It’s Cinco de Mayo!  And here’s a secret – I don’t actually like going out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  I prefer my chips and salsa and margaritas without a side of holy crow why are there so many people here?!  So, unless my friends are heading out somewhere, I usually stay in and enjoy an adult beverage in the (relative) peace and quiet of my living room.

So, I delayed my weekly wine post by one day, because I knew I’d be having a glass tonight.  I know, I know.  It’s Cinco de Mayo and I should be drinking tequila, but I just don’t want to. And I believe there’s not really an occasion for which wine is not appropriate.  It is a holiday, though, and I wanted to open something special.  It’s also a little chilly outside, and has been for most of the week, so we went for a red tonight.

Here’s the bottle we opened:

Greenhill Winery and Vineyards is right on Highway 50, a straight twenty minute shot from our house on the way to Middleburg.  It’s a beautiful, convenient location, and this is one of the only wineries I’ve been to in Virginia that’s brave enough to make a sparkling white wine, and a Riesling, for that matter.  We decided on the 2010 Philosophy, a robust red blend, because Graham remembered really liking it when we tried it a while ago.  I wish I could remember the exact blend, but I think they changed it after 2010.  That’s why this bottle is special.

This wine is gorgeous.  It’s almost purple.  Blackberry, cloves, and cinnamon on the nose, with just a little bit of pepper.  It’s got a smooth, peppery finish, and hints of blackberries and holiday spices.  I tasted a little bit of fennel.  Graham tasted a little bit of vanilla.  Either way, it’s just a touch herb-y.  I would say that this is solidly a red-drinker’s wine.  It’s full-bodied, though not as much as some, and might be too much for someone just starting out with red wine.  But, try it anyway.  Because it’s good, and pretty to look at.

I know it might be a little odd to choose wine over tequila on Cinco de Mayo.  Feel free to judge.  I’ll just be here with my wine.  And the cheeseburger I plan to order for dinner.  In my pajamas and not out with the madding crowd.  So there.