Wine and Food Articles
Panacea Pairings - The Wines of Potomac Point
By: Ron Barker
The Potomac Point Winery is a beautiful, Mediterranean style building that has private arbors, sweeping views, and a Tuscan style courtyard where E! and I joined Wine Club Manager and Festival Event Coordinator Michelle Patterson and Tad, Catering Chef and fellow cigar smoker, for an afternoon of wine tasting and cigar pairing last fall. I know this sounds like an arduous task but someone had to do it!
Potomac Point offers a wonderful example of the complex flavors of the Panacea Green and White cigars that are full flavored yet delicate in a way that allows them to be paired with white wines.
We also have another good example of the differences between ring gauges in the same cigar with our pairings of the Black Label Maduro Classic and Grandes. The Grande, by reason of its bigger ring gauge, is mellower and softer than the smaller Classic. I like it better for a casual smoke and with lighter flavored beverages. We recently did a Herf with The Southside Cigar Club at Pop's Cigars, our newest vendor, and the Black was their favorite Panacea.
We did a Wine Club event with Potomac Point shortly after these pairings were completed and owner Cindy Causey finally threw the members out two hours after the scheduled event, proving my contention that cigar smokers make a great target market as they do tend to spend more time serving their indulgences.
Potomac Point is now carrying a full line of Panacea Cigars in their store to support these pairings.
Potomac Point 2009 Chardonnay
Potomac Point’s most versatile wine is crisp and refreshing. It is nicely balanced with toasty notes and aromas of pear and mango in the bouquet. The flavors are of beautiful fruit followed by a lingering finish.
Paired with The Panacea Green Grande
Dominican with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, Dominican Habano binder and Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, the Green has a clean, crisp grassy flavor. The bigger ring of the Grande mellows the Broadleaf, balancing it nicely with the crisp flavor of this refreshing Chardonnay.
Potomac Point Custom White Label
This wine has been fermented and aged in stainless steel. It is an eclectic wine because it joins freshness to a very good body, smooth and long on the palate. The nose has accents of acacia flowers and mango, with a little bit of grapefruit and dry flowers.
Potomac Point 2010 Abbinato
A Chianti-style blend, easy to drink and light-bodied with a soft tannic structure. It is a modern style light wine, accompanied with fruit and vanilla flavors. It is perfect to serve with your favorite Italian meal, barbequed chicken and tomato-based dishes and it is good with pizza wine too!
Both Paired with the Panacea White Label Grande
Dominican with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, Dominican Habano binder and Corojo wrapper this wonderful and complex cigar has flavors of coffee with cream, burnt marshmallow, molasses, burnt walnuts and a bit of spice. The complexity of the Corojo permits pairing that might surprise you, in this case the White pairs with both the fruity and complex Custom and the light and fruity flavors of the Abbinato.
The White Corojo Hitch Pin is now Panacea's second-best selling cigar, following the Red Grandes.
Potomac Point 2009 Petit Verdot
Deep rich color with a unique bouquet of pepper, smoked wood, hay and leather. It has an accent of black currant, a velvety feel in the mouth with strong and long tannins. It should be paired with strongly flavored food, robust meat and aged cheese.
Paired with The Panacea Black Label
Dominican with Dominican/Nicaraguan filler and Brazilian Maduro wrapper with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, molasses and a subtle nutty undertone. The Black Maduro pairs nicely with a light to medium bodied red wines but the flavors are bold enough to complement a bolder wine like the Verdot when the flavors match up “Just Right!” The smaller ring gauge Classic highlights the rich, sweet flavor of the Brazilian Maduro wrapper giving it the extra kick necessary to support this match. It is a wonderful pairing!
Potomac Point 2008 Heritage
Potomac Point's signature Bordeaux-style wine with aromas of mocha and baked cherries. The mineral background begins with a full body, lingers with a fruity mid-palate but ends with a slate smooth finish with hints of peppercorn. Only the best fruit each year enters into the blending trials for this reserve wine.
Paired with The Panacea Black Label Grande
Dominican with Dominican/Nicaraguan filler and Braziian Maduro wrapper with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, molasses and a subtle nutty undertone. The Black Maduro pairs nicely with a light to medium bodied red wines. The Grande is more subtle than the Classic making it a perfect pairing for the Heritage.
Potomac Point 2009 Cabernet Franc
A fruit-forward wine with flavors of blueberry, strawberry and a peppery finish it is smooth with a medium tannin feeling on the middle of the pallet ending with a long, rich finish. The French barrels added hints of vanilla and wood accents.
Paired with The Panacea Red Label Grande
Dominican with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, Habano Binder and Brazilian Maduro wrapper this is a bold flavored mid-strength cigar with a full, spicy, semi-sweet flavor, hints of molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, caramel, and coffee. While generally suited to fuller bodied wines the intricate flavors of the Potomac Point Cabernet Franc pair nicely with the complex and balanced flavors of the Red Grande.
While we can make generalizations about the suitability of a cigar to a particular style of wine there are exceptions that make the wine/cigar pairing game fun and interesting. The Black tends to pair better with the lighter wines like Cab Francs while the bigger, bolder red tends to balance the big wines like a Petit Verdot but, as with the Potomac Point wines, sometimes the opposite is the case. That is why we drink the wines. Yeah!
Where to find Panacea Cigars in the Mid-Atlantic
AKA Tobacco Place in Fredericksburg, VA,
Cigar Guys (2) in Alexandria, VA
Cville Smoke Shop in Charlottesville, VA,
Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA
Great Oaks Country Club in Floyd, VA
Holly Grove Vineyards in Franktown, VA
Island Tobacco in Richmond, VA
Ladysmith Tobacco in Ruther Glen, VA
Laker Beverage and Tobacco in Moneta, Va,
Main Street Cigars in Bel Air and Havre de Grace, MD,
Pop's Cigars and Coffee in Yorktown, VA
Potomac Point Winery in Stafford, VA
Saylor's Cigars and Gifts in Manassas, VA
The Republic of Floyd in Floyd Va,
Titan Cigars in Gambrils, MD
The Tobacco Company in Roanoke, VA,
Trinity Glass and Tobacco in Waynesboro, VA,
Unicorn Winery in Amissville, VA
Winston's Humidor in Midlothian, VA
If you don't have a retailer nearby you can also buy them directly from CigarVolante online or at one of our Panacea product introductions. Check out our new sampler packs!
Watch for our new Web Site and Web Store coming soon!
About The Author
Virginia is the home of the American tobacco industry and new home of one of the fastest growing wine regions in the country. What better place to highlight the pairing of a hand made cigar and a premium wine? The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail, sponsored by CigarVolante, highlights those wineries that appreciate the cigar smoker as an ideal customer for their wineries by providing a place to smoke and Panacea Pairings, their wine paired with the perfect cigar.
