Instagram story viewer> @quaffwithkyle> Posts

Kyle Zimmerman

@quaffwithkyle

568

posts

16K

followers

4929

following

🍷 Loudoun County, VA native
🍷Virginia Wine Enthusiast
🍷 Here to have fun & exercise the palate 😋
📸 And try to take some cool photos along the way 😉

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

🥳”There is still no cure for the common birthday”—John Glenn 🎉🎂Here we are again—another trip around the sun, another candle I’m legally required to stop counting🤪I won’t divulge which birthday this is, but I’ve been curating this Instagram wine blog for 5 1/2 years now, which in Internet years makes me a fossil with a semi-decent camera roll. That’s a lot of pouring, photographing, and occasionally spilling my way through this hobby-turned-obsession 😝🎉I’m not a technical wine writer…I largely leave the malolactic and soul composition talk to the professionals (though I will dabble on occasion). What I AM is a storyteller, sharing images that entice you to stop scrolling, and hopefully make you feel like you’re on a patio sipping with me 😌 So instead of getting older and wiser, I’ve maybe gotten better at finding wines worth talking about—and today, I’ve discovered one worth celebrating: Introducing the 2024 “La Güera,” the bright and dangerously easy-to-drink blend from @bodegadeedgar hailing from Paso Robles, CA 😉🍇62% Chardonnay 🍇17% Viognier🍇14% Albariño 🍇7% Grenache Blanc✅Chardonnay and Viognier aged 16 mos new French oak✅Albariño and Grenache Blanc aged 16 mos neutral French oak🥂A pale-golden pour, aromas of lemon 🍋 zest, white peach 🍑, apricot and orange blossom 🌸 spring from the glass, layered with notes of vanilla, toasted almond and honeysuckle. Flavors of fresh citrus 🍋‍🟩 and juicy stone fruit 🍑 emerge on the palate. Medium-bodied. Zesty. Creamy. Quaffable. 😉🍽️ Try with: roast chicken 🍗 with herb butter; creamy mushroom 🍄 risotto; grilled pork chops with citrus-herb marinade; OR crème brûlée 🍮 (my personal favorite) 😋🧐I may not be wiser, but I AM one bottle of “La Güera” happier—and that’s a win in my book 🙌🏻. Thank you for spending part of my #birthday with yours truly 🙏🏻🙂—Now, go find yourself something bright, chilled, and slightly ridiculous to sip on 🤪 You’ve earned it and so have I 😉. 🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔🎉 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

175

3 days ago

“There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”—Shakespeare 🤔Su.per.sti.tion (noun): a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic and chance; a notion held onto not because it can be proven, but because it feels true.🧐When we put our faith in things we can’t quite explain—old beliefs, whispered warnings, signs passed down from generations—there’s a magic in surrendering to the unknown. A black cat 🐈‍⬛ crossing your path; a mirror cracked with no explanation; a number too unlucky to say out loud. These are the little mysteries we carry without asking why. The pull of a belief we can’t prove…the comfort of a ritual that makes no logical sense (yet somehow still works) is intoxicating. 😉🍷Today, I’m exploring that same sense of intrigue in a Virginia Bordeaux-style blend —Introducing the 2024 “Superstition” from @greenhillwine and craftsman Ben Comstock. Let’s sip (or even spill a little for good luck, according to ancient folklore 😉).🍇 76% Cabernet Sauvignon 🍇 10% Petit Verdot🍇 8% Merlot🍇 6% Cabernet Franc✅ Aged 10 mos in used French oak🍷A deep garnet hue with a dense core, aromas of ripe black currant and blackberries swirl in the glass, with a light floral lift and savory edge. Dark fruit notes emerge on the palate, with hints of baking spice, vanilla, tobacco leaf and cocoa lingering on the mouthfeel. Full-bodied and structured with firm tannins and a silky finish. 😌🍷🍽️ Try with: dry-aged ribeye 🥩; braised short ribs; mushroom 🍄‍🟫 and truffle risotto; or a dark chocolate espresso ☕️ torte 😋🙏🏻Shoutout to @zo.estrada for another stellar tasting experience 🤩🍷; and to my amazing daughter @claudiazimmerman_ for the stellar wine modeling 🍷☘️Lucky charm optional. This one speaks for itself.🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

151

6 days ago

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”—Pablo Picasso 💙Rouge (n.)—from the French 🇫🇷, simply meaning “red;” warm, vivid and unapologetically bold. Yet, there is far more beneath the surface than the color alone suggests. 😉🍷We spend a lot of time in summer reaching for the whites, the rosés, the bubbles—anything cold, pale and easy. And rightfully so.🤔But every so often, red wine makes a quiet, confident case for itself—even in July…particularly when it arrives chilled, fruit-forward, and completely unbothered by the heat. 🥵💙This is that wine. A Northern Virginia red that throws out the rulebook on what a summer pour should look like—light on its feet, bursting with fresh berry fruit, and wearing its Beaujolais inspiration like a well-pressed linen shirt on a warm evening.😉Serve it COLD. Serve it outside. Serve it to the person who insists they don’t drink red wine in summer… Introducing the 2025 “Blue Rouge” from Loudoun’s @octoberonevineyard 💙 Let’s explore:🍇 100% estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon 🍇 Winegrower: Bob Rupy; Winemaker: Kent Arndt @bodenyoung_wine 🍇 50/ 50 blend of whole cluster and de-stemmed fruit 🍇 Fermented for 10 days then pressed early 🍇 Aged for 6 mos before bottling 🚨= only 44 cases produced 💙Think ripe cherry 🍒, crushed raspberry and a whisper of violet on the nose—followed by a palate that’s bright, juicy, and refreshingly low on pretense. No heavy tannins, no brooding finish. Just pure and effortless quaffability with every sip 😉🍽️ Twist the cap alongside a backyard burger 🍔, a charcuterie spread in the shade, grilled salmon 🍣, or a simple Margherita pizza 🍕 on a warm Friday evening. 😋🍷Some wines ask you to sit down and pay attention. This one just asks you to enjoy yourself. And in the middle of summer, thats exactly the conversation to be having.😉🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

151

13 days ago

-1

139

9 days ago

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”—Thomas Jefferson 😊🇺🇸🇺🇸Two hundred fifty years ago, a fledgling collection of colonies staked everything on an idea—that people could govern themselves, build something from nothing, and overcome every obstacle history could throw at them. From a revolution fought with little more than conviction to a nation that has weathered division, hardship, and reinvention time and again, America’s story has never been one of arrival, but of perseverance. As we mark this milestone, we look back to honor where we’ve been and draw strength from it—carrying that same resilient spirit forward into whatever the next 250 years may hold.😉🇺🇸🇺🇸It seems fitting that a nation built on new beginnings would find one of its truest expressions in Virginia, the birthplace of American wine, where vines first took root in the New World long before the country itself did. To honor the anniversary, I’m raising a glass to a commemorative and local gem—a wine as bright, resilient, and distinctly American as the story it celebrates. Introducing “Independence” from @wineryatbullrun and craftsman Kendell Anderson @kanderson.23 🤩Let’s sip:💥100% locally-grown Vidal Blanc💥 Stainless steel fermented and aged✨A pale, shimmery pour, vibrant aromas of stone fruit 🍑, candied lemon peel 🍋 and cotton candy grapes swirl in the glass. Flavors of pear 🍐, pineapple 🍍, green apple 🍏 and honeysuckle emerge on the off-dry palate. Full-bodied, quenching mouthfeel; lingering and balanced acidity lingering through the finish. 💥🇺🇸🍽️ 4th of July pairings: Grilled chicken 🍗 with a peach/ mango glaze; pulled pork sliders with a vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce; angel food cake with mixed berries and a light honey-lime syrup 😋🙏🏻Shout out to my amazing daughter @camillezimmerman for another fantastic (and patriotic) wine modeling performance 💕👏👏🇺🇸Two hundred fifty years is worth savoring—raise a toast, breathe in that Virginia air (VERY hot and humid air 🥵🔥), and drink to the next chapter. The best, as always, is still being written. 🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔🇺🇸✨💥 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

152

23 days ago

“Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor.”—William Cowper 🤩🔥🍷There is a wine that knows no borders, bows to no single season, and finds itself equally at home on a sun-drenched terrace in midsummer as it does beside a crackling fire in the depths of January. Rosé has quietly become the world’s most democratic pour, embraced across continents, cultures, and climates in a breathtaking range of styles. Its versatility is unmatched and its global following is as passionate as any wine on the planet. On #internationalroséday , we are here for every drop of it.😋✨Today, I’m uncorking four Rosés from four remarkable corners of the globe 🌎: each a distinct expression of terroir, tradition and philosophy, united by their shared ability to pause us mid-sip to make the moment feel like summer. From the sun-scorched southern hemisphere to the storied hillsides of Europe, let’s “drink pink.”🩷 (For details on each , swipe ⬅️)🍷 @babylonstoren : 2025 Mourvèdre Rosé. Dry, Provence style wine hailing from South Africa’s Western Cape🇿🇦🍷 @lyvwines : NV Rosé from the Languedoc-Roussillon region (IGP Pays d’Oc) 🇫🇷Fresh and crisp 🍷 @wolfferwine : 2025 Finca Wölffer Rosé. Complex and enticing blend from Mendoza, Argentina 🇦🇷 🍷 @bodegasmuga : 2024 Rosado. Intense and balanced blend from Rioja, Spain 🇪🇸 ☀️Summer is short, the world is wide, and life is far too brief for anything but the most beautiful glass you can find. Today, that glass is pink 🩷😉🥂Cheers and what ‘cha sippin’? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

161

a month ago

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.”—John Muir ☀️“Ac.cord” (noun): a harmony of people or things; a perfect agreement between elements in balance. (verb): to be in harmony with; to give or grant something fitting and deserved. 😌☀️There are moments in a Virginia summer when everything aligns —the mountain air, the long golden light, the quiet pulse of a vineyard in full bloom—and you find yourself exactly where you’re supposed to be. The season is well underway, and the Blue Ridge is doing what it does best: presiding over the valley in quiet, breathtaking authority.🤩At over 1800 feet, there are places in the Commonwealth where the sky feels closer, the breeze carries something almost alpine, and a perfectly chilled wine isn’t just welcome…it’s essential. This is one of those places, and this is one of those wines. Introducing the 2025 Vidal Blanc from @accordwine and winegrowers Whiticar and Amanda Darvill / craftsman Tom Payette. Let’s sip:🥂A radiant and shimmery pour, vibrant aromas of juicy white peach 🍑, lively lemon 🍋 zest, and delicate floral blossoms 🌸 spring from the glass. The mouthfeel is layered and generous—ripe orchard fruit 🍎 and honeyed nectar emerge on the palate, unfolding at a pace that invites one to slow down and stay a while. Clean, dry, quenching and completely captivating against a backdrop of panoramic Blue Ridge views. 🤩⛰️ 100% estate-grown, aged and fermented in stainless steel.🍽️ Pairings: Roasted airline chicken 🍗 with white peach and tarragon pan sauce; fresh peach galette with honey crème fraiche 😋🙏🏻Shoutout to Stephanie for the fabulous hospitality and tasting experience during Chris @finickyfeline and my visit. 🤩🥂Some wines find you in perfect accord with exactly where you are. This is one of them. Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

158

a month ago

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”—Arthur C Clarke 🤔🍷Born and raised in the Commonwealth, I’ve watched Virginia wine country quietly evolve from a quiet curiosity into something genuinely remarkable: that’s five decades of witnessing a region find its footing, its voice, and its place among the world’s serious wine destinations. Still largely unheralded on the global stage, Virginia remains one of those beautiful secrets that rewards the faithful and surprises the skeptical. As a lifelong enthusiast, I’ve come to anticipate both excellence and the unexpected—but occasionally something groundbreaking occurs…a reminder why local vintners continue to earn my deepest admiration.🤩This is one of those moments. Tucked into the rolling countryside of Loudoun County comes a wine so rarely seen in Virginia that finding it here feels like a earth-shattering discovery…Introducing the 2025 Falanghina from @greenhillwine and craftsman Ben Comstock.😲🇮🇹With deep roots in southern Italy, Falanghina is most celebrated in the volcanic soils of Campania, where it’s been cultivated for centuries. Only grown on a couple of sites in the Commonwealth, it’s quite uncommon to see on a tasting menu. With the inaugural vintage, Greenhill is the first producer to craft a single varietal Falanghina solely from Virginia-sourced fruit @barboursvillevineyards .Mind. Blown. 🤯 Let’s sip:🥂A pale straw pour, lush aromas of starfruit, lime zest and lemongrass yield to a lively and refreshing palate with flavors of white peach and marzipan on the mouthfeel. Vibrant acidity through the clean, crisp finish. It’s an easy-drinking, beautifully balanced quaffer. 😉 Gentle press, concrete fermentation, finished in neutral French oak.🍽️ Try with burrata with white peach, prosciutto di Parma and toasted almonds; lemon ricotta pasta with zucchini and fresh mint 🍃😋🥂Virginia has never been content to follow—and bottles like this are exactly why. A story continues to be written here, one unexpected pour at a time.😉🍷Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

169

a month ago

“One swallow does not make a summer, but one glass of wine makes a fine beginning.”—Aristotle 🤔✨☀️With June well underway, Virginia’s wine country is humming with the quiet energy of a season fully coming into its own. The days are long, the ridge lines are lush green, and there’s a stir in the air that urges us to pause, find a view, and open something worth talking about. Summer in the vineyard isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a feeling…and once it hits, you spend the rest of the year chasing it back.😌☀️This summer, that “something worth talking about” has found us. Tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge in Linden is vibrant release new to the region—Meet the 2025 “Blanc de Franc” from @capstone.vineyards : a fresh white wine crafted entirely from Cabernet Franc.😮 Yep—a white wine born from red grapes…and one of the most intriguing pours of the season. Let’s explore:🍇 100% estate-grown Cabernet Franc🍇 Winemaker: Theo Smith🍇 Whole-cluster, gentle press—no skin contact 🍇 Fermented and aged 5 mos in stainless steel 🥂A nearly crystal-clear pour, exhilarating aromas of white cherry 🍒, Granny Smith apples 🍏 and bubblegum (Theo’s note 😉) spring from the glass. Lush flavors of honeydew melon 🍈, white peach 🍑 and ugli fruit (a Jamaican tangelo—also Theo’s note 😜) amass on the palate. Quenching mouthfeel. Fresh, unexpected, and completely captivating and quaffable.😉🍽️ Pairings: Try with pan-seared scallops with citrus beurre blanc and fresh tarragon; burrata with honey and stone fruit; OR, a simple fruit tart 😋🙏🏻Shout out to Vienna for the exemplary service and dialogue during our visit.🤩🥂The best wine discoveries don’t wait for you—point yourself toward the mountains 🏔️ and let June do the rest.😉🍷Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

182

2 months ago

“The best intelligence is the kind the enemy doesn’t know you have.”—Allen Dulles, first civilian Director of the CIA 🤫🤫Some missions don’t make the history books. The orders come quietly, the team moves in the shadows, and by the time the world catches on, the job is already done.😳No fanfare, no headlines—just precision, purpose, and the satisfaction of a charge executed flawlessly. This is one of those missions. Consider this your briefing.💣 Nestled in the historic barns of a former U.S. Army covert listening post in Warrenton, Virginia—THE very building where Allied forces intercepted enemy communications that helped turn the tide of World War II— @vinthillcraftwinery has been quietly crafting exceptional small-batch wines since 2009 with the appropriate slogan “You were never here.” 🤫🍷Naturally, the releases here go by aliases too, bottled under the “Covert Wineworks” label with names fit for a Vargas girl operative. Enter “Vanessa”—the 2022 Petit Verdot. Virginia-grown, bold and unapologetically smooth, this is the kind of classified intel worth sharing. Your dossier:🍇100% Petit Verdot 🍇 Winemaker: Mark Ward🍇 Aging specs…Top Secret 🤫 😜🍷A deep opulent pour, aromas of cedar, chocolate and tobacco swirl in the glass, mingled with lightly crushed raspberry notes. Flavors of black cherry and dark plums emerge on the palate, with hints of violets and sage lingering on the mouthfeel. Full-bodied with fresh acidity and persistent, lingering tannins.🍽️ Pairings: Braised short ribs with red wine reduction; Grilled Côte de Boeuf (bone-in ribeye 🥩) with herb butter; Dark chocolate lava cake with raspberry coulis 😋🔥🤫Some secrets are meant to be kept. This isn’t one of them—debrief your friends, open a bottle, and consider your mission a success.😉🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

189

2 months ago

“Drink deeply of the season—it will not come again quite this way.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson 🤔🥂☀️June has arrived, and Virginia wine country is buzzing. The vines are popping, the mountain air carries just enough warmth to make one linger, and golden hour stretches out like it has nowhere to be. As the calendar turns, there’s a quiet hum of anticipation in the Shenandoah Valley…fruit set has arrived, and with it a sense that everything the land has been working toward since the last frost is finally and gloriously paying off.😌🍇To celebrate the season, my beloved Chris @finickyfeline and I are raising glasses to a favorite hidden gem 💎—Welcome to @starinthevalley , nestled just outside Strasburg.😉Established in 2015, the stunning, rolling property spans roughly 80 acres with 15 under vine…home to Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Chardonel, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot…and perched above 1,000 feet on some of the oldest mountains in the world.😮 Everything vintner Shane Waller grows and pours is 100% estate, small-batch, and unmistakably Shenandoah. Let’s explore 2 summer sips ☀️:🥂2025 Vidal Blanc: Pure summer in a glass. ☀️Light, crisp, and stainless-aged, it opens with bright notes of lemon 🍋 and green apple 🍏 with a clean, refreshing finish—the kind of wine that you reach for again before the first pour is gone.😉🥂2021 “The Astronomer” 🧑‍🚀: A category all its own. The Shenandoah Valley’s only orange wine, it’s crafted from estate Vidal Blanc fermented on skins for seven days—producing subtle tannins and an alluring depth of honey and licorice, with a stunning amber pour that’s sure to turn heads.🤯 A Virginia Governor’s Cup medalist 🏅and an experience like no other.😉🙏🏻Shout out to Mallory for the exemplary hospitality during our visit. 🤩☀️Summer. Wine. Blue Ridge Mountains.🏔️ Some things don’t need a longer explanation. Find your way to Strasburg.😉🥂Cheers and what’s in YOUR glass this month?🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

139

2 months ago

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”—Anaïs Nin 🤔🍇Chardonnay (n.)—the world’s most planted white grape variety; beloved by millions, dismissed by just as many, and misunderstood by nearly everyone in between.🍇Few grapes inspire the devotion—or the eye rolls—that Chardonnay does. The “ABC” crowd has had their say for decades, and honestly, they weren’t entirely wrong about the era that earned it. But to write off the varietal entirely is to miss the point. Chardonnay is a chameleon at its core—a canvas that reflects its place more honestly than almost any other grape. Lean and flinty in Chablis, rich and toasty in Napa, electric and precise in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. The grape isn’t the problem. It never was.🥂Today, and reflecting on International Chardonnay Day (a week late—Oops 🤪) I’m raising a glass to a bottle that quietly makes a case for the defense: Introducing the 2023 vintage from @cruwinery hailing from the Santa Lucia Highlands…where cool Pacific winds roll in off Monterey Bay, reminding the vines that nothing worth having comes easy. The result is elegant and unhurried.✨A medium gold pour, peach 🍑 and pineapple 🍍 notes lift from the glass with a brightness that never fades, with subtle hints of honeydew melon 🍈 and kiwi 🥝 adding depth. Flavors of toasted vanilla and coconut 🥥 linger on the finish, while just enough oak lends a soft, round warmth without overstaying its welcome (more specs in the comments 😉). This is Chardonnay with restraint and intent.🍽️ Twist the cap alongside a simple roasted halibut, a lemon-herb risotto, or a classic chicken piccata—and let it change a few minds at the table.😉🙏🏻HUGE “Thank You” to Rebecca and the awesome crew at Crü (pun intended 😁) for this delicious #gift of liquid gold 🤩 Albariño review still forthcoming 😉🥂The best argument for anything isn’t a debate. It’s a well-poured glass and a little patience. Cheers and what ‘cha sippin’? 🤔 by @quaffwithkyle

-1

147

2 months ago