Hidden Gem

/ Paul / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, before the Drink Local Wine conference in Baltimore, we were cruising around Loudoun County visiting wineries when we decided to stop at Hiddencroft Vineyards. We hadn’t visited Hiddencroft for quite awhile and things had changed. First of all we noticed they are no longer conducting tastings in winery. They now conduct the tastings in the Dutchman’s Creek tasting house. The tasting house is a 1830s farm house that sits on the property that used to be adjacent to their original property. They acquired the property in 2011 and by Labor Day that year began conducting the tastings there. There are two tasting counters and with rooms on the second floor for larger groups. There is also a deck attached to the house where you can enjoy your wine and nibbles with beautiful views of the vineyard and surrounding property. The day we visited was sunny and warm and the views were wonderful. The deck was hopping with music and lots of visitors enjoying Hiddencroft wine.
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Owner and winemaker Clyde Housel conducted our tasting. We always enjoy tasting with Clyde. He doesn’t mind our numerous questions about the wines, the vineyard, and what’s new. We were able to taste the full lineup of wines and of course a few stood out as our favorites. We began the tasting with the 2011 Chambourcin Rose. We noticed the pretty pink color and notes of melon and spice. This would be a nice summer sipper for picnics and concerts on the lawn at Wolf Trap. Of the white wines our favorite was the 2011 Traminette Dry. It has a floral nose with hints of apple and tropical notes. We enjoyed the apple and white pepper notes on the tongue. There is also a semi-sweet version that would pair well with spicy dishes.

After the whites, we moved on to the lineup of red wines. While we thoroughly enjoyed the non-vintage Cabernet Franc and the Dutchman’s Creek Blend, the standout red was the 2008 Tannat. This red was aged for 42 months on oak. We noted tobacco on the nose with smoke, berries, and a smooth long finish in the mouth. This maybe the best Tannat we’ve tried in the whole state of Virginia. This wine is usually only available to purchase by the bottle but Clyde let us enjoy a glass. We enjoyed the glass on the deck with the other Hiddencroft visitors enjoying the beautiful day. We enjoyed the glass so much, we decided to bring a bottle home with us.
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We simply can’t let so much time pass before our next trip to Hiddencroft Vineyards. It’s a little gem of a winery tucked away in northern Loudoun County that shouldn’t be missed. If you haven’t been to Hiddencroft Vineyards in a while, you need to plan to return. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Drink Local Wine (Continued)

/ Warren / Leave a comment

So I left off with the wine media junket arriving at the Waterfront Kitchen in Baltimore for a food and wine dinner. The menu continued with the locavore and locapour theme, and it featured locally grown food and locally produced wines.
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The menu included:

Reception: Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery Blanc de Blancs NV

First Course: Black bass, spring pea risotto, and beurre rose
Paired with Knob Hall Winery Rose 2011

Second Course: Gallentine of Chicken, pork sausage, swiss chard and mushroom jus
Paired with Port of Leonardtown Chambourcin 2010 (my fave on the menu)

Third Course: Roasted lamb rack, black truffle risotto, rosemary essence
Paired with: Basignani Winery Lorenzino Reserve 2005

Dessert: Picholine olive oil cake, vanilla ice cream, crème anglaise
Paired with: Serpent Ridge Vineyard Slither NV

Friday was certainly filled with food and wine. Saturday, though, was the day with panel discussions on the past, present and future of Maryland wine. Four sessions were held on these topics, and session moderators included wine blogger and publisher Carlo di Vito, wine columnist Dave McIntyre, Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association, and viticulturist Dr. Joseph Fiola. Panelists included author Maguerite Thomas, chef Jerry Pellegrino of Waterfront Kitchen, Jade Ostner, director of event for the Maryland Wineries Association, radio host Al Spoler, winemakers Ed Boyce of Black Ankle, Dave Collins of Big Cork, Robert Deford of Boordy, and Tom Shelton of Bordeleau.
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I will not get into the nitty gritty details of each session; however, I will summarize the ten conclusions that I drew from them:

1. Maryland wines were not very good in the 1980s and 1990s; however, they have improved in the past decade. Skilled winemakers and viticulturists such as Lucie Morton have contributed to this.

2. Maryland’s climate shares some characteristics with Virginia and Pennsylvania; the best grape growing regions in the state are those that have higher elevations and rocky, less fertile soils.

3. Warm days and cool nights are ideal during growing season.

4. Best grapes for the state seem to be cabernet franc, chambourcin, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc and albarino with potential for quality chardonnay.

5. The focus especially for red wines should be blends rather than bottling single varietals. This is critical for troublesome years such as 2011.

6. Chambourcin has the potential to be the Norton of Maryland.

7. Maryland’s challenge is not quality but constituency, and winemakers should look to Europe for inspiration since they face similar year-to-year challenges.

8. Tight spacing of vines may be a best practice; this absorbs rain water.

9. Maryland wineries continue to open; 62 are now open for business

10. Consumers must enjoy the wine tasting experience and made aware of improved quality. Maryland Wineries Association will continue awareness programs such as Eat Drink Go Local.

The conference concluded with a twitter taste off that was held at Camden Yards. At least 20 Maryland wineries were on hand to pour their finest wines, and tasters were encouraged to tweet their impressions. The taste off was opened to the public after 4 PM. What were our favorites?
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White Wines:
Black Ankle 2011 Albarino
Old Westminster 2011 Chardonnay
Sugarloaf 2011 Pinot Grigio

Red Wines:
Big Cork 2012 Meritage
Boordy 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve
Black Ankle 2010 Crumbling Rock
Sugarloaf 2010 EVOE!

The ultimate champions of the twitter taste-off were the 2011 Albarino from Black Ankle and the Sugarloaf 2010 EVOE!

Drink Local Wine provided a perfect opportunity for Maryland winemakers to present the best wines, and there was no doubt that Maryland can produce quality wines. Most of our fellow bloggers had never tasted Maryland wines, and I must confess that we have visited only a couple of Maryland wineries. However, that will be changing. We plan to frequent Maryland wineries more often, and we encourage readers to do the same. Mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Drink Local Wine Comes to Maryland

/ Warren / 1 Comment

dlw-drink-local-wine-logoDrink Local Wine, established in 2008 by Jeff Siegel of The Wine Curmudgeon and Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre, held its fifth annual drink local conference in Maryland on April 13. In previous years the conference was held in Texas, Virginia, Missouri and Colorado. We attended the event and concluded that it was a wonderful way to showcase the great strides made by Maryland’s winemakers. The next two posts will capture the highlights of the conference that culminated in a twitter tasting held at Camden Yards.

Our participation in the conference actually began with a media tour of Maryland wineries on Friday, April 12. We boarded a bus with other bloggers, columnists, and writers from the Tremont Suites Hotel in Baltimore. Our first destination was Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard located in Dickerson, Maryland. Winemaker Benoit Pineau was on hand to conduct a tasting of Sugarloaf’s wines; however, Elk Run Vineyards’ representatives were also on hand to likewise showcase their best wines. A buffet of cheeses, olives, breads and deli meats were offered for enjoyment. Favorites included the 2011 Comus, a lush Bordeaux blend created in a difficult year. Yes, Maryland got the same copious amounts of rain in 2011 that plagued Virginia that summer. My ultimate favorite, though, was the 2010 EVOE!, so named after the excited cries of ancient Bacchanalians to honor the god, Bacchus. In a contrast of seasons, the 2010 EVOE! was more dark-hued and complex. Like Comus, it is a Bordeaux-style blend. From Elk Run, I enjoyed the Alsatian-styled 2011 Gewurztraminer. Tours were offered, and an added treat was the ability to vote for an upcoming release. Benoit Pineau asked us all to sample four red wine samples and then to vote on a favorite, and these included a Cabernet Franc, a Merlot, a Cabernet Franc (75%) and Merlot (25%) blend and then a Merlot (75%) and Cabernet Franc (25%) blend. These were all from the 2012 vintage. My vote? The Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend. Benoit will be the ultimate judge on which will be finally bottled, but I will definitely follow up to see if I picked the winner!
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By lunchtime, it was time for the press junket to leave Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards; our next destination was Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy. Did I mention lunch? It was here that we were treated to a lunch prepared by Woodberry Kitchen of Baltimore, a restaurant devoted to eating and drinking local. We were greeted by a glass of an outstanding 2012 Gruner Veltliner (yes, Gruner in Maryland) that complemented seasonal tartines. Lunch began with a warm greeting from owners Ed Boyce and Sarah O’Herron. They gave a brief synopsis of their story and the decision to make wine in Maryland. The couple opted to purchase farm property with the rockiest, least fertile soil possible; not good for corn or tomatoes, but great for a vineyard. Anyway, we tasted the excellent results of their decision. With grilled Chesapeake oysters we sipped the floral 2011 Bedlam, a blend of Chardonnay, Albarino, Muscat, Viognier and Gruner Veltliner. Wheat berry salad with radishes, pea shoots and pecans was paired with a berry-driven 2010 Rolling Hills, a red blend that included all of the Bordeaux grapes. The main event, though, was a platter of whole Maryland Suffolk grilled lamb, lamb sausage, scallions, and potatoes. The lamb was indeed fresh and local; Woodberry Kitchen’s George the Butcher butchered the lamb, and it was absolutely divine. Equally divine was the 2010 Leaf Stone Syrah with its elements of tobacco, dark plum, and blackberries. (This was my favorite pour of the day.) A dessert course rounded out our dining experience, and we were served Beiler’s Heritage Acres cornflour cake made from locally produced flour. This was partnered with a port-style Terra Dulce II.
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With our appetites satisfied, we departed for the last leg of our tour that concluded with a visit and tasting to Boordy Vineyards located in Hydes, Maryland. Vineyards here are nestled in the Piedmont Plateau and the Blue Ridge Province. Robert Deford greeted us and provided a brief history of the winery. Boordy Vineyards is the oldest commercial winery in Maryland, and Philip and Jocelyn Wagner established the winery in 1930 to protest Prohibition. Deford bought the property in 1980; however, he replanted the vineyard in 2005 to maximize its potential to produce world-class wines. We tasted the results in the tasting room. The buzz-worthy wines were the rich 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve and the 2010 Landmark Reserve, an award winning blended red wine. Also on hand to pour their wines was Cygnus Wine Cellars and Fiore Winery. Fiore Winery offered two grappas, and these were an interesting twist to the traditional line up of white, red and dessert wines.
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The day ended with a dinner at the Waterfront Kitchen in Fells Point, an event hosted by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Wineries Association. Yes, more food and wine. However, I will provide details about this experience in the next post. Before I sign out, though, I must thank Nomacorc for sponsoring the very comfy bus that took us hither and yon. I’ll write more about Nomacorc in a future post.

Start your own tours of Maryland wineries soon. The wineries mentioned in this post are great places to begin. Just mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Italian Bubbles

/ Warren / Leave a comment

I attended a tasting of Lombardy’s version of bubbly from Franciacorta. The tasting was held at the Capital Wine School and conducted by Michael Franz, a local wine writer, educator and consultant.
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Readers may recall that I have tasted sparkling wines from Franciacorta in the past as part of a Taste of Lombardy event in DC. However, this particular tasting focused exclusively on Franciacorta. So what did I think? Well, I’ll first provide some background about Franciacorta and the wines that is produces. Franciacorta is located in northern Italian region of Lombardy; in particular, in the foothills of the Alps. Still wines have been made in this region since the 1500s; sparkling wines, though, have been produced within the past 50 years. Franciacorta sparkling wines are produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Bianco. The styles range from Saten (blanc de blanc), Rose, Vintage, and Reserve. In Virginia, reserve wines are those that the wine maker deems to be deserving of the reserve label. In Italy, though, it is not that simple. Italian laws dictate which wines can classified as reserve wines, and in Franciacorta, reserve wines (labeled Riserva) are those that stay “on its lees for a minimum of 60 months.”

So what did we taste, and what did I like? We sampled five sparkling wines from Franciacorta, and they included the Ricci Curbastro Saten 2007 ($40), Bellavista Cuvee Brut ($40), Ricci Curbastro Brut ($36) Montenisa Brut Rose ($38), and Bellavista Grand Cuvee Rose 2007 ($65). The Saten was described as a consumer category wine and one that would appeal to an American market. I would compare it to the least favorites of the Virginia sparkling tasting—very fruity with limited acidity and a few bubbles. It suggested sweetness, and I thought of Sunday brunch at a non-descript café. However, the NV Bellavista Cuvee Brut stepped forward to show off what this region can produce. This one spent seven months on oak and was crafted from grapes of several vintages. Fruit elements were more delicate and nuanced; yeasty notes, a firmer mid-palate structure, and bright acidity resulted in a more classic sparkling wine. Exceeding this one was the Bellavista Grand Cuvee Rose 2007, reserve made from both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Recall the definition of reserva—it stayed on the lees for a minimum of 60 months; more finesse and better balance were my top descriptors. Not to be outdone, though, was the Montenisa Brut Rose with its strawberry aromas, bready notes, and refreshing acidity. The Ricci Curbastro Brut rated above the Saten but below the other three sparkling wines.

So its NYE and I have a house full of guests. Which Franciacorta sparkling wine do I chill? For $40 it was tough to beat the Bellavista Cuvee Brut. Let’s say it’s a tenth year anniversary or some other very special occasion; then I would vote for the Bellavista Grand Cuvee Rose. At $65, it was on par with Champagne wines (and perhaps a few bucks less.)

This was certainly a nice, intimate tasting with a handful of industry folks who were far more knowledgeable than I. Michael Franz was indeed the expert on the Franciacorta region; in fact, he explained that global warming might be playing a role in that region’s ability to produce quality sparkling wines. This phenomenon has been observed in Champagne, and Franciacorta may be on the verge of adjusting its regulations on where grapes intended for sparkling wines can produced. Franciacorta sparklings are now made from the region’s cooler climates; however, there is a concern that warmer temperatures at these altitudes may produce flabbier wines; therefore, new regulations may require that these grapes be grown at a higher altitude. (Climate change and the impact on wine regions is itself a fascinating topic.)

I also had the pleasure of meeting Jay Youmans, the master sommelier who has revolutionized the judging at the Virginia Governor’s Cup. He is the managing director of the Capital Wine School in Washington DC; in particular, it is near the Friendship Heights Metro. The school offers a number of courses that range from winetasting 101 to master-level, and I may just check out some of these courses for my own enrichment.

Conduct your own tasting of sparkling wines and toss in some samples from Virginia and Italy. Can’t find them at the local wine shop? Ask the manager to stock them. Want to know more about wine tasting? Take a class at the Capital Wine School. Of course, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Cleve, Barrel Tasting, and More at Philip Carter

/ Warren / Leave a comment

The last weekend of March was very chilly, but that did not deter us from partaking in a barrel tasting at Philip Carter Winery. We also got to sample the very special 2010 Cleve and the newly released 2012 Rose called Rosewell. An extra highlight of our visit, though, had to be the personal barrel tasting conducted by winemaker and native Virginian Jeremy Ligon.
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Our purpose for visiting Philip Carter Winery was indeed to sample the 2010 Cleve. Why? It just won a gold medal at the Virginia Governor’s Cup, and we are determined to try each gold medal winner as they are released to the public. The Cleve line is usually a blend, and this award-winner was a 50-50 mix of Tannat and Petit Verdot. The 2010 harvest in Virginia was one for the record books, and we expect this particular wine to age quite nicely. It possessed a smoky nose with dark fruit elements and a bit of caramel to finish; we noted firm tannins too. I purchased a bottle to rest on the wine rack and will serve with roasted meat. However, for more immediate consumption, we enjoyed the 2012 Rosewell, a dry rose wine made from Tinta Cao grapes and named after the Rosewell mansion that became home to one of Robert Carter’s daughter’s, Judith Carter. Floral notes and strawberry flavors along with a crisp acidity make for a wine that is both refreshing and versatile. Stock up on the Rosewell and enjoy during the warmer months!
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Our visit to Philip Carter coincided with a weekly program during March that featured barrel tastings each Saturday. We just happened to be there on the last Saturday of the program; of course, we just had to participate. Lucky for us, winemaker Jeremy Ligon was on hand to conduct our tasting. Jeremy has been at the winemaking helm at Philip Carter for a year, and he certainly has a vision for Philip Carter wines. We sampled 2012 Chardonnays in both neutral and newer French oak barrels, 2011Bordeaux-style blends, four 2012 Cabernet Francs pulled from both neutral and new oak barrels, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Jeremy’s goal is to blend the unblended wines to produce more nuanced and complex wines. The Cabernet Franc samples, for example, ranged from soft and fruity to smoky and earthy depending on whether they were aging in neutral or newer oak barrels. Jeremy anticipates blending these to produce more balanced yet complex wines that beg for another sip.
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We also learned from Jeremy that a Viognier will be released this month, and future plantings in the vineyard will include Tannat and Petit Verdot. A follow up to the 2010 Cleve will be a tough order; however, we have no doubt that Jeremy Ligon is up to the task.
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We did linger for a bit at Philip Carter Winery and shared a glass of the 2012 Rosewell. Fire pits warmed the air, so it felt just fine sitting outside and nibbling on cheese as we sipped away. Now that spring is in the air, why not plan a visit to Philip Carter Winery? And when you do, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Drink Local Wine in Maryland!

/ Paul / 1 Comment

dlw-drink-local-wine-logoIn 2010 we attended the Drink Local Wine conference held in Landsdowne Virginia. We had a great time meeting many people in the Virginia wine community and many fellow wine bloggers. We also learned a lot about Virginia wine. As you know from our blog, we support local wine. Drink Local Wine supports local wine as well. They have held conferences in states that don’t normally get the national media attention that other areas of the country receive. We fully support Drink Local Wine’s mission of bringing attention to lessor known wine producing states. They have held conferences in Texas, Virginia, Missouri, Colorado, and this year Maryland.

3097_75222944159_5443754_nThe 2013 Drink Local Wine conference will be held in Baltimore Maryland on April 13 to focus on Maryland wine. Like Virginia, Maryland has a growing wine industry. There are now 61 wineries producing thousands of cases of wine each year. The conference will focus on the growing Maryland wine industry, drinking local, and who the movers and shakers currently in the Maryland wine industry. We’ll hear how they are doing it and what direction they are taking to continue the growth that has started in Maryland.

The conference will conclude with the Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off taking place at The Warehouse at Camden Yards. The Twitter Taste-off is a great opportunity to taste wines from 20 Maryland wineries. Participants are able to taste the wines and “tweet” their impressions live on Twitter. We are looking forward to this event!

Are you a wine blogger, wine writer, or someone interested in local wine? Will you be attending the Drink Local Wine conference in Maryland? If not, think about attending the conference this year. You can find out more on the Drink Local Wine website or the Maryland Wine website. And if you are planning to attend, how about leaving a comment to let us know so that we can plan on meeting you there! We will be there representing Virginia Wine Time and our sister site, Maryland Wine Time. See you there!

Revisiting Cobbler Mountain

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We first visited Cobbler Mountain in January of 2012. Since that time Cobbler Mountain has grown and is producing more wines and enjoying the growth. Jeff and Laura McCarthy Louden have been working hard over the last year. We decided to revisit Cobbler Mountain and see what was new. On the day we visited they were doing a jelly bean pairing with their wines. This was definitely a unique tasting experience. It was fun pairing the jelly beans with the wines.
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One of the wines we tasted that we enjoyed was the Sparkling Hard Apple Cider. It was tart and bubbly and made us think of pork. Another one of our favorites was the 2010 Cabernet Franc. We noted cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and spice. I liked it so much I brought a bottle home with me.
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Cobbler Mountain is now making two maple drinks. One is the Maple Reserve Amber which is a port style dessert wine that would go well with cheesecake. Warren enjoyed this one and thought it would go well with pumpkin pie. The second is the Maple Reserve Special Dark which is suggested to be used as finishing glaze meats. Both are made from maple syrup from their family’s Vermont Farm.
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If you haven’t been to Cobbler Mountain recently its time to revisit them. They have a very welcoming staff, and array of wines to taste, and friendly and knowledgable tasting associates to help with the tasting. And when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
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Dinner at Iron Bridge Wine Company

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On Sunday evening we attended the winemaker’s dinner at The Iron Bridge Restaurant and Wine Company in Warrenton. We were guests of Ben Segal, the assistant manager. We met Ben a while ago when were all attending another wine tasting experience. We graciously accepted his invitation to attend the winemaker’s dinner at Iron Bridge. The dinner was paired with wines from Hume Vineyards. Winemaker Stephane Baldi was on hand to talk about each of the wines and answer questions during the dinner.
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After an introduction from Ben and Stephane the first course was served. The first course was seared sea scallops with Thai spiced cucumber and cabbage salad. It was paired with the 2011 Viognier. Stephane informed us this wine was of 25% of one year aged in French oak and 75% from stainless steel aging. We noted apricot, honey and pear and a nice crisp mouth feel.
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The second course was smoked duck breast with arugula salad and strawberry, hazelnut, and rose vinaigrette. It was paired with the 2011 Rose. This rose is dry and created with 100% merlot grapes that spent 48 hours on the skins. We noted strawberry and melon. This paired beautifully with the duck breast and arugula salad, especially with the rose vinaigrette.
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The third course was grilled local cranberry sage buffalo and pork sausage with grilled polenta and a cranberry demi. It was paired with the 2011 Cabernet Franc, which will be featured in the May issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. This is a lighter style cabernet franc that would go very well with red sauce, burgers, or pizza. We noted a dark cherry, bramble berry, pepper, mint, and a spicy finish.
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The fourth course was beef wellington with fingerling potatoes, asparagus tips, and a petit verdot reduction sauce. It was paired with the 2011 Petit Verdot. This wine quickly became our favorite. It’s a great example of what a winemaker can do in a wet year. This petit verdot also won a silver in the Governor’s Cup. We noted the dark, inky color before the jammy dark fruit flavors of blackberry and plum. We noted licorice and a chewy ending. The beef wellington was my favorite course but with the petit verdot, it was even better. The petit verdot got our gold star for the evening.
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The final course was a wine poached pear with oatmeal cookie and blue cheese sauce. It was peered with the 2011 Late Harvest Vidal. I’m not a big pear eater so Warren enjoyed the pear with the Late Harvest Vidal. He noted pear and an almond nutty ending.
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Everything was delicious and the wine pairings were perfect. During the meal we heard from Stephane at each course about the wines and what was happening at Hume Vineyards. We found out the 2012 vintage will be the first produced form completely estate grown grapes. We also chatted with our table neighbors during the whole dinner. We had a great time getting to know them and chatting about wine. They attend dinners at Iron Bridge quite frequently. We hope we run into them again soon at Iron Bridge. If you haven’t attended one of the winemaker dinners held at Iron Bridge, you really need to plan to in the future. They select some of the best Virginia wineries to pair with meals created by the amazing chefs. Check out their website or on Facebook to find out when they’ll be having the next winemaker dinner. And if you haven’t been to Hume Vineyards recently, plan a trip there too. You need to taste these new wines, especially the Petit Verdot and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
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Middleburg AVA Sign Unveiling

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Today we attended the sign unveiling for the Middleburg Virginia American Viticultural Area (AVA) at Boxwood Winery. In 2006 Rachel Martin, executive vice president of Boxwood Estate Winery, wanted to put “estate grown” on the bottles of wine produced at Boxwood. She soon found out the only way that could be added to the wine bottle labels was to be part of an AVA. She then began the long process of getting the AVA designation. In September 2012 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) established the Middleburg Virginia AVA.

After months of working on the signs and where they would be displayed, today the First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, unveiled the sign that would appear at different points on major and secondary roads around the Middleburg AVA.

After the event we gathered in the tasting room to enjoy some Boxwood wine and nibbles. We particularly enjoyed the 2012 Rose. Here are some pictures from the event:
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Virginia v. The World

/ Warren / 2 Comments

We hosted a wine tasting this weekend for colleagues, and the tasting featured a duel between Virginia wines and wines from around the world. How did I select these wines? I pulled the wines from my wine rack; in other words, I did not get too technical about the matter. However, I did try to pair off similar styles of the same varietals, different vintages of the same varietals, etc. to see which ones earned the most accolades. Tasters were provided with a scoring sheet that provided brief descriptions of each wine, and we started the evening off with a 101 on how to taste wines using the fives “S”es. We then sent tasters off on their own to swirl and sip the wines available for tasting. How did Virginia match up? Here are the results:
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White Wines
Riesling: VA Riesling 2011 Ox-Eye v. German 2010 Riesling Kabinett Joh. Jos. Prum
Winner: Germany

Chardonnay: VA 2008 Chardonnay Reserve Gray Ghost Vineyards v. CA 2010 Chardonnay Reserve
Winner: Virginia

Viognier: VA 2010 Viognier Rappahannock Cellars v. France 2011 Viognier Paret
Winner: Virginia
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Red Wines:
Cabernet Franc: VA 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve Gadino Cellars v. France 2011 Chinon Bernard Baudry
Winner: Virginia

Bordeaux-Style Blend: VA 2007 Meritage Jefferson Vineyards v. France 2010 La Fleur Chateau Haut Piquat
Winner: France in a nail biter. (The 2010 was opened at least 2 hours before the tasting and then poured with an aerator attached to the bottle.)

Norton/Zinfandel: My oddest contest of the evening. In the past, I’ve tossed California Zinfandels into any tasting involving Norton and with interesting results.

VA 2007 Norton Locksley Reserve Chrysalis Vineyards v. CA 2010 Zinfandel Neyers Vineyards
Winner: Virginia The Locksley Reserve was also opened for about 2 hours, and it initially punched the Zinfandel right in the face; however, with some time, the Zinfandel opened up quite nicely and put up more of a fight. I ended up advising tasters to try the Zin before the Norton. In the end, though, the native Norton prevailed at the ballot box.
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Excellent results for Virginia, and I must emphasize the informal nature of the taste off. In fact, the tasting was not even blind; however, few of my guests had experience with Virginia wines. Our goal was to expose tasters to wines and in particular, Virginia wines. The taste off produced lively conversations about wine, and our tasters came away from the experience with more favorable opinions about local wines. (I should also add that in most cases, the Virginia wines were less expensive than their counterparts.)
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Why not host your own Virginia v. the World competition? Visit these and other local wineries to plan your own tasting event. Mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.