Celebrating Spring With Virginia Wines!

/ Warren / 1 Comment

Winter is slowly losing its seasonal grip as spring flowers begin to bloom in the area. We recently treated ourselves to a long weekend visiting Virginia wineries while taking in the beauty of spring flora!

Our scenic trek through Virginia landscapes allowed us to take in lovely cherry trees, blooming Bradford pears (not my favorite but they do herald spring in their own way), and dazzling bulbs that included daffodils. We brought along sliced deli meats and cheeses to enjoy a tasting and lunch at Gray Ghost Vineyards, a favorite winery of ours. The newly released 2021 Riesling announced spring in all its glory—aromas of white blossoms were followed by stone fruit flavors on the palate suggested a perfect pairing with ham or shellfish. We opted to enjoy lunch with my favorite 2018 Reserve Chardonnay with its pear notes and fuller mouth feel. A warm breeze and fluttering birds joined us for wine and snacks.

Quievremont Vineyard and Winery was next on our tasting agenda, and we were glad that we included this winery on our weekend trip. It had been quite a while since our last tasting at Quievremont Vineyard and Winery, and winemaker Karl Selzer treated us to a wonderful tasting experience. The 2019 Q Table Red reminded us that we needed a lighter-bodied red wine on the rack that can be enjoyed either on its own or with simple fare. This blend included Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but light aging in neutral oak barrels made for a fruity quaffer. The 2019 Vin de Maison was more complex, and this blend included Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Aged for a year in both American and French oak barrels, this one exhibited notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and plums. Oakier nuances suggested a pairing with a beef dish sided with roasted veggies. Watch out for a release of a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon; although quite young, it presented blackberry and cherry notes along with a whiff of licorice. Aged in 100% French oak barrels, we look forward to tasting this one again once it is released. Our outdoor tasting allowed us to take in mountain views decorated with trees waiting to burst with a splash of fresh green leaves as temperatures warm.

We always look forward to dinner at Claires at the Depot whenever we stay in Warrenton, and we nursed a glass of the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay from Gray Ghost Vineyards while gazing upon a sunset layered with tones of pink, periwinkle and cobalt.

Our final winery tasting included a self-guided flight at Pearmund Cellars. My favorite is always the Old Vines Chardonnay, and the 2017 vintage did not disappoint me. I enjoyed the lush aromas of grilled pineapple and pear, and its rich palate finished with a generous kiss of oak. Our outdoor tasting proved to be a chillier experience since the sun decided to take a nap that day; however, a sturdier breeze toyed with wind chimes to provide music for our tasting experience.

We encourage readers to plan their own spring outing to these and other Virginia wineries. Of course, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Congratulations to Melanie Natoli!

/ Warren and Paul / Leave a comment

The winner of the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup is the 2019 Unité Reserve from Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg. Melanie Natoli is the talented winemaker who crafted this excellent red blend. Readers may know that we have been following Melanie’s progress as a winemaker in Loudoun County, and you can read our interview with Melanie here (at the bottom) to learn more about her.

Kudos to the Virginia wineries that made it into the Governor’s case. The 12 bottles that made up the case are:

50 West Vineyards 2019 Ashby Gap
Barboursville Vineyards 2020 Vermentino Reserve
Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg 2019 LeMariage
Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg 2019 Unité Reserve
Maggie Malick Wine Caves 2020 Albariño
Michael Shaps Wineworks 2019 Chardonnay
Pollak Vineyards 2017 Meritage
Rockbridge Vineyard 2018 V d’Or
Shenandoah Vineyards 2019 Reserve Red
Stinson Vineyards 2017 Meritage
Trump Winery 2015 Brut Reserve
Wisdom Oak Winery 2019 NINETEEN

We will make it a goal to taste as many of the excellent wines that medalled in this year’s competition, especially as we continue to open up after a two year uncertainty due to the covid epidemic. Let’s all compare tasting notes! Join us as we embark on a task to sample these wonderful wines, and please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Magnolia Vineyards

/ admin / 1 Comment

Happy New Year! This post is long overdue. Warren’s parents visited us for Thanksgiving back in November. While they were here we took them to visit a few wineries. One of the wineries was Magnolia Vineyards. It had been awhile since we visited so it was time to see what was new.

The last time we visited Magnolia they were tasting wines in the basement tasting room and had begun construction of their new tasting room. This visit the new tasting room was complete and had been open for sometime.

We found a table and opted for the self-guided tasting. You get to taste 6 wines paired with cheeses and chocolates. The Vidal Blanc was paired with Black Pepper BellaVitano cheese, the Viognier was paired with raspberry parmesan cheese, the Battle Mountain Blush was paired with a sea salt caramel, the Cabernet Franc was paired with Manchego cheese, the Hawkins Run Red was paired with Rosemary Asiago cheese and the Pazzo (blackberry and cabernet franc blend) was paired with a raspberry dark chocolate. All of the wines were nicely paired! Mom enjoyed a nice hot chocolate on the chilly day.

Owners Glenn and Tina Marchione recognized us when we came in. We chatted with them for a bit and they offered a few extra tastes. Two reds stood out for us. We enjoyed the 2019 Cabernet Franc and noted cherry notes, black pepper and some moderate tannins. We also enjoyed 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and noted blackberry, cherry, pepper notes, accessible tannins and thought it would stand up to a big meal.

Before leaving we picked up half a case of wine. It was a nice return visit and Glenn and Tina made our visit enjoyable. Thank you! We’ll have to return sooner than later next time. If you haven’t been to Magnolia Vineyards lately, plan a trip and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Chester Gap Cellars

/ Paul / 1 Comment

On a recent Saturday we met our wine friends, Steve and Joe at Chester Gap Cellars for some wine tasting and some catching up.

As you travel down the driveway to the tasting room, you can’t miss the gorgeous views. Of course visiting in fall makes it even more colorful.

We decided to do the self-guided flight tasting. We tasted the 2017 Viognier, the 2020 Rosé, the 2017 Petit Manseng, the Lighter Side of Red and the 2017 Cabernet Franc. While we enjoyed them all, the 2020 Rosé and the Lighter Side of Red were our favorites. The 2020 Rosé reminded us of warmer times. It’s light and crisp and strawberry and melon flavors stand out. The Lighter Side of Red is perfect for lighter meals like pizza, pasta, sandwiches or even on it’s own. It’s a good starter red for those who aren’t red wine drinkers.

After our tasting we had a chance to chat with Jeff Seese, the winemaker and one of the owners. He let us taste several other wines that were not on the flight tasting. One standout was the 2019 Roussanne. I haven’t been a fan of Roussanne in the past but this one was different. It was light and fruity and didn’t have the oily, petrol aromas sometimes associated with roussanne. Jeff informed us it was aged in stainless steel. That certainly explained the crisp lightness of this one. It would be a perfect sipper on a warm day or the wine to go with some lighter meals that call for a white wine.

We finished our visit with some nibbles and a bottle of the 2017 Vintner’s Red. Before leaving we secured half a case to bring home. If you haven’t visited Chester Gap Cellars recently, it’s time to plan a visit soon! And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!