Events Space at Breaux

/ Paul / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago we attended the Cellar Club pick up party at Breaux Vineyards. I was behind picking up my shipments so it was time to collect my bottles of club wines. Warren’s parents were in town so we brought them with us to taste the wines and see the new events space that was previewed that weekend. Our wine friend Susan McHenry was there as well! It’s always fun to enjoy wine events with friends and family.

At the pick up party we were able to taste the 2009 Barrel Select Nebbiolo. We noted violets, tobacco, and a spicy ending. We also tasted the Lineage Version 1. This is Breaux’s first port style wine. I am not a big fan of ports but Warren tasted it and thinks it will be a excellent dessert wine for a future dinner party. During the pick up party we were also able to taste the 2011 Rose, the 2009 Meritage D-Block East, and the 2009 Merlot. I am a big fan of the 2009 Merlot and it was tasting even better this time. It has benefitted from time in the bottle. I’m sure it will only get better with time.


After our pick up party tasting, we were able to take a tour of the new events space. Besides a new production space, the building includes a private tasting cellar that is an English Pub-style area. This area will eventually be used to club events and private tastings. The flagship space is The Acadia. It’s a huge room with a large fireplace, crystal chandeliers, and large windows with views of the vineyards. Everyone will be happy to hear there are PLENTY of new bathrooms! We are hoping to attend the first event in the new space in January, the Cabernet Vertical. Breaux is expanding and the expansion is beautiful. Here are some pictures from our tour.






After our tour we did a regular tasting. We tasted several of the new 2011s. After our tasting we enjoyed the gumbo weekend with bowls of gumbo, cheese and a nice warm baguette. We had a wonderful day at Breaux tasting wines, seeing the new building, and spending time with friends and family. If you haven’t been to Breaux lately, you need to plan a trip to taste all the new wines and see the new building. You will be impressed! And tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Cookies and Wine

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Back in October when we attended the Virginia wine tastings at Whole Foods, we ran into Leah Kuo and Laura Englander from Cookies and Corks. They make cookies that pair with wines. What a great idea! That night they were offering tastings of their cookies with non-Virginia wines. We tried a few of the cookies with the wines and really enjoyed them. The cookies brought out different elements in the wine. During our conversations and tastings with them, we thought we could pair their cookies with Virginia wines. They sent us three boxes of cookies that pair with red, white, and sparkling wines. We decided to give it a try and pair some Virginia wines with the different cookies.

One of the great things about their cookies is they provide a pairing wheel. You simply look up the kind of wine you are having and select the cookies that go with that wine. We decided to do just that. We began our evening with the 2011 Reserve Chardonnay from Jefferson Vineyards. The cookie we selected to pair with the wine (according to the wheel) was the Apricot Sage cookie from the box of cookies to be paired with white wines. We began by tasting the cookie to get a baseline for the flavors. Obviously the apricot and sage flavors were evident. Then we washed the wine over our palates and other flavors began to appear. We noted lots pear notes with a twist of citrus which played off the sage really well. The apricot flavor wasn’t as present as we thought it might be with the wine but the reserve nature of the wine may have minimized the apricot flavor. However, the presence of the sage and citrus notes were a pleasant surprise. We thought the cookies paired very well with Reserve Chardonnay from Jefferson Vineyards. Make note of this if you plan to check out the cookies and need a wine to pair with them.

After our dinner we decided to select another cookie to pair with our dinner wine, the 2009 Merlot from Pollak Vineyards. Referring to the wheel again, we selected the Expresso Chocolate Peanut Butter cookie. This time we went with the wine first to get the wine notes on our palates before introducing the cookie flavors. We noted the wine brought the nuttiness forward and then red berry notes came through. The peanut butter flavor soon disappeared and the tasting experience ended with the coffee and chocolate notes. The chocolaty berry flavors together made for a nice dessert type experience. Once again we decided this was a good pairing. Warren enjoyed the pairing so much he finished off the cookies as he finished off the wine!

Since we’ve only tried two of the many flavors of cookies to pair with wines, there will be posts in the future as we pair more Virginia wines with more of the cookies from the different boxes. If you are looking for a unique pairing of sweets and Virginia wines be sure to pick up a few boxes of these cookies and several bottles of Virginia wine. You can purchase them in many locations in Virginia or from their website. And when you do, tell them you read about them on Virginia Wine Time!

Fundraising with Virginia Wines

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A few weeks ago we attend a fundraiser hosted by Kurt and Carol from Wine About Virginia. It was an event to raise money for their church’s FUUSE program. All of the wines at the event were Virginia wines donated by Kurt and Carol and several other members of the Virginia wine community.

It was a fun evening tasting Virginia wines, selecting our favorites and chatting with other guests at the event. The wines were presented in different categories from varietals to blends. Some of the “winners” (those receiving the most votes) included:

2010 Sauvignon Blanc from Veritas
2010 Chardonnay from Rappahannock
2010 Viognier from Keswick
Veritas White Star
2009 Reserve Cabernet Franc and the 2009 Glen Manor Cabernet Franc tied
Bluestone Crooked and Weedy and the 2010 Red from Desert Rose tied
2010 Durant Red from Pollak
2008 Petit Verdot from Linden
Freezeland Red from Fox Meadow

On Kurt’s blog he reported; “We raised more than our fundraising goal for the evening.”

Here are a few photos from the evening.









Thanksgiving Weekend and Virginia Wine

/ Warren / 1 Comment

So the turkey has been eaten, and the pumpkin pie has been devoured. However, we know that leftovers are in the fridge. What to do with them? We like to make a picnic lunch with the turkey legs, cranberry sauce, and roasted veggies and head out to a local winery. We recommend Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards and Philip Carter Winery as possible destinations.

Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards: It’s hard to compete with the views here especially during the fall. Though the fall colors may be fading, enough of them remain to provide an artistic contrast to stark branches which herald the onset of winter. Such is the current scenery at Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards. If leftover turkey and trimmings are in the picnic basket, consider the aromatic 2011 Viognier with its flavors of pineapple, peach and citrus. Our tasting associate, Kim, recommended the 2011 Make Me Blush, a rose-style wine with full fruit flavors of strawberry and cherry. At 2% residual sugar, it’s a bit sweet but should complement a slice of herbed-turkey that is coated with a dab of cranberry compote. Paul prefers a red wine with leftovers and scenic autumn landscapes, and he recommends the smoky 2008 Scarlet Oak Red with its tobacco notes and flavors of cranberry and cherry.


Philip Carter Winery: A glass of history is always poured at Philip Carter Winery, and it’s even better paired with turkey leftovers and a favorite wine. I’m always a fan of the Chardonnays at Philip Carter Winery, and the 2011 vintage is quite good. This one is a blend of oak barrels and stainless steel to present notes of ripe pear with a twist of citrus. A nice acidity should help to cut through a creamy sauce that might be served with the turkey. Cranberry chutney in the picnic basket? Consider the 2011 Danielle’s Rose made from Tinta Cao. This rose is dry with elements of strawberry and fresh mint; it’s vibrant acidity makes for a refreshing wine to boot. Bring along a hunk of blue cheese and roasted nuts to pair with the 2010 1762, a port-style wine made from the Chambourcin grape. It is aged in bourbon whiskey barrels and presents characteristic elements of raisin-like fruits with a toasted edge.



Savor that Thanksgiving feast for one more day and plan a visit to a favorite Virginia winery to enhance the experience. Consider a visit to either Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards or Philip Carter Winery. Please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.