We recently visited another new winery, Glen Manor Vineyards. In fact, Glen Manor Vineyards had only been opened for two weeks. We also got to chat with owner and wine maker, Jeff White. Jeff conducted our tasting and gave us a tour of the winery.

Glen Manor Vineyards has produced grapes for winemaking since 1995, and Virginia wine enthusiasts may be familiar with the Glen Manor vintages previously released at Linden Vineyards. Through his association with acclaimed winemaker Jim Law, Jeff honed his wine making skills and decided to produce his own wines from his Glen Manor Vineyards. The result of that decision was the construction of the winery in 2007; it opened in May of this year.

Jeff poured for us the two wines currently available for sale. Both were excellent, well-crafted wines. First up was the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc with its citrus and grassy nose. Mineral and citrus flavors prevailed and a crisp finish was noted. Perfect with shellfish, but we were inclined to sip a glass after our tasting! Not to be outdone was the 2005 Petit Verdot. Lots of blackberry notes were accompanied by smoke and tobacco. We both noted dark berries in the mouth with a bolder finish. Paul jotted down, “cigar wine”, but I would favor a big meal with roasted meats.

As we sipped and savored, Jeff gave us some details about the Glen Manor Vineyards. Currently, ten acres are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Manseng. We also got a brief tour of the facility that included the barrel room and crush pad. Jeff uses old world methods of hand sorting grapes to ensure that only quality fruit is used to produce his wines. We also got a glimpse of the vineyards and noted that the vineyards and facility were kept in immaculate condition.

Jeff does discourage limos and large groups from visiting the tasting room, and the result is a quieter, more intimate tasting experience. Visitors may enjoy a glass of wine on the deck which offers peaceful views of the vineyards and mountains. In fact, that is just what we did with a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc!

I purchased a bottle of each wine poured that day, and I know that we will be back to Glen Manor Vineyards. Put a visit to Glen Manor Vineyards on your agenda, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

On a recent sunny Sunday we went to Chateau O’Brien to do a reserve tasting with Howard O’Brien. We always enjoy spending time talking wine with Howard.

He showed us to his wine cellar and opened a couple bottles of wine. Since we have tasted many of his wines before we concentrated on two this time. We started with the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay. This is a French Burgundy style chardonnay. It spends 18 months on oak and Howard produced 145 cases. Warren enjoyed the bigger body of this chardonnay and noted the toasty finish from the oak treatment. Howard informed us this is a restaurant favorite.

Next up was the 2005 Limited Reserve Tannat. Howard has spent time learning about tannat and traveling the world to make what is considered by many to be one of the best in the world. Howard’s tannat was inspired by tannat wines produced in Uruguay. Howard’s tannat is 100% tannat. It is aged for 3 years between the barrel and the bottle. Currently Howard only has about 10 cases left. It’s been a favorite of many of his customers. Once the wine was poured into our glasses we noted the deep dark color and blackberry on the nose. On the palate we noted layers of dark berries particularly blackberry and dark cherry. We also noted the smooth tannins on the finish. The next Limited Reserve Tannat will be released in early 2009.

If you find yourself at Chateau O’Brien plan to do a reserve tasting and be sure to bring home a bottle or two of the tannat before it’s all gone. And of course tell Howard Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Last weekend we visited Gray Ghost Vineyards in anticipation of their release of the Ranger Reserve. The 2006 Ranger Reserve is the first true Meritage blend to be released by Gray Ghost Vineyards, and the medal counts prove that the Ranger Reserve is a winner.

Many Virginia winemakers are producing Meritage blends. Red Meritage wines are a blend of at least two Bordeaux varieties that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The Ranger Reserve is a blend of all five of these varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon comprising 29% of the mix. The result is a complex wine rich with blackberry and cherry characteristics. Paul detected a hint of mocha, too. Smooth tannins make for a pleasant yet lengthier finish. The Ranger Reserve was aged for 15 months in French oak and should keep on the wine rack for at about ten years.

Al Kellert was very excited about the Ranger Reserve as it has already won numerous medals in national and international wine competitions. Leading the way in medal counts, though, is the 2007 Adieu that just won double gold in San Francisco.

Of course, lunch is always in the trunk, and we enjoyed spicy grilled chicken with a glass of the Ranger Reserve. We always sit outdoors to enjoy the Victorian garden and to do some bird watching, too!

With time to spare and lots of sunny weather to still enjoy, we decided to do a tasting at Chester Gap Cellars. It had been at least a year since our last trip to Cheaster Gap Cellars, and we also wanted to catch up with winemaker Bernd Jung.

The tasting menu presented several new offerings, and of the white wines, I favored the oak aged 2006 Viognier Reserve. Chester Gap’s Viognier Reserve is done in the Condrieu style with a bigger body and honeyed texture. Those who dine at the Little Inn at Washington will find the 2006 Viognier Reserve on the wine list. Paul preferred the crisp 2006 Sauvignon Blanc with its hay-like color and aroma.

Paul, however, was anxious to try the 2006 Merlot, and it immediately earned his star of approval. He noted cherry and chocolate notes with similar flavors in the mouth. “Smooth” was the adjective that Paul emphasized. I was more partial to the 2005 Cabernet Franc that is blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Merlot. This one presented layers of mixed berries with some dried herbs on the nose. The 2005 Cabernet Franc is another restaurant favorite and can be ordered at Citronelle perhaps with a favorite beef dish.

As we completed our tasting, it began to rain quite heavily. This gave us the excuse to share a glass of the 2005 Cabernet Franc, but we also chatted with Bernd for a bit. He shared with us that Chester Gap is currently producing 1500 cases of wine, and many area restaurants are now pouring Chester Gap wines. In addition to the ones already mentioned, these include such top-rated eateries as Bistro Bis, Bistro Francais Vidalia, and Charlie Palmer Steak House. Also, Bernd has been very busy building a tasting room; in fact, we were able to sample his well-crafted wines in the new tasting room. Work still remains to be done on the tasting room but sippers can already view beautiful mountain landscapes from deck.

The rain eased up, and we used the opportunity to make a run to the car. We bid our farewells to Bernd Jung and made a dash to car. Thus ended our day of wine tasting and chats with wine makers. However, we know that we will return to Gray Ghost Vineyards and Chester Gap Cellars. Plan a visit to these wineries, and please be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.