Instead of just serving a particular wine and hosting wine dinners from one of your favorite local wineries, why not have the winery create your own label? That’s the conclusion from the pairing of a private label wine by Tarara Winery for its County neighbor, Lansdowne Resort. Tarara’s two new private labels produced for Lansdowne demonstrate the viability of connecting the local origin dots.

The Lansdowne Reserve White is a blend of Vidal (65%), Seyval (34%), and Viognier (1%), and the Lansdowne Reserve Red is a blend of Chambourcin (65%), Vidal (8%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%). Sommelier Spenser McKenna describes the white as having a light essence of peaches, slightly acidic, and medium bodied with a short-to-medium finish. He pairs the wine with two totally different entrees (The Grilled Sea Scallops and the Duo of Fields of Athenry Pork) from the new summer menu at the resort’s main restaurant, On the Potomac.

McKenna finds the Reserve Red has mid-to-high tannins and a mild taste of dried cherries, light notes of dark spices, and calls it well-balanced overall. As for menu items, he pairs the new private label red with the duck breast and the Filet Mignon. Of course, the main courses have carefully selected sides that further enhance the flavor profile from their respective wines.

This combination of a restaurant focused on local foods and an award-winning winery further defines the region’s restaurants and wineries in their ongoing commitment to finding the best local options to support both the growers and the businesses.

Either way, the consumer wins!