 as part of the 2013 Tour de Panacea.  He is a retired United States Marine, Iraq War Veteran, and an avid biker, logging over 20,000 miles per year on his Harley-Davidson.  

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Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Trevor Baratko Many of Hillsborough Vineyards’ wines are just as striking as the winery’s views. Especially notable is the 2008 Bloodstone, composed predominantly of the fer servadou grape (about 94 percent), a relative of malbec.

CigarVolante: Loudoun Valley wines that you should drink this summer. 2 of them are VA WACT members, so you can drink them AND have a cigar!

Originally published in Loudoun Valley Times

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Unicorn Winery Pinot Gris

Aromas of rose petals, apple blossoms, and pears make this perfect with your favorite summer salad, outstanding with seafood or creamy pasta dishes. 

Paired with the Panacea Green Pennsylvania Broadleaf

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