https://inteligencialimite.org/2024/08/07/u7djuov24 On Sunday Warren, his parents (flew in from New Orleans), and I went to Gray Ghost to help harvest the chardonnay grapes. We’ve harvested several years in a row now and always have a good time. I was so distracted by the harvesting that I forgot to take some video of the actual harvesting. However, I did shoot some video of the process after picking the grapes. Here’s a short video of what happens to the grapes after they are harvested.
Author: Paul
Event
2009 VINTAGE OF NORTH END WINE CLUB TO BE “UNCORKED” AT SURF CLUB OCEAN GRILLE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Sample and Enjoy 20 different Wines for Only $10 Per Person
https://mandikaye.com/blog/a3d0oog WHAT:
The North End Wine Club at the Surf Club Ocean Grille is resuming. Twenty wines– reds and whites – will be available for sample from Surf Club’s exquisite collection. (Customers have the opportunity to
purchase bottles of wine — with special pricing — to take home for later enjoyment.)
WHEN:
Wednesday, September 23, 2009, begins: 7 PM
COSTS:
$10 per person (plus tax & gratuity)
https://aiohealthpro.com/oj0ipwobs WHO:
Open to the Public ~ NEWC membership not required
https://www.completerehabsolutions.com/blog/35pyurvjqoh WHERE:
Surf Club Ocean Grille
Adjacent to the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront
5700 Atlantic Avenue
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/1be7tfn.html HOW:
Please call 757-425-5699 to R.S.V.P. or for more details.
*The North End Wine Club is limited to 100 people so call today to reserve your spot.
Great Grapes Festival at Reston Town Center
On Sunday Warren and I had the opportunity to attend the Great Grapes Wine, Arts, & Food Festival at Reston Town Center. There were 15 wineries in attendance and many vendors and food booths at the festival. The weather was perfect for the occasion.
General Motors sponsored the event and had several new Buick LaCrosses parked at the event for people to check out and learn about. There were many representatives there offering cool Buick wine bottle stoppers for answering a few questions about the new Buick LaCrosse. Warren and I both answered the questions correctly and walked away with our own wine bottle stopper!
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https://homeupgradespecialist.com/jxqvhaa4zu We made our way around the event visiting many of the 15 wineries. Here are some of the wineries we visited and which wines got our gold stars.
https://transculturalexchange.org/xzujdncx1 Cooper Vineyards-We had the chance to taste Cooper Vineyards wines back in July when they appeared at Hartwood Winery. It was good to see some familiar faces. Our gold stars went to the 2008 Coopertage Blanc and the 2008 Petit Verdot. We walked away with bottles of both of these.
https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/3c0wmx3 
Chateau Morrisette-I once called this winery the Disneyland of Virginia wineries but my opinion has changed somewhat. We have tasted their wines for a long time and this time our gold stars went to the Viognier and the Cabernet Franc.
Order Xanax Bars Online Cheap Fabbioli Cellars-We love all the wines that Doug produces. We always enjoy talking with Doug as well. While we do love all the wines, the gold stars went to the 2008 8 Chains LoCo Vino and the 2008 Cabernet Franc.
https://solomedicalsupply.com/2024/08/07/h51jieijmxu 
https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/q4cxqg0 Vino Curioso-We have only ever tasted these wines at festivals. We know they are planning to eventually have a tasting room but until then we’ll continue to learn about their wines at festivals. Our gold star here goes to the Yesterday which is a sauvignon Blanc.
https://merangue.com/w4a5akibh Chateau O’Brien-We haven’t visited Howard in a long time so we need to plan a trip there soon. It was nice to see some familiar faces at the booth though. Our gold stars here go to the 2007 Northpoint Rose and the 2008 Virginia Apple Wine.
https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/y1zejo6ry 
https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/ub29z67trz.html First Colony-Our gold stars went to the 2008 Viognier and the 2006 Late Harvest. Both very nice wines.
https://eloquentgushing.com/xmrlbczjpib After visiting all the winery booths we got some lunch and then wandered around enjoying all the vendor booths. I had to buy some kettle corn and some peanut brittle. It was really good. We also enjoyed the live music at the event. We even picked up some reusable shopping bags from the Giant booth.
https://transculturalexchange.org/886k23hwmiu 
https://blog.extraface.com/2024/08/07/l4v28v91 
Cheapest 2Mg Xanax It was great day and the weather was perfect. We enjoyed all the wine, food, and vendors. We even considered getting a Buick LaCrosse at one point! If you happen to visit any of the wineries mentioned please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Wine Festival At The Plains
https://www.psicologialaboral.net/2024/08/07/m3ycxav9o6 On Saturday Warren and I attended The Commonwealth Polo and WIne Event at The Plains. As you can see from the photos on the last post, it was a beautiful setting at Great Meadow. Even though the skies were cloudy and it was a little chilly for early September there was no rain which made it perfect for enjoying wine tasting, browsing the exhibits, and watching the polo matches. We had a great time.
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https://polyploid.net/blog/?p=ejoiuqki Our focus of course was on the wines. There were many wineries tasting at the event. Many of the wineries we’ve visited before but there were also a few new ones. Here’s a listing of most of the wineries we visited at the festival and which wines got our gold stars.
Gabriele Rausse Winery-Stars go to the 2007 Refosco and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.
Philip Carter Winery-Stars go to the recently released 2008 Chardonnay and the Meritage. We plan to visit Philip Carter soon because they have some new wines coming out this fall.
Gadino Cellars-Our gold stars were given to the 2007 Viognier and the 2007 Cabernet Franc…both really nice, strong wines. We have to make a visit to the winery soon.
Aspen Dale-We had a great time visiting with Shay McNeal when we visited Aspen Dale Winery so it was nice to see her again at the tasting booth. Our gold star here goes to the 2008 Parris Country Blend Merlot.
Fox Meadow Winery-We haven’t been here in a long time so it was nice to taste their current offerings. Our gold stars went to the 2008 Riesling and the 2006 Merlot.
Miracle Valley-We’ve visited this one a few times and always enjoy their wines. Our gold star here goes to the 2008 Cabernet Franc.
Holly Grove Vineyard-This is a new one to us. We are curious to make a trip to the eastern shore for a visit sometime. Our gold star here went to the 2008 Sunset Rose.
Bright Meadow-This is another new one to us. We’ll have to plan a trip down south for this one. Our gold star here went to the Burley Red.
After our tasting we made our way to the the food vendors and had ourselves some brick oven pizza with a bottle of Parris Country Blend Merlot from Aspen Dale. It went beautifully with our spicy pizza.
After enjoying our lunch, we took some time to enjoy the polo matches that were taking place right in front of us. The arrangement of the food vendors, seating areas, and shopping vendors was perfect for enjoying the polo while enjoying other activities. Warren has decided he’d like to learn how to play polo!
At the end of the polo matches, we did a little shopping at different exhibits. We left with some peanut brittle and some biscotti. We loaded up our purchases and headed home. It was a long day but one we thoroughly enjoyed. If you visit any of the wineries mentioned, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Wine Festival At The Plains
Warren and I went to Great Meadow today for The Wine Festival at The Plains. There were lots of wineries tasting their wines, lots of venders selling their wares, and polo matches on the green! Here are a few photos from the day. A more detailed article will be coming soon.
Breaux Vineyards
Labor Day weekend affords us the time to visit more wineries. We decided to visit a few in Loudoun County. There are several we haven’t visited in awhile. On this trip we visited Breaux, Notaviva, and Hiddencroft.
Our first stop was Breaux Vineyards. As we walked into the tasting room we were greeted by Cooper, the vineyard dog. He was very excited to see us. As we were giving Cooper some attention, Jennifer Blosser, Hospitality & Events Manager, recognized us from the blog and gave us a warm welcome. She set us up at the bar for a tasting with Richard, our hospitality associate.
Richard began our tasting with the whites. Of these I put my gold star next to the 2007 Madeleines Chardonnay. I enjoy steel fermented chardonnays and this one is well balanced. It’s got tropical notes and honey on the nose. Warren put his gold star next to the 2007 Viognier. His notes included words like floral nose and honey suckle. He also mentioned it was crisp.
Next up were the reds and we had plenty to taste. My gold star was placed next to the 2002 Merlot Reserve. Warren placed his star here as well. This was a wonderful merlot with smooth tannins and extracted fruit flavors. Another wine of note was the Equation. This is 95% merlot and 5% petit verdot. The interesting “equation” here it’s a blend of 2005 barrel aged and 2007 steel aged. We thought it was quite interesting.
We were also able to taste a few wines from the Cellar Club library. We were able to taste a 2002 Free Run Merlot and a 2005 Syrah. The merlot was a light bodied sipper that we both enjoyed. Warren described the syrah as having some spice and chewy tannins.
Richard finished our tasting with the sweet wines. Of these we enjoyed the Nebbiolo Ice. It’s an interesting dessert wine made from nebbiolo. It has 10% residual sugar and wasn’t too sweet for our palates. We enjoyed this one.
With our tasting complete, we selected the 2007 Madeleines Chardonnay to have with our lunch of grilled chicken, almonds, cheeses and crackers. It was a warm day outside so this was a nice cooling sipper enjoyed with our lunch.
Before leaving we purchased a few bottles of wine and thanked Jennifer and Richard for their wonderful hospitality. When you find yourself in Loudoun County be sure to visit Breaux Vineyards and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
The Commonwealth Polo & Wine Event
The Plains, VA Bring out the big hats and sundresses ….The Wine Festival at The Plains and the 24th annual Commonwealth Cup of Polo happens September 12 and 13 at everyone’s favorite location – Great Meadow Equestrian Center just west of the Washington DC metropolitan area in The Plains.
What a difference an exit makes – just one exit past the sprawling city at exit 31 off of I-66, is where Virginia becomes gorgeous rolling farmland. This year, the Great Meadow Equestrian Center, located here, will be the site of two favorite events combined on one ticket.
The Wine Festival at The Plains and The 24th annual Commonwealth Cup of Polo come together at Great Meadow for a weekend of great wine, great food, great art and great international polo – USA versus Great Britain.
The Wine Festival at The Plains brings Virginia’s Tasting Rooms together in one location for a grand celebration of the vintage harvest. Guests of this event will discover a selection of locally-grown artisan wines being produced in the boutique wineries of Virginia, including many that are rarely brought out of the tasting room.
The Commonwealth Cup is the oldest and one of the most highly attended polo matches of its kind in the country. In this rousing and spirited annual challenge, the best players in the US square off against an elite team of Brits from the British Forces Foundation for a key benefit match.
The combined event features gourmet cuisine prepared by the region’s best chefs, a select group of fine art and fancy food vendors, and polo’s traditional half time divot stomp with a Virginia Wine twist. Sunday will also include a bagpipe concert and horse-drawn carriage parade. A Viking Appliance culinary stage will feature wine pairing and tasting demonstrations, including wine tasting 101 classes, the author of the popular book, Gourmet Getaways, the Executive Chef of the famed Boars Head Inn in Charlottesville, and winemaker pairings throughout the weekend.
This delightful Autumn afternoon of good fun support a very good cause. The event is a fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, a 501c3 organization that implements initiatives that honor and empower our national heroes.
The Commonwealth Polo & Wine Event at The Plains is sponsored by Farm Wineries Council, Inc., Great Meadow Polo Club, The Washington Post, Moore Cadillac and Viking Appliance.
For information about the event and to purchase discount tickets online, please visit the event website at www.winefestivalattheplains.com.
Thanks to Donna and Carl from the Farm Wineries Council for all the information in this post.
New Reds at Piedmont
Recently Gerhard von Fincke e-mailed us inviting us to visit Piedmont Vineyards to taste his recently released wines. Last Sunday we decided to do just that.
It’s always nice to chat with Gerhard and enjoy some wine at the same time. He conducted our tasting and we were able to taste many of our favorites. But we were there to taste the new 2006 Merlot and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both of these wines were released in late July.
The 2006 Merlot spent 30 months in oak. Even though it spent a long time on oak, it retained much of the fruit characters you expect in a merlot. I enjoyed this one. Gerhard suggests letting mellow in the bottle for three or four months. This one got my gold star for the day.
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon also spent 30 months in oak. This one has a dark garnet color. In the mouth it has hints of dark fruit; plums and cherries. It has some chewy tannins. As with the Merlot, this one needs a few months to settle down in the bottle. With time this will turn into an amazing cab. Warren awarded this cab his gold star for the day.
After our regular tasting, Gerhard let us taste a few older cabs. We were able to taste the 2000 cab and the 1997 cab. The 1997 is holding up beautifully. We liked this one so much, Gerhard let us have a glass with our lunch!
While enjoying our lunch and the 1997 cab, we also enjoyed some live music. Piedmont now has live open mic entertainment on Sunday afternoons. We got to hear several songs by Expanding Waistlines. We think this is a great addition to the atmosphere at Piedmont.
The next time you visit Piedmont, be sure to tell them Virginia WIne Time sent you!
Pardon The Interruption
Pardon the interruption of our Monticello Wine Trail series. It will resume after this brief break.
Despite the nasty, rainy day, we decided to visit a few Loudoun County wineries to get a few more stamps in our passport for the Loudoun Wine Trail. We decided to visit a few that we hadn’t been to in a while. This won’t be a full on report of all the wines; Warren is the expert there. I’ll be sharing my impressions of our visits. We went to Loudoun Valley Vineyards, Sunset Hills, and Doukenie.
Great things have been happening at Loudoun Valley. When we visited in the Winter we could see things were beginning to change. This time we saw lots of changes. The tasting room has a new air about it…fresh paint, new tables and chairs, and there was even live music! Of course we tasted all the wines and enjoyed them all but I’ll say the 2008 Pinot Grigio was awarded my gold star. It was crisp, floral, with citrus flavors. We also noted the new labels. Very nice! When you visit Loudoun Valley, and I’m sure you will, be sure to taste the 2008 Pinot Grigio.
Our next stop was Sunset Hills. We last visited Sunset Hills in February. At that time they had only been open a few months. Since then things have only gotten better at Sunset Hills. The tasting room was a buzz with tastings going on. They were setting up for a wedding reception as well. As busy as the tasting room was, there was someone available to help us with our tasting. She led us through the tasting and Warren put his stars next to the viognier and the cabernet franc. We were lucky to taste some of these reds in the barrels during our last visit. The big change to Sunset Hills that I noticed this time over our last visit was the addition of food. You can now order cheese and bread baskets with meats and other delicious items. They even have fudge! I had to have some of the peanut butter fudge. It was delicious! Keep in mind though that you can only bring your own food to the lawn for a picnic. The two large decks and the tasting room are reserved for food purchased at Sunset Hills.
Our last stop was at Doukenie. We’ve been there many times in the past and always enjoy their wines. The same was true this time, we enjoyed the wines, especially the 2008 Mandolin. What was different about our visit this time was the change in the tasting room. They have moved the old bar out and now have a huge rectangular bar pretty much in the middle of the room. You just about run into it when you walk in the door. Of course the new big bar does allow for more people to cluster around for tastings. I was just a little disappointed because so many times in the past we had made a connection with our tasting associate in a smaller, more personal way and that seems to be lost with this new arrangement. However, the new bar set up doesn’t effect the wines at all! The wines are what keeps us coming back!
The next time you find yourself in Loudoun County be sure to stop off at Loudoun Valley Vineyards, Sunset Hills, and Doukenie and be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you! Also, be sure to check our next post as we finish up our tasting notes from our visits on the Monticello Trail.
Upcoming Wine Cruises
Here is some information about some upcoming wine cruises. Read to the end for a special offer for Virginia Wine Time readers!
-Philip Carter Winery, in the running for Virginia’s Favorite Winery, will be hosting an Oceania Mediterranean cruise doing the same itinerary as this year’s Pearmund Cruise, except in reverse (sailing Barcelona to Rome). The cruise departs Barcelona on April 4, 2010. The 10-day cruise includes the French Riviera (with optional excursions to Avignon, Chateuneuf-du-Pope, wineries of St. Tropez, and a visit to the ancient village of Grimaud), Monte Carlo (with optional excursion to Old Nice and a fabulous wine cellar for a cheese-and-wine pairing), and the amazingly-beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy (with a spectacular optional excursion to Chianti to include a multi-course Italian lunch/feast paired with numerous Italian wines including Chianti Classico). Vintner and lawyer Philip Strothers and his wife Danielle will be hosting the cruise. There will be 2 wine tastings on board, a food-and-wine pairing dinner, and cocktail reception. Because Philip is both a lawyer who specializes in representing wineries in Virginia, and himself the owner of a Virginia winery, Philip also will add a unique dimension to the cruise. Philip will be hosting a couple of lectures to provide insight to our guests about what is involved in starting a winery in Virginia and also speak about the history of Virginia wine making. It promises to be a spectacular experience. What is most amazing is the price. It starts at $2,699 per person. This rate includes roundtrip airfare from Dulles and many other major gateway cities. It also includes prepaid gratuities (worth $250 per stateroom), a $200 per stateroom spa credit, and all the onboard activities (wine tastings, food-and-wine pairing dinner, cocktail receptions, and lectures). To book requires a deposit of $750 per person, with no further payment due until 90 days prior to departure. Additional information about this cruise is located here. $700 of the deposit is refundable if cancelled for any reason at least one day prior to final payment.
-Veramar Vineyard & Winery. We’re thrilled that one of Virginia’s most established wineries, Veramar, will also be hosting an Oceania Mediterranean cruise. The Veramar cruise is also 10 days, and sails June 17-27, 2010, from Rome to Barcelona. The itinerary is different than Philip Carter’s itinerary, however, and is concentrated in France with several ports in Italy. It will visit unique ports such as Cinque Terre (Italy); Cannes, France; Sanary-sur-Mer, France; and Sete, France. Anyone who has met the Bogaty family who owns Veramar knows that they are in for a real treat if they sail on this cruise. Aside from the fact that Justin Bogaty, the family wine maker, makes awesome wines, Jim, Della, and Justin are all delightful, warm people who will be sailing onboard the cruise. They will be hosting onboard wine tastings, cocktail receptions, and a food-and-wine pairing dinner for their guests. They also will be leading some extraordinary wine-themed excursions to some of the finest wine regions in Europe, to include Chateuneauf-du-Pope. The rate on this cruise, especially for June on an upscale cruise line like Oceania, is unbeatable at $2,999 per person, which also includes roundtrip airfare from Dulles and other major gateways. It also includes prepaid gratuities (worth $250 per stateroom), and all onboard activities (wine tastings, food-and-wine pairing dinner, cocktail receptions, etc.). To book requires a deposit of $750 per person, with no further payment due until 90 days prior to departure. Information about the Veramar cruise is located here. $700 of the deposit is refundable if cancelled for any reason at least one day prior to final payment.
-Pearmund Cellars, Winery at LaGrange & Vint Hill Craft Winery. Chris & Lisa Pearmund will be hosting this wine cruise aboard Uniworld’s River Royale, a 134-guest river boat sailing the Rhone River through the Burgundy & Provence region of France. This promises to be a very rewarding and unique experience for guests. River boats are all about the destination. They truly are floating hotels, and dock right in the heart of the cities and towns they visit. Guests will enjoy long ports stays, often late into the night or early morning. On this cruise, a shore excursion is included in every port of call. Bicycles are also available for use by guests free of charge, and complimentary wine is served at dinner. This cruise will feature optional shore excursions to wineries of the Burgundy & Provence region, along with included onboard wine tastings and cocktail reception with Chris and Lisa. The cruise sails June 27-July 4, 2010. The rate begins at $2,799 per person, but when booked by September 30th, the cruise line is offering a $150 per person discount. To book requires a deposit of $200 per person, with no further payment due until 90 days prior to departure. Additional information about this cruise is located here.
In appreciation, for anyone who newly books with us during the month of August (through August 31st) and who states they are booking because they read about the wine cruises on Virginia Wine Time, we will offer an additional $50 per stateroom ($25 per person) shipboard amenity credit on any one of the above three wine cruises. Shipboard credit is like spending cash onboard the cruise. These cruises can only be booked through Cruise Holidays of Alexandria. Our number is 703-706-0011.