Extra Pour

Buy Zolpidem From Canada ExtraPour01Welcome to a new feature at Virginia Wine Time. The Extra Pour will be a quarterly addition to Virginia Wine Time. The Extra Pour will allow us to spend more time and space on a particular topic that is too long for a blog post. You can download the Extra Pour to read at a later time. Click on the picture to download the first Extra Pour. In the future you’ll be able to click on the menu at the top of the page to take you directly to the Extra Pour page.

Veramar Vineyards

https://calif-ilc.org/y5frzlv9ai I’m a bit behind in my blogging, so I’ll try to catch up this week.  This post picks up with our trek to the Shenandoah area which featured visits to Glen Manor Vineyards and Veramar Vineyard.  I’ve already written about Glen Manor Vineyards; today, I’ll finish the detail of that trip with a wrap up of our impressions of Vermar Vineyard

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On a warm fall day, we noted signs of color changes with leaves taking on autumn hues.  As we made our way to the tasting room, we couldn’t help but notice spectacular mountain views, but in case we thought that we were lost, we were comforted by the word, Vermar, spelled in large rocks near the nearby pond.  On this particular day, we had the option of trying the reserve tasting, and these feature the best-crated wines at Veramar.  Wines sampled at the reserve tasting are available for purchase only to wine club members, and the session was hosted by wine maker Jim Bogaty.  Of course, we decided to participate in the reserve tasting, and with gold stars in hand, we made our way to the tasting bar designated for the reserve tasting.

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On hand for sampling were six wines—three whites and three reds.  We were treated to wine critic Steve Spurrier’s favorite, the 2007 Estate Club Chardonnay Shenandoah Valley, and this one presented a nose that I described as brioche—vanilla, toast and almonds with coated with sautéed pears.  Complimentary flavors were noted in the mouth with a lingering finish.  This Chardonnay was done sur lees which provides a rich texture to this complex wine.  While I’m a fan of big chardonnays, I did concur with Paul, though, that the gold star of the white wines was the Tres Blanc.  A lovely blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Vidal Blanc, this fruity wine displayed a nice floral and subtle citrus aroma with heady fruit characteristics that included mango and peach.  Quite the crowd pleaser, the Tres Blanc should pair quite well with spicy fare, but I might even pop open a bottle of this one for Thanksgiving dinner if herbed turkey is on the menu.

Order Clonazepam On to the red wines, and we once again came to the same conclusion.  Our gold star was awarded to the 2007 Estate Club merlot Free Run.  Jim Bogaty explained that free-run means that the grape juice runs feely with no pressing; the grapes press on their own and by their own weight.  This Merlot is then aged in French oak to present a well-integrated wine.  Plum and cherry characteristics prevailed with notes of spice and mocha.  This one should age well, too!

With our tasting completed, we thanked Jim Bogaty for conducting our tasting, and he shared with us that Steve Spurrier will soon pay a visit to Veramar with other wine experts to sample the Estate Club Chardonnay.  We congratulated him on this exciting news, and we opted to share a glass of the revered Chardonnay to enjoy while appreciating the mountain landscape. 

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Since the reserve wines are available only to club members, tasters should also be aware that a regular tasting menu is available.  We were able to sample these wines, and a quick note of our faves include the citrusy 2008 Seyval Blanc and the earthy Cabernet Franc.

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We hope to return to Veramar Vineyard soon, but fall is here and readers should plan a trip to enjoy autumn’s pageant and Veramar’s nice wines. Of course, remember to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Excellence at Glen Manor Vineyards

https://oringsuspensiones.com/en/z4get4k6x1q This past weekend, we decided to pay visits to wineries in the Shenandoah region. Our closest destination was Glen Manor Vineyards. We last visited Glen Manor Visits over a year ago, and at that time, winemaker Jeff White had two wines to sample. This time, though, he had five wines to taste; of course, we were eager to sip away, and in the process find out the latest news about Glen Manor Vineyards.

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Purchase Zolpidem Readers may recall that the property which comprises Glen Manor Vineyards is a family-owned site that has been farm property for generations. Jeff White continues that legacy and currently has planted several acres of vineyards on the site; he previously produced grapes for legendary winemaker Jim Law, but he now uses those grapes to create his own wines. We can acknowledge that Jeff White’s current lineup of wines is indeed quite impressive. Sauvignon Blanc is the white wine of choice for White, and he presents both the excellent 2007 and the 2008 for tasting. The difference between the two? The 2007 was produced in a warmer, drier year, but the 2008 vintage was crafted in a cooler, wetter year. The result? Two very fine Sauvignon Blanc wines. When pressed to decide, my pour of choice was the flinty 2007 vintage with its grapefruity characteristics and crisp feel. Paul, when his arm was twisted, settled for the 2008 selection which presented the “cat pee” aromas of a classic New Zealand-style wine. (For the record, Jeff White describes this scent as “boxwood”; I like the traditional cat-pee!) Grassy with a racy acidity, this ’08 Sauvignon Blanc should be familiar to sauvignon blanc aficionados.

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The red wines found us at a similar split decision. My gold star was awarded to the 2007 Cabernet Franc with its scents of dark cherries, black pepper, and eucalyptus. Quite a concentration of complimentary flavors, it finished with a velvety tannic presence. Paul correctly deduced that a small splash of “something” gave this Cabernet Franc a subtle complexity, and Jeff confirmed that a 3% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon did indeed complete this ’07 offering. However, Paul’s own favorite was the 2007 Hodder Hill. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the Hodder Hill (so named after the vineyard in which the grapes were grown) exhibits dark plum and blackberry characteristics with some spice to boot. Bold and complex, the Hodder Hill is destined to partner with a heavy beef dish that might be served in the fall and winter. (Stuck on a choice between white or red? Try the Provence-style Rose. Summer is done, but this rose is for year-round enjoyment!)

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As we sipped and savored, we learned from Jeff that his newer planting, located on a higher plateau on the Glen Manor property, were Bordeaux varieties. These will result in full-bodied single varietal wines such as Petit Verdot and/or blended wines in the same vein as the Hodder Hill. White remains committed to producing small quantities of wines from selective fruit, and he was quite optimistic about the 2009 harvest which promised to be a stellar harvest in terms of both quantity and quality. His rationale? Despite the heavy spring rains, the summer in northern Virginia was dry with moderate temperatures and thus ripe for another memorable vintage.

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So all of this wine talk and tasting made us hungry—of course! We opted to enjoy the 2007 Cabernet Franc with grilled chicken coated with herbs, smoked cheese, and baguette slices that we brought from home. As we snacked and sipped, we enjoyed the mountain views accented by large-winged hawks flying overhead. The wine, food, and scenery were perfect on a warm fall afternoon. When we were done, we relieved Jeff White of several bottles of wine, and we bid our farewells. We’ll return soon, but we encourage readers to sample Jeff’s quality wines at Glen Manor Vineyards. Be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Wine of The Weekend

muscatThe wine of the weekend is the Breaux Vineyards 2008 Muscat. This wine is only available to the Cellar Club members. Since I’m a member I received it in a recent shipment. We had it with some St. Andre’s cheese and fresh baguette. The muscat is a dry, fruity wine with a hint of lemon zest. It’s a blend of the Muscat Canelli and the Muscat Giallo grapes. It paired well with the St. Andre’s cheese and baguette.

Of course we had several other Virginia wines this weekend but this one stood out as one that needed a mention.

Dad’s Favorites

My parents came up from New Orleans to participate in the chardonnay harvest at Gray Ghost vineyards last weekend.  On the Saturday before the harvest, we took Mom and Dad out to Linden and Chateau O’Brien.  We let my Dad decide which were the favorite wines tasted that afternoon.

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In addition to the regular tasting, we also enjoyed the cellar tasting with Shari Avenius.  It’s easy to say, “all of the above” at Linden when assessing favorite wines, because all are excellent.  Our cellar tasting allowed us to sample wines from the three vineyards that produce Linden’s wines: Avenius, Boisseau, and Hardscrabble.  Of the three, the Avenius vineyards produce wines that reflect the minerality of the soil.  This was evident in Dad’s favorite, the 2007 Avenius Chardonnay.  Lean and sleek would be apt descriptors of this Chardonnay which may remind wine drinkers of Burgundy-style white wines.  Of the red wines, he was more partial to the fruit-driven 2006 Boisseau Red.  A blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, this accessible red wine is ready to enjoy now.  I preferred the 2006 Hardscrabble Red, a more complex Bordeaux-style blend that may need more time on the wine rack before pouring. The sampling of dessert wines included the 2005 and 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc.  Lovely with the cheese sample offered with the tasting, Dad gave the 2006 Late Harvest the nod. After our cellar tasting, we all enjoyed a glass of the 2006 Boisseau Red with beef sausage, cheddar cheese and baguette.  (Mom is not a wine drinker did enjoy the 2009 vintage tap water with her lunch!)

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On to Chateau O’Brien and Dad was ready to name his favorites.  Of the white wines, he preferred, the 2007 North Point White which is a blend of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.  A nice, fruity offering, this blend offered lots of fruit with a crisp presentation in the mouth.  Look for Chateau O’Brien to bottle a stand-alone Pinot Grigio in the near future!  Of the reds, Dad gave the Northpoint Red the edge.  He found this Bordeaux-style wine to be more complex and offered layers of berry fruits and silky tannins.  Not to be missed is Chateau O’Brien’s Tannat with its dense core and earthier characteristics.  This one is certainly worth aging!

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So Dad enjoyed his tour of Virginia wine country, and he even purchased wines to ship home.  We’ll be sure return to Linden and Chateau O’Brien.  In fact, since it’s Virginia Wine Month, readers should plan a visit, too—be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

September Tasting Roundup

September Tasting Roundup
Our past posts featured festivals and the wineries that participated.  Of course, we had a great time and tasted some nice wines.  However, we did get out to other wineries in the course of the month but did not write about them.  In this post, I briefly touch upon these wineries, and they include Pearmund Cellars, Hiddencroft Vineyards, and Notaviva Vineyards.

Pearmund Cellars always offers an extensive tasting menu, and this time was no exception.  Paul and I split a combination of the classic and reserve tastings.  Of the white wines, we both favored the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc with its citrusy characteristics. Paul also fancied the medium-bodied 2007 Lisa’s Merlot. My own favorite was the bolder 2007 Ameritage Reserve with its flavors of dark plums, black cherry, and anise.

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We always look forward to an update from Clyde and Terri Housel at Hiddencroft Vineyards. We both favored the 2008 Traminette with its spicy nose and pineapple notes. The 2008 vintage does include a blending of 10% Vidal Blanc. We also concurred with our favorite red wine, the Cabernet Franc Reserve that included tobacco notes along with dark berry fruit flavors.

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Notaviva Vineyards continues to expand its offerings, and these include award winning wines produced from grapes grown in their own vineyards.  Its selection of wines is called the Music Series with each wine “named after musical terms to represent the emotions they inspire.” Our favorite here was the Vincero Viognier which is done in stainless steel and presents stone fruit and white pepper.  Pleasant acidity and a refreshing crispness made for a “passionate” pour. The 2007 Cantabile Cabernet Franc  was our favorite red wine. Raspberry and pepper notes with a subtle tobacco presence present a symphonic blend in the mouth!

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So as fall makes its arrival, we bring our September tastings to a close. Plan a trip to Pearmund Cellars, Hiddencroft Vineyards, and Notaviva Vineyards, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

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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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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First Colony-Our gold stars went to the 2008 Viognier and the 2006 Late Harvest. Both very nice wines.

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.

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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!

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Wine Festival At The Plains

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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!