Still Sipping?

April 2014, Fitz 8 weeks, Winery at Lagrange

It has been a year since my last post! A whole year! No wonder some of you were wondering if I
decided to kick the blog to the curb. I did not intend to, but it appears that way. I've been a social media slacker on the twitter too.

When I started this adventure I was frustrated with my job and ready to explore beyond the DC city limits. I decided that the vineyards of Virginia was a great way to explore, visit different counties and do so with a cost effective purpose (tastings are $2-$15).

Having made it to more than 70 of Virginia's 240+ vineyards in the past couple of years I feel like I made some serious progress. My blogging definitely started to scale back when my career picked up and writing on the weekends wasn't that appealing. Have no fear though I am still sipping at the vineyards.

October 2014, Fitz 8 mo with Aspen Dale's goats

I'd like to continue documenting my visits to "new" to me vineyards, but lately I've been at those that are tried and true. A few months ago I got an adorably energetic puppy whose first outing was to the Winery at Lagrange! He's also been to Rappahannock and Aspen Dale (two vineyards I've made a couple stops at in the past year). In addition to taking the pup out to those vineyards, I've been back to Corcoran, Fox Meadow and of course Chester Gap Cellars. Of course there are always new vineyards and at the top of my list right now are Stone Tower & Maggie Malick's wine caves...oh and Catoctin Creek distillery too!

Furlough Friday at the Vineyards

What do you do when you are not allowed to work, unsure of when you'll be called back to work or even when or IF you'll get paid again on a rainy, rainy day? Why wine tasting of course! My friend Jessica and I ventured out to Vintage Ridge Vineyard in Delaplane, VA and were pleased with what we found. Not only did they have some fine wines in a nice space, quality music & they also have "Furlough Fridays" where Federal employees can receive half off their tastings and half off a glass of wine.

Vintage Ridge is off of a narrow, meandering road off 66 like many of their neighboring vineyards, they opened their tasting room in 2007 & began making wine in 2005. Five of the seven wines we tried were estate grown. There were two tasting bars and several tables ready for tastings. We were likely the first guests of the day and were given our choice of tables. Once settled we were given our tasting sheets, glasses and were told by our friendly server, Randy, that we'd be tasting two wines at time with the exception of their first white wine.

The first was the 2011 Maiden Voyage a blend of 65% Vidal Blanc & 35% Movedra. Round two was the

2010 Merlot and 2010 Syrah, both grown in Charlottesville. The Merlot had a really great, fruit forward nose and wasn't too dry. The Syrah was light, and easy to drink, but a little lighter bodied than I like my reds. Round three was the 2009 Cabernet Franc and the 2009 Petit Verdot, two very full bodied enjoyable reds, best paired with a high quality meal. The final round was the 2011 Ghost Train and the 2011 Summer Night; both blends the former was 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot named for the trains that travel through the area and the later was a 100% off dry Vidal Blanc. Jessica's favorite was the Ghost Train and mine was the Merlot, but we both enjoyed the Cab Franc & Petit Verdot. We settled in for a glass and enjoyed staying out of the rain. Vintage Ridge also offers food for purchase, but unfortunately we couldn't bring our own in so we headed for a second stop.

Our second stop was at the quiet & cozy Miracle Valley Vineyard, just a bit passed Barrel Oak Winery. We were also the only tasters for a bit until a second group wandered in just after we began our tasting. Miracle Valley planted their vines in 2004 and all their varietals are grown on site, similar to Vintage Ridge their tasting room opened in 2007.

Their tasting list changes regularly so on our visit we tried 6 wines and their hot mulled wine which was perfect for a cold, damp day. We began with the 2012 Chardonnay, which was clean, crisp wine. Next up was the 2012 Viognier which wasn't too fruit forward and very smooth. The last white was the Cobbler Mountain White a blend of Viognier, Vidal & Chardonnay with 2% rs, a nice light semi-sweet wine. On the red side we began with the 2011 Merlot a very light version, next was the 2010 Meritage, an unknown blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. The 2011 Cabernet Franc was the final red a full bodied red. We finished everything off with their hot mulled wine that includes their Merlot, Cab Franc, Cranberry Juice & spices. As I mentioned before it was a nice touch to the rainy day. Jessica & I both favored the Meritage so we settled in with our lunch, a bottle & some lush fall views!

A New Beginning at Lost Creek

In September of 2012 Lost Creek Winery was purchased by new owners, Todd & Aimee; with the new ownership came a new name, The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek, and new wines. Stacy who writes Virginia Wine Know coordinated a visit for us earlier this summer. I hadn't been to Lost Creek in several years so I was interested to see what it was like under new ownership.

Aimee gave us a wonderful tour of the property and walked us through the ongoing changes to their event spaces and cellar. Its clear that the new owners have a passion for wine and plan to create quality & continuously improving wines. One of the facts that fascinated me was that the previous owners had barreled all of their wines in steel, even the reds! So one of the first things that the new ownership did was start barreling the reds in neutral and new oak. Currently the winery has 52 acres, of those 16 are vineyards and in 2014 all of the reds at Lost Creek are expected to be estate grown.

outdoor picnic spots

During our tasting we were able to try 5 of their new wines and 8 of the legacy wines. They are currently pouring and selling two new whites and two new reds. The new wines we tasted included the 2012 Vidal Blanc which was a crisp & spicy white that reminded me of a Viognier, that was followed by the 2012 Chardonnay, a young steel fermented but with hints of butter; we also had an early taste of the 2012 Serenity a softer slightly sweeter white. My favorite of the bunch was the Vidal Blanc, but the group also enjoyed the Serenity. On the red side the new wines we tried were the 2011 Cabernet Franc which was a smooth peppery red, with a hint of vanilla; the second red was the 2011 Genesis, Todd & Aimee's, first new wine hence the name, a blend of 47% Tannat, 43% Cab Franc and 10% Petit Verdot it has a very nice nose, smokey and smooth once you tasted it. While I enjoyed both reds the unique blend for the Genesis came out on top for me. The legacy wines we tasted were mostly sweeter wines, but of those that are still available I preferred the Chardonnay which had a touch of apricot on it.  

If you had been to Lost Creek in the past and their sweeter wines weren't for you, I'd recommend giving it a second try if in Loundoun County as you'll find the new wines quite different than the old and hopefully find something you enjoy.

Ingleside Vineyards: Keep Heading East!

First let me start by saying that Anthony from Virginia Pour House has been trying to get me to Ingleside Vineyards for about a year now. After our visit this month it was clear why, I wish I would have listened and visited this hidden gem sooner! Several of us Virginia wine bloggers meet up at Ingleside earlier this month thanks to Anthony, who coordinated the visit for us with their marketing director and part of the winery family, Chris Flemer.

Ingleside is about 1.5 hours south east of DC via Maryland, east of Fredericksburg on the Chesapeake Bay. It is one of the 5 oldest vineyards in the state and has a modest history museum on site. The first vines were planted on the 1970s and in 1980 began their commercial sales.  The museum includes wine bottles from George Washington's era and several Native American relics found on or near the property.  After viewing the museum, event space, tank and bottling rooms we headed into the barrel room for our tasting.

The team at Ingleside selected 10 wines for us including three for a vertical tasting (the typical tasting includes 12 wines).We began with their 2 whites. The 2012 Pinot Grigio was a young, blend of Pinot Grigio, Chardonel and Petit Manseng with a hint of citrus on the finish. The second white was the 2012 Albariño to be released later this spring. Of the two whites I think the group favored the Albariño with its peach and banana nose, it went down smoothly, a nice summer wine.

The next seven wines were the reds, my favorites. We kicked things off with the 2009 Sangiovese that had a nice oak nose and smooth pepper finish. The 2007 Merlot followed, a lighter Merlot, not very dry at all, this could be an effect of the sandy soil it grows in.  The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve that had 12% Petit Verdot blended in was a deep rich red; while most tasted cherry I found hints of strawberry. Someone had the brilliant idea to try this wine with chocolate and the result was like eating a dark chocolate raspberry truffle! Amazing! Next up was the 2007 Virginia Gold, a Meritage blend with Cab Sav, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cab Franc and Touriga Nacional. This blend was dry and spicy the kind that makes you say, "where's my steak?!"

Then it was time for the vertical, we had Petit Verdot from 2005, 2007, and 2009. The 2007 and 2009 were booth ages for 32 months in a variety of oak barrels. The 2009 was obviously the youngster in the bunch, it was slightly lighter and the driest of the three. The 2007 was a bit smoky and drier than the 2009. The 2005 was very smoky and rich. Most of the group favored the 2005, but I preferred the 2007. We were all disappointed to learn that Ingleside is sold out of both the 2007 and 2005! We finished with a NV Virginia Brut made from 100% Chardonnay, a nice dry bubbly. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Ingleside and walked away with much heavier trunks than when we had arrived!

Many of us were on the hunt for some sustenance and were directed to Denson's Grocery in Colonial Beach. This place was a perfect stop on such a nice day, they were serving up grilled oysters and crawfish at a couple of picnic tables outside. Unfortunately the oysters were in high demand and short supply so I failed to get my hands on any, but I'm sure there will chances in the future as this was a great way to wrap op our trip. Denson's was a nice local stop with fresh produce and local wines on hand too.

Awaiting Spring! 

Playing Catch-Up: DuCard & Sharp Rock Vineyards

I have been a writing wine slacker of late. You know when things you like to do, start feeling like work? Well that's where I was with this blog for a bit, I just wanted to do the drinking and not the "homework" of writing them up, but have no fear I'm playing a little catch up today.

Back in November, possibly early December after driving several windy roads, Debbie, Scott & I found ourselves at DuCard Vineyards. DuCard is a former apple orchard that has been growing grapes for the past 12 years. They had 8 wines for us to try, 2 whites and 4 reds and 2 dessert wines.

The white wines were both from 2011, there was a Signature Viognier and the Gibson Hollow White which was a blend of Viognier and Vidal Blanc that had a very distinct taste of peach. The whites were fine wines, but we really enjoyed the reds. Starting with the 2010 Cabernet Franc Vintner's Reserve there were distinct notes of tobacco and blackberries that made this wine a rich, dry red. Next we sampled the Popham Run Red 2009/2010 bordeaux style blend with Cab Franc, Cab Sav and Merlot, a much lighter blend than the Cabernet Franc. Moving on to the 2010 Petit Verdot aged 2 years in the barrel, served from a decanter, this was another big favorite and would be great paired with a steak. The last red we tried was the 2010 Virginia Native Norton, that when tasted with chocolate really softened this wine. I am not the biggest Norton fan, but if you are, you would most likely enjoy this version. On to the dessert wines there was the 2009 Sweet Virginee Vidal Blanc with 6% rs an apple nose with hints of pear, it was light and refreshing and my preferred dessert wine. The second was the 2010 C'est Trop a port-style wine made with Norton grapes and fortified with brandy, a very rich wine that was a favorite for port lovers. We each picked a glass and found an outdoor table by a trickling stream to take in the mountain views on the unusually warm winter day.

 After our leisurely stop at DuCard, we meandered north to Sharp Rock Vineyards. Which seemed almost like a little village with a couple of  B&B cottages and old barns on the property. It is a 220 year old farm that has had the vineard going for 22 years with 14 varietals grown onsite.

We had a unique tasting table on the second floor of an overhang outside of one of the tasting bars with a great views. We were not given tasting sheets so I think we tried 7-8 wines and definitely enjoyed 5 of them. The Pinnacle Blanc started us off strong as a blend of 25% Sav Blanc and 75% Chardonnay, steel aged and just crisp enough without being tart. We also enjoyed the Rose made from a Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 2 days on the skins. Debbie really enjoyed the 2011 Reserve Chardonnay, oak
aged with a smoky nose and definite hints of bacon. The 2010 Synergy a Petit Verdot (55%) and Merlot (45%) blend was also one of my favorites. Scott's favorite of the day was the 2010 Old Rag Red, a Bordeaux blend of Cab Sav, Cab Ranc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. We also found the 2011 Chamois Rouge to be a very nice off dry blend of Chambourcin and Cab Sav.

The layout of Sharp Rock is great, its somewhat secluded off the main road, and it was frequented by picnickers and tasters of all ages. The views were refreshing and it inspired comments like "I think I'm gonna like this place...lay in the lawn and look into the sky..." or maybe that was just the earlier wine stops talking...

Early Mountain Vineyards

About a year after our first visit to what used to be Sweely Mountain Winery, Debbie, Scott and I made it back to what is now Early Mountain Vineyards. The tasting room had been renovated and tastings are now done at tables inside or out weather permitting. Wine is also brought to your table in the most unique, locally hand-made wine carriers made just for the vineyard.

Since Early Mountain is still building up their portfolio of wines, they are serving their wine in flights as well as other selected Virginia wines. We all opted for the "Early Mountain Ascent" featuring their four wines. We started with the 2011 Pinot Gris that we had barrel tasted in 2011, it had smoothed out and softened to a nice light white. Next was the 2011 Viognier with a hint of fruit, this was Scott's favorite. The 2011 Chardonnay was a nice buttery oak barrel aged white that Debbie and I both favored. Finally the 2008 Merlot was also a smooth and enjoyable red.

A delicious braut with peppers and oinions

After our tasting we ordered some amazing food and while Scott and Debbie opted for wine with their meals, I tested out the seasonal Cider Flight.  First up was the Farmhouse Dry from Potter's Craft Cider, the name doesn't lie, it was a dry and tart cider. Second was the Jupiter's Legacy from Albermarle CiderWorks which was a sweeter cider. The Celestial from Castle Hill Cider was a sparkling cider and my favorite of the bunch. I finished with First Fruit from Foggy Ridge Cider the sweetest of the flight. We finished noshing and made our way to the gift shop where I was happy to find the 2010 Chardonnay by Chatham Vineyards, one of my current favorites and I'm not a typical Chardonnay fan. Perhaps this summer I'll make a beach trip out to Chatham since its on the edge of the eastern shore.

Early Mountain has certainly upped the elegance and the seated tasting adds to a more relaxed experience to the tasting room, the staff was friendly and the food was great. It will be interesting to taste the additional wines they produce in the next couple of years as they expand their wine list.

Marterella Winery

Patio Views

Lori and I had enjoyed a day on the trail, but thought we could sneak in one more stop before heading home. Checking out the map we decided Mediterranean Cellars would be the most logical stop. So as we twisted and turned I saw vineyard signs and took a left instead of a right and we found ourselves across the road at Marterella Winery. A few minutes into our tasting Lori said, "Your car turned in the right direction for a reason." We discovered a hidden gem, not listed on the 2012 Virginia Wine map, you can find it on the VirginiaWine.Org website.

With a full, jovial tasting room, Marterella is a local hot spot and hangout. Kate Marterella owns and runs the tasting room and seemed to have plenty of energy to keep simultaneous tastings going single-handed! Kate and her husband, who unfortunately passed recently, planted vines in 2000 and started making wine in 2003. The tasting room adjacent to her home is about 6 years old and features an outdoor fireplace on the patio with plenty of seating as she also serves Italian pizzas to hungry visitors.

Tasting Room, view from the bar

On our visit we tried 13 wines for $10, visitors have the option to do the full flight or just the reds or whites for $5. We started with the new, not yet bottled 2009 Vidal Blanc which was refreshing with a hint of tropical fruit. We also worked our way through the 2010 Pinot Grigio, NV Viognier, 2008 Chardonnay and 2008 Barrel Select Chardonnay on the white side. While we enjoyed most of these wines our favorite aside from the Vidal Blanc was the steel & oak blended 2008 Chardonnay that had a touch of butterscotch.  The 2010 Rosalie's Rose was a sweeter rose made from mostly Merlot followed by the 2009 Heritage Dry Rose  which was quite the opposite with 100% Merlot and 24 hours on the skins it had a nose of rose petals.

Frankie could run around

For the reds we worked our way through the 2008 Merlot, 2007 Cabernet Fran, 2008 Meritage and the "Vegas Wedding." My favorites were the 2008 Merlot, it was jammy and not too dry, as well as the 2008 Meritage (Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sav & Petit Verdot) it was a big red. Lori also enjoyed the Meritage as well as the Cabernet Franc which in my opinion was a softer, slightly fruitier Cab Franc that what I prefer. Now this "Vegas Wedding" is a Meritage blend of sorts, its the Cabernet Franc mixed with the Merlot (post bottling) to create a surprisingly smooth combination. Finally we tried some dessert wines, the 2010 Grace made from Vidal Blanc & Riesling and the 2010 Sweet Nothings, a sweet Chambourcin with raspberry hints. Lori loved both of these! I should also note that for the chocolate and dessert wine lovers, Marterella has local, custom made chocolates infused with their Sweet Nothings that you can purchase at the tasting room.

We had a great time at this stop and even though we made it in during the end of the day, the tasting room was full of life, human and canine. It was a cozy and welcoming stop, its too bad we didn't have time to cross the road to Mediterranean, on my next trek in that direction I'll just have plan time to go to both wineries!

Seeking Quality Reds? Found. In Virginia.

Last weekend I had an appointment to meet some fellow Virginia wine bloggers out at Berry Hill Vineyards in the afternoon (Berry Hill is by appointment only). Since I wanted to bring some fellow DC'ers with me to the vineyards I wasn't sure until the day before how early we could get out to the trail but mapped out some options of spots I hadn't yet visited.

With Lori and her little dog Frankie in tow we wandered into the hills to Cobbler Mountain Cellars in Delaplane. If heading there you really have to pay attention to your GPS since it doesn't seem to have as many signs along the way as some of the other wineries do. The grapes were planted here in 2006 and the tasting room opened in 2011 so its still a newer winery. We were the first guests to arrive that morning and found that Cobbler Mountain is very pet friendly, they had two friendly dogs that greeted us and found a cat curled up on a couch inside. The tasting room was cozy and decorated for the fall holidays. I really hadn't heard anything about Cobbler Mountain so I had no idea what was in store for us.

For $9 we worked through 9 wines; we did not try their Maple Reserves made from, you guessed it, maple syrups! We started the tasting with a Sparkling Hard Apple Cider where you could taste the Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious apples that were part of the blend. We really enjoyed this cider. We then tried the 2010 Cobblestone White a light, sweet white made from a blend of Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc & Viognier. Up next was the 2011 Chardonnay Reserve with just a touch of oak on the palate. As a picky white drinker I thought the whites were fine, but the reds were really something! 

As one of 5 vineyards in Virginia that produces Malbec the 2011 was the first we tried; now I'm usually not a Malbec fan since they can be very dry, but this one was not at all, it had just the lightest hint of fruit at the finish. Next up was the 2010 Meritage a blend of 4 of the 5 Bordeaux grapes, absent is Merlot, this blend was surprisingly drier than the Malbec. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was another great red, it was aged 24 months in French oak and  a solid red would be great with a steak. The 2010 Petit Verdot was a really big red with a nose of clove & spice, also another great wine. We finished with the 2010 Cabernet Franc which we tasted with chocolate, it was a slightly softer Franc than I prefer, I really love the peppery ones, and this reminded me more of a Merlot, still a very good wine. 

We were so overwhelmed with good wine it took us a while to pick out what we wanted to sit down with and take home. We finally worked it out and headed outside to take in the views next to one of the few camp fires they had set up outside. Overall we were really pleased with Cobbler Mountain, it was a surprise to have one quality red after the next. Hillary  even tried their wines and liked them so much she bought the entire line to serve at State dinners!  

Virginia tends to get a bad rap for poor reds, but our day uncovered a couple good spots for reds. After Cobbler Mountain we were excited to meet up with Anthony of Virgnia Pour House, Kurt & Carol of Wine About Virginia, Fred of This is Wine, Erin of At the Lamppost as well as Jaymie, Allison, Kathy & Dan over at Berry Hill. As mentioned, Berry Hill is by appointment only as it is a micro winery that the owner Dave, started out by selling his grapes to near by vineyards like Narmada, Gray Ghost and Rappahannock then started making his own wine. He definitely takes care in making his Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Here you will be able to try the wines and take some for the road, rather than sit down and stay awhile since it is a smaller operation.

Dave discussing the wines

We sampled 3 wines with Dave, his 2011 Cabernet Franc that was blended with 15% Petit Verdot, at the time of tasting this wine had only been in the bottle for 3 weeks. The 2010 Cabernet Franc was next and Kurt was like a kid in a candy store waiting to try this one since he had barrel tasted it the year before. See his write up at Wine About Virginia for his thoughts on this quality wine. It was 14.9% alcohol, but you couldn't tell that at all after its 20 months in the barrel. Finally we sampled the 2011 Petit Verdot which was blended with 15% Cabernet Franc. It was a big, soft wine and as Dave said "85% of good wine is made in the vineyard," so he just tweaks that last 15%. 

If you like red wines or know someone who likes reds and isn't sold on Virginia wines, Cobbler Mountain Cellars and Berry Hill Vineyards are a must! The service was great, the staff/owners are friendly and there really isn't anything bad you can say about the wines. 

Hiking & Sipping

Blue Ridge Views from the Appalachian Trail

Last weekend a friend and I made it out to Shenandoah National Park for a quality hike before Sandy blew all of the pretty leaves down. It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day, perfect for a rigorous hike. We went into to the park at Thorton Gap where 211 meets Skyline Drive. We got started early on an out and back trail, which was probably a good idea since on our way down we passed several more hikers than on our way up. By the time we finished we had plenty of time to hit the 2 wineries closest to the mountains, Little Washington Winery and Gadino Cellars. 

The Little Washington Winery had a very friendly & knowledgeable staff as well as a very inviting tasting room, but we were a little disappointed to find only two Virginia wines there. The were currently pouring their two Chardonnays one steel aged and the other oaked as well as several Spanish wines. It was interesting to try some international wines, but I prefer to try the local goods. After checking out the view, which is quite nice we decided to head down the road to Gadino Cellars. 

Enjoying live music at Gadino

Gadino Cellars was the first Virginia winery I had ever been to and that was about 5 years ago so I was excited to see what it was like now. We found a bustling tasting room, but service was great. We were greeted and told it would be few minutes before we could start tasting so we checked out some of the local crafts, cork stoppers and other items in the tasting room before beginning. For $5 we tried 6 wines and got to keep our glass. There was a nice 2011 Viognier that had the lightest hint of tropical fruit, a 2011 Chardonnay aged in steel then oak was nice and mildly oaky, a 2011 Sunset was a sweeter white made from a Traminette & Seyval Blanc blend. Their rose, the 2011 Moonrise is made by blending a red (Nebbiolo, Cab Franc) and white (Petit Mensang) wine rather than letting the skins of a red sit on the wine for a few days, it was surprisingly good & very interesting. The 2010 Cabernet Franc Riserva won us over as our favorite! It came from 22 year old vines and the dark cherry flavors really came through. We also really enjoyed the 2010 Merlot which was blended with 8% Peiti Verdot and 9% Cab Franc for a drier red than the Franc, but still a big, smooth red. 

We decided to buy some bottles of the reds and then pick up a glass of the whites to sit on the porch and enjoy what was left of the daylight before our long drive back to the city. It was a nice revisit to Gadino and perfect spot if heading back from the trails! 

Little Washington Winery porch views

Party Bus Wine Tasting?

Yes, we have a bit of school spirit

What happens when you mix a vineyard visit with WSU alums, 2 birthday parties, some Brits, and a party bus of said individuals all over the age of 25? A day that's surprisingly not as crazy as anticipated. Granted it was easy to spot the light-weights as the day went on. 

Overall this isn't the way I like to do my wine tasting, but it was a day of fun with friends and the first stop wasn't as bad as I expected (bad as in full of crazy drunk people or poor service for such a crowd), the second stop, however, was a little crazier. Its just a good thing there were only two stops! At 10:00am we were instructed to meet in Ballston to check-in and board our fabulously decked out (70s style) Boomerang Bus (a former school bus). Some folks were already enjoying mimosas and bloody Mary's. We were also told that we could BYOB on the bus. That's right. Our group started with some Hogue Cellers Gewurztraminer from Washington State, as we had gathered some alums for the trip. It was a good wine to start with, nice and light, not too sweet as many Gewurztraminers can be. 

Our first stop was Bluemont Vineyard, at 951 ft, one of the highest points in Northern Virginia. The views were breathtaking! The vineyard has a massive outdoor space so our crew was seated under a trellis away from the "regular" visitors. We tried 1 rose, 2 whites, 2 fruits, 2 reds and 2 dessert wines. With so many people and one server for our 10 tables and the other outdoor spots tasting was understandably slower than when at a tasting bar so we broke out the cheeses and picked some of the wines that weren't on our tasting list. Going down the line we tried the 2011 Petit Manseng, 2010 Rose "The Donkey" (100% Chambourcin), Farm Table White (Vidal Blanc, Viognier & Petit Manseng), The Sparkling Peach (unfiltered 50% Rkatsitelli 50% peach), The Peach (50% Rkat 50% peach), Farm Table Red, 2009 Merlot "The Ram," The Strawberry,and finally The Blackberry. All the wines were very different from one to the next. 

A few in our group of 8-10 really liked The Peach, but most of the group raved about the Farm Table Red which is a blend of 50% Merlot, 21% Cab Fanc, 14% Cab Sav, 10% Norton, 5% Petit Verdot. A couple of us, myself included, found Rose to be our favorite, it was more peppery like a Cab Franc than a fruit forward Chambourcin. One or two still picked The Blackberry as the best, its 82% blackberry wine and 18% red wine. It was almost unanimous that the second choice for all was the 2009 Merlot which was blended with 5% Cab Sav. The few notes about Bluemont that I was able to get is that they are celebrating 5 years this month and have 10 tons of estate grown grapes across Norton, Viognier, Merlot and Albarinio. 

After a couple of hours at Bluemont we moved on to Loudoun Valley Vineyards. We tried 10 wines here and that seemed like a few more than I remembered for my first visit. This tasting was much more chaotic as one might expect with a bus crew. We were sent outside to 3 tables set up in a U, it was really crowded and people were getting "distracted." Bluemont did well with the group, by having us all seated. 

At this tasting we had a 2010 Pinot Grigio, 2009 Viognier, 2010 Traminette, Vin de Pomme (100% apple), 2010 Pinot Noir, 2008 Merlot, 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve, 2008 Dynasty, Route 9 Red, and 2008 Legacy (Port). Not many of us liked the whites, but if we had to pick one the Traminette was the best of the bunch. The Vin de Pomme was a big hit, but we had trouble finding the answer to the difference between an apple wine, hard cider and sparkling cider. Many enjoyed the 2010 Pinot Noir on the red side, however my favorite was the 2008 Dynasty a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot & 25% Touriga. The second choice across the board was the 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve, it was a bold red. On my last visit I found I really enjoyed the Seyval and was bummed to not find it on the tasting list, but I was informed that it will be back in the near future. 

Oh yeah, this was our classy ride about 1/3 full!

By the time we all piled back on the bus it was only about 4pm and those light weights started dropping like flies, well a few of them "dropped it like its hot" in the standing or dancing room of the bus. It was a fun day, but I can't say I'll be going on another bus trip like this one in the near future. 

DC Wine Week at the Washington Wine Academy

This past week several DC wine bars and venues celebrated Virginia wines through DC's Wine Week 2012. I was able to join the fun at the Washington Wine Academy for an evening of Virginia's award winning wines. We were greeted with a glass of Kluge (Trump) Blanc de Blanc and welcomed into the tasting room where 3 separate tasting stations were set up and at least 20 Virginia wineries were represented. There was a limited amount of the Governor's Cup Winners so that is the table that I started at, unfortunately I didn't get to try them all but I did enjoy the wines below, (they weren't on the tasting list so forgive any misspellings or missing vintages):

• Whitehall 2010 Gewurztraminer, slightly fruit forward, and not too sweet
• Tarara 2010 Hohan Lee, a white blend  
• Glen Manor 2009 Hodder Hill, dry and earthy
• Veritas Vintners Reserve
• King Family 2008 Meritage-my absolute favorite of the bunch
• Bluestone  Cabernet Sauvignion-my second favorite of the bunch

After tasting the award winners I started the more traditional tasting, comparing similar varietals from different vineyards moving from whites to reds. There were only 2 Chardonnays an oak aged and a steel, the steel aged was from 2010 at Chatham Vineyards with the Church Creek label and amazing! There were 3 Viogniers all from 2011, one was too fruit forward for my palate (Pearmund), one was average (King Family) and the third  from Barboursville Vineyards was the best of the bunch, but I still think the oaked version from Chester Gap is my current favorite. I was excited to taste the Early Mountain Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris, since I had barrel tasted it last fall, time has softened the tropical fruit undertones, its much lighter than I remembered, but still a good easy to drink white! 

On the red side of things there were several Meritage/Bordeaux style blends. I really enjoyed the RdV Vineyards 2009 Rendevous, it was earthy and the Merlot came through strongly, but it was a very smooth wine. It was great to taste the RdV since visiting is nearly impossible, $40 guided, appointment tours only and for $75 a bottle its a bit out of my price point. Other notable blends were the 2010 King Family Meritage and the 2008 Barboursville Octagon.  

Overall it was a great mix of wines and people, there were quality conversations with wine lovers from all walks of life. I walked away with some new vineyards to add to my list of ones to visit, particularly King Family, Bluestone and Chatham. It was also a great way to compare wines, rather than at a huge festival. I'm glad I was able to close out DC's wine week with a bang! 

Desert Rose: A Pleasantly Surprising Stop

I'd passed Dessert Rose Ranch & Winery in Hume a few times while wine tasting in the area, but never ventured in. After our trip to Linden, Jill and I were seeking something unique and inviting and that is precisely what we found at Desert Rose. It is a working horse ranch that expanded into a winery more recently, thus it should be no surprise that the tasting room is decorated in western ranch gear and features local art work for sale.

We were warmly welcomed into the log-cabin style tasting room were we checked out some of the art before stepping up to the bar. Our server walked us through all 8 of their wines, which was great because each has a unique name that refers back to the winery nuances. We started with the smooth, oak aged 2010 Hitch Hollow Chardonnay, the name "Hitch Hollow" was that of a community that lived on that site back in the 1800s. Next up was the Ole Moo Moo 2011 white blend of Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc & Viognier, its is named for their one remaining cow and we really enjoyed this white. 2011 Sparky Rose, named for the power plant that occupies a bit of the property, was a steel aged blend of Merlot, Cab Sav & Cab Franc that seemed to be effervescent. Following the Rose was the GiGi Peachi, a dry 100% peach wine, named for Gigi, the resident dog, a sweet older dog that will cozy up to you on the porch.

On the red side we began with the 2010 R.E.D. (Retired and Extremely Dangerous) Chambourcin, which was a lighter oak aged Chambourcin that what I'm used to. The 2009 Merlot Blend is 75% Merlot and 12.5% of each Cab Sav & Cab Franc. The 2010 Cabernet Franc has picked up some awards at wine competitions and rightfully so with its peppery finish. We finished with the 2010 Starboard Port, a port style wine made from 100% Norton and contains 8% rs possibly from the whiskey barrels they age it in.

While we enjoyed most of the wines, our clear favorites were Ole Moo Moo, Sparky Rose and the Cabernet Franc. We both opted for a glass on the large deck to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised with our stop to Desert Rose and would definitely recommend stopping in for a visit. I'm sure you'll find a wine you enjoy and find the rustic artwork adds to the unique experience.

Linden Vineyards: Why all the hype?

A few weeks back I FINALLY made it out to Linden Vineyards, with a friend of mine, Jill, who lives out that way. Let me first say that originally I didn't want to visit Linden because of the rule against going on the porch if you weren't a member on their website, they have since softened the tone online a bit. Several other Virginia wine bloggers had such great things to say about Linden it started to move up on my list of vineyards to visit. Then came the day when I got to go, yay! I was very excited, the views were great as we approached the tasting room.

When we entered the tasting room there was a couple tasting and a few folks on the deck, but it was relatively quiet. So quiet we almost didn't want to talk to each other. We stepped up to the bar and were greeted politely by our server. For $5 we tasted 5 wines. We started with the 2010 Seyval, dry & crisp aged in steel; the 2011 Rose was next, a bit tart with strong undertones of sour cherry; the 2010 Chardonnay we were told was actually a blend and aged in new oak, had a buttery nose; the 2010 Claret was also a blend of 46% Merlot, 31% Cab Sav, 15% Petit Verdot and only 8% Cab Franc, but the Franc came out the strongest. We finished with a 2010 Vidal Riesling with 3%r rs and aged in steel. My favorites were the Seyval and surprising the Riesling! I was really looking forward to the Chardonnay, but it wasn't what I had hoped it would be.

After tasting we were deciding between going to another vineyard or to stay for a glass, but the tasting room was so quiet and our server kept hovering it made it an awkward hushed conversation. We decided to skip the glass and try another vineyard since the atmosphere was so stifling. Since Jill had been there a few other times, I asked what she thought of Linden and she said every time she'd been there it was a little tense and hard to relax at.

So after giving it a solid try I'm still left wondering what people love about Linden. Perhaps it is geared to an older demographic? Sure, the views are great, the staff was polite, but the atmosphere not inviting and in my opinion the wines were not any better than many of the neighboring vineyards.  It wasn't terrible by any means, but with so many other more warm and inviting options in the area I'd be reluctant to visit Linden again.

Pre-Harvest Celebration at Delaplane Cellars

Kurt & Carol of Wine About Virginia graciously invited me along to Delaplane Cellar's pre-harvest celebration for club members in late August. Since it was my first visit there and we were a tad early we started with the standard tasting upstairs. It was a foggy day in the mountains, but we still had great views from the wall of windows in the tasting room. For $7 you can taste 5 quality wines.

First up was the 2011 Maggie's Viognier which is a great, crisp wine named for Maggie's Vineyard in Loudoun County where the grapes are grown. The 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay was a smooth white aged in neutral French oak. The 2011 Cabernet Franc is a lighter version than what I'm used to, but it was still an enjoyable peppery red, perhaps because just before bottling it was blended with 8% Cab Sav and 4% Petit Verdot. Next up was the smooth yet full bodied 2009 Melange Rouge a Bordeaux style blend with 56% Cab Sav, 30% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Cab Franc. We finished with the 2010 Williams Gap Reserve, another Bordeaux style blend of 31% Cab Sav, 30% Merlot, 27% Cab Franc and 12% Petit Verdot; this blend was a deeper wine with a berry nose and 15.1% alcohol after resting in a mix of oak barrels for 20 months. I enjoyed all of the wines with the exception of the Chardonnay, which is not uncommon for me, a Chardonnay has to really knock my socks off for me to love it.

After our tasting we meandered downstairs for the club tasting. The tasting included the 2011 Maggie's Viognier, 2010 Springlot, 2009 Melange Rouge and 2010 William's Gap Reserve. The 2010 Springlot being the only different one than what was in the tasting room was a Merlot dominate blend (47%), along side 33% Cab Sav and 20% Cab Franc which we did enjoy. There was lots of mingling and a plethora of cheeses, dips and small bites for all the club members to enjoy.

Charlottesville Never Disappoints

Ripening bananas! 

 After an enjoyable start to the day at Brightwood, we made our way over to Glass House Winery. It is aptly named for the onsite greenhouse that has over 15 types of bananas-which are edible-and many other tropical fruits and plants. In addition to wines, Glass House makes chocolates and displays a variety of art for sale by local artists. The staff was friendly and we tried 3 whites, 2 reds and 1 dessert wine with their signature chocolate. The whites included a 2011 Viognier, 2011 Pinot Gris and the 2011 Vino Signora (Traminette), while I love a solid Viognier, this one wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite. On the red side we had the 2010 21st a blend of 50% Cab Franc, 30% Merlot and 20% Cab Sav followed by the 2011 C-Villian, a Chambourcin with 20% Merlot. I loved both of these deep, rich reds aged in oak! The dessert wine was the 2011 Meglio del Sesso which quite literally translates into "better than sex," I'll let you be the judge of that! The wine was made from a blend of Norton & Cab Franc and aged with 82% ground chocolate, this wine is definitely not for the weak! It was a quick stop, but worth a visit, as you can sip in the greenhouse or out on the porch.

Next up was Jefferson Vineyards, I wanted to take Megan here because the wines are consistently good and you get that fantastic Riedel glass with your tasting. For $10 we tried all 11 wines; 4 whites, 1 rose, 4 reds and 4 off-dry wines. The tasting room at Jefferson is always bustling, but we were able to step right up to the bar. Like I said, rarely will you find a bad wine at Jefferson, but you can find a lot to like. Our favorites included the 2010 Pinot Gris which was crisp with a hint of lemon, the 2011 Rose created from a Bordeaux blend was very dry and tad peppery, the 2010 Petit Verdot was the darkest red, but not heavy and had a great smooth tabacco nose and finally the 2009 Meritage a 30%, 30%, 30%, 10% blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, & Cab Sav respectively. In the Meritage the Petit Verdot and Cab Franc are vying for the front seat with their tabacco and pepper coming out strongly. We were able to find a spot on the deck after our tasking and enjoy some snacks while contemplating our next stop.

Following Jefferson was Blenheim Vineyards, last year I brought back a fantastic 2009 Chardonnay from Blenheim and we wanted more. Unfortunately when we arrived we found they were sold out of that gem. They were even out of the 2010 Chardonnay too! So disappointing! Last year I visited on a busy weekend, Dave Matthews (the owner of this vineyard) was playing in Charlottesville so everyone stopped by hoping for a glimpse so tasting tables were set up outside. This year was a much quieter visit and we were able to taste while seated at a table inside. For $5 we tried all 5 wines they were pouring and also got to keep our glasses. First up was the White Table wine a blend of 66% Viognier & 34% Chardonnay, followed by the 2011 Chardonnay combo steel & oak aged, and the last white was the 2011 Viognier. We both loved the White Table wine! It was crisp and refreshing on a hot day and at a reasonable $14 a bottle, we both took some home. The two reds we tried were the Red Table Wine a 46% Cab Franc, 36% Merlot & 18% Cab Sav blend followed by the 2011 Seven Oaks Merlot. The Red Table also turned out to be our favorite, I suppose it could be considered a Mertiage and I do enjoy a quality Meritage. We stepped out to the deck to take in the expansive views while enjoying the afternoon.

Back porch views

We thought Blenheim was our last stop, but curiosity got the better of us. We had to ask the staff what they thought of Trump Winery, which is less than 1 mile from Blenheim and you have to pass it while coming or going. I had heard all the terrible reviews about the high prices and the tastings being served in ridiculous little cones, but the Blenheim staff said it had changed. Sure thing, for $6 you get to keep your glass with either the sparkling flight or the still flight ($10 for all 9), and if you pick the still wines they will give you a taste of a sparkling wine. Half of the wines we tried were from the Kluge era while the other half were of the Trump era. We started with the Trump wines beginning with the crisp 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, then the nice and light 2011 Viognier and the 2011 Rose, a blend of Cab Sav, Merlot & Cab Franc that had a fruit forward nose. On the Kluge side we tasted the 2007 Albemarle Simply Red, a Bordeaux blend which was as smooth as velvet so for $16 you bet I took some home! We then tried the 2009 Estate New World Red which was much drier as it was aged 22 mo in oak as opposed to the 14 for the Simply Red. We finished with the 2008 Estate Blanc de Blanc from 100% Chardonnay made in the traditional French method and it was another favorite. Their patio for relaxing is on the backside of the tasting room along with a croquet set available for anyone to pick up a game. The staff was friendly and I was pleasantly surprised by our visit.

Like usual we had a great visit to the Charlottesville wineries as they all have quality wines, friendly staff members and arguably the best views! I still have a long list of vineyards to visit in the area, there just never seems to be enough hours in the day to get to them all.

A Breezy Summer Day: Brightwood Vineyard & Farm

In August Megan was in town and it had been too long since I had last visited the Charlottesville vineyards, so we made that our destination. We decided to start the day at Brightwood Vineyard & Farm, a micro winery that  is only open a couple of weekends a year which also promised sightings of baby animals. We were excited for wine, but a bit more so for the baby animals! Upon our arrival we were greeted by one of the 3 farm dogs and a couple of seasonal interns. The interns showed us around the farm where we did get to mingle with donkeys, see some lambs from afar and see lots of chicks and ducks around.

Enjoying the day

After checking out the animals we met Dean, the owner and winemaker at Brightwood. Dean and his wife are very focused on the farming aspect of their business selling in the Charlottesville and Madison farmers markets weekly, while the wine making is Dean's passion on the side. The tasting area, a barrel for the wines and a table for us to sit at was set up in the shade of the trees with a great view of the countryside. Dean produces all of his wines from fruit, none being grapes! He is very passionate about his Elderberry plants and makes both Elderberry and Elderflower wines. We tried his dry and sweet versions of the Elderberry and 3 versions of the Elderflower. The Elderflower has been done in a sweet, dry and reserve. Its is also quite a contrast to the berry version. My favorite was actually the Elderberry sweet wine. It was so interesting the difference in flavor the berry and flower had.  In addition to the wines, Dean makes a British inspired non-alcoholic Elderflower Cordial. The cordial is a concentrate that you mix with a little bit of soda water and it is so refreshing. Megan walked away with a few bottles of that.

Making farm friends

We weren't done with the Elderberry wines, we then moved to a couple other fruits. There was a nice light pear wine and a more distinctive peach wine, which we were informed engaged in a "violent fermentation," which helped it pack its punch. As we sipped and chatted with Dean we also tried his wife's Elderberry pie, as well as their Elderberry and Elderflower jams. We had a great time learning about the farm and enjoying the ambiance of the farm. If you can't make it to one of Brightwood's open weekends I'd definitely recommend finding them at the Charlottesville farmers market and picking up some of their delicious creations! 

Casanel Vineyards

Back porch views

After The Barns we made our way over to Casanel Vineyards on Fred of This is Wine's recommendation and barely missed a summer down pour. Casanel was a cozier stop, partially because it was raining, partially because it was a smaller space with its pre-1820 walls and partially because we were in the company of the proprietors, the DeSouza family. We chatted with the family a bit about the changes they are making and how more vineyards in the area may seem like more competition, but in reality it brings out more guests seeking a wine stop.

We tried 7 wines: 2009 Viognier "Mas Que Nada," 2009 Chardonnay "Mas Que Nada," and the 2010 Don Lorenzo's White a Pinot Gris and Chardonnay blend with 1% rs and 14% alcohol as well as the 2009 Late Harvest Viognier. Surprisingly I enjoyed the Chardonnay over the Viognier here, but on the sweet side I'd pick the Late Harvest over the Don. The 2011 Norton Rose was very good and I'm not really a fan of the Norton. On the reds there was a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2008 Merlot. Also a surprise, I enjoyed the Merlot more than the Cab Sav. The Merlot did have 8% Petit Verdot, perhaps that made the difference.

After tasting we all picked up bottles and glasses and went down stairs to enjoy snacks and pizza. Casanel has an out door pizza oven and its too bad it rained because they have a new patio and often times live music outside too. This was obviously a family team operations with both of the DeSouza daughters behind the bar working hard in this Civil War era property. If looking for a quiet and quaint spot off the highway, this could be it.