While visiting Charlottesville on the very wet Columbus Day weekend, our intent was to participate in a barrel tasting at Barboursville Vineyards. When we pulled into the parking lot there were two busloads of people entering the tasting room, and we knew that we were in for a busy afternoon at Barboursville Vineyards. We were excited nonetheless, and we opted to play the barrel tasting by ear. In the meantime, we enthusiastically joined the crowd for a sampling of Barboursville’s latest releases with an eye on the vertical tasting table that caught our attention. We made our way to the white wine bar and sampled the offerings. Of note was the 2005 Pinot Grigio and the 2005 Chardonnay; Paul found the Riesling especially enjoyable. Moving right along, we then reached the red wine bar; particularly pleasing was the latest Merlot with its rich cherry flavors. The gold star, however, had to be the Octagon 7th edition. This bolder red presents a Bourdeaux-style blend that is heavy with dark fruit, tobacco, and spice.

With the crowd getting even larger, we made the decision to spend more time with the vertical tasting at the expense of the barrel tasting—not an easy decision. However, we were not disappointed as the vertical tasting gave us an excellent opportunity to gauge just how far Virginia wines had come along over the past 15 years.. At the first table we were treated to a flight of Cabernet Sauvignons. The Cabernets began with the 1991 vintage and continued through 2003; an extra treat was the inclusion of a corresponding flight of Reserve Cabs. Of course, we started with 1991, and we must admit that these earlier vintages were not very good—good vegetable stock, but not good wine. However, we noticed that as we progressed through the vintages, the wines got better and better. The turning point seemed to be 1996, and the improved quality was most evident with the 1998 vintage shining very brightly at both the reserve and non-reserve tables. At the second table our tasting associat e guided us through a flight of Cabernet Francs, and here again, noticeable improvements were noticed as we progressed through the vintages. Warren’s favorite was the 1997 vintage. We took this experience as a affirmation that the quality of Virginia wines turned a dramatic corner in the mid-1990s.

At the final table we were able to taste a small flight of Pinot Noirs. Barboursville only produced Pinot Noirs in 1991, 1992, and 1993. They were still selling some of the 1993 vintage at the tasting table. The Pinot Noir was surely an experiment at Barboursville in the early 1990s, and we understood why they stopped producing it when we completed the tasting. Much of winemaking is trial and error, and we commend the attempt and the decision to stop production of Pinot Noir. These type of important decisions have allowed Barboursville to excel at other varietals such as the Barbera and Merlot.

From the vertical tasting tables, we made our way back to the tasting bar to sample the dessert wines. Phileo is always a treat to sample, and our tasting associate surprised us with an exclusive taste of the Barboursville Brut. The Barboursville Brut is a must try if possible and destined to delight guests at holiday parties. Nice apple flavors and a dry finish complement the effervescent bubbles in the glass; for the quality, the price cannot be beaten!

We will certainly attempt the barrel tasting another time. However, we enjoyed our time at Barboursville Vineyard, and with purchases in hand we hit the wine trail for our next stop. Check in later to see where we ended up!

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!

We’ve been waiting for Fall for quite some time now, and this past weekend gave us what we wanted—cool temperatures, pleasant breezes, and even hints of autumn colors. We decided to take advantage of the Fall-like weekend and visited Hillsborough Winery to sample the latest offerings. Of course, the scenery there is just magnificent, and we expected the wines to match the lovely views. We were not disappointed!

The view from Hillsborough.

Hillsborough has a penchant for naming their wines after precious gems. Our tasting revealed why—these were certainly gems worth discovering. Of note were both white wines, Carnelian and Opal. Carnelian was the latest white wine released, and this blend of Chardonnay and Roussanne was crisp and dry with a nice acidity that would complement most white meat dishes. Opal was a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier; several Virginia wineries have mastered this blend, and Hillsborough’s version tops the list. Warren described Chardonnay as the backbone of Opal while Viognier provided the support. Opal proved to be an elegant wine with a honeyed texture that revealed lush fruit. Opal will also be quite versatile on the dinner table as well; rich cuisine as well as herb-crusted poultry should pair up quite nicely.

Warren at the tasting bar.

Other gems included the reds; in particular, the 2003 Ruby Reserve was bolder and definitely age-worthy. Tannat gives the Ruby Reserve a bit of a chewy texture; Petit Verdot, its deep color. Ruby Reserve is certainly a big steak wine, but chocolate desserts scream for this one. In fact, we enjoyed a glass of the Ruby Reserve with dark chocolates after our tasting! Of course, we brought lunch, and we were in the mood for a lighter bodied red that would partner well with roasted pork loins. Our choice was the Garnet; this one was Paul’s personal favorite. A softer version of its red siblings, Garnet possessed a deep garnet (surprised?) color. Black cherry and plum flavors accompanied a scent of red berries and violets; some herby characteristics could be detected as well. Garnet typifies a true Bourdeaux-style wine and thus a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

Warren enjoying lunch.

We’ll be reporting from Hillborough again very soon.—we signed up to attend the Halloween party! In the meantime, we will enjoy our purchases which included Carnelian, Opal, and Ruby Reserve! If you visit Hillsborough, tell them you read about them on the Virginia Wine Time blog.

Molly the winery dog.

Before going to Tarara for Saturday’s jazz concert, we stopped at Village Winery to accomplish two tasks: a) to complete our Loudoun Wine Trail passport, and b) to sample Village Winery’s latest releases. Of course, we also enjoy catching up with Kent Mars, owner and winemaker.

The busy tasting room was a good indication that Village Winery’s popularity continues to increase. Once the room cleared a bit we were able to do a tasting and to talk with Kent about the new and upcoming wines at Village. New on the list was the Apple wine, and this unique fruit wine has a distinct chardonnay nose. While tempted to believe that this would be a sweeter wine, Village’s Apple wine was actually dry. Another unique fruit wine was the Elderberry wine with its enticing honeysuckle aroma. Warren commented that this wine would complement roasted poultry; Kent suggested a pairing with chocolate desserts. Paul was eager to sample the 2004 Merlot, and we were both pleased at how well this Merlot evolved since the last time we tasted it. Nice, dark cherry flavors now reveal themselves in the mouth, and we enjoyed a glass of the Merlot as we chatted with Kent. (Don’t miss the 2005 Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Franc Merlot blend!)

Kent apprised us of this year’s developments, and he was very enthusiastic about the 2006 crop. Drought-like conditions produced bountiful fruit this summer; in fact, we were able to observe the rich crop of red wine grapes as we drove up to the tasting room. Kent will also be harvesting Petit Verdot this year, and Viognier will also be a future offering at Village Winery. Though currently producing about 1000 cases of wine, a tour of the barrel room revealed more barrels in anticipation of increased production in coming years. We cannot wait to report on these exciting developments at Village Winery.

Before leaving we turned in our Loudoun Wine Trail books and Kent presented us with signature Loudon County Wine Trail corkscrews. We also purchased a bottle of the Elderberry Wine and the 2004 Merlot.. We promised Kent that we’d return to tour the vineyards, and Kent promised to give us a taste of the grapes right off the vine. We can’t wait! And a big THANK YOU to Kent for the bottle of 2004 Cabernet Franc.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit Village Winery, you simply must. Kent is very friendly and more then willing to talk about the wines and the wine industry. We always enjoy our visits to Village Winery. And of course if you do visit Village Winery, tell them you read about them on the Virginia Wine Time blog.

While returning home from our trip to Woodland Vineyard we decided to stop at James River Cellars. We visited James River last fall, and we were anxious to check out new releases there.

James River is located in Hanover County just north of Richmond. They have one acre of grapes on the property and another 22 acres planted in Montpelier. James River Cellars hosts several events during the year and can accommodate group events up to 50 people. They have their next wine maker’s dinner planned for February 10, 2007.

On the day we visited James River, we had the pleasure of meeting the Dastardly Duo, Doug and Dennis. They treated us to many stories and lots of information about James River Cellars as we sampled nine wines. Noteworthy wines included the crisp 2004 Chardonnay, the refreshing 2005 Vidal Blanc, and the 2003 Merlot; all three are medal winners. We also enjoyed the 2005 Divino, a dessert wine made with the Chardonnel grape. Chardonnel is a Chardonnay-Seyval Blanc hybrid, and this ice-style wine earned the coveted Governor’s Cup.

After our humorous tasting with the Dastardly Duo, we decided to enjoy a glass of the 2004 Reserve Chardonnay while enjoying the view on the veranda. This Chardonnay imparts apple aromas and flavors, and a vibrant acidity gives it a nice structure. Warren always has food on the mind, and he thought that the 2004 Reserve Chardonnay would pair nicely with crab cakes; chicken with a light sauce and toasted almonds would be another possibility.

James River is just one of five wineries on the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail. If you find yourself in the Richmond area, take time to visit James River Wine Cellars. You just might get the chance to enjoy a wine tasting with the Dastardly Duo.

And of course if you visit James River, tell the Dastardly Duo that you read about them on The Virginia Wine Time blog.