It has been a while since Virginia Wine Time has taken its show on the proverbial road—Loudoun Trail to be more exact. We therefore decided to dedicate a weekend to updating ourselves on the latest offerings on the Loudoun Trail. On Day 1, we visited Breaux Vineyards, Doukenie Winery (formerly known as Windham), and Village Winery. And the Gold Stars went to—–. Well, read on to find out!

https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/yv1n9ibmq.html Our first stop was at Breaux Vineyards now celebrating its tenth year of wine making. The tasting room was quite busy on a beautiful late spring afternoon, and ten wines were offered for sampling. As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, summer quaffers are on our agenda now that the hot weather has descended upon us, and Breaux Vineyards had several options in that department. Easy sippers would include the stainless steel fermented 2005 Madeleine’s Chardonnay, the 2006 Syrah Rose, and the sweeter 2004 Chere Marie made from the Vidal Blanc. Shellfish lovers will enjoy the 2002 Jolie Blanc, a Seyval Blanc that is a dead ringer for Sauvignon Blanc. Now for the gold star designation—we both agreed that the 2005 Viognier was the winner. Loaded with lush tropical fruit and fermented in stainless steel, the 2005 Viognier could either be enjoyed on its own or with a favorite seafood dish. For those looking for a lighter-bodied red for the summer, try the 2002 Lafayette. A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2002 Lafayette can be enjoyed with summer sausage and cheese.

https://eloquentgushing.com/p2k113l As we finished our tasting at Breaux, we were mindful of our appetites and our plan to visit three wineries on that day. For that purpose, food is always in the car. (Do remember that when visiting wineries, do not feel obligated to taste everything or to finish all that is poured in your glass. Dump freely, bring food and snack often!) With our selections made at Breaux, we decided to travel on to the winery formerly known as Windham now doing business as Doukenie. The original owner of the Windham farm was Greek, and Doukenie is Greek for Duchess hence the name change. Other things have stayed the same—Doug Fabbioli is still the wine maker, and Windham/Doukenie still offers quality wines. Paul was charged with selecting the lunch wine, and he took his task very seriously. Of course, we began with a tasting of wine currently being sampled, and Paul realized the daunting nature of his assignment as he enjoyed all of the wines poured. Warren’s personal gold star went to the 2006 Riesling with its citrus aromas and flavors. Nice mineral characteristics here with a crisp finish—lovely for summer, fall, winter, or spring! The slightly sweet Mandolin blended from Traminette, Vidal Blanc, and Chardonnay would be another picnic favorite but can be reserved for Thanksgiving fare.

Now what about Paul’s selection for lunch? Well, he saw Merlot on the tasting sheet and decided to wait until he sampled all wines to decide. (I think he already had his mind made up when he saw that sheet!). Anyway, his favorite was the 2005 Merlot. An easy sipper, the 2005 Merlot packed lots of cherry flavors with a lingering finish. Paul described the tannins as velvety, and he awarded this one his gold star. Guess which wine we had with lunch? Warren did not object; with deli meats, red cherries, and Emmental cheese in the picnic basket, the 2005 Merlot was a true match. However, be sure to try the 2004 Vintner’s Reserve—much bolder, this blend was created based on the input from Case Club members.

As we enjoyed lunch on the back deck, we noticed the many varieties of birds on the property. In fact, the word Merlot is French for young black bird, and we certainly observed lots of those. Bird watchers would have quite a time documenting the many varieties that flutter about the Doukenie grounds; of course, no visit to Doukenie would be complete without a visit from the sweetest winery dog around, Lucie! She would love to join in for lunch, but she kindly accepts hugs as an alternative.

We certainly lingered over our Merlot and lunch at Doukenie, but we were aware of our commitment to the Loudoun Trail. Next up was Village Winery, and that is where we will pick up with our next installment. In the meantime, visit BreauxVineyards and Doukenie Winery and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/rggskt9cgbf Fans of wine and murder mysteries will find both offerings at Swedenburg Estate Vineyard. On a recent visit to Swedenburg, we also noticed new developments; outdoor tables and chairs now welcome visitors to stay a while and enjoy Swedenburg’s award winning wines. Of course, we were interested in the wines, but we were also curious about The Merlot Murders and The Chardonnay Charade.

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With summer nearly upon us, our interest was in summer sippers, and we were not disappointed with Swedenburg’s offerings. Spicy grilled sausages on the grill? Try the dry Riesling, but you may want to enjoy a glass while dinner is still sizzling away. Summer is crab season in this area, and Chantilly would pair wonderfully with crab cakes; in fact, Chantilly earned Warren’s gold star. Lemon/citrus flavors with mineral undertones give way to a crisp, tart finish. We found this one to be refreshing on its own, and we shared a glass of Chantilly after out tasting!

Now we’ve been declaring 2007 to be the year of the rose since last year, and Swedenburg delivers with it own C’est La Vie. This dry rose should be at any picnic or summer concert, and with our Wolftrap schedule in mind, Paul picked up a bottle of C’est La Vie. (The label’s lively design was created by Juanita Swedenburg’s granddaughter.) We finished our tasting with a sampling of the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. If grilled steak is on the menu, then this fuller-bodied red must be on the table.

So what’s up with Merlot Murders and Chardonnay Charade? Local author Ellen Crosby penned these murder mysteries with help from owner Juanita Swedenburg. The novels are set in Virginia’s horse and wine country and both promise to be page-turners with unexpected twists and turns. Warren snatched a copy of Merlot Murders for summer reading, and we will return on August 11 to sample Swedenburg’s release of its Chardonnay; author Ellen Crosby and partner-in -crime Juanita Swedenburg will be on hand to autograph copies of Chardonnay Charade.

As we finished our glass of Chantilly, we noted the attractive new landscaping near the tasting room’s entrance, and we were both pleased with these new developments at Swedenburg Estate Vineyard. We’ve put August 11 and Chardonnay Charade on our calendars, but in the meantime, visit Swedenburg Estate Vineyard and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

https://merangue.com/t9ex0t82vfn Our Memorial Day Weekend ended up being quite hectic, and we could only afford enough time to visit a more local winery. Piedmont Vineyards fit the bill. Located less than an hour away from DC, Piedmont is located in the horse country of Virginia and just outside of Middleburg proper. Of course, Piedmont offers quality wines and idyllic views. Readers may recall that our last visit there was in the midst of winter’s freeze, and our guest reviewer, Michael Tyler, provided the commentary. This latest visit allowed us to enjoy warmer weather, and it also gave us the opportunity to sample new pours as well as older releases.

Where To Order Xanax Online When we arrived at Piedmont we were lucky enough to among only two customers there for a tasting. We like it this way as we get more time to talk with the winemaker, John Fitter. In fact, John conducted our tasting. Fans of the Native Yeast Chardonnay may want to visit Piedmont soon as this limited production wine is almost sold out. However, Chardonnay fans need not despair as Piedmont will be offering the 2005 Chardonnay from DelFosse until the release of their next Chardonnay. The DelFosse 2005 Chardonnay is actually a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier, and this blend seems to work well. It offers the firm backbone of an oak-aged Chardonnay with the fruitiness of the Viognier. Those who hope to get in on the Rose revival recently discussed in Wine Spectator will be pleased with Michael Tyler’s favorite, the Little River Rose. Dry with bright fruit characteristics, the Little River Rose is destined for the pic nic or the summer concert but would also be at home on the dinner table.

https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/i844oyqe8q We were both anxious to see how the reds were evolving in the bottle, and Paul, the Merlot fan, was more than eager to sample the 2004 Merlot and the 2005 Merlot. His gold star favorite was the 2005 Merlot. More bold than its 2004 sibling, the 2005 Merlot packs lots of dark cherry and mocha flavors. However, don’t discount the 2004 Merlot. It’s lighter-bodied and easy to drink. For those who have purchased the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, this one is evolving quite nicely. Warren plans to keep his bottle on the rack for a while longer as it is indeed aging very well.

Xanax Where To Buy We did bring along some lunch; this was courtesy of Balduccis since we only had time to grab some ready-made sandwiches to bring along. We selected a bottle of the 2005 Merlot to accompany our roastbeef sandwiches. We also grabbed some dark chocolate bars; so, we had already set ourselves up for a red wine! The 2005 Merlot proved to be the perfect choice.

After lunch we decided to purchase some wines to bring home and to thank John for conducting our tasting. If you visit Piedmont anytime soon, and we suggest that you do, tell John Fitter that you heard about Piedmont Winery from Virginia Wine Time.

https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/iqkehylviu9 We recently decided to pay a visit to Unicorn Winery to check out the new releases. As we entered the driveway and saw the beautiful pond, we reminded ourselves that we should visit Unicorn more often. Unicorn has a beautiful view and the multi-leveled deck allows visitors to gaze upon the mountain landscape. Once in the tasting room we joined the groups of people around the bar to enjoy a tasting.

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Of course we began with the whites. We tasted the 2004 Seyval, 2002 Chardonnay, 2004 Chardonel, 2004 Viognier, and the 2004 Vidal. The gold star for the whites went to the creamy-textured 2002 Chardonnay and the summer-friendly 2004 Viognier.

Next up was the reds. We had the 2004 Merlot, 2005 Chambourcin, 2004 Cabernet Franc, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the bolder 2002 Meritage. Paul’s starred favorite was the 2004 Merlot. Medium-bodied with cherry notes and flavors, the 2004 Merlot is a nice sipper or an easy partner with a beef dish. We should note that the 2002 Chardonnay and the 2002 Meritage were produced by Chris Pearmund. Current winemaker Bree Ann Moore released a few new wines just this past Memorial Day weekend. They were the Traminette, Pinot Gris, Table Rock White, and the newest Viognier. On their anniversary weekend on June 16th and 17th you’ll be able to try their new Crimson Sunset, Obsidian, and the newest Slightly Embarrassed. More reasons for us to return to Unicorn.

After our tasting we decided to enjoy a glass of the 2004 Merlot on the deck overlooking the view of the pond. Several others decided to enjoy the views and the wines as well.

https://inteligencialimite.org/2024/08/07/4sz71dywtre Finally, we should note that Unicorn is currently for sale. If you are in the market to purchase a winery consider Unicorn. If you visit Unicorn, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you.

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/696h2j7kxce Sunny springtime afternoons are made for wine tasting. We hadn’t visited Waterford Vineyards for almost a year. It was time to head back out to Loudoun County and see what was new at Waterford. We always have a great time tasting the wines and talking with owner Lori Corcoran. We discovered that changes have indeed occurred—read on to find out more!

Our tasting was conducted in the renovated and restored old house on the property. The renovation produced a charming, cozy tasting room with outdoor accommodations for picnics and wine. We came prepared—breaded chicken filets with white cheeses, baguette, and almonds. Now we needed to pick the perfect wine—follow us to the tasting room.

We were lucky enough to have Lori conduct our tasting. Of course, we began with the whites. We tasted the 2005 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, the 2005 Viognier, and the 2005 Barrel Select Chardonnay. Waterford’s Chardonnays receive local, national, and international accolades, and both offerings received star designations. Warren gravitated to the 2005 Barrel Select; oak-aged with a creamy texture, this full-bodied wine would complement a wide variety of foods including poultry and shellfish. It possesses a nice acidity with a longer finish, and cream-sauced dishes would pair quite well with the 2005 Barrel Select Chardonnay. Paul, on the other hand, prefers a lighter treatment for the Chardonnay. He enjoyed the Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, a stainless steel Chardonnay that clean and crisp. Don’t miss the 2005 Viognier—honeyed notes and flavors with melon to boot will be summer hit.

The reds were next and we tasted the 2005 Cabernet Franc, the 2002 Malbec, and the 2005 Meritage. Readers may recall that Waterford’s Cabernet Franc finished at the top of the list at a recent blind tasting. The 2005 vintage is blended with a splash of Chambourcin, and the result is a medium-bodied wine that presents berry flavors with a spicy finish. Paul placed a star next to this one. For a fuller-bodied wine, try the 2005 Meritage with its darker fruit characteristics and longer finish.

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Last on the list was the 2005 Seyval Blanc, a the moderately sweet wine. Very lemony! With summer on the way, this is the perfect patio quaffer.

https://transculturalexchange.org/8unzf80r3 After our tasting we (well, Warren) decided on the 2005 Barrel Select Chardonnay to accompany our lunch. This traditional Chardonnay was hard to resist, and it was more than a perfect partner for our lunch. However, any of the whites would have been appropriate with our lunch menu. What about dessert? We always bring dark chocolates to accompany a red wine, and we shared a glass of the 2005 Cabernet Franc as we indulged in our sinful chocolates.

Before leaving Waterford we had a chance to talk with Jim Corcoran, Lori’s husband. He told us more about their wines, and explained that Waterford would soon be changing its—this is the change that we alluded to earlier in our article. Waterford Vineyards will change its name to to Corcoran Vineyards. This change bring more focus on its owners, Lori and Jim Corcoran. However, the wines will continue to be finely crafted by crafted Mark and Vicki Fedor. . At the end of our conversation with Jim, we purchased a few bottles to take home, and Jim offered us a bottle of 2002, 2003, and 2005 Cabernet Francs with the request to conduct our own vertical tasting. What was the verdict? Keep checking in to find out the results!

The next time you visit Waterford/Corcoran Vineyards, be sure to tell Lori and Jim Corcoran that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

We visited Chester Gap Cellars more than a year ago, and we decided that it was time to find out about the new wines at Chester Gap. Chester Gap is the northern most vineyard in Rappahannock County with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge mountains. In the process, we were able to catch up with Bernd Jung, owner of Chester Gap Cellars.

Bernd has plans to build a tasting room right near the vineyards but for the time being he is tasting his wines on the patio just outside his barrel room. He’s got tables set up and often on weekends he has a tent set up for the comfort of his visitors.

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We began our tasting with the the 2005 Viognier. Lush fruity aromas will make this one an instant hit; blended with a small amount of Petit Manseng, grapefruit characteristics shine in the mouth. Nice with seafood but lovely on its own, this Viognier is excellent. Our next sample was the 2005 Rose which is a blend of 64% merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Viognier. Next up was the 2004 and the 2005 Merlot. Warren favored the 2005 Merlot with its cherry notes and spicy finish. We then finished our tasting with the 2005 Cabernet Franc which is actually a combination of 92% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Lots of bright berries here with pepper/spice evident—a food friendly wine that would complement beef or pasta dishes.

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As we concluded our tasting, we decided to enjoy a glass of the 2004 Merlot. Paul is a big merlot fan and found this one to be quite enjoyable. He noticed lots of dark cherry with hints of caramel and coffee. It had a beautiful amethyst color and smooth finish. We were also able to gaze upon lovely mountain scenery that decorated a gorgeous spring afternoon.

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We always enjoy talking with Bernd. Though a relative newcomer to the Virginia wine industry, Bernd has extensive experience as a winemaker. This expertise was evident to us as we sampled nothing but top-quality wines.. Before leaving the beautiful scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we secured one bottle each of the 2005 Rose, the 2005 Viognier, the 2005 Cabernet Franc, and the 2004 Merlot. We plan to return to Chester Gap in the near future to sample new releases and to chat with Bernd. If you happen to find yourself at Chester Gap, be sure to tell Bernd that we said hello and tell him you read about Chester Gap Cellars on Virginia Wine Time.