Author: Paul

Virginia Wine at Whole Foods

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October is Virginia Wine Month and Whole Foods is celebrating with special wine tastings at all of the Virginia locations. We attended the Tysons store on Friday to check out the wines and the foods they paired with five Virginia wines. Whole Foods Fab Five Friday events showcase five wines with foods that go well with the wines. They have five stations set up around the store and move from station to station enjoying the foods and the wines. It’s a great way to get to taste wines you might not normally get to taste. Here’s what we tasted and the foods paired with each wine. Check out the poster at the end of the post to see when the Whole Foods near you will be holding their event.

The first course was a tomato bisque paired with the the Chatham Unoaked Chardonnay. I really enjoyed this chardonnay and left the store with a chilled bottle to enjoy later in the evening.

Alprazolam Powder Buyers The second course was a Quinoa broccoli casserole paired with the Lovingston Rotunda Red.

https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/kwms9cgvxu.html The third course was classic chicken pot pie paired with the Gadino Cabernet Franc. Earthy, spicy, and blackberry were the notes we jotted down.

https://blog.extraface.com/2024/08/07/zu9t0bz The fourth course was roasted fall vegetables with sage and thyme paired with the Tarara Viognier. It was light and fruity with a nice crisp edge.

https://mandikaye.com/blog/jytbs75q The fifth and final course was a strawberries and cream cake paired with the Sans Soucy Ginger Dessert wine.

https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/qdylhd1m

Virginia Wine Month

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October is Virginia Wine Month! There are lots of events happening this month to celebrate Virginia Wine Month. Whole Foods will even be having special tastings of select Virginia Wines. We’ll be busy enjoying lots of Virginia wines this month. We got started a little early. On Sunday we enjoyed the 2011 Seyval Blanc from Gray Ghost Vineyards. We enjoyed it with a picnic lunch at the Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral.


Our celebrating will continue this weekend when we head to Charlottesville to visit some of our favorite wineries. Stay tuned for more coverage of Virginia Wine Month! And if you visit any wineries, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Norton Wine & Bluegrass Festival

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Come visit Chrysalis Vineyards in the gorgeous MIDST of harvest Saturday, October 6th from 10am – 6:30pm and Sunday, October 7th from 10am – 6pm for the 12th Annual Norton Wine & Bluegrass Festival! We have returning and new bands, exciting artisan crafts and new delicious food vendors to offer you for more of a compelling experience for this year’s hottest festival! Always included are tour-driven hay rides, case specials and a special 9-wine tasting that includes ALL of our Norton wines with a commemorative take home glass.

Enjoy our finger-picking bluegrass bands of Jackass Flats, King Street Bluegrass, Circa Blue, and A Good Natured Riot throughout the weekend while enjoying a choice of food selections for sale! Our delicious offerings include Uncle Fred’s BBQ, Paella to GO!, featuring tacos and tapas, Country Pride Cheese, Jubilee’s Confections, featuring cupcakes and cake pops, custom Norton grape chocolate, and more!!

https://eloquentgushing.com/2u8nuiry79 Care for a little retail therapy? Our exquisite artisan crafts and top-notch designers include DEW Wood Products (made right here at Locksley Estate), Karen Holick handcrafted wine lamps, Carried Away Gifts wine gifts, Jacqueline Handley Designs handmade handbags, NovaGem Jewelry, Sparkle Event photobooth (Sunday only), and more!

https://aiohealthpro.com/hkp4sjsr6w Admissions at the door are $20 per person or $15 in advance. VIP Club members celebrate for FREE!

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/0nhrx2v For more information and/or to buy your advance tickets please call Tammy Cavanaugh at (540) 687 8222, ext. 206 or email Tammy at TCavanaugh@ChrysalisWine.com. Advanced admissions close on Thursday, October 4th at 5pm.

A Few Sparklings

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https://homeupgradespecialist.com/tykl1wi94hn On Monday evening we went to Open Kitchen in Falls Church for a sparkling tasting. Open Kitchen has a wine club and since Warren is a member, we are able to take advantage of the opportunities to attend their wine tastings on Monday evenings.

On Monday wine distributor Justin Garza poured a few sparklings and a few other wines. He started with the Kluge Sparkling Brut NV. The bubbles were flowing and we noted strawberry and watermelon. The second sparkling was the Barboursville Brut NV. This one is 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay. It was everything we expected but we have to admit it lacked the bubbles the first sparkling presented.

The next wine was the Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve 2010. We noted cherry, plum, cedar, and moderate tannins. It’s a perfect red meat wine. The final wine was a surprise that wasn’t on the tasting sheet. Justin poured the Barboursville Rose 2011. We noted strawberry, pineapple, and delightful minerality. We instantly thought of taking this one with us to Wolf Trap concerts.

Have you been to Open Kitchen? If not, you should check them out and maybe join the wine club. If you do, you can join us for wine tastings on Monday evenings. And tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Gray Ghost Harvest

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Rx Xanax Online On Sunday we went to Gray Ghost to help harvest the chardonnay grapes. We do this every year and always have a good time. Here are some pictures from the day.

https://transculturalexchange.org/s1w0zujdn We all gathered very early in the morning.

https://merangue.com/g7x7ley Al Kellert told us all about the process.

Cheapest Xanax Bars Online Amy showed us what this year’s T-shirt looked like.

https://homeupgradespecialist.com/t20i3inlr These are the grapes we were harvesting.

https://udaan.org/5ot7dfuv7gv.php Here’s Warren harvesting the grapes.

Buy Brand Name Xanax Online During a break, Amy reminded us of a few things to remember when harvesting.

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/m35p8cguk5x Al estimated we brought in more than 10 tons of grapes.

https://polyploid.net/blog/?p=ecj0nj3alg The grapes were put through the de-stemmer.

https://aiohealthpro.com/a9ivr365 Then they were fed into the bladder press.

Xanax Online Reviews Here’s Al working the bladder press.

https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/rtwsdq3sfo When we were all done we had a congratulatory toast.

And this is why we work so hard to harvest the grapes.

Two More Visits in Loudoun County

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To round out our trip to Loudoun County wineries, we stopped at Willowcroft and Casanel. As we have been noting lately, we hadn’t visited either winery in quite a long time and it was time to find out what was new and what would tease our palates.

Almost all the wines were new at Willowcroft. While we enjoyed them all, there were a few stand outs for us. We were surprised to see an Albarino on the tasting menu since so few wineries in Virginia produce an Albarino wine. This one quickly became our favorite white on the tasting menu. This Albarino is dry and stainless steel aged. We noted citrus flavors of lemon and lime with a crisp mineral finish. We enjoyed a glass of this one after our tasting.

Of the reds, we found two that were leaving a spark on our palates. The 2007 Merlot has really grown into its own. Its medium bodied with flavors of plum and berries. It has a smooth finish and would go well with red meat. Before leaving I secured a bottle for my wine rack. While its ready to drink now, it can hang out on the rack for another year or so.

Another red that got our attention was the 2008 Cabernet Franc. This one is a bit bigger with medium tannins. We noted lots of flavors; smoke, tobacco, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, and licorice. It has a smokey finish that would also pair well with red meats.

https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/n8eu478f During our tasting we had a chance to talk with Kelly, one of our favorite tasting associates at Willowcroft, about the 2012 season and the current wines on the tasting menu. We always enjoy talking wine with the tasting associates.

Buy Ativan Xanax Valium As with Willowcroft, Casanel‘s tasting menu included wines that were almost all new to us. We were lucky to have Katie DeSouza (the daughter of owners Casey and Nelson DeSouza) as our tasting associate. She filled us in on all the happenings at Casanel. At the time of our visit there were just about ready to open the new bathrooms in the new winery building. At this point, they are probably open for business. Having the new bathrooms open will save you from having to go down the spiral staircase. That never bothered us though. It is part of the charm of Casanel.

During our tasting with Katie we made note of our favorite wines. The 2009 Chardonnay Mas Que Nada is aged in neutral French oak barrels for eight months. This imparts a smooth lightly buttery ending. We noted an aromatic nose, with notes of melon and herbs on the palate. We thought this chard would pair well with fish and chicken dishes.

https://blog.extraface.com/2024/08/07/gzpblnm4m4z The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Batucada was notable for the earthy nose and hints of blackberry, plum, and tobacco. We noted the smooth ending and the light to medium tannins. We can see why this one has won several awards. While this one would pair nicely with red meat, we also think enjoying a glass by itself would be appropriate.

We would also like to note the 2010 Don Lorenzo White. This is Casanel’s first estate wine and quickly is racking up the awards. It is a blend of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. It is slightly sweet and has notes of apple, pear, peach, and honeysuckle. We think this one would pair nicely with slightly spicy foods.

https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/tlz51bh5.html After our chat and tasting with Katie, we enjoyed a bottle of the 2010 Don Lorenzo White with a pizza prepared by Chef Miriam, who often shows up on weekend to provide the perfect food to pair with Casanel wines. We also enjoyed the live music on the patio…along with many others!

We always enjoy revisiting wineries in Loudoun County. Our trips become both educational and tasty! If you haven’t been to Willowcroft or Casanel lately, you need to plan a trip soon. And if you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

New Wines at Zephaniah

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https://transculturalexchange.org/zsysxjmh1pg We last tasted some wines from Zephaniah Farm Vineyard during TasteCamp back in May. We learned then they would be releasing new wines early in the summer. Since we hadn’t actually visited the winery in such a long time, we decided to put them on our list during our recent visit to wineries in Loudoun County.

We enjoy entering tasting rooms like Zephaniah because we get recognized. They always remember us at Zephaniah when we walk in. They are also very knowledgable of their own wines as well as wine in general. We were pleased to see we hadn’t missed tasting the white wines when we looked at the tasting menu. Here are the wines we tasted and our tasting notes.

https://mandikaye.com/blog/leynpw23 2011 Viognier – This beautifully crisp viognier is aged for seven months in neutral oak barrels and presents notes of peach, subtle citrus, lime and a nice mineral ending. This is one of the best representations of viognier in our state we’ve ever had.

https://eloquentgushing.com/824xdp0nedy 2011 Rose – This rose is a blend of cabernet franc and chambourcin and is aged for six months in French oak. We noted cherry, strawberry cream, and a crisp ending. I also noted watermelon but Warren didn’t note watermelon from his taste. This rose would be perfect for an outdoor concert with picnic foods on the lawn.

2010 Adeline – This off-dry dessert wine presented orange peel on the nose and notes of almond and hazelnut on the palate.

2009 Cabernet Franc – This cabernet franc is aged in neutral French oak barrels for 16 months and is a Governor’s Cup 2012 silver medal winner. We noted smoke, cherry, blackberry, raspberry, and tobacco. This one quickly became my favorite red of the tasting.

2010 Chambourcin – This chambourcin was aged in Hungarian and neutral French oak barrels for 12 months. I usually don’t care for chambourcin but I did enjoy this one. It was smooth and fruity. We noted smoke, plum, currents, blackberry, spice and a hint of earth floor.

2010 Chambourcin Reserve – This one became Warren’s favorite red. He noted smoke/tobacco, dark fruit; plum, blueberry, raspberry, and moderate tannins. This is the food worthy chambourcin.

We always enjoy our time at Zephaniah. We chat about wine, education, and technology. And we get to taste some great wines. We learned the 2012 season was a good one for Zephaniah. In fact, on the day we visited, they had just finished harvesting viognier. We also learned they will be releasing two new reds this fall; Steamship Red and Mill Road Red. We will have to plan another trip soon to taste those! Before leaving I purchased a few bottles to enjoy at a later date. If you haven’t been to Zephaniah recently, you are due for a return trip. And tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Return To Dry Mill Vineyards

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In an effort to visit many Loudoun County wineries that we haven’t visited in a long time, we found ourselves in Loudoun County last weekend tasting wines at Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery. It had been awhile since we visited and it was time to taste what was new on the menu. We were lucky enough to have owner and winemaker Dean Vanhuss conduct most of our tasting.

As is usually the case, we began with the white wines and continued on with the read wines. Here are my notes from our tasting:

2009 Barrel Chardonnay – Lemon, oak, tart ending
2010 Viognier – Floral nose, oak, but 25% stainless steel chard is blended in, citrus on the end
2008 Chambourcin – cranberry, fruity nose, smooth, cherry, earthy ending. Lighter than most Chambourcins we taste.
2008 Merlot – tobacco, lighter bodied, cigar box, cherry at the mid palate, smooth ending
2009 Petit Verdot – plum, smokey, moderate tannins, tartness, blueberry, tobacco
2009 Merlot – Opened by the owner – dark fruit, has a more concentrated feel, moderate to heavy tannins, blueberry
2009 Traminette – light, fruity nose, short finish, citrus, lime .5 to 1% RS
2010 Chambourcin Rose – 2% RS, plum, summer sipper on a warm afternoon

During our tasting we chatted with Dean about the 2012 growing season. He said 2012 has been a good year and has high hopes for a nice harvest. He doesn’t think the late summer rains will have much of an effect on the harvest like it did last year. 2012 should yield some nice wines.

After our tasting we both enjoyed a glass of the 2009 Merlot with cheese and bread. Before leaving we purchased a few of our favorites to add to our wine racks. The next time you visit Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery, be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

2011 Mandolin

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We recently visited Doukenie Winery. While we enjoyed many of the wines on the tasting menu, we zeroed in on the 2011 Mandolin White Table Wine. We thought this one was a good representation of a summer sipper to enjoy one of these last days of summer.

Last Friday evening we enjoyed a bottle of the 2011 Mandolin on the balcony with hard cheeses and crackers while watching the sunset and enjoying one of our last days of summer. The 2011 Mandolin is a blend of traminette and vidal. We noted lemon, orange, and a slightly sweet ending. It paired perfecting with our cheese and crackers. If you visit Doukenie anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

On another note, did you know we have another wine blog? We sometimes visit Maryland wineries. When we do, we write about them on our other blog, Maryland Wine Time. We recently visited Black Ankle Vineyards and wrote about it on the blog. Check it out!