Tag: Barboursville Vineyards

Virginia Wine at Whole Foods

/ Paul / Leave a comment

vwm25smallOn Friday night we went to the Whole Foods Market Tysons for their weekly Fab Five Fridays. The wine pairings for the evening were all Virginia wines. We thought this would be another great way to celebrate Virginia Wine Month. We posted about it Twitter and Facebook and were pleased to see some of our readers turn out to taste some Virginia wine. Neche Harris from the Marketing Team asked us to be on hand to answer questions about Virginia wine while tasters went from station to station. We were happy to promote Virginia wine!

The first course was arugula salad with Idiazabal cheese, apples, and caramelized walnuts. It was paired with the Barboursville Pinot Grigio. This is one of our favorites and we thought it paired nicely with the salad.

The second course was a spicy Italian sandwich with fresh mozzarella. It was paired with the Horton Norton Red Blend. I am not a huge fan of Norton but Warren thought the fruity notes helped calm the spicy nature of the sandwich.
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The third course was Alfredo and penne pasta. It was paired with the Horton Viognier. This was my favorite pairing. I really enjoyed the penne pasta and thought the viognier was a good pairing with the cheesy Alfredo sauce.
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The fourth course was spaghetti bolognese. It was paired with the Crosskeys Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot is one of my favorite grapes. I have several different Virginia Petit Verdots on my rack. Besides the spaghetti being delicious, the wine was very nice as well. This petit verdot had just the right tannin structure to balance the bolognese sauce.
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The fifth and final course was a pumpkin roll with cream cheese. It was paired with the Pearmund Riesling. The sweetness of the wine paired nicely with the spice and cream cheese of the pumpkin roll.
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While tasting the different courses we were able to chat with many people about Virginia wines. It was great to chat about Virginia wine and info people about wineries, wines, and destinations available in Virginia. We had lengthy conversations with Kerry and Danielle and Tom and Anna.
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Whole Foods Market doesn’t always showcase Virginia but Friday night Pearmund Cellars was pouring several of their wines and Albemarle Ciderworks was tasting several of their ciders. We were so pleased to see and hear such great things about Virginia Wine (and cider). We’ve attended many of the Fab 5 Fridays in the past but no more. Starting Thursday October 31st (Halloween) Fab 5 is moving to Thursdays. So be sure to check out the Fab 5 on Thursday now and when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Rounding Out Our Visit to the Monticello Area

/ Warren / Leave a comment

We conclude our wrap up of our late May trip to the Monticello area with write-ups of Barbousrville Vineyards and Lazy Days Winery.

Barboursville Vineyards: We always enjoy the wines at Barboursville Vineyards, and we found a few favorites this time around. Of the white wines, we were both pleased with the Sauvignon Blanc 2012 with its characteristic citrus notes and whiff of fresh grass. A crisp finish makes for a perfect wine for the summer. Of the red wines, I was impressed with the Nebbiolo Reserve 2009; notes of violet, dark cherry, and sweet tobacco were evident with this fuller-bodied wine. The Octagon 2008 was also special with rich berry flavors and earthy elements. This, however, was not the Octagon edition that won the Governor’s Cup. That one will be released later in the summer.
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On another note, we could not help but notice that the acclaimed wines at Barboursville are attracting ever-larger crowds, and it may be time for the tasting room managers to consider another system for tasting wines at Barboursville. The current conveyer belt system is simply not conducive to an engaging tasting experience. We like to ask questions and interact with the tasting associate, but on this occasion it simply was not possible. We also had the misfortune of being lumped with a large gaggle of silly bridesmaids, and chatting about the oak nuances of the Cabernet Reserve was not on their agenda. We will return to Barboursville Vineyards, of course, but we will make certain to visit as early in the day as possible.

Lazy Days Winery: This winery is located in Amherst and not far from Ankida Ridge Vineyard. The Chardonnay 2012 was a favorite and presented ripe pear aromas and flavors; some aging in neutral oak imparts a subtle buttery feel. Nice to sip on a hot day or with light cheeses and salads! Paul enjoyed the Merlot 2010 and noted smoky aromas with cherry flavors and a bit of spice at the end. He also appreciated its smooth tannins.
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We must admit that we visited Lazy Days at the end of the day, and we did not spend as much time there as usual. The tasting staff was very friendly, too. All the more reason to visit at a later time!

Plan a visit to Barboursville Vineyards and Lazy Days Winery, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.