As usual, we got up really early and met others at the winery and enjoyed some breakfast treats before heading out to the vineyards.

Al gave us a quick lesson on how to harvest the grapes.

We then headed out to the vineyards to begin harvesting the grapes.

Here’s Warren hard at work snipping the stems.

We found a small bird nest IN the vines!

A few hours later the lugs were weighed and 11 TONS (yes, tons) of chardonnay grapes had been harvested.

At the end we toasted and cheered for the record breaking harvest and what a good job we had all done! We look forward to repeating this again next year!

The meals at Meander plantation are always elaborate and delicious. Even breakfast has three courses! The dinners are always special because each course is paired with a specific Virginia wine. Check out the menu for Monday night’s dinner:

Each course was a work of art. I took photos of each course. You can see what Warren selected for each course.

First Course

Second Course

Intermezzo-Blood Orange Sorbet (I ate it before taking a picture)

Entree

Dessert

The dinner was delicious! Thank you Suzanne and Suzie! We always enjoy our time at The Inn at Meander Plantation. It’s a very quiet, relaxing place to stay. We are already thinking of booking a weekend in the fall to enjoy the fall colors. If you plan a trip to The Inn at Meander Plantation, be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

“One of the main reasons I hosted the post conference gathering was to get some real time with individual bloggers and try to get my message across, and talk about Jefferson wines, where they’re at, the foods they need to be paired with, etc. before there is an opinion written.”

We spent a few hours socializing with other bloggers, talking with Andy about his wines, and enjoying tastings of some of this wines. We were able to taste the 2007 Viognier, 2010 Vigonier, 2007 Chardonnay Reserve, 2010 Pinot Gris, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc, and the 2007 Meritage. This wasn’t a time for us to review the wines so we just enjoyed what we tasted and didn’t take any notes. I will say though, that I really enjoyed the 2010 Pinot Gris. It was a hot day and this wine helped ease the heat.

Here are some photos from the event. A big thanks to Andy for inviting us and sharing his food and wine with us that afternoon. It was a great way to end the conference.

Todd Haymore-Agriculture Secretary of Virginia

Keswick Vineyards

King Family Vineyards

Jefferson Vineyards

Gabriele Rausse

Glass House Winery

Cardinal Point

Annefield Veinyards

8 Chains North

Gadino Cellars

Catoctin Creek

I first thought I’d go through and describe all the wines we tasted and then I realized we loved everything on the menu! Linden is one of the few wineries where we enjoy every wine we taste. We can’t think of one we don’t enjoy. This makes it difficult to limit our choices to one case. Warren is a case club member and needs to purchase one case a year to have access to the deck. On this visit it was time to renew the membership and purchase a case. He made some very difficult decisions but was able to fill a case. While at Linden we decided to take advantage of Warren’s membership and enjoy some lunch on the deck. Instead of describing all the wines, I will instead post several photos from our visit. Just know that anything you taste at Linden, you will enjoy. And when you do go to Linden, tell them Virginia WIne Time sent you!

We were at Breaux Vineyards yesterday picking up my Cellar Club selections. While there we checked out the grapes and this is what we saw. Is this early for veraison?

One stop was at Naked Mountain. We always enjoy going to Naked Mountain and finding out about their new releases. Here are some pictures from that visit. I’ll note here that my gold star went to the 2008 Unoaked Chardonnay. Warren’s gold star goes to the 2006 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. This is typical for us. I prefer stainless and Warren prefers barrel fermented.

Village Winery is another winery we visited recently. Kent Marrs, the winemaker and owner, always treats us so well when we visit. We visited with our wine blogging friend Dezel from myvinespot. Our gold star here went to the combination of Elderberry Sparkling drink and the Apple wine. This was perfect the day we were there because it was quite warm and the drink was quite cool. Here are a few photos from the visit.

So on a very cold afternoon, we were warmly greeted by Stephanie, assistant wine maker and daughter of owners Bill and Aleta Gadino. As always, we started with the white wines. Our favorite? The 2007 Viognier with its floral nose and peach flavors. Treatment in Hungarian oak provides a softer oak finish. Paul was disappointed to learn that his favorite, the Pinot Grigio was sold out. This was one of our summer favorites, and we await its return next year!

The red wines were then offered for tasting, and we both agreed that the 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve was the gold star winner. In the mouth, mixed berry flavors ended with vanilla on the finish. Cabernet Franc is known for its spicy characteristic, and this vintage is no exception. Already a gold medal winner, this Cabernet Franc should be quite popular with holiday fare especially if roasted meats are on the menu. Paul was quite pleased that Merlot was back on the menu, and we were able to sample the 2005 Merlot Reserve. What a treat! All we needed was a cigar. Nice blackberry and dark cherry aromas with some tobacco to boot! Of course, Paul had already opened his 2005 Merlot Reserve a long time ago, but he was tempted to purchase another bottle.

With our tasting done, I decided to treat Paul to a glass of the 2005 Merlot Reserve; of course, he had to share! As we sipped and watched the sunlight begin to fade into a lovely glow, Stephanie’s husband Derek stopped by for a brief chat. We learned that the 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve is offered on restaurant menus including the acclaimed Restaurant Eve in Alexandria. (Note to Virginia wine lovers—if Virginia wines are offered on the wine list, please order a glass or bottle!)

Before we left Gadino Cellars, we made sure to give new homes to a couple of Gadino Cellars’ wines. We also extended our best holiday wishes to Stephanie with promises to return in the New Year. Looking for wines for the holidays? Be sure to visit Gadino Cellars and be certain to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

And to our readers—HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Here are some pictures from the event.

Upon entering the gates we noticed they are now doing tastings in the winery among the tanks. Right away we ran into Rob Cox, the winemaker. He preceded to give us a tour of the facility. It’s just about complete. He took us to the unfinished tasting room that promises to be quite a space. We look forward to returning to see the completed tasting room.

After our tour Rob directed us in tasting the line of Narmada wines. Many of them we tasted back in September but there were a few additions since our last visit. The three additions were the Chardonnay, the Viognier, and the Cabernet Franc.

We enjoyed them all but the Viognier got our gold star on this visit. This viognier is steel fermented and it spends seven months on oak. I noted citrus fruit and melon. Warren noted honeysuckle and peach. We enjoyed this one so much we enjoyed a glass on the crush pad, which is set up with tables and chairs.

While enjoying the our glass we got to chat briefly with Sudha Patil, one of the owners. She asked for any advice we might have for the winery. We informed her that they seemed to be doing everything right. We enjoy the wines, the scenery, and we’re sure we’ll enjoy the tasting room when it opens later this month. Plan a visit to Narmada soon and if you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

General Motors sponsored the event and had several new Buick LaCrosses parked at the event for people to check out and learn about. There were many representatives there offering cool Buick wine bottle stoppers for answering a few questions about the new Buick LaCrosse. Warren and I both answered the questions correctly and walked away with our own wine bottle stopper!

We made our way around the event visiting many of the 15 wineries. Here are some of the wineries we visited and which wines got our gold stars.

Cooper Vineyards-We had the chance to taste Cooper Vineyards wines back in July when they appeared at Hartwood Winery. It was good to see some familiar faces. Our gold stars went to the 2008 Coopertage Blanc and the 2008 Petit Verdot. We walked away with bottles of both of these.

Chateau Morrisette-I once called this winery the Disneyland of Virginia wineries but my opinion has changed somewhat. We have tasted their wines for a long time and this time our gold stars went to the Viognier and the Cabernet Franc.

Fabbioli Cellars-We love all the wines that Doug produces. We always enjoy talking with Doug as well. While we do love all the wines, the gold stars went to the 2008 8 Chains LoCo Vino and the 2008 Cabernet Franc.

Vino Curioso-We have only ever tasted these wines at festivals. We know they are planning to eventually have a tasting room but until then we’ll continue to learn about their wines at festivals. Our gold star here goes to the Yesterday which is a sauvignon Blanc.

Chateau O’Brien-We haven’t visited Howard in a long time so we need to plan a trip there soon. It was nice to see some familiar faces at the booth though. Our gold stars here go to the 2007 Northpoint Rose and the 2008 Virginia Apple Wine.

First Colony-Our gold stars went to the 2008 Viognier and the 2006 Late Harvest. Both very nice wines.

After visiting all the winery booths we got some lunch and then wandered around enjoying all the vendor booths. I had to buy some kettle corn and some peanut brittle. It was really good. We also enjoyed the live music at the event. We even picked up some reusable shopping bags from the Giant booth.

It was great day and the weather was perfect. We enjoyed all the wine, food, and vendors. We even considered getting a Buick LaCrosse at one point! If you happen to visit any of the wineries mentioned please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Our focus of course was on the wines. There were many wineries tasting at the event. Many of the wineries we’ve visited before but there were also a few new ones. Here’s a listing of most of the wineries we visited at the festival and which wines got our gold stars.

Gabriele Rausse Winery-Stars go to the 2007 Refosco and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

Philip Carter Winery-Stars go to the recently released 2008 Chardonnay and the Meritage. We plan to visit Philip Carter soon because they have some new wines coming out this fall.

Gadino Cellars-Our gold stars were given to the 2007 Viognier and the 2007 Cabernet Franc…both really nice, strong wines. We have to make a visit to the winery soon.

Aspen Dale-We had a great time visiting with Shay McNeal when we visited Aspen Dale Winery so it was nice to see her again at the tasting booth. Our gold star here goes to the 2008 Parris Country Blend Merlot.

Fox Meadow Winery-We haven’t been here in a long time so it was nice to taste their current offerings. Our gold stars went to the 2008 Riesling and the 2006 Merlot.

Miracle Valley-We’ve visited this one a few times and always enjoy their wines. Our gold star here goes to the 2008 Cabernet Franc.

Holly Grove Vineyard-This is a new one to us. We are curious to make a trip to the eastern shore for a visit sometime. Our gold star here went to the 2008 Sunset Rose.

Bright Meadow-This is another new one to us. We’ll have to plan a trip down south for this one. Our gold star here went to the Burley Red.

After our tasting we made our way to the the food vendors and had ourselves some brick oven pizza with a bottle of Parris Country Blend Merlot from Aspen Dale. It went beautifully with our spicy pizza.

After enjoying our lunch, we took some time to enjoy the polo matches that were taking place right in front of us. The arrangement of the food vendors, seating areas, and shopping vendors was perfect for enjoying the polo while enjoying other activities. Warren has decided he’d like to learn how to play polo!

At the end of the polo matches, we did a little shopping at different exhibits. We left with some peanut brittle and some biscotti. We loaded up our purchases and headed home. It was a long day but one we thoroughly enjoyed. If you visit any of the wineries mentioned, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

The focus of our visit was art, and Paul brought along fourteen photographs from his extensive portfolio to present in the Woodland Winery tasting room. Paul is an avid photographer, and those who know Paul also know that his camera is always around his neck. He likes to capture the ordinary—old barns, chimney tops, leafless trees,—to create extraordinary art. Paul claims that he is fascinated by shapes; in fact, his exhibit is entitled, “Shapes Through the Lens.” The art is available for viewing and purchase at the winery until July 13, 2008. (A sneak preview of the exhibit can be seen here.) Paul is very humble, but I know that he was excited to plan the display with Megan, and he was quite proud of the work presented!

With the exhibit now on display, it was time to taste some wine, and John gladly obliged us all with a tasting. Also, Megan’s Mom and Woodland winemaker, Melissa, was on hand to chat about Woodland wines. Of the white wines, my personal fave was the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay. Ripe apple notes and flavors were obvious with a buttery texture and toasty finish; for those who prefer a fuller-bodied white wine, the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay should fit the bill. I do appreciate bolder white wines and would gladly sip this one on its own, but lobster with cream sauce or a lobster bisque would pair nicely with this Chardonnay. Paul favored the crisp 2006 Stainless Steel Chardonnay.

With our tasting completed, John obliged us all with a glass of the Cabernet Franc, and we took yet another look at Paul’s art to decide which piece was our personal favorites. Megan favored Red Barnand Table Grapes. Fingers to Heaven topped my list, but no one seemed to notice my Penmanship Art. We then enjoyed another gladss of the Cabernet Franc on the porch and chatted about wine.