Category: Blog

Hillsborough Vineyards

/ Warren / Leave a comment

We’ve been waiting for Fall for quite some time now, and this past weekend gave us what we wanted—cool temperatures, pleasant breezes, and even hints of autumn colors. We decided to take advantage of the Fall-like weekend and visited Hillsborough Winery to sample the latest offerings. Of course, the scenery there is just magnificent, and we expected the wines to match the lovely views. We were not disappointed!


The view from Hillsborough.

Hillsborough has a penchant for naming their wines after precious gems. Our tasting revealed why—these were certainly gems worth discovering. Of note were both white wines, Carnelian and Opal. Carnelian was the latest white wine released, and this blend of Chardonnay and Roussanne was crisp and dry with a nice acidity that would complement most white meat dishes. Opal was a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier; several Virginia wineries have mastered this blend, and Hillsborough’s version tops the list. Warren described Chardonnay as the backbone of Opal while Viognier provided the support. Opal proved to be an elegant wine with a honeyed texture that revealed lush fruit. Opal will also be quite versatile on the dinner table as well; rich cuisine as well as herb-crusted poultry should pair up quite nicely.


Warren at the tasting bar.

Other gems included the reds; in particular, the 2003 Ruby Reserve was bolder and definitely age-worthy. Tannat gives the Ruby Reserve a bit of a chewy texture; Petit Verdot, its deep color. Ruby Reserve is certainly a big steak wine, but chocolate desserts scream for this one. In fact, we enjoyed a glass of the Ruby Reserve with dark chocolates after our tasting! Of course, we brought lunch, and we were in the mood for a lighter bodied red that would partner well with roasted pork loins. Our choice was the Garnet; this one was Paul’s personal favorite. A softer version of its red siblings, Garnet possessed a deep garnet (surprised?) color. Black cherry and plum flavors accompanied a scent of red berries and violets; some herby characteristics could be detected as well. Garnet typifies a true Bourdeaux-style wine and thus a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.


Warren enjoying lunch.

We’ll be reporting from Hillborough again very soon.—we signed up to attend the Halloween party! In the meantime, we will enjoy our purchases which included Carnelian, Opal, and Ruby Reserve! If you visit Hillsborough, tell them you read about them on the Virginia Wine Time blog.


Molly the winery dog.

Piedmont Vineyards

/ Warren / Leave a comment

Washington Post Critic Likes VA Chardonnays!

Yes, it’s true! As many readers may know, the Washington Post’s Wednesday edition always includes a section for food and wine. Post wine critic, Ben Giliberti, posted an article this past Wednesday that recommended New World wines as Old World counterparts. Virginia Chardonnays appeared on his list of alternatives! Of course, we at Virginia Wine Time already knew this but to have this fact confirmed by a renowned wine critic made our day! We concluded a long time ago that the superior Virginia wineries must at least be able to produce a quality Chardonnay and a quality Cabernet Franc. Our blog entries provide testimony to this fact—most Virginia wineries do indeed produce excellent wines from these varietals. In fact, our recent visit to Piedmont Winery not only proved our point but also supported Giliberti’s recommendation. Read on to find out more!


The last time we visited Piedmont, we were told that new releases would be available for tasting in September. We marked our calendars in anticipation, and we returned last weekend for an update. Of course, the Chardonnays shined brightly! Piedmont always produces quality Chardonnays, and the latest releases lived up to that tradition. In particular, we enjoyed the 2005 Native Yeast Chardonnay. Now, we must admit that we enjoyed a bottle of the 2002 Native Yeast Chardonnay the night before with seafood. Did the 2005 Native Yeast live up to its older sibling? Absolutely. In fact, Paul is not a Chardonnay fan, but he fell in love with the 2005 release. John Fitter, winemaker, informed us that the 2005 was fermented in older barrels; the result was a Chardonnay rich with pectin fruit aromas and flavors supplemented by a soothing honey texture. Though oaked, this Chardonnay did not present the vanilla/nutty/woodsy characteristics associated with an oak-aged Chardonnay. We purchased a bottle for lunch. What did we have for lunch? Leftovers from the previous night’s seafood feast—baked fish with herbs and roasted almonds, crab cakes, and seasoned rice. The pairing was superb!


We must note that the red wines also shined at Piedmont. In particular, the Cabernet Franc was truly noteworthy.; John Fitter was quite pleased with this first production of Cabernet Franc at Piedmont, and we understood the reason—lovely raspberry flavors with hints of spice that are characteristic of the Franc varietal dazzled the senses. Wondering what to serve with Thanksgiving turkey? Give this one a try. However, act soon—Piedmont only produced 48 cases of the Cabernet Franc, and we doubt stocks will last long. They hope to release this Cab Franc to the public in the coming weeks. Also try the Cabernet Sauvignon—another nice red from Piedmont that demands a place on the wine rack. Nice dark cherry and plum characteristics describe this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and we had a glass of this one with dark chocolates and blue cheese. That steak dinner is just mooing for this Cabernet!

Our trip to Piedmont confirmed what we already knew before we read the Post article. Virginia wineries do indeed make high-quality Chardonnays. Piedmont took a step further—Virginia wineries make high-quality Chardonnays and dynamite Cabs! Taste for you yourselves! If you visit Piedmont, tell them you read about them on the Virginia Wine Time blog.