Month: April 2008

Notaviva Vineyards

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The last time we visited Stephen and Shannon Mackey of Notaviva Vineyards was March 2006. At that time they were concentrating on the vineyards. They had viognier and cabernet franc planted with plans to expand in the future. The plans for the tasting room were set and things were in motion to begin the construction. Since that time the tasting room has been built; in fact, they have bottled their first vintage of viognier! They have also planted an eighth of an acre of petit verdot. The 2007 Vivace Viognier will be available for purchase later this spring. Plan to purchase this one upon release, because it’s very good!


After chatting with Stephen about all the hard work they’ve been through over the last few years, we got down to tasting some wine. (Even though it was a rainy, chilly Sunday, it was warm and cozy inside the new tasting room.) We tasted the 2007 Vivace Viognier. Notable descriptors like crisp, grapefruit, and honeysuckle came to our minds, and it was a lovely first effort from a promising winery.

Notaviva is currently selling red wines from Fabbioli Cellars until they are able to produce their own reds. Their own 2007 Cantabile Cabernet Franc will be coming out late this fall. We anticipate this release. While we weren’t able to taste the 2007 Cantabile Cabernet Franc, we were able to taste the Fabbioli wines. These included Fabbioli’s Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Tre Sorelle, and his Raspberry Merlot. Doug’s reputation as a skilled winemaker is well known, and his wines that we sampled at Notaviva are top quality!


After our tasting we selected a bottle of the Cabernet Franc for lunch. We enjoyed the wine and our food while enjoying the views from the beautiful tasting room. Below you can see a video of tasting room. We think you’ll agree it’s beautiful. In the video you’ll see the three levels of space. The very top level will be a performance area for music. The tasting room is nicely equipped with the latest in technology. There are HD TV’s, a large HD rear projection screen, wireless internet and more speakers than we could count. The sound in the tasting room is amazing. Before leaving Notaviva, we purchased a few bottles of wine and were able to chat with Shannon and Stephen a bit more. They informed us that HGTV will be airing the series, Dream House, about the building of the tasting room at Notaviva. The series begins on July 5th at 7:00 AM. Be sure to check out the show and see what went in to creating this beautiful space. Notaviva is just one of several new wineries opening in Virginia. Plan a visit to Notaviva soon and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Click play to see the video.

Edible Chesapeake Spring 2008

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Remember back in January when we alluded to our upcoming article in Edible Chesapeake? In fact, I mentioned that our focus was going to be on Norton, and we interviewed Norton expert Jenni McCloud for the article. (Jenni even treated us to pancakes at her house!) Anyway, the article is now available to read in the newly released Spring 2008 edition. The article cannot yet be read online, but the free publication can be found at local Whole Foods stores.

I’d like to once again thank Jenni McCloud and Hump Astorga for their time and assistance in helping me to put the article together. Norton and its history is quite fascinating. Equally exciting was the tasting that Paul and I conducted with several friends who enjoy wine and had not experienced Norton. Most of the details are given in the article, and I won’t spill the beans here; however, not included in the article was the fact that I threw a California Zinfandel and an Italian Primitivo into the tasting mix alongside several Virginia Nortons. The tasting was not blind and was very informal, and I expected my tasters to place the California Zin at the top of their lists. However, it was Chrysalis Vineyards 2003 Norton Locksley Reserve that finished first!

Of course, behind the camera was Paul who captured the perfect pictures for the article.

Vertical Tasting at Gray Ghost

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This past Saturday, we treated ourselves to an elegant evening of wine and food at Gray Ghost Vineyards. The occasion was a vertical tasting of Reserve Cabernets (93, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02) and Merlots (03, 04, 05, 06). Pictures will tell the story for most of this entry, but I will share some of our notes from the evening as well as some exciting news from Gray Ghost Vineyards.

Al telling us about the evenings events.

The evening started with a pre-event social in the tasting room. Featured here was Gray Ghost’s first ever release of a Riesling. The Gray Ghost 2007 Riesling presented lovely floral notes with grapefruit flavors and was served with hors d’oevres that paired well with a dry Riesling.

The wine library where the wines were set out for pouring.

Before long we were invited to the wine library where the evening’s event was to take place. The setting there was truly elegant with candles creating a perfect ambiance for a night of fine, award-winning wines and dinner. We were first treated to the flight of Merlots and a first round at the buffet which featured such dishes as chicken and pasta, roasted pork loin, and venison teriyaki. Assorted cheese and dried meats were also served; of course, all of the buffet items complimented the wines. Also, Cheryl Kellert, who could probably pursue a second career as a chef, did all of the cooking

All the glasses ready for wine.

Once we all served ourselves a round of food, the room began to buzz about the Merlots. Of course, we all had our own favorites. I preferred the 05 followed closely by the 03. Both were packed with rich cherry flavors and nicely structured due to a limited yet appropriate time in oak. I also noted that the 03’s perseverance had to be due to quality wine making as 2003 was the year of rain, rain, rain and a special visit from Hurricane Isabel. Paul placed the 2006 offering at the top of his list, but his second favorite was also the 2003!

Round two at the buffet table, and this time to pair with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons. A special feature was the 1993 Reserve Cabernet; this was the first Reserve Cabernet poured by Gray Ghost, and it earned them numerous awards and rave reviews. I say special because this was the last time that this wine will be poured; remaining bottles will continue to rest in the library. So enough nostalgia—what Cabs were the faves? I kept grabbing the 1998 and placed this one at the top of my list. To me, this one represented a fine integration of aromas and flavors; I thought it was still nicely balanced. Paul went with the sentimental favorite, the 1993 Cab.

The candle light was lovely.

At the end of the evening, we were treated to a pairing of a rich chocolate dessert and a glass of the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. As the revered 1993 goes into final retirement, I predict that the 2004 will take its hallowed place at the verticals! We’ve written about this one before, and it only gets better every time we try it!

We had a great time.

We ended our evening with conversations with Al, Amy, and Cheryl. Exciting developments include the future release of its meritage blend called Ranger Reserve which has already won a silver medal in a California wine competition. In fact, several Gray Ghost wines have won medals in California already this year and include the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2006 Cabernet Franc, the upcoming 2007 Gewurztraminer and 2007 Adieu. We’ll return to Gray Ghost to sample these upcoming releases; so, put a trip to Gray Ghost on the agenda, and tell the Kellerts and Gray Ghost that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Three Fox Vineyards

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We admit it—we’re behind in our postings. But for those 9 to 5 occurrences called jobs, we’d post more frequently! Anyway, after our visit with Brian and Sharon at Barrel Oak last Saturday, we decided to sample the latest offering at Three Fox Vineyards. Three Fox Vineyards is less than a mile from Barrel Oak, and it had been quite a while since our last visit to tasting room there.

We did indeed make it to Three Fox Vineyards but with fifteen minutes to spare. However, the tasting room associate graciously accommodated us, and before long we were tasting away. Of the whites, my personal favorite was the crisp 2006 Leggero Chadonnay with its citrus flavors. This Chardonnay is done in stainless steel and is quite versatile to boot. Nice sipper but can be brought along on a picnic, this Chardonnay might also pair well with a favorite shellfish dish. With warmer weather around the corner, sweet wine lovers might appreciate the 2007 Appassionata Vidal Blanc; at 3% residual sugar, this Vidal Blanc might be the right sunset sipper that can be partnered with a stronger blue cheese and baguette.


On to the reds, and my top pick here was the 2006 Alouette Cabernet Franc. Pleasing here for me was the fact that Three Fox does not blend this one and offers 100% estate grown Cabernet Franc. I noted dark cherries in the mouth and some pepper toward the end. This offering has earned Three Fox several awards, and we opted to share a glass of this Cabernet Franc after our tasting! For Chambourcin fans, Three Fox’s 2007 Rosso Dolce is a port-styled wine that is made from Chambourcin grapes. Chambourcin lovers might want to savor the Rosso Dolce with dark chocolates or strong cheeses!


In the process of our tasting, we met co-owner Holli Todhunter; her husband, John, is also owner and winemaker. We also got to meet and chat with Pam Rich, the Director of Tasting Room Operations. From Holli, we learned that Three Fox currently has 10 acres of vines planted with a production of 3000 cases. Future plans include a new tasting room and facility done in the Italian tradition. Holli and John are inspired by Italian wines, and this is evident in the other tasting menu offerings that include Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. Also, upcoming winemakers’ dinners prepared by local chefs will feature Three Fox wines, so visit the winery website for more information. We must also add that Holli allowed us to enjoy a glass of their Alouette Cabernet Franc even though the tasting room was officially closed. Paul and I enjoyed our wine with some cheese and crackers while taking in spectacular mountain views.

Of course, we eventually did bid our farewells to Holli and the tasting staff at Three Fox. A bottle of the 2006 Alouette Cabernet Franc was purchased for future consumption, and we plan to return to Three Fox to sample future releases. Holli was very excited about the 2007 harvest, and we know that we will have to check out the results. Plan to visit Three Fox Vineyards, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.