Winemakers extraordinaire AJ Greely of Hark Vineyards and Lee Hartman at Bluestone Vineyard organized and offered an Excellent Adventure , a day of winery tours and wine tastings in the Monticello AVA. The Excellent Adventure was then auctioned off as a prize at a Virginia wine benefit.  My friend Kathy Lang Wiedemann and her husband Rich won the prize, and they invited me and other friends to join them on the adventure that took place on March 6.  Of course, I accepted the offer.

AJ and Lee were our hosts for the adventure, and Louis of Cville Hop On Tours chauffeured us to our various destinations.  The HopOnCville bus was itself a fun experience.  It was outfitted with snacks, water, koozies, and bins to hold our wine purchases.  For readers who are interested in touring wineries on the Monticello Trail without the hassle of driving, I highly recommend Cville Hop On Tours.

Of course, the current buzz is about this year’s medal winners at the prestigious Virginia’s Governor’s Cup, and our first stop was to award-winning Pollak Vineyards.  Pollak garnered three gold medals for its 2023 Chardonnay Reserve,  2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve, and 2023 Merlot Reserve.  Our time here began with a tour of the tank and barrel room by assistant winemaker, Jordan Demain.  Of note on this tour were the concrete tanks and eggs.  As winemaking continues to evolve, so do techniques.  Concrete tanks tend to offer a middle ground between stainless steel neutrality and oak barrels, known for their micro-oxygenation and texture development.  Concrete also provides excellent insulation to provide a stable temperature during fermentation and aging. The tour included barrel sample of the still-developing 2025 Chardonnay, the 2024 Nebbiolo, and the 2025 Nebbiolo. The 2025 Chardonnay presented a nice bite of fresh apple on the palate and will see less time in oak barrels than its 2023 sibling.  It was the Nebbiolo of all vintages, though, that were both impressive and expressive of terroir and vintage variability.  The 2024 vintage gave off a whiff of rose petals with red berry fruit on the palate and a chew toward the finish.  The 2025 was still being its embryonic self.  Although juicy on the palate, its tannins were more pronounced.  These will calm down with time—it’s still expressing its youthfulness.

The group then was escorted to the Smugglers Room for a tasting of the award winning 2023 Chardonnay Reserve, the 2023 Nebbiolo, and a tank sample of the 2024 Meritage. Yay for Chardonnay, and this gold medal winner earned its accolades.  The oak nuances are definitely a hallmark here, and those who favor fully malolactic styles will enjoy this Chardonnay.  Fermented in French oak barrels, it was aged on fine lees for 14 months.  Pear aromas prevail with a creamy texture on the palate and a full mouthfeel.  This will age for quite a while and should pair nicely with roasted poultry or pork.  It could also accompany seafood topped with a beurre blanc sauce.  Needless to say, I bought a bottle to nap on the wine rack at home.  The 2023 Nebbiolo continues to showcase the superb 2023 growing season in Virginia.  Trust me, 2023 reds have an unlimited aging potential, and this Nebbiolo is no exception.  Swirling coaxed out notes of raspberry and clover. Tannins, though still young, framed this wine quite nicely.  The 2024 Meritage, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, introduced us to the potential for the 2024 vintage.  Dark cherry, blackberries, and hints of violet were noted.

We then hopped on the bus to our next stop, Flying Fox Vineyard, for a surprise sample of vermouth.  Flying Fox gives a speakeasy vibe, and it’s always fun to visit here if only to spot the friendly foxes prowling about the tasting room.  Vermouth offerings include a vermouth crafted for each season, and my own favorite was the Cabernet Franc-based Winter.  We then dined outdoors on gourmet sandwiches from Greenwood Grocery and Deli.  It was a perfectly lovely day, and it was a treat to leave my jacket behind after a brutally cold winter.

In the midst of our tasting at Flying Fox, George Hodson, President of Flying Fox Vineyards and general manager of  Veritas Vineyards and Winery dropped by to offer a next adventure to Veritas Vineyards and Winery.   It was there that we were treated to Scintilla, the delightfully refreshing sparkling wine, and library tastings of the 2017 Cabernet Franc and 2009 Meritage.  I still have Virginia red wines from the 2017 on my wine rack, and these are still going strong.  The 2017 growing season was hot and dry, so if deciding to drink or hold, feel comfortable to hold for a while longer.  The 2017 Cabernet Franc from Veritas provided another example of why vintage matters. It was dense in color with elements of dark fruit and sweet tobacco with surprising length on the finish.  A charcuterie board arrived at our table to heighten the tasting experience, and we continued to bask in the warm sunshine while sipping, nibbling and conversing.

All adventures must come to an end, and our hosts concluded our day with a trip to Afton Mountain Vineyards.  Damien Blanchon, recently recognized as Virginia Grower of the Year for 2025, greeted us and then led us to a tank and barrel room tour.  Here too concrete eggs, or amphora in this case, proved to be a highlight of the tour.  Blanchon echoed similar advantages of using concrete as Jordan at Pollak Vineyards.  Blanchon’s goal is to eventually move away from new oak barrels entirely in favor of neutral oak barrels to highlight fruit components of the wines that tend to be masked by newer barrels.  Good winemaking does indeed evolve over time.

As the sun began to fade, Damien conducted a tasting for us adventurers that included a Sparkling Pinot Noir, the 2024 Albarino, a 2024 Merlot (carbonic maceration), and 2019 Tradition. Sparkling wines always brighten any experience, and this bottling from Afton Mountain brought with it joyful strawberry and melon notes as bubbles danced to the top of the glass.  The 2024 Albarino was produced with fruit from various blocks of Albarino planted in the vineyard. Done in stainless steel, its stone fruit characteristics with shades of lime paired well with the warm afternoon. I enjoyed the light-bodied 2024 Merlot, carbonic maceration.  Not all red wines need to be heavy hitters, and I often find myself searching for something to simply sip and enjoy either by itself or with an uncomplicated meal.  This easy sipper sings with bright red berry notes.  Give this one a quick chill and serve with a summer sunset! The 2019 Tradition is still evolving.  Like 2017, the 2019 growing season was hot and dry.  Dark fruit and tobacco aromas were hallmarks of this Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.  Dark cherry, intense blackberry, and currants were driven through the palate by nice acidity and developing tannins. I would put this one in the Hold category, or decant before serving now. Damien also treated us to samples of the 2023 Merlot and 2022 Tannat, but I forgot to take notes on them.  I will hazard a guess that the 2023 Merlot, like other reds from that blockbuster growing season, was full-bodied yet fruity.  2022 Tannat—four years in the bottle with Tannat is still in its infancy.  Tannat usually requires time to fully reveal itself because of the grape’s tannic nature. However, time usually rewards patience with Tannat, especially when served with a hearty beef dish. I will have to revisit Afton Mountain Vineyards to be certain, though!

Alas, all adventures must come to an end.  I thoroughly enjoyed the tours, wine tastings, and camaraderie shared with my fellow adventurers.  The spring weather made it all even more splendid.  Please visit the wineries mentioned in this post to sample the latest award winning wines.  Want to avoid driving hassles? Check out Cville Hop On Tours.  Be sure to mention Virginia Wine Time sent you.