Category: Winery

Celebrating!

/ Warren / 3 Comments

We celebrated our honeymoon last week with a trip to the Charlottesville area. We stayed at our favorite inn, the Inn at Meander Plantation, and visited favorite wineries. In the midst of celebrating our marriage, on Friday, June 26, we were excited to learn of the Supreme Court decision that confirmed marriage equality for all Americans. We were ecstatic with the news and used it to add to the celebration!

We began the day with bubbles at Trump Winery. Here we enjoyed the 2008 Reserve Sparkling with crab cakes.
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Later that night, we dined at the Inn. Suzie and Suzanne always pair their menu selections with Virginia wines. The Gray Ghost Seyval Blanc, Barboursville Reserve Chardonnay, and the Rosemont Syrah were among the wines featured on the menu that evening.
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We were not quite ready to finish our celebration, so we finished the night with a bottle of the Thibaut-Jannison Sparkling.

We will be posting more about the wineries that we visited. In the meantime, celebrate your own special occasion in the heart of Virginia wine country. Plan a stay at the Inn at Meander Plantation. Of course, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Old Westminster Pours at Eno

/ Warren / Leave a comment

Wine bars are the rage right now, and one of my favorite wine bars is Eno located in Georgetown. Eno boasts a very eclectic wine list that also includes local wines, and last Wednesday, the bar hosted a wine tasting for Old Westminster located in Westminster, Maryland. We’ve written about Old Westminster’s excellent wines in the past, so I was excited to attend the tasting at a favorite wine bar.
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Drew Baker was on hand to pour three Old Westminster wines, and these included the 2013 Albarino, the NV Tapestry, and the 2013 Crushed. I became an immediate fan of the 2013 Albarino that took a gold medal in the Maryland Governor’s Cup competition. Citrus and melon notes and a refreshing acidity gave way to a more complex, creamier finish due to lees contact for six months. Albarino is a varietal that seems to do well in local vineyards, and Drew shared with me that Old Westminster has planted more of the grape on its estate. He cited its winter hardiness as a key factor for its success in the area’s vineyards. The Old Westminster 2013 Albarino is destined to please during the hot summer months especially if shellfish is to be enjoyed at the dinner table.
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The non-vintage Tapestry is actually a blend of red grapes from several vineyards and vintages, and it features Syrah as part of the mix. It presented black fruit aromas along with a tobacco note; Merlot added a brighter cherry note to the palate. I’d pair this one with barbeque fare. In fact, I enjoyed it with the mushroom bruchetta that I ordered from the Eno menu.
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The third wine poured was also my favorite, and it was the 2013 Crushed created from a blend that includes the Bordeaux varietals with Cabernet Franc and Merlot taking on the star roles. A whiff of cedar as followed by aromas of blackberry, currants and licorice; accessible tannins and a generous length supported a very juicy entry. Grilled steaks with mushrooms should shine with this one. The 2013 Crushed is also poured at Eno, so consider a glass with a charcuterie and cheeses. It was my wine of choice with a margherita flatbread served from the Eno kitchen.

Plan a visit to Eno during the summer to enjoy a favorite wine; I suggest trying any of the wines from Old Westminster. Going on the Maryland wine trail this summer? Plan a stop at Old Westminster, and mention to Drew Baker that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Changes at Virginia Wineworks

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Michael Shaps Wineworks announced today (June 12, 2015) that Jake Busching has joined the winery as the new Head Winemaker & General Manager.  Jake Busching comes with 17 years experience and an outstanding reputation in the Virginia wine industry. He most recently held the position of General Manager, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Grace Estate, and prior to that he performed similar roles at Pollak Vineyards and Keswick Vineyards.  Working alongside Jake, our current enologist Joy Ting will take on a more elevated role of Production Manager & Head Enologist.  Joy will work closely with Jake to ensure that the logistics of the production facility and the cellar crew are managed efficiently.  Working directly under Joy, Jessica Trapeni will be our new full time lab technician, performing the daily functions of the laboratory to maintain and ensure our high standard of wine quality.

“I have known Jake both personally and professionally for nearly twenty years in his various roles of vineyard manager and winemaker and am very enthusiastic about the future of our winery” comments owner Michael Shaps. “Jake’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge has already made him a key addition to the Wineworks family. The increasing demand from our custom winemaking clients led us to look for an addition to our team who will fit in with our standards of innovation and exceptional service and quality. I feel very fortunate to work with such a talented team and have the utmost confidence in them.”

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Located just south of Charlottesville, Virginia, Michael Shaps Wineworks is Virginia’s largest custom contract winemaking operation, with a total production reaching 30,000 cases per year with over a dozen clients. Known for his innovation in the industry, Michael Shaps introduced the “bag in a box” to Virginia wine consumers and most recently introduced a refillable wine growler. In addition to the Virginia winery, Michael owns a winery in Burgundy, France (www.maisonshaps.com) and imports these wines to the United States, where they are sold throughout Virginia and in the tasting room at Michael Shaps Wineworks.

Visit To Paradise Springs

/ Paul / 2 Comments

On Sunday we decided to visit Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, Virginia. We hadn’t been to Paradise Springs in a long time and it was time to check out the new wines.

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Upon entering the tasting room we were waved at by one of the wine educators, Joey. He waved us over to his tasting station. He informed us that he knew us from our blog! That was so cool! Joey turned out to be a very knowledgable wine educator. Not only was he an expert on the wines at Paradise Springs, but he also knows a lot about wine in general. Throughout our tasting he shared tidbits of information about Paradise Springs and their whole winemaking process. He was one of the most knowledgable wine educators we’ve ever had. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting experience with Joey.

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From our tasting we selected a few favorites. Our favorite white was the 2013 Chardonnay. We noted pear, citrus, a hint of mineral and a lengthy finish with a round mouth feel. Our favorite red was the 2013 Cabernet Franc. It was smokey and we noted cherry, red raspberry, and eucalyptus. We also enjoyed (and always do enjoy) the 2014 Nana’s Rose. We noted strawberry, melon, with a crisp mouth feel. We enjoyed it so much we enjoyed a bottle with some nibbles after our tasting.

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After our tasting Joey gave us a quick tour of the wine making area. The new floor looked great and the plan for future expansion of tanks will be a great addition. After enjoying our Nana’s Rose with some nibbles, we purchased our favorites and said goodbye to Joey. We consider Joey our newest wine friend! If you haven’t been to Paradise Springs in awhile, it’s time to plan a visit. Be sure to ask for Joey and when you do, tell him Virginia Wine Time sent you!

P.S. This is post number 900!

Naked Mountain Wine Club

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Our friends Jill and Michael are club members at Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards. On Sunday we joined them to pick up their club wines and enjoy the new club space at the winery.

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Since we were their guests we were able to taste the club wines. We really enjoyed the 2014 Aerie White which is a blend of 72% Viognier, 20% Vidal Blanc, and 8% Chardonnay. It was crisp and light with lemon-lime, mango, and melon flavors. We also enjoyed the 2010 Tannat Reserve. Dark fruit, medium tannins, and a hint of sweet raisin were the flavors we noted. This Tannat won a gold medal at the Governor’s Cup a couple of months ago. We can see why.

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After our tasting we enjoyed the Tannat and the Aerie White with some nibbles while enjoying the sunny early summer afternoon. If you haven’t been to Naked Mountain lately, plan a trip soon and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

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Just Married!

/ Warren / 3 Comments

Paul and I have not posted lately because we’ve been preoccupied with a very special event—our wedding! Yes, we got married on February 20 and then hosted a celebration dinner on February 21 at Chef Geoff’s restaurant in DC. And yes, Virginia wines helped to make the event very memorable.

weddingWe were officially married at the DC Courthouse on February 20 at 11:30 AM. Our good friends, Jill and Michael Dail as well as family members that included my parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephew and Paul’s mom joined us to witness the brief ceremony. The Dails then treated us all to a spectacular lunch at Black Salt restaurant. ShapsA round of bubbles paired nicely with fresh oysters from both the New York and Rappahannock beds; seafood entrees that included crab cakes and pasta topped with ahi tuna proved to be perfect matches with the Michael Shaps Wild Meadow Vineyard Chardonnay 2010.

The celebration dinner was held on the next day, and Mother Nature threw a day’s worth of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures our way. However, we were not deterred, and family and friends gathered at Chef Geoff’s restaurant that evening. Dinner options included crab cakes, hanger steak, and pasta tossed with a walnut pesto. Cabernet Franc Reserve_230x627 Viognier Reserve_230x627Barboursville’s Viognier Reserve 2012 and Cabernet Franc Reserve 2012 were poured for our guests. We all had a wonderful time in spite of the wintry mix falling outdoors; in fact, the evening seemed to fly by all too quickly. Before we knew it, Paul and I were cutting the wedding cake and bidding adieu to guests who made us feel very special.

Virginia wines have always played a special role in our relationship, and we were very excited to be able to enjoy these special wines during our very special weekend. Hosting a special occasion at a favorite venue? Ask the events planner to serve Virginia wine, and mention that Virginia Wine Time made the suggestion.

Wining and Dining at Williamsburg Winery Pt. 2

/ Warren / Leave a comment

So our extraordinary weekend at Williamsburg Winery included a four-course dinner prepared by chef Ika Zaken and held in the Wedmore Place’s Café Provencal. The menu including wine pairings are presented here:

First Course:
Vol-Au-Vent—creamed mushrooms, puff pastry, port reduction
Paired with: 2011 Matthew’s Chardonnay

Second Course:
Monk Fish with artichoke and Winter Green Risotto, snow peas, lobster cream
Paired with: 2013 Viognier (This was my favorite course and pairing of the night.)

Third Course:
Lamb Saddle with cannellini beans, baby kale, roasted tomatoes, lamb jus
Paired with: 2010 Trianon

Fourth Course:
Wild boar, daube provencal with carrots, pearl onions, forest mushroom, butternut squash polenta
Paired with: 2010 Adagio (ok—this ties with the second course as my favorite course and pairing of the night.)

Dessert:
Crème caramel with caramel sauce

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Our appetites were certainly sated after the day’s culinary delights. However, a special word must be mentioned for the Wedmore Place and its wonderful staff. The Wedmore Place took us back to a colonial period but with modern amenities. Our room was decorated with period furnishing and warmed by a fireplace; the bathroom was first rate with refreshingly scented body products. Breakfast was continental style with the world’s fluffiest croissants and a wonderful quiche that complemented fresh-brewed coffee. The Wedmore staff could not have been more polite and accommodating, and we look forward to a future visit to the Wedmore Place.

The 6th Annual Virginia Sparkling Tasting concluded our weekend of food and wine; however, before we left the Williamsburg Winery and Wedmore Place, I made certain to purchase a few bottles of our favorite wines. Looking for a local getaway that includes world-class cuisine, wines, and accommodations? Then plan a visit to Williamsburg Winery and then book a stay at the Wedmore Place. Of course, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.