Grant Crandall 's "Wines from our Cellar" Group Meets at the Home of Jennifer Craft and Rex Bambling in Lovettsville/ Virginia (July 2026)

Excellent evening of Grant Crandall 's "Wines from our Cellar" group, this time hosted by @Jennifer Craft and Rex Bambling at their lovely home in Lovettsville/ Virginia. We had many #world class wines paired with small bites. My "Wine of the Evening" was Roland Young 's 1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, which was after almost half a century stunningly fresh, powerfull and well rounded (in contrast to the 1999 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet, which Roland also brought). Looking ahead to next year's tours by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours Annette Schiller brought a Chardonnay from Weingut Jülg in Schweigen/ Germany at the French border (with Spundekaes dip and Bretzel) and I brought a Côtes du Rhône Weine Rouge from @Beaume de Venice (which is already in the Vins de Provence). Thus my little bite was an oliver/ cheese skewer. A wonderful evening. Thanks Jennifer and Rex for hosting.

Tasting

Apero

Schiller's Favorites 

BUBBLIES and WHITES 

1 Stephanie Castelli 2020 Domaine Lagille “L’Inattendue” Brut Nature, 100% Petit Meunier Caviar 

2 Pat Valas Hervieux-Dumez Rosé Extra Brut Premier Cru a Sacy Cucumber and salmon bite 

3 Dave Barber 2024 Fifty Third Winery Albariño Cream cheese shrimp cocktail 

4 Walt Rachele 2020 Chateau Bouscaut Grand Cru Classe de Graves Pessac-Leognan Cold cantaloupe peach soup 

5 Annette Schiller 2017 Weingut Jülg Chardonnay (Pfalz wine region, Germany) (13% ABV) Spundekäs dip and bretzel 

6 Cindy & Graydon Vandament 2023 Lucien Albrecht Tradition Gewurztraminer (13.5% ABV) Pear soup (cold)                          

7 Tikki & Roland Young 1999 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet Grand Cru (2x375ml) Crostini with brie, fresh peach slice and prosciutto 

REDS 

8 Christian Schiller 2023 Domaine la Ligiere, Beaume de Venise, Red Rhone Wine  Olive and cheese Skewer 

9 Rex Bambling 2006 Penfolds RWT (Barossa) Grilled dry-aged ribeye 

1 0 Grant Crandall 2021 i Castei Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Wine-marinated mushrooms 

1 1 Al Guber 2021 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito Veal in a creamy mushroom sauce 

1 2 Brian Castelli 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Azienda Agricola La Giaretto Risotto  

1 3 Tikki & Roland Young 1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Smoked duck and spiced cherry jam crostini 

DESSERTS 

1 4 Cindy & Graydon Vandament Henri Champliau Cremant De Bourgogne Brut Authentique NV Canelé  

1 5 Jennifer Crafts 2018 Trisaetum Lassa Late Harvest Riesling (9% ABV) Nectarine/frangipane tartlet w/ ice cream

schiller-wine: Related Postings 

Announcement: Small Group (12 people) Wine Tours to Europe (Italy and Germany) this Year (2026) by ombiasy WineTours with Annette Schiller  

Germany Classic 2026 (Franken, Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel, Nahe, Rheinhessen) by ombiasy WineTours (June 28 to July 8, Summary)

Tuscany - Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri - 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours, led by Annette Schiller (Summery, June 8-18)

 

Overview: Rhône Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings 

Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings

Summary of Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller: Wine, Food, History, Culture 

Summary: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours

Summary: From Lyon to Paris - Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (July 02 - 13, 2023)

Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The 2025 American Wine Society National Conference in Chantilly/ Virginia/ USA, with Annette and Christian Schiller: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Kékfrankos - Blaufränkisch - Lemberger: A Grape’s Immigration Story From Central Europe To The US West Coast - Seminar at the 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA led by Annette Schiller

The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Tasting at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), presented by Annette Schiller

schiller-wine Blog of Christian Schiller Top Washington DC Alcohol Blog (December, 2024)

2024 Annual Meeting of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, a 45 Years Old Wine Brotherhood in the Famous Wine Village Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany, with Annette Schiller, Founding Member, and Christian Schiller

Masterclass - The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference March 2024 

Dinner at JAN in Munich, Germany, with Jan Hartwig, one of the ten German 3-star Michelin Chefs (September 2024) 

Hans Rebholz, Weingut Oekonomierat Rebholz, Pfalz, Presenting his Wines at the German Embassy in Washington DC, USA (January 2025) 

2025 Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner in New York City, Sky Loft, 32nd Floor of 50 Hudson Yard, with 15 #worldclass Winemakers from Germany + Austria and Estimated 300 Wines, many 20, 30, 40 Years old, many Larger Format and almost all Ultra-premium 

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists (January 2025)

 

Annette and Christian Schiller Awarded German Wine Society Silver Medallion for their Superior Knowledge of German Wine (USA, Washington DC, December 12, 2025) of the Washington DC Chapter of the German Wine Society USA (via Zoom), February 21, 2026