We recently visited another new winery, Glen Manor Vineyards. In fact, Glen Manor Vineyards had only been opened for two weeks. We also got to chat with owner and wine maker, Jeff White. Jeff conducted our tasting and gave us a tour of the winery.

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Glen Manor Vineyards has produced grapes for winemaking since 1995, and Virginia wine enthusiasts may be familiar with the Glen Manor vintages previously released at Linden Vineyards. Through his association with acclaimed winemaker Jim Law, Jeff honed his wine making skills and decided to produce his own wines from his Glen Manor Vineyards. The result of that decision was the construction of the winery in 2007; it opened in May of this year.

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Jeff poured for us the two wines currently available for sale. Both were excellent, well-crafted wines. First up was the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc with its citrus and grassy nose. Mineral and citrus flavors prevailed and a crisp finish was noted. Perfect with shellfish, but we were inclined to sip a glass after our tasting! Not to be outdone was the 2005 Petit Verdot. Lots of blackberry notes were accompanied by smoke and tobacco. We both noted dark berries in the mouth with a bolder finish. Paul jotted down, “cigar wine”, but I would favor a big meal with roasted meats.

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As we sipped and savored, Jeff gave us some details about the Glen Manor Vineyards. Currently, ten acres are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Manseng. We also got a brief tour of the facility that included the barrel room and crush pad. Jeff uses old world methods of hand sorting grapes to ensure that only quality fruit is used to produce his wines. We also got a glimpse of the vineyards and noted that the vineyards and facility were kept in immaculate condition.

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Jeff does discourage limos and large groups from visiting the tasting room, and the result is a quieter, more intimate tasting experience. Visitors may enjoy a glass of wine on the deck which offers peaceful views of the vineyards and mountains. In fact, that is just what we did with a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc!

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/644q00b9i6 I purchased a bottle of each wine poured that day, and I know that we will be back to Glen Manor Vineyards. Put a visit to Glen Manor Vineyards on your agenda, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

On a recent sunny Sunday we went to Chateau O’Brien to do a reserve tasting with Howard O’Brien. We always enjoy spending time talking wine with Howard.

https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/rixv4a7o4q7 He showed us to his wine cellar and opened a couple bottles of wine. Since we have tasted many of his wines before we concentrated on two this time. We started with the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay. This is a French Burgundy style chardonnay. It spends 18 months on oak and Howard produced 145 cases. Warren enjoyed the bigger body of this chardonnay and noted the toasty finish from the oak treatment. Howard informed us this is a restaurant favorite.

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Next up was the 2005 Limited Reserve Tannat. Howard has spent time learning about tannat and traveling the world to make what is considered by many to be one of the best in the world. Howard’s tannat was inspired by tannat wines produced in Uruguay. Howard’s tannat is 100% tannat. It is aged for 3 years between the barrel and the bottle. Currently Howard only has about 10 cases left. It’s been a favorite of many of his customers. Once the wine was poured into our glasses we noted the deep dark color and blackberry on the nose. On the palate we noted layers of dark berries particularly blackberry and dark cherry. We also noted the smooth tannins on the finish. The next Limited Reserve Tannat will be released in early 2009.

If you find yourself at Chateau O’Brien plan to do a reserve tasting and be sure to bring home a bottle or two of the tannat before it’s all gone. And of course tell Howard Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Last weekend we visited Gray Ghost Vineyards in anticipation of their release of the Ranger Reserve. The 2006 Ranger Reserve is the first true Meritage blend to be released by Gray Ghost Vineyards, and the medal counts prove that the Ranger Reserve is a winner.

Many Virginia winemakers are producing Meritage blends. Red Meritage wines are a blend of at least two Bordeaux varieties that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The Ranger Reserve is a blend of all five of these varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon comprising 29% of the mix. The result is a complex wine rich with blackberry and cherry characteristics. Paul detected a hint of mocha, too. Smooth tannins make for a pleasant yet lengthier finish. The Ranger Reserve was aged for 15 months in French oak and should keep on the wine rack for at about ten years.

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Al Kellert was very excited about the Ranger Reserve as it has already won numerous medals in national and international wine competitions. Leading the way in medal counts, though, is the 2007 Adieu that just won double gold in San Francisco.

Of course, lunch is always in the trunk, and we enjoyed spicy grilled chicken with a glass of the Ranger Reserve. We always sit outdoors to enjoy the Victorian garden and to do some bird watching, too!

With time to spare and lots of sunny weather to still enjoy, we decided to do a tasting at Chester Gap Cellars. It had been at least a year since our last trip to Cheaster Gap Cellars, and we also wanted to catch up with winemaker Bernd Jung.

https://transculturalexchange.org/eberv9nemh1 The tasting menu presented several new offerings, and of the white wines, I favored the oak aged 2006 Viognier Reserve. Chester Gap’s Viognier Reserve is done in the Condrieu style with a bigger body and honeyed texture. Those who dine at the Little Inn at Washington will find the 2006 Viognier Reserve on the wine list. Paul preferred the crisp 2006 Sauvignon Blanc with its hay-like color and aroma.

Paul, however, was anxious to try the 2006 Merlot, and it immediately earned his star of approval. He noted cherry and chocolate notes with similar flavors in the mouth. “Smooth” was the adjective that Paul emphasized. I was more partial to the 2005 Cabernet Franc that is blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Merlot. This one presented layers of mixed berries with some dried herbs on the nose. The 2005 Cabernet Franc is another restaurant favorite and can be ordered at Citronelle perhaps with a favorite beef dish.

As we completed our tasting, it began to rain quite heavily. This gave us the excuse to share a glass of the 2005 Cabernet Franc, but we also chatted with Bernd for a bit. He shared with us that Chester Gap is currently producing 1500 cases of wine, and many area restaurants are now pouring Chester Gap wines. In addition to the ones already mentioned, these include such top-rated eateries as Bistro Bis, Bistro Francais Vidalia, and Charlie Palmer Steak House. Also, Bernd has been very busy building a tasting room; in fact, we were able to sample his well-crafted wines in the new tasting room. Work still remains to be done on the tasting room but sippers can already view beautiful mountain landscapes from deck.

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The rain eased up, and we used the opportunity to make a run to the car. We bid our farewells to Bernd Jung and made a dash to car. Thus ended our day of wine tasting and chats with wine makers. However, we know that we will return to Gray Ghost Vineyards and Chester Gap Cellars. Plan a visit to these wineries, and please be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Our visit to Central Virginia wineries included two other stops: Cardinal Point Vineyards and Winery and Barboursville Vineyards.

It’s always nice to run into Sarah Gorman at Cardinal Point Vineyards. Sarah is the sister of winemaker Tim Gorman, and she can usually be found in the tasting room greeting customers. We were anxious to try the latest releases at Cardinal Point and as always, we started with the white wines. My favorite was the 2006 Viognier with its peachy nose and subtle honey texture. Paul’s nod went to the 2007 A6 which is a blend of Viognier and Chardonnay and presented a nice, crisp finish. Summer sippers may want to try the 2007 Rose, a new offering from Cardinal Point. Made from Cabernet Franc, this Rose bursts with ripe strawberry flavors. Of the reds, we both tended to favor the 2006 Cabernet Franc with its smokey/herby nose and bright berry flavors.

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As we sipped and chatted, we also found out that Cardinal Point is celebrating its fifth year as a winery. Of course, we offered our congrats, and then savored a glass of the Rose out on the patio after we finished our tasting. It was a perfect wine to enjoy on a bright but comfortable spring afternoon.

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No visit to central Virginia wineries would be complete without a visit to Barboursville Vineyards. I’ll be brief here as we always write about Barboursville, but we did sample lots of new offerings this time around. Paul’s own faves were the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Chardonnay. I preferred the 2007 Chardonnay Reserve which is barrel fermented and aged for eight months. Lovely body with this one with nice pear and vanilla flavors. Paul appreciated the vibrant citrus characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc and noted its bright acidity. Of course, the 2006 Rose is always one to recommend for the summer.

The red wines were likewise well-crafted, and we both starred the fruity 2006 Merlot, a drink-me-now cherry/berry bomb that might win over even the most diehard Merlot critics. Paul purchased a bottle to bring to family a gathering, and it was the hit of the party. For those looking for age-worthy contenders, the 8th edition 2005 Octagon is the winner. A finely crafted blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, the 2005 Octagon continues the outstanding Octagon lineage. Darker fruit notes and flavors here with leather in the background will make for a fine accompaniment to a heavy beef dish, but do consider this one for a special anniversary, graduation, etc., Aging will only make this one even better! Available for purchase but not tasting is the venerated 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve which took home the Governor’s Cup this year. Barboursville’s wines consistently score well in Wine Spectator, and it’s always a treat to sample their wines. And be sure to reserve for dinner at the renowned Palladio restaurant—Paul was disappointed that we had not planned a dinner there, but we’ll certainly reserve for the next time!

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Be sure to plan a trip to Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery and Barboursville Vineyards, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Seems like forever since the last time we posted, but with summer vacation now underway, I can catch up on some writing! During our last visit to the Charlottesville area we were anxious to sample the latest at King Family Vineyards. We pulled into the parking lot with minutes to spare, but Ellen King was nice enough to accommodate us for a tasting. In fact, a wedding was set to begin on the property; however, Ellen guided through a tasting and chatted with us about the latest news at King Family Vineyards.

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King Family Vineyards produces excellent wines, so it was hard for us to award one gold star to only one white wine and one red wine. We both finally decided to place a gold star next to the floral-nosed 2006 Viognier. Nice tropical fruit in the mouth with a crisp finish, this Viognier does spend most of its time in stainless steel with some short time in oak. Think crab cakes here—it should pair quite nicely with any shellfish dish. I must admit, though, that I did store an extra gold star, and this one I awarded to the Crose, a vibrant rose made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Lively strawberry flavors prevail here with a crisp, dry finish. The Crose is always a crowd favorite, so stock up while it is available.

https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/lw2z8ga The red wines were next on the tasting list, and King Family Meritage is always hard to beat. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, it is complex with layers of berry fruits, spice, and leather. However, Ellen gave us a sneak preview of our gold star winner, the upcoming 2006 Petit Verdot. The 2006 Petit Verdot presented a deep hue of burgundy and magenta in the glass with dried fruits, spice and tobacco on the nose. Similar fruit flavors and spice prevailed in the mouth, and Paul noted velvety tannins. Beef dishes, leg of lamb with roasted veggies, game meats—anything meat pairs with this Petit Verdot. Think aging, too as this one will only get better with time on the wine rack.

Throughout our tasting, Ellen chatted with us about the latest developments at King Family. Mathieu Finot is now their winemaker. Mathieu succeeds the renowned Michael Shaps, but Mathieu has developed an outstanding reputation in the Virginia winemaking community and continues the tradition of excellence at King Family Vineyards. Ellen also encouraged us to attend their Sunday polo matches; in fact, she even gave us information on how to go about taking polo lessons. I used to ride horses on a more regular basis, so one day I may just learn how to play a chukker or two.

https://eloquentgushing.com/5y2l6ea8kk Ellen invited us to stay a bit longer but with the wedding about to begin, we opted to purchase our wines and bid our farewells. We do plan to return to King Family Vineyards soon as it always on our list of wineries to visit while in Charlottesville. Put a visit to King Family Vineyards on your agenda, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Torn City Cheapest Xanax During a Memorial Weekend trip to Charlottesville, we paid a visit to Oakencroft Winery. Oakencroft is always on our list of wineries to visit when we are in the area; in fact, we always stop off at a local deli to buy lunch items, because we know that we want to enjoy wine and lunch at Oakencroft. An extra incentive was the upcoming 25th Anniversary celebration at Oakencroft, and although we would not be able to attend the event that was to be held on the Memorial Day, we did want to extend our congratulations to Felicia Rogan and the Oakencroft staff.

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Of course, sampling the well-crafted wines at Oakencroft is always a treat, and an extra bonus was that Lorraine, the tasting room manager, was available to conduct our tasting. Lorraine immediately recognized us, and we were all chatting away. Wine tasting occurred, too! Lorraine started us off with the white wines, and Paul quickly assessed his favorite to be the 2006 Chardonnay; done in stainless steel, Paul noted apple flavors with a crisp finish. I was deadlocked—both the 2006 Seyval Blanc and the 2006 Viognier were winners in my book. In the end, I favored the 2006 Seyval Blanc. Yet another crisp offering, the 2006 Seyval possesses a lively citrus aroma and flavor. My close second, the 2006 Viognier, presented floral and peachy notes with peach and apricot flavors in the mouth. It was easy to understand why both the Seyval Blanc and the Viognier have been medal winners for Oakencroft Winery. In fact, Oakencroft’s Seyval Blanc may have even thawed the Cold War. In the 1980s, President Reagan presented a bottle of Oakencroft’s Seyval Blanc to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorby enjoyed the wine, and he forged a relationship with Reagan that eventually ended the Cold War!

With a new piece of historical trivia in our minds, we were ready to savor the red wines. Paul favored the medium-bodied 2006 Merlot with its cherry characteristics. My own gold star was presented to the 2006 Estate Reserve Chambourcin. This is a fuller bodied wine rich with dark fruit characteristics and ends with a spicy finish. Inky and dense in color, this 100% Chambourcin will only get better with age. Of course, we had lunch waiting in the car, and for this we settled on the 2006 Jefferson Claret. Fruit forward and juicy was how Paul described this one, and I detected some cedar on the nose. The claret is a blend of Merlot, Chambourcin, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was an easy, accessible sipper and a perfect accompaniment to ham and salami sandwiches that awaited us for lunch!

Dessert wine lovers will also appreciate the 2006 Encore, a blend of Vidal Blanc and Traminette. Floral with apricot flavors describe this sweeter offering.

We finished our tasting, purchased our wines, and made our way to our favorite chairs beside the pond on the Oakencroft grounds to enjoy lunch and wine. Before we left, we bid our farewells to Lorraine and promised to return soon. We were excited about the Anniversary party which would culminate with the release of Oakencroft’s latest Cabernet Franc. We were saddened, then, to later find out that Oakencroft will close at the end of 2008. Felicia Rogan will retire at the end of the year, and the winery has been sold to new owners who will not continue the winery. Felicia is an icon in the Virginia wine making industry, and Oakencroft wines consistently earn medals and accolades from experts and consumers alike. Therefore, be sure to visit Oakencroft Winery soon, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

So continuing with our introductions of newer wineries, up next is Sugarleaf Vineyards. Winemaking began as a hobby for Jerry and Lauren Bias, and it was really due the insistence of a close friend, Mike Taylor. A wine enthusiast and collector, Mike was confident that Jerry and Lauren could create their own high-quality wines; tragically, Mike died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, the horrific event and Mike’s memory inspired Jerry and Lauren to fulfill a dream that their friend thought could be reality. In 2006, Jerry and Lauren opened the Sugarleaf Vineyards‘ winery. Our visit to Sugarleaf Vineyards confirmed Mike’s confident assessment—Jerry and Lauren Bias do indeed produce well-crafted wines. In fact, Sugarleaf Vineyards has scored several medals in national competitions, and they are certainly destined to earn many more.

Paul and I approached the small tasting bar with gold stars in hand. Of the whites, my own gold star was awarded to the 2006 Viognier which is blended with some Vidal Blanc. Lovely tropical fruit nose and palate with a nice crisp finish, this Viognier spends some time in French oak and in stainless steel. Paul opted for the 2006 Chardonnay. He noted a lemony nose with ripe pear in the mouth. Paul is not one for oaked Chardonnays, but he did seem to appreciate the toasty finish. Perhaps Paul found the oak to be less dominate, and for good reason, because the 2006 Chardonnay spent 45% of its time in stainless steel. I found this one easy to drink and accessible. This Chardonnay is also produced from 100% estate chardonnay grapes.

On to the reds, and these were also well done. In fact, in our post-tasting conversation with Lauren, we concluded that the Bias’ focus really is to produce quality red wines from Virginia grapes. I presented my own gold star to the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon which was also the gold medal winner at the Town Point Wine Competition. Dense garnet color with a seductive aroma of dark fruits and smoke, this Cabernet offers bold cherry flavors with some tobacco on the finish. This is certainly a bolder, full bodied wine that should age well. Paul’s award went to the 2006 Cabernet Franc. Yet another medal winner, Paul noted a bright berry and herby nose with similar flavors in the mouth. Some blending with Petit Verdot provides a denser color and complexity.

With our tasting done, we were able to chat with Lauren Bias. The Bias’ learned about vineyard management mainly though trial and error, but good soils allowed for many successes. Their first year of operation as a winery yielded 680 cases of wine in 2006, but their 2007 production will yield 1100 cases! Upcoming releases include a Petit Manseng, a Cuvee, and a dessert wine to be known as Nubia Nector.

We are eager to return to Sugarleaf Vineyards, but we know that readers will want to visit there soon. When you do, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

We’ve heard lots of good things about Blenheim Vineyards through the grapevine (pun intended), and we were eager to visit the winery and, of course, to sample the wines. While Blenheim is new to us, they are not new. They opened their doors in 2001. Blenheim Vineyards is the project of the Matthews family that includes rocker Dave Matthews. In fact, we had been corresponding with Dave’s sister, Jane, to coordinate our visit and tasting. Our tasting was conducted by our hostess, Irene Glenn who skillfully guided us through a tasting of nine wines currently offered on the tasting menu.

Blenheim’s tasting room has been open for awhile but an appointment is still necessary. We were captivated by the vaulted ceilings and sky lights that offered optimal, natural lighting of the tasting room. Large glass doors presented breath-taking views of vineyards and mountains. With this setting, we proceeded to complete our tasting. Of course, we were armed with gold stars, and all of the white wines were solid. Paul’s fave was the 2006 Star Label Chardonnay. Paul underlined “light oak” and “mineral notes” to signify his agreement with the notes on the tasting sheet. He usually favors stainless steel Chardonnays, but Paul seemed to appreciate the nine months on French oak and enjoyed the light honeyed texture of this Chardonnay. My own gold star was awarded to the Ox-Eye Chardonnay 2005. Lovely ripe pear and a honeyed texture led to a toasty finish due to a longer time on oak. I must admit, though, that the Blenheim Farm Chardonnay 2006 and the Viognier 2005 were also well crafted. The Blenheim Farm Chardonnay presented the same characteristics as the Ox-Eye with perhaps a more buttery finish and a lengthier finish. Unlike most Chardonnay nay-sayers, I do appreciate this style of Chardonnay with its full-bodied presentation. An equally assertive white wine was the Viognier 2005. I noted a honeysuckle nose with floral and peachy flavors with a nice acidity. Paul liked this one, too; he even took a break from taking pictures to take a second sip of the 2005 Viognier.

On to the reds, and the first was a 2003 vintage Cabernet Franc. Not an easy year to make wine in Virginia, but this one was easy to sip. A vibrant raspberry nose with herbaceous notes to boot, the 2003 Cabernet Franc is blended with Merlot to give it a rounded texture. Definitely in the light-bodied category, I’d have the 2003 Cabernet Franc with pizza or any picnic fare that might include spicy meats. Shutterbug Paul was more intrigued with the Cabernet Franc, and he presented his gold star to the Blenheim Farm Cabernet Franc 2005. Paul noted darker fruit on the nose and in the mouth and jotted down “plummy” on the tasting sheet. Bigger-bodied than its older sibling, the 2005 vintage could be appreciated now or held on the wine rack for a bit longer. My own favorite was the Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005. Its inky presentation suggests a bolder wine. I noted dark berry notes along with a characteristic spiciness that included a layer of earthiness. Loads of blackberry and dark cherry in the mouth! Needless to say, aging is recommended with this one and will indeed get better with age. Paul thought the tannins to be a little tight, so for those who want to pour now, it might be a good idea to decant the Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 before serving (and serve with any game meats, lamb, herbed-coated meats, meat, meat, and meat!).

With gold stars awarded, we wrapped up our tasting and thanked Irene for her skillful presentation of Blenheim Vineyards’ wines. We were quite impressed, and we must attribute this not only to the family effort but also to the expert winemaking of Brad McCarthy. Blenheim’s current wine maker is Kirsty Harmon. Kirsty began her career with noted Virginia winemaker Gabriele Rausse. Kristy was born in the Netherlands but grew up in Albemarle County. We see only good things for Blenheim Vineyards’ future, and we know that we will return for a tasting of future releases. Do visit Blenheim Vineyards and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

We’ll be featuring more new wineries (or relatively new) in the upcoming weeks, and Miracle Valley Vineyard is one newbie that we visited a couple of weeks ago. Miracle Valley is located in Delaplane not far from Barrel Oak Winery that just recently opened its tasting room.

We were warmly greeted by owner Mary Ann Cunningham on a day that was actually quite cool for May. We were guided through a tasting of five wines currently offered. Of the white wines, Paul appreciated the 2006 Chardonnay which is fermented and aged in stainless steel. Paul noted grapefruit characteristics and found it to be a refreshing pour. The winemaker’s favorite was also my own favorite, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark cherry and smoke on the nose gave way to dark cherry and plum in the mouth with some mocha on the lengthier finish. Paul also observed some dried fruit on the nose and darker berries in the mouth. We both agreed that the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon should age quite well.

“Rkat” fans will not want to miss Sweet Michelle—sweetness here comes mostly from the fruit character of the rkatseteli grape. Light with a short finish, Sweet Michelle is the perfect Sunday afternoon sipper while on the patio.

Miracle Valley has been open for about one year, and they currently produce 1200 cases of wine. Also, look for a Viognier to appear on the tasting menu this year. Be sure to visit Miracle Valley Vineyard, and mention that Virginia Wine Time Sent you!