As our readers may recall, we hit the Monticello Trail with a vengeance back in August, but we were not able to visit Keswick Vineyards. We were determined to return, and when we discovered that Keswick had opened its new tasting room, we decided that we had to visit sooner rather than later. With fall weather in the air, and Columbus Day weekend offering us some extra free time, we made our visit to Keswick. What awaited us was a spacious, cozy tasting room, a very friendly staff, and an extremely knowledgeable winemaker, Stephen Barnard.
The new tasting room at Keswick Vineyards.
Kelley guided us through our tasting at Keswick, and she started us off with Keswick’s award winning white wines. Particular favorites were the Chardonnay and the Viognier Reserve; in fact, Warren sensed something familiar with the Viognier Reserve at Keswick, and he recalled a similar treatment of the Viognier at Rappahannnock Cellars. More on this later in the article! Anyway, we also enjoyed the 2005 Rose, and Paul expressed delight with the 2005 Norton; Norton is one of Paul’s favorite Virginia-grown varietals, but he is picky about where he prefers to drink Norton. Keswick’s 2005 Norton with its grapey-jammy characteristics, was given his seal of approval.
Warren enjoying a taste of wine from Kelley, our tasting associate.
As we moved through the tasting, we discovered that our tasting sheet was full of check marks to indicate wines that we liked. The Les Vents d’Anges Rives Red was a light-bodied sipper that could be enjoyed on its own or with simple fare like pizza. This wine was even more appealing to us, because two dollars from each purchase of the Les Vents d’Anges is donated to the American Lung Association. Looking for a fuller-bodied red? Check out the 2002 Trevillian and the 2002 Heritage Reserve. Both would be at home on the dinner table with roasted meats. Touriga is a varietal grown on the estate and prevails in Keswick’s Trevillian and Heritage Reserve. Though grown in Portugal to produce port wines, Touriga grows quite well in Virginia, and Keswick’s winemaker blends Touriga with other varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Norton to produce Keswick’s elegant yet bigger reds.
The barrel room at Keswick Vineyards.
Kelley took us on a tour of the barrel room, and we were able to witness the winemaker at work as he introduced yeast to the Viognier barrels. It was here that Warren loudly whispered, “Keswick’s Viognier has something in common with Rappahannock’s Viognier and Noblesse Blanc.” Winemaker Steven Bernard overheard Warren’ comment, and he was nice enough to spend time with us as we enjoyed a glass of the Les Vent d’Anges on Keswick’s lovely veranda. Steven Bernard shared his experiences with us; he hales from South Africa, and as an apprentice wine maker Steven fell in love with Virginia and its potential as a dynamic wine-producing region. Steven also revealed that he was once the winemaker at Rappahannock Cellars, and he appreciated Warren’s comment about Keswick’s Viognier and its similarity to the Governor’s Cup winning Viognier from Rappahannock Cellars. It was obvious to us that Steven Bernard is very passionate about winemaking, and he truly believes that Virginia wines can compete on the international stage of quality wines-producing regions. Steven and Kelley treated us to a barrel tasting of the newly fermented Touriga, and we could already tell that the future of Kewsick wines is in very good hands. Future offerings will include wines blended with Touriga, Chambourcin, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot.
Stephen Barnard introducing yeast into the Viognier barrels.
We finished our glass of Les Vent d’Anges, and we reluctantly bid adieu to Keswick; however, we know that we will return to enjoy Kewsick’s well-crafted wines and beautiful mountain views. In the meantime, if you visit Keswick Estate Winery, tell them that you read about their lovely wines on Virginia Wine Time!