Author: Warren

TasteCamp 2012

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TasteCamp was held this past weekend in Loudoun County. TasteCamp founder Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report and Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like organized the event, and it was attended by bloggers and industry representatives from as far away as Canada and Georgia. In fact, several participants also attended the bloggers conference held in Charlottesville last August. TasteCamp offered an opportunity for enthusiasts and experts to sample an array of wines from around the state; however, participants were also given vineyard tours to get a glimpse of how vineyards are managed by some of Virginia’s most highly regarded winemakers. This was a three-day event, and I will present a day-by-day summary of our experiences.

Friday, May 4 (Day 1): TasteCamp was officially launched at the Boxwood Winery in Middleburg, Virginia. Rachel Martin hosted a spectacular lunch and wine tasting in the facility’s tank room, and wines poured included the 2011 Rose, 2007 Topiary, and the 2007 Boxwood. Rachel Martin also revealed at the luncheon that the Boxwood Winery will serve as the official public tasting room and will replace the current Middleburg site. This change will begin on June 8, 2012. After lunch, we were given a tour of the wine cave.




The ultimate event of the afternoon, though, was a wine tasting conducted on Boxwood Winery’s crush pad. Monticello wineries were represented by Ankida Ridge, Blenheim, White Hall, Barboursville, ; however, wineries outside of that region such as Annefield, Gadino, Hume, Rappahannock, Veritas, and Pearmund were also on hand.



The day ended with an elegant food and wine dinner hosted by Breaux Vineyards. Jen Breaux Blosser greeted guests as they arrived, and it was Jen who had prepared vibrant sunflower and daisy bouquets to decorate the tables. Before entering the tank room for dinner, guests were allowed to mingle outdoors beneath a tent while sampling Breaux wines that included the 2010 Viognier and the legendary 2002 Reserve Merlot.



The four-course dinner was prepared by Tuscarora Mill Restaurant, and each course was paired with Breaux wines. The ultimate pairing was risotto with beef tenderloin served with the 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve; however, the cheese course partnered with a vertical tasting of Breaux Nebbiolo from the 2001, 2001, 2005 and 2007 vintages was equally decadent.


Saturday, May 5 (Day 2): Vineyard tours offered an educational experience for all of us at TasteCamp. Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars held forth on the vineyard practices at his site and presented a hands-on demonstration of how vines are pruned and then thinned at this time of the season. Fabbiolo frequently described himself as a “bootstrapper”, and it was not wonder that he given an innovator award by Loudoun County. Pears being produced for pear wine are literally growing in ship-shaped bottles on pear trees. An new-fangled machine stands guard in the vineyard to ward away late-spring frosts, and industrial curtains line the vineyard and can be drawn at to cut down on freezing winds. Doug likes to teach and seemed in his element while instructing eager students in his outdoor classroom. I also learned that Doug has opened the Piedmont Epicurean Arts Center as part of a “farm to table” educational initiative. The Center is located in Leesburg and includes sessions on raising cattle, growing fruit, making cheese, and (of course) managing vineyards.

After our vineyard tour, we were given a tasting of Fabbioli’s wines that included Something White (a traminette and vidal blanc blend), the 2010 Chambourcin, the 2009 Cabernet Franc Reserve, and the Raspberry Merlot. A bonus pour of the 2009 Tannat was also offered.

Next stop: Tarara Winery. Winemaker Jordan Harris transported us hayride-style (without the hay) to the Tarara vineyard sites. While in route, Jordan provided samples of his 2011 Petit Manseng, 2007 Viognier, and 2007 Syrah. We also got a history of the winery and vineyard along the way, and this culminated with a tour of the vineyard itself. Jordan has certainly made changes in the vineyard since his tenure at Tarara began in 2007. He made a decision to be terrior focused; as a result, some popular (but not so good) wines at Tarara were discontinued in favor of varieties that best suited the elevated terrain rockier soils, and location-specific microclimate. These include Petit Manseng, Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. Not included? Pinot Grigio, Seyval Blanc, and Pinot Noir.



The vineyard tour was followed by a pizza lunch provided by Pizzeria Moto, a private catering business that uses a mobile wood-fired oven to prepare excellent pizza. Prior to lunch, though, another wine tasting was held in the Tarara wine cave, and participating wineries included Corcoran Winery, Delaplane Cellars, Loudoun Valley, Philip Carter, General’s Ridge, Horton, Narmada, Stinson, and Zephaniah. Of course, Tarara wines were available for tasting and were also served with lunch. Tarara’s 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured for the occasion as well as the 2008 Nevaeh Red, 2009 Tranquility, and a sample of the upcoming 2010 Tranquility.





Final vineyard tour: Tranquility Vineyard. Ben Renshaw, winemaker at 8 Chains North and manager at the Tranquility site hosted this tour. Here again the word “terrior” was used to describe the focus for varietal selection at the site as well as vineyard practices that include diligent canopy management. This particular site is known for its favorable ripening of tough-to-ripen grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, a vital component of the Tranquility blend that was sampled at Tarara Winery. As a testimony to his diligence in the vineyards, Ben was just recently married but opted to postpone the honeymoon until after harvest!

The day’s final tasting was held at newly opened Otium Cellars. It was here that Renshaw poured his 8 Chains North wines as well as the wines that he makes for Otium Cellars. 8 Chains Wines included the 2008 and 2009 Furnace Reds; Otium Cellars wines, however, offered a German twist and included a 2010 Pinot Gris made from a German clone, a 2010 Blaufraenkisch, 2009 Dornfelder, and a 2010 Dornfelder.



Yes, it was quite a day of vineyard tours and wine tasting. And yet the day was not done. TasteCamp participants were given a brief respite at their lodgings at the Loudoun Convention Center and then treated to a barbeque dinner hosted by Mark and Vicki Fedor of North Gate Vineyards. The Fedors offered a tasting of North Gate wines, but campers were also allowed to bring their own wines to share at the event. How to manage so much wine? Spit cups were provided throughout the day, and no one was offended with liberal usage of the dump buckets. Yes, wine can be tasted without actually swallowing it! And no, you do not need to drink every drop that is poured into your glass. In fact, much can be known about a wine by simply sniffing it from the glass. (Remember that, readers, when you are on the wine trails.)


Reunion of some of the Wine Mafia Members: Lenn Thompson, John Witherspoon, Frank Morgan, Swirl Sip Snark, and Warren and Paul.

So what happened on Day 3? Any reflections on what I learned from the event? Wines that generated the most buzz? Stay tuned for the next installment; I’m sure the suspense will be nerve wracking!

In the meantime, visit the wineries mentioned in this post. Mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Linden Barrel Tasting

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The Linden Barrel Tasting is an event that we always mark on our calendars. This year’s tasting featured some white wines from the 2011 vintage, a 2011 Claret, and special releases from the 2008 and 2009 vintages. Paired with the wines were delicious treats from the Ashby Inn and Restaurant.

Our tasting started on the right note with a sample of the 2011 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc paired with mussels. We’re big fans of the Avenius Sauvignon Blanc, and we were huge fans of this 2011 vintage. Lots of citrus and soft melon notes with a nice acidity made for a refreshing wine that is destined to please summer palates. From there we proceeded to the barrel room where we tasted samples from the 2011 Avenius Chardonnay, the 2011 Hardscrabble Chardonnay, and the 2011 Boisseau Chardonnay. Each offered a unique style—the Avenius presented a Chablis-style wine while the Hardscrabble seemed reminiscent of an Old-World, Burgundian white wine. The Boisseau offering most resembled a New World Chardonnay with a heavier mouth feel and pineapple flavors. All were lovely. Favorites? That might depend on what’s for dinner. Oysters? Avenius. White fish or chicken? Hardscrabble. Anything with a cream sauce? Boisseau.


The 2011 Claret was enjoyed with a sample of specialty sausages from Croftburn Market in Culpeper. Was 2011 the year of dismay for Virginia red wines? This Claret would answer, “No.” Fruity and light bodied, its mix included Merlot (44%), Cabernet Sauvignon (36%), and Cabernet Franc (20%). I thought that it paired best with the spiciest meat sample, the pepperoni. Like other 2011 red wine samples that we have tasted, I suspect that this 2011 Claret will be enjoyed upon release rather than later.

We moved on to the special release room where we were able to compare and contrast the 2008 and 2009 red blends from the Boisseau, Hardscrabble, and Avenius vineyards. I noted a distinct difference between the vintages that suggested something other than different years or blend composites, and it was in this room that I recorded the quote of the day from Jim Law. When asked about the more fruit-forward style of the 2009 vintages by another taster in the room, Law responded, “I lost the fear of my grapes.” Law explained that he learned from winemakers in Bordeaux that extraction is the ultimate key to crafting good red wine rather than intense ripening in the vineyard. With this lesson learned, Law described the 2009 season as a shift in his own winemaking style. The difference was most evident in the 2009 Hardscrabble Red. The 2008 vintage represented a style that was characteristic of the Hardscrabble wines— very structured with earthier nuances and berry flavors. The 2009 vintage, though, presented layers of fruit at the start with deep plum and dark cherry characteristics. A similar style was evident in the rounder 2009 Boisseau Red in which Merlot dominated (44%), and the Petit Verdot-led 2009 Avenius Red.

The tasting seemed to end too early; however, we took advantage of a nice spring afternoon to sit on the deck with a glass of a favorite Linden wine. Barn swallows fluttered about, and the scent of wisteria wafted from below. It could not have been a more perfect afternoon. Be sure to visit Linden for a tasting of Jim Law’s exquisite wines, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Jefferson Vineyards Celebrates Jefferson’s B’day

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And what better way to celebrate the Founding Father of Virginia wine’s birthday than tasting the exquisite Meritage blends at Jefferson Vineyards. Winemaker Andy Reagan hosted this event; of course, we had a great time.

The oldest wine poured at this event was the 2002 Meritage; the youngest, the still evolving 2010 Meritage. We attended last year’s Meritage tasting, and as I recall my favorite was the 2007 Meritage that was a blend of Cabernet Franc (39%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet Sauvignon (18%) and Petit Verdot (17%). This year’s favorite? The complex 2007 Meritage! Brambleberry characteristics with earthy nuances and a smooth finish made for a wine that can still get better with age. Paul’s own fave was the 2004 Meritage. No surprise here—Merlot comprises 70% of the blend, and Paul is a Merlot addict. Cabernet Franc (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) and Malbec (3%) completed the mix. Paul noted cherry flavors and a whiff of dried herbs.

Andy also offered samples of his Meritage Reserve wines. These are his special blends. One reserve was a blend of the 07, 08, 09 vintages; the other, a mix of the 08, 09 and 10 vintages. Each vintage was aged separately in new French oak puncheons for 48 months, 36 months and 24 months respectively. Of these, my preference was the first blend—dark fruit elements with aromas of sweet tobacco suggested a complex, heavy pour. Meat and cigars are mandatory partners with this one!

The tasting stations offered foods to pair with each Meritage. Grilled beef, duck, and an assortment of cheeses added to the tasting experience. Of course, Paul gravitated to the sliced duck breast, but he does enjoy duck with complex wines. Now if only he would eat asparagus!

Other distinguished guests included the dynamic duo who write Swirl, Sip, Snark. We enjoyed comparing notes and chatting about wine. Andy was a generous host who answered all of our questions and engaged us in all sorts of banter. Of course, we wondered when Paul would stop eating all of the duck!

Be sure to pay Andy Reagan a visit at Jefferson Vineyards, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.