Dinner Wine

Last Friday Warren spent a good part of the day making osso bucco in the slow cooker. The smells of veal shanks, tomato, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary filled the kitchen all day.

What wine did Warren select to pair with his amazing osso bucco? He selected the 2016 Nebbiolo from Breaux Vineyards! It was an excellent pairing. We decanted this wine for a couple of hours before we enjoyed it with our meal. We noted dark seed berries…dark raspberry, dark blackberry, a hint of clover and oak nuances. It is our opinion that you can still hold this on your rack if you have it. We could see keeping this for a few more years.

We recall the 2016 season to be typical for Virginia. Do any of our readers recall any details about the 2016 growing season in Virginia? Please share your thoughts in the comments. If you haven’t been to Breaux Vineyards lately, plan a visit soon. And when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Virginia Wine Love Weekend

Fifty Wineries to Host Virginia Wine Love Weekend May 13/14

Two Days. Fifty Wineries. Virginia’s Biggest Wine Meet-Up Ever.

Virginia wine enthusiasts will gather at wineries across the state on May 13
and 14 for Virginia Wine Love Weekend, the state’s biggest wine meet-up
ever. Fifty wineries in seven wine regions from Northern Virginia to the
Shenandoah Valley to Hampton Roads are participating in the first-time
event, which kicks off the summer wine travel season and gives wine fans the
chance to get out from behind social media and meet other wine lovers in
person.

“Virginia wine fans are famous for the love they show our wine industry,”
says event organizer Nancy Bauer, who runs an 11,000-member Facebook Group
called Virginia Wine Love. “Other states envy our tight community, which
really showed up when wineries closed down at the beginning of Covid. It was
a challenging time, and many wineries will tell you they only stayed afloat
because their customers were willing to do whatever it took to keep them in
business.”

Wineries will return the favor on Virginia Wine Love Weekend. Participating
wineries plan to put their own spin on the statewide meet-up, setting aside
a “Reserved for VA Wine Lovers” table on Mother’s Day weekend and inviting
Virginia wine experts, writers, and social media influencers to guest host.
Hosts include “Beyond Jefferson’s Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in
Virginia” author Richard Leahy, Virginia wine’s founding bloggers from the
popular Virginia Wine Time, Paul Armstrong and Warren Richard, and Virginia
Wine Dogs blogger Terri Hauser, among others.

Weekend activities at participating wineries include specialty wine
tastings, complimentary snacks, private tours, trivia contests, book
signings, and wine discounts. Each time a guest checks in at a winery over
the weekend, they’ll be entered in a “Virginia Wine Gives Back” drawing,
which includes prizes like a tasting for four featuring Mountain & Vine
Vineyards’ (formerly Delfosse Vineyards) Screaming Hawk Meritage-the top
wine in this year’s Governor’s Cup Competition-and ballroom dance lessons at
Briede Vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley.

“We’re happy to be part of this event and give some love back to our
customers,” says Mountain & Vine Vineyards co-owner Adrienne Albers. “Their
support means everything.”

Wine enthusiasts who’d prefer to leave the driving to someone else can sign
up for a hosted tour with transportation from boutique winery tour
businesses, including Cork & Keg Wine Tours of Northern Virginia and Fruits
& Roots Wine Tours of the Hampton Roads area. Each has created custom tours
for the weekend.

The event web site also includes a Make It a Weekend section, with
winery-recommended lodgings and dining for out-of-towners. “The very best
way to experience Virginia Wine Country is to immerse yourself in it,” says
Nancy Bauer, who visited 150 Virginia wineries in 150 days when she and her
husband researched their first Virginia wine travel app. She’s now visited
more than 250 wineries. “Spend the weekend, or a week,” says Bauer.
“Virginia Wine Love Weekend is a great chance to visit some hidden gem
wineries and get to know the people behind the scenes. You may even meet up
with a new travel buddy. People who love wine tend to be pretty fun people.”

See the complete list of participating wineries and event details here:

https://www.virginiawinelove.com/va-wine-love-weekend

How to participate in Virginia Wine Love Weekend

* Look over the map and list of fifty participating wineries

* Check details to see what activities each winery is offering

* Pick a few wineries you love and/or want to get to know, and invite
some friends

* Make winery reservations if needed (most wineries don’t require
them) and book your hotel and dining if you’re staying overnight

* Join the VirginiaWine Love Group on Facebook for updates (optional)

* Check in at each winery on May 13/14, and check the Facebook Group
on May 22 for the list of “Virginia Wine Gives Back” drawing winners

Virginia Wine Love Weekend is the first project of
Virginia Wine Women, a loose
affiliation of winery owners, winemakers, vineyard managers and other
industry stakeholders. The weekend event is organized by Virginia wine
writer Nancy Bauer and Northern Neck wine travel specialist Terri
Newman-Hyde.

Participating Wineries:

NORTHERN VIRGINIA
8 Chains North Winery, Waterford
868 Estate Vineyards, Purcellville
Breaux Vineyards, Purcellville
Chateau O’Brien, Markham
Doukenie Winery, Purcellville
Endhardt Vineyard, Purcellville
Fox Meadow Winery, Linden
Good Spirit Farm Winery, Round Hill
Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville
Little Washington Winery, Washington
Magnolia Vineyards, Amissville
Morais Vineyards, Bealeton
Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery, Purcellville
Old Farm Winery at Hartland, Aldie
Pearmund Cellars, Broad Run
The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm, Gainesville
Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery, Delaplane
Two Twisted Posts Winery, Purcellville
Walsh Family Wine, Purcellville
Williams Gap Vineyard, Round Hill

CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Afton Mountain Vineyards, Afton
Blenheim Vineyards, Charlottesville
Chateau MerrillAnne, Orange
Chestnut Oak Vineyard, Barboursville
Chisholm Vineyard at Adventure Farm, Earlysville
DuCard Vineyards, Etlan
Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard, Louisa
Flying Fox Vineyard, Afton
Hardware Hills Vineyard, Scottsville
Hark Vineyards, Earlysville
Horton Vineyards, Gordonsville
King Family Vineyards, Crozet
Knight’s Gambit Vineyard, Charlottesville
Mountain & Vine Vineyards (formerly Delfosse Vineyards), Faber
Pollak Vineyards, Greenwood
Prince Michel Winery, Leon
Southern Revere Cellars, Louisa
Veritas Vineyards, Afton

SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Briede Family Vineyard, Winchester
Brix & Columns Vineyards, McGaheysville
Cave Ridge Vineyard, Mt. Jackson
North Mountain Vineyard, Maurertown
Wolf Gap Vineyard & Winery, Edinburg

CHESAPEAKE BAY / NORTHERN NECK
Dog & Oyster Winery, Irvington
Ingleside Vineyards, Oak Grove
The Estate at White Hall Vineyard, King George
The Hague Winery, Hague

SOUTHERN REGION
Hunting Creek Vineyards, Clover
Rosemont of Virginia Vineyards, LaCrosse

BLUE RIDGE REGION
Fables & Feathers Winery, Goodview
Villa Appalaccia Winery, Floyd

HAMPTON ROADS
New Kent Winery, New Kent

Contact Nancy Bauer (nancy@nancybauer.com )
for images or additional information.

Dinner Wine

Lately we’ve been returning to favorite wineries and tasting wines from our library and pairing them with delicious meals.

Warren spent this past rainy Saturday in the kitchen creating a mushroom demi-glace to serve atop a roasted veal chop partnered with roasted potatoes and roasted green beans tossed with blanched sweet peppers.

The next step was selecting a wine to appropriately pair with this delicious meal. Warren spent time perusing the wine rack for the perfect wine. He selected the 2016 Octagon from Barboursville Vineyards.

Once the wine was aerated into our glasses and a taste was had we noted blackberry, dark current, tobacco and a lengthy finish. There was also a bit of a “chew” on the palate. It paired beautifully with the veal chop and mushroom demi-glace.

We need to plan a trip to Barboursville soon. We only have one other Octagon on our wine rack. If you haven’t been to Barboursville recently, you need to plan a trip as well. And when you visit them, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!