https://worklivelaos.com/grad1/ We first visited Cobbler Mountain in January of 2012. Since that time Cobbler Mountain has grown and is producing more wines and enjoying the growth. Jeff and Laura McCarthy Louden have been working hard over the last year. We decided to revisit Cobbler Mountain and see what was new. On the day we visited they were doing a jelly bean pairing with their wines. This was definitely a unique tasting experience. It was fun pairing the jelly beans with the wines.
One of the wines we tasted that we enjoyed was the Sparkling Hard Apple Cider. It was tart and bubbly and made us think of pork. Another one of our favorites was the 2010 Cabernet Franc. We noted cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and spice. I liked it so much I brought a bottle home with me.
Cobbler Mountain is now making two maple drinks. One is the Maple Reserve Amber which is a port style dessert wine that would go well with cheesecake. Warren enjoyed this one and thought it would go well with pumpkin pie. The second is the Maple Reserve Special Dark which is suggested to be used as finishing glaze meats. Both are made from maple syrup from their family’s Vermont Farm.
If you haven’t been to Cobbler Mountain recently its time to revisit them. They have a very welcoming staff, and array of wines to taste, and friendly and knowledgable tasting associates to help with the tasting. And when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Category: Wines
Dinner at Iron Bridge Wine Company
Ambien Buy Without Prescription On Sunday evening we attended the winemaker’s dinner at The Iron Bridge Restaurant and Wine Company in Warrenton. We were guests of Ben Segal, the assistant manager. We met Ben a while ago when were all attending another wine tasting experience. We graciously accepted his invitation to attend the winemaker’s dinner at Iron Bridge. The dinner was paired with wines from Hume Vineyards. Winemaker Stephane Baldi was on hand to talk about each of the wines and answer questions during the dinner.
After an introduction from Ben and Stephane the first course was served. The first course was seared sea scallops with Thai spiced cucumber and cabbage salad. It was paired with the 2011 Viognier. Stephane informed us this wine was of 25% of one year aged in French oak and 75% from stainless steel aging. We noted apricot, honey and pear and a nice crisp mouth feel.
The second course was smoked duck breast with arugula salad and strawberry, hazelnut, and rose vinaigrette. It was paired with the 2011 Rose. This rose is dry and created with 100% merlot grapes that spent 48 hours on the skins. We noted strawberry and melon. This paired beautifully with the duck breast and arugula salad, especially with the rose vinaigrette.
The third course was grilled local cranberry sage buffalo and pork sausage with grilled polenta and a cranberry demi. It was paired with the 2011 Cabernet Franc, which will be featured in the May issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. This is a lighter style cabernet franc that would go very well with red sauce, burgers, or pizza. We noted a dark cherry, bramble berry, pepper, mint, and a spicy finish.
The fourth course was beef wellington with fingerling potatoes, asparagus tips, and a petit verdot reduction sauce. It was paired with the 2011 Petit Verdot. This wine quickly became our favorite. It’s a great example of what a winemaker can do in a wet year. This petit verdot also won a silver in the Governor’s Cup. We noted the dark, inky color before the jammy dark fruit flavors of blackberry and plum. We noted licorice and a chewy ending. The beef wellington was my favorite course but with the petit verdot, it was even better. The petit verdot got our gold star for the evening.
The final course was a wine poached pear with oatmeal cookie and blue cheese sauce. It was peered with the 2011 Late Harvest Vidal. I’m not a big pear eater so Warren enjoyed the pear with the Late Harvest Vidal. He noted pear and an almond nutty ending.
Everything was delicious and the wine pairings were perfect. During the meal we heard from Stephane at each course about the wines and what was happening at Hume Vineyards. We found out the 2012 vintage will be the first produced form completely estate grown grapes. We also chatted with our table neighbors during the whole dinner. We had a great time getting to know them and chatting about wine. They attend dinners at Iron Bridge quite frequently. We hope we run into them again soon at Iron Bridge. If you haven’t attended one of the winemaker dinners held at Iron Bridge, you really need to plan to in the future. They select some of the best Virginia wineries to pair with meals created by the amazing chefs. Check out their website or on Facebook to find out when they’ll be having the next winemaker dinner. And if you haven’t been to Hume Vineyards recently, plan a trip there too. You need to taste these new wines, especially the Petit Verdot and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Middleburg AVA Sign Unveiling
Pregabalin 300Mg Buy Online Today we attended the sign unveiling for the Middleburg Virginia American Viticultural Area (AVA) at Boxwood Winery. In 2006 Rachel Martin, executive vice president of Boxwood Estate Winery, wanted to put “estate grown” on the bottles of wine produced at Boxwood. She soon found out the only way that could be added to the wine bottle labels was to be part of an AVA. She then began the long process of getting the AVA designation. In September 2012 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) established the Middleburg Virginia AVA.
Diazepam Online Purchase After months of working on the signs and where they would be displayed, today the First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, unveiled the sign that would appear at different points on major and secondary roads around the Middleburg AVA.
Buy Soma 350 Mg Online After the event we gathered in the tasting room to enjoy some Boxwood wine and nibbles. We particularly enjoyed the 2012 Rose. Here are some pictures from the event:
Virginia v. The World
We hosted a wine tasting this weekend for colleagues, and the tasting featured a duel between Virginia wines and wines from around the world. How did I select these wines? I pulled the wines from my wine rack; in other words, I did not get too technical about the matter. However, I did try to pair off similar styles of the same varietals, different vintages of the same varietals, etc. to see which ones earned the most accolades. Tasters were provided with a scoring sheet that provided brief descriptions of each wine, and we started the evening off with a 101 on how to taste wines using the fives “S”es. We then sent tasters off on their own to swirl and sip the wines available for tasting. How did Virginia match up? Here are the results:
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Riesling: VA Riesling 2011 Ox-Eye v. German 2010 Riesling Kabinett Joh. Jos. Prum
https://dinoeliadis.com/recommended-reading/ Winner: Germany
Chardonnay: VA 2008 Chardonnay Reserve Gray Ghost Vineyards v. CA 2010 Chardonnay Reserve
Winner: Virginia
Viognier: VA 2010 Viognier Rappahannock Cellars v. France 2011 Viognier Paret
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Cabernet Franc: VA 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve Gadino Cellars v. France 2011 Chinon Bernard Baudry
https://dentalprovidence.com/team/ Winner: Virginia
Bordeaux-Style Blend: VA 2007 Meritage Jefferson Vineyards v. France 2010 La Fleur Chateau Haut Piquat
Order Ativan Online Winner: France in a nail biter. (The 2010 was opened at least 2 hours before the tasting and then poured with an aerator attached to the bottle.)
Norton/Zinfandel: My oddest contest of the evening. In the past, I’ve tossed California Zinfandels into any tasting involving Norton and with interesting results.
VA 2007 Norton Locksley Reserve Chrysalis Vineyards v. CA 2010 Zinfandel Neyers Vineyards
Winner: Virginia The Locksley Reserve was also opened for about 2 hours, and it initially punched the Zinfandel right in the face; however, with some time, the Zinfandel opened up quite nicely and put up more of a fight. I ended up advising tasters to try the Zin before the Norton. In the end, though, the native Norton prevailed at the ballot box.
Excellent results for Virginia, and I must emphasize the informal nature of the taste off. In fact, the tasting was not even blind; however, few of my guests had experience with Virginia wines. Our goal was to expose tasters to wines and in particular, Virginia wines. The taste off produced lively conversations about wine, and our tasters came away from the experience with more favorable opinions about local wines. (I should also add that in most cases, the Virginia wines were less expensive than their counterparts.)
Why not host your own Virginia v. the World competition? Visit these and other local wineries to plan your own tasting event. Mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Another Take on the 2012 Harvest
Jake Busching earned a reputation as an excellent winemaker while at the helm of Pollak Vineyards. He is now the winemaker at a new venture called Grace Estate Winery that will open in April of this year. Grace Estate Winery is also the home of the heralded Mt. Juliet Vineyard that is located in Crozet. The winery is located in the Monticello AVA. We asked Busching to offer an early assessment of the 2012 vintage.
1. How would you describe the 2012 growing season overall?
2012 was a peculiar year; it was an early, yet cool spring, and a blazing hot dry summer, followed by intermittent rains during harvest. I didn’t like it. There were too many odd variables within a given vintage including: 1) too close to frosting early; 2) too close to drought late; 3) July Derecho winds, and 4) too close to hurricane rains on ripe fruit. The plants seemed confused. Timing for bloom was off in the reds. Shoot growth was slow. And overall the cropload was down about 30% based purely on berry size.
2. In particular, how was the season for white grapes?
For the whites all of this strange weather had less effect than I would have thought. The aromatics are rich and the mouthfeel is lush. Acid was lower than I like but that is true in nearly every vintage.
3. And what about the red grapes?
The reds had more of a reaction to the vintage. Tannins are in short supply in almost all of the reds. Color isn’t bad but not as deep as I like due to sun intensity. The wines are good and better than many vintages I’ve worked; time will cure most of my rather exacting concerns. I think on a consumer level the wines will be received as being quite good.
4. What will be the hallmarks of the 2012 wines?
For the wines from Mount Juliet vineyards, Viognier and Chardonnay are both showing very well. The Merlot and Tannat are my top reds this year.
Futures at Gray Ghost
We recently attended the futures tasting at Gray Ghost Vineyards. This used to be called a barrel tasting but because of some changes at the state level, most wineries have changed the name of their barrel tastings. We have always enjoyed the barrel tastings at Gray Ghost so a name change didn’t bother us at all. We were still able to taste the wines that will be released in the future.
At this tasting we were able to taste the 2012 Chardonnay right out of the barrel. Of course it’s not quite ready yet but we noted pineapple and granny smith apple. This will be a nice vintage when it’s released.
The first of the reds we tasted was the 2012 Petit Verdot. Yes, Al is finally doing a stand alone petit verdot. The 2012 presented berry notes, spice, and tart cranberry. This one will spend more time in the barrel before it is bottled. Look for it in another year or so.
The next red we tasted was the 2011 Petit Verdot. This one will be released probably sometime in the fall. Of course I thought it was ready now and wanted Al to just put a barrel of it on the back of my car. We noted plum, spice, blackberry, and tobacco on the finish.
We then tasted the 2011 and the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignons. The 2011 was a lighter wine with cherry notes and a smooth ending while the 2012 presented big cherry notes with a few earthy elements. The 2012 will spend more time in the barrel before it is released. Both will be nice wines in the future. Al informed us there would not be a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for 2011.
After tasting the individual wines we were given the chance to blend the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2012 Petit Verdot. The PV only made up 15% of the blend but came through pretty strong in the mix. We also got to blend the 2011s and the combined wine was earthy, smooth, with some red fruit notes.
Once our blending and tasting was complete we placed our orders for our favorite wines to pick up in the “future” once they are bottled and released. I ordered a case of the 2011 Petit Verdot and Warren ordered a case of the 2012 Chardonnay. We know we’ll be enjoying them well into the future. If you missed the futures event at Gray Ghost, plan to attend one of the many events they have on their calendar. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
DuCard On The Way Home
We finished our Presidents’ Day Weekend trip to the Monticello area with a visit to DuCard Vineyards. We first visited DuCard when the winery was newly opened in 2010. Owner and winemaker Scott Elliff was on hand to conduct our tasting on a frigid day.
DuCard Vineyards has made quite a splash with its Signature Viognier with its 2010 version earning accolades at a recent blind tasting held in Richmond. One of the judges was wine expert Steve Spurrier; when the judging was done, the 2010 Signature Viognier scored a tie with a heralded 2010 Condrieu from E. Guigal Vineyards in the Rhone Valley of France. Unfortunately, we have not tasted the 2010 Signature Viognier; however, the 2011 Viognier went toe to toe with the 2012 Viognier that was offered for a side-by-side comparison. My nod went to the very aromatic 2011 Viognier with its peach flavors and bright acidity. The still-evolving 2012 Viognier is destined to find fans; right now, it presents a very fruity nose and palate with a distinct banana note.
Of the red wines, my favorite was the 2010 Petit Verdot. This Petit Verdot was the product of a hot, dry growing season and presents a very dense color in the glass. I detected a whiff of violet with dark fruit elements that include black currants, dark plums and blackberry. A firm tannic presence suggests aging potential; however, if leg of lamb or thick, juicy steaks beckon for this Petit Verdot, open early or decant. I made certain to purchase a bottle for a future dinner party; of course, future could mean next week or five years from now! In any case, Norton lovers should enjoy the jammy 2010 Norton from DuCard. Paul, though, preferred the lighter bodied 2010 Cabernet France with its brambleberry aromas and flavors and spicy finish. I enjoyed this one too, and it could pair well with herb-crusted poultry or pork; however, I think that it could be enjoyed just by itself either beside a fireplace on a cold day or on the deck on a warmer spring afternoon.
Speaking of a warm afternoon, the 2012 Rose should be a hit in the spring and summer. I like dry roses, and this one was can be considered off-dry with less than 1%residual sugar. This was produced from Cabernet Franc grapes with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its bright pink color and strawberry nose reminded me that warmer days, fragrant flowers, and lasting sunsets are just around the corner!
Scott Elliff was a very gracious host, and we learned that he remains dedicated to producing limited quantities of quality wine. To celebrate the success of the 2010 Signature Viognier, Elliff will include a copy of the wine-themed movie Bottle Shock with case orders of the 2011 Signature Viognier. Why Bottle Shock? This movie recalled the 1970s judging event that put California wines on the international wine map, and it was Steve Spurrier who hosted it. Spurrier likewise judge the so-called Judgment of Virginia in which Virginia Viognier went up against the best from France. It was the 2010 Signature Viognier from DuCard that showed most brightly!
We made certain to purchase our DuCard favorites and promise to return soon; with spring weather just around the corner, plan a visit to DuCard Vineyards, but mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Michael Shaps Works Wine
While the title is a twist on Shaps’ Wineworks , it is literally true. Michael Shaps produces wines for his own successful venture, Virginia Wineworks, but he also either makes wine or consults for a number of wineries in the state. This would include the winemaking at Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards located nearby his Wineworks tasting room. During our recent visit to the Monticello area, we made an afternoon by visiting both wineries.
We always enjoy the no-nonsense tasting experience at Virginia Wineworks, and this time around we got to sample wines in boxed containers. Yes, wines in boxes. There is a trend underway to reconsider how traditionally disreputable methods of packaging wine (and that includes screw cap enclosures) are being viewed. However, we’ve had boxed wines from Bordeaux that were very good, and so we tasted the Wineworks boxed wines with open minds. We both concluded that they were very good, and for the amount of wine that they hold (four bottles) well worth the price. The Box Wineworks White Blend is a perfect aperitif; however, Paul favored the Box Wineworks Red, a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Tannat. This was a fruity, lighter-bodied wine that is perfect on its own or with simple meals such as meatloaf, grilled chicken, or pork chops.
We also got to sample the Michael Shaps-labeled wines, and these are his premium wines. I remain a fan of his Viognier, and the 2009 vintage was my favorite of the white wines. Nice aromatics and a fuller mouth feel make for an elegant wine. However, I also enjoyed the Chardonnay 2008 with its pear notes and creamy finish. Of the red wines, my preference was for the Meritage 2008. Petit Verdot leads the blend at 44% and contributes to the earthy/spicy notes and dark fruit aromas. Merlot (33%) and Cabernet Franc (23%) add elements of cherry and raspberry. Paul favored the Petit Verdot 2009 and its characteristics of black currants, dark cherry, tobacco and pepper.
Vintner and wine educator Santa Rava conducted our tasting and expertly answered our questions (which can be numerous). Santa hails from the Sonoma area and is herself a winemaker. The quality of Michael Shaps’ wines and his reputation as a winemaker attracted her to the area in order to become part of the winemaking team at Wineworks. She also share with us that Michael is a full owner of a winery in Burgundy; in fact, Michael and his wife Christie also own and rent a 200-year old home in the winemaking village of Meursault, France. The home boasts two master bedrooms, a large kitchen with a private chef upon request, and heated towel racks. Perfect for a wine-tasting trip to Burgundy, a relaxing European getaway, or a honeymoon—or all of the above!
With our tasting completed, we were ready for lunch and decided to enjoy a bite at Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards. The focus here is wine, too, and Michael Shaps is the winemaker. Before lunch, though, we had to select a wine to pair with lunch. This, of course, required a trip to the tasting bar. Our favorites? Of the white wines, the 2010 Chardonnay Reserve earned my top honors with its pineapple and pear notes and fuller mouth feel. Paul liked the 2011 Viognier and noted fruity aromas and peachy flavors. The red wines brought us to a joint conclusion—the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was our favorite. Smoky notes with cherry, blackberry, and earthy elements made for a more complex yet accessible wine. We opted to enjoy this one with lunch. So what was for lunch? For me, it was the steak frites with parmesan fries; for Paul, it was the homemade pizza. The foods are all the products of local farms, too! A bluegrass trio provided entertainment.
Plan a trip to the Monticello area to sample Michael Shaps’ wines, and then enjoy wine and lunch at Pippin Hill. Be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
King Family
On our recent trip to Charlottesville we stopped at another one of our favorite wineries, King Family Vineyards. We have been familiar with Matthieu Finot’s wines for a few years now and absolutely love them. Whenever we visit, we enjoy all the wines on the tasting menu.
We are not the only ones who enjoy Matthieu’s wines. When we entered the tasting room it was packed with tasters. Every spot at the multiple tasting bars was filled. We waited our turn and then found a spot at one of the tasting bars.
It was very difficult to find a favorite white wine. Warren enjoyed the 2012 Roseland with fuller feel, pear notes and partial malolactic fermentation. I enjoyed the 2011 Viognier. It was crisp and clean, with a wonderful floral nose and notes of melon and peach. We also both enjoyed the 2012 Crose which was full of strawberry, melon, and citrus notes. Of course we thought of concerts on the lawn at Wolf Trap while tasting this one.
Once again it was tough to pick a favorite red. We enjoyed both the 2011 Cabernet Franc and the 2011 Merlot. We were lucky enough to get a taste of the 2010 Petit Verdot. This one became our favorite. We really enjoyed the black cherry, plum, berry notes and picked up on some tobacco. This is a big red that could easily age on your wine rack.
After our tasting we enjoyed some cheese and baguette with a glass of the 2011 Viognier. We then purchased some of our favorites before leaving. If you haven’t been to King Family lately, it’s probably time to plan a trip. And when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Pollak Vineyards
On our recent three day weekend trip to Charlottesville we stopped at one of our favorites, Pollak Vineyards. We were there last September but always enjoy our time at Pollak so we stopped by again. Plus, it’s always good opportunity to pick up some much needed white wines. For some reason, my white wine rack always needs some restocking.
We always get a warm family feeling when we enter the tasting room and see so many familiar faces. Selecting our favorites from the tasting menu is always difficult because we enjoy all the Pollak wines. This time around though we were able to pick a few. Of the whites we really enjoyed the 2011 Viognier. Warren really enjoyed this one last time but I thought it had changed somewhat in the bottle and I really enjoyed it this time as well. We both noted the peach, apricot, and honeysuckle notes. Even though this was my favorite white of the day, I did end up leaving with a half case of the white wines. You can never have too many choices when looking for a white wine to serve.
Not surprisingly, some 2012 wines are beginning to appear and Pollak just recently released their 2012 Rose. While we aren’t necessarily looking for Rose at this time of the year, we certainly thought about summer concerts while sipping this Rose. We noted strawberry and spice with a smooth mouth feel. It was created with Cabernet Franc. Nice job, Benoit!
As you may be aware, Pollak won a gold medal in the Governor’s Cup for their 2009 Cabernet Franc Reserve. We were interested to taste the 2010 Cabernet Franc to see how it was developing. We really enjoyed this one back in September. The 2010 Cabernet Franc was again our favorite red. The blackberry, raspberry, and dark chocolate notes danced around on our palates with delight. This one may be our favorite for some time to come.
Even though the 2010 Petit Verdot isn’t normally on the tasting menu, they had a bottle open and offered us a taste. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We noted plum, blackberry, and dust. It’s a bit hot and a bit tannic right now but in time this is going to be a perfect wine. As we often do, we thought of food while tasting this one.
With our tasting complete, our conversations ended, we enjoyed a glass of the 2010 Cabernet Franc with a baguette while enjoying the fire in the tasting room. Before leaving we purchased more than half a case of wine to add to our wine racks. If you haven’t been to Pollak Vineyards recently, it’s time to plan a trip soon. And be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!