Category: Wines

Return to Paradise Springs

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Warren’s nephew was in town last weekend so we decided to take him to a local winery to taste some Virginia wine. We took him to Paradise Springs on Saturday. We hadn’t been there for a few years so it was time to return.

When we arrived the place was packed. Paradise Springs has become quite a popular attraction. We even had a tough time finding a parking space. Once inside though, it was a familiar space. We opted for the Winemaker’s Flight which was a mix of white wines and red wines and the Gold Medal Flight which consisted of gold medal winning red wines.

We settled in on the covered patio and enjoyed our tastings. The favorite from the Winemaker’s Flight was the 2021 Nana’s Rosé. We noted watermelon, strawberry and a hint of cranberry. The favorite of the Gold Medal flight was the 2021 Cabernet Franc. We enjoyed the cherry notes and the smooth tannins.

After our tasting we selected the 2021 Nana’s Rosé to enjoy with our lunch items. The weather was perfect for enjoying our lunch and wine on the covered patio. Plus, they had live music on the patio as well! Before leaving we purchased some of our favorite wines to bring home. We will be sure to return sooner next time. If you haven’t been to Paradise Springs lately, plan a trip soon. And tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Happy New Year!

/ Paul / Leave a comment

We are back after a short holiday break. It’s a new year and time for some new wine adventures. On Saturday, we started the new year by returning to the last winery we posted about in 2022, Delaplane Cellars.

We elected to do a regular tasting which consisted of the 2021 Rosé, the 2021 Viognier, the 2020 Adjacency and the 2020 Piedmont Station. We enjoyed all the wines and think they are very well made. We particularly enjoyed the 2020 Adjacency. We noted cranberry and currents and the smooth ending…just like we had back in December.

After our tasting, Matt brought us a taste of the 2020 Quorum. We were not familiar with this wine. Matt explained this wine came from a special blending session for club members (and some members of the public) and is only available to those who attended the blending session. He also explained the wine is mostly cab franc and merlot but the winemaker is the only one who knows the final blend. We thought the blend was beautiful! We are club members at Delaplane but haven’t taken full advantage of the events available to members. We’ll need to keep an eye out for the next blending event. A big thank you to Matt for sharing the 2020 Quorum with us. We enjoyed it!

After our special taste, we ordered the Virginia Sampler and enjoyed it with a bottle of the 2020 Adjacency. We checked out the views while nibbling on the sampler and sipping the wine. It was a beautiful afternoon. We didn’t have any wines to pick up during this visit so we said our goodbyes and told Matt we’d be back in the near future. If you haven’t been to Delaplane Cellars lately, plan a visit soon and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Visiting Wineries with Friends

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Recently we met our friends Steve and Joe at Delaplane Cellars for a wine club pick up event. As I have mentioned before, there are benefits to being club members.

We began our visit with a tasting of their current lineup of wines. We tasted the Rosé, the Viognier, the Adjacency and the Piedmont Station. As part of the club event they served food to pair with the wines. We found the Viognier paired nicely with the chicken meatball. We thought the Adjacency went well with eh beef meatball. Finally we enjoyed the Piedmont Station with the harvest salad. And of course the Rosé was a nice way to begin the tasting. We enjoyed all the wines and the food pairings!

After our tasting we decided to share a bottle of the 2020 Adjacency while enjoying the views. This red blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. We noted cranberry and currants, and enjoyed the smooth ending. We thought this wine would pair nicely with pasta with red sauce, pizza, and almost any light meal.

Before leaving we picked up our club wines and a few others to take home.

After our visit to Delaplane Cellars, we decided to go to Arterra to taste their current lineup of wines.

We opted to sit outside since it was a nice afternoon. The views were beautiful. I selected the self guided tasting that consisted of their Chenin Blanc, Dry Rose, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and their red blend Crooked Run.

We ordered some snacks to enjoy with our tasting. I enjoyed light, bright notes of the 2021 Chenin Blanc. I also really enjoyed the 2020 Petit Verdot. I noted bright fruit, fresh note, and the round mouth feel.

We all agreed the wines were well made and we’d have to take some home. Before leaving we bought some of our favorites. If you haven’t been to Delaplane Cellars or Arterra Wines plan a trip soon. And be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!