This past week, Paul and I ventured west to the Shenandoah Valley AVA to visit wineries. Cave Ridge Vineyard was first on our list of wineries to visit; we sampled the wines at Cave Ridge Vineyard when owner and winemaker Randy Phillips first opened the winery in 2007. At that time, we were very impressed with the lineup of wines, and we were eager to see how things had progressed since that initial visit.
Since our 2007 trip to Cave Ridge Vineyard, a tasting room with a patio has been added. The shaded front patio includes a lovely fountain, and tasters can enjoy a glass of wine while admiring the mountain landscape. A walk through the patio brought us into the tasting room where we availed ourselves to a tasting of current releases. We were pleased with the Viogniers during our 2007 visits, and the current 2009 vintages are likewise quite solid. The crisp Viognier 2009 was done in stainless steel and presented melon and pear flavors; food friendly, it could also be enjoyed on its own. We both preferred the Viognier Barrel Aged 2009. Aged for eight months in French oak barrels, this one offered more floral aromas with tropical fruit characteristics, and a fuller mouth feel. I also detected a bit of vanilla at the end. Any creamy dish like risotto should pair nicely, but I’d also enjoy a glass with a nice brie and fresh fruit.
The red wines were also well crafted. With grilling season still in high gear, burgers and other grilled fare should match up well with the lighter-bodied 2008 Chambourcin and its berry and tobacco aromas. Our ultimate favorite, though, was the Fossil Hill Reserve 2008. Fossil Hill is not only the home to the vines that produced this more complex pour, but it is also the gravesite for ammonite fossils that are millions of years old. (How is that for some history!) Anyway, the more complex Fossil Hill Reserve 2008 blends Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Chambourcin to present elements of dark cherry, plum, spice and mocha. Paul described the tannins as smooth, and I concurred. This one could age on the rack for a bit, but it is certainly ready for immediate enjoyment with a nice steak dinner. Randy Phillips offered us a sneak peak of the upcoming Fossil Hill 2009, and earthy aromas prevailed with this one complemented by brambleberry flavors in the mouth. It will be released in October 2011 and in time to celebrate Virginia Wine Month.
We chatted with Randy for a bit as we sipped at the tasting counter. His case production is currently at 2600 cases, and he will soon add a Cabernet Sauvignon to the tasting menu. Also, Cave Ridge wines can be tasted and enjoyed at Wine on the Water, a wine bar in Harrisonburg, Virginia. When I asked Randy about the 2011 growing season, his assessment was similar to other winemakers in the state—early! In fact, the Chambourcin was already in veraison. This then led to my next question—did the Shenandoah region have any particular challenges in regard to growing grapes? Randy Phillips replied, “Shenandoah is the future of the Virginia wine industry. Our limestone soils and elevations are most similar to Bordeaux and we have low rainfalls.” It seems to us that Randy Phillips has exploited these advantages to produce some solid wines.
With our tastings done, we shared a glass of the Viognier Barrel Aged 2009 while relaxing on the patio. With the splashing sounds of the fountain and butterflies aflutter, it was hard for us to imagine a better way to spend the afternoon. However, all good things must end, and we made sure to purchase our favorites before we left the winery. Plan to visit Cave Ridge Vineyard, and be certain to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Category: Wines
Wine and Photography at Catoctin Creek
We continue to gradually add more wineries to our “visits” list, and Catoctin Creek Winery brings our total to 128. As readers may know, we attended the WBC 11 conference that was recently held in Charlottesville, and we met Jim Hanna, owner and winemaker at Catoctin Creek Winery, at the conference. To be more exact, we met Jim at the Monticello tasting event that was held at the historic Monticello residence. Jim was one of the winemakers who participated in the tasting, and we determined to pay Jim a visit at his tasting room to find out more about both the owner/winemaker and the wines.
On a scorching hot day, we met Jim Hanna at his home in Loudoun County to chat with him and to sample his wines. His vineyard and tasting room are all located on his personal property, and the tasting room is located in the basement of his home. Jim started a vineyard four years ago with a small planting of Viognier. However, Jim quickly realized that just managing a vineyard was itself a full-time, challenging job. Having just retired from a career with the World Bank, Hanna wanted to pursue other passions that included winemaking and photography. With these goals in mind, he opted to buy fruit from established vineyards so that he could pay full attention to the skill of winemaking. Therefore, all grapes that are used by Catoctin Creek Winery are grown at either Breaux Vineyards or Fabbioli Cellars, and Jim Hanna plays an active role to monitor the progress of grapes as they evolve in the vineyards. And who are Hanna’s teachers in the school of winemaking? Professors Dave Collins, former winemaker at Breaux Vineyards and now at Big Cork Vineyards, and Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars consult with Jim Hanna to produce quality wines that bear the label, Catoctin Creek Winery.
Jim Hanna began marketing his own wines in the spring of this year, and they are tasted in the basement of his home. A basement, you might ask? Words like moldy, dank, and dark might come to mind; however, Jim converted this space into an environmentally controlled facility that is actually quite comfortable. Given his small production level, now at 200 cases, it actually serves his needs quite well. A small room to the right of the tasting bar serves as a barrel room, and the twelve French oak barrels house wines from the 2008 through the 2010 vintages. Converting this space into a small tasting/barrel storage facility allows Hanna to keep overhead costs at a minimum; therefore, he can devote time and resources to his main focus—the production of quality wines.
So what about the wines? Four wines were available for tasting, and these included a 2010 Vidal Blanc, 2009 Cabernet Franc, 2009 Syrah and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2010 Vidal Blanc was our immediate favorite, and it presented tropical fruit characteristics with a refreshing minerality. Done in stainless steel, it is also bone dry and therefore quite versatile; serve on its own or with foods that might pair with a dry Riesling. We also enjoyed this one at the Monticello tasting event as did a blogger from California who ordered a case to be shipped out to his home! Of the red wines, we both preferred the 2009 Cabernet Franc with its notes of plum, dark cherry, and black pepper. Soft tannins made for an accessible, elegant pour.
Future changes at Catoctin Creek involve the other two red wines—the very peppery 2009 Syrah and the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. True to his commitment to crafting quality wines, Hanna will change the future lineup of wines and phase out the Syrah with a Malbec. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, which earned a medal for Hanna, will give way to a Bordeaux (or Meritage) blend.
As we swirled, sniffed and sipped, Jim continued to present his philosophy on winemaking. Among his many skills, Jim is also an expert photographer who sees winemaking as an artistic craft that is constantly being perfected; as the photographer captures a perspective in the camera, so too does the winemaker with grapes. The winemaker’s point of view is captured in the bottle much like the photographer’s is preserved in digital format. Therefore, Jim will continue to produce small quantities of wine that reflect his own winemaking philosophy in much the same way that pictures present his artistic philosophy. Sounds too serious? Actually, for Jim Hanna, this is all about “keeping it fun”. After we sampled his wines and viewed his photographs, we can conclude that Jim Hanna is having a blast. Light-hearted and with a sense of purpose Jim Hanna and Catoctin Creek Winery are well positioned to experience further success.
While Paul and Jim continued to chat about photography, I enjoyed another sample of the Cabernet Franc (and wondered what I did with that Kodak Insta-matic from 1975 as I was certain that it needed more flash cubes!) We will continue to follow the developments at Catoctin Creek Winery, but readers should be certain to sample Jim Hanna’s current releases. Just remember to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Dinner at The Inn at Meander Plantation
After the wine bloggers conference we decided to spend a few days at The Inn at Meander Plantation. You might remember we spent several days at the inn last year. The inn is not too far from Charlottesville, located in Madison County. This time we thought we’d relax after the conference and maybe go to a few local wineries during our stay. Owners Suzanne Thomas and Suzie Blanchard always remember us and make sure our stay is relaxing and enjoyable. It was great to see them and catch up with them. They invited us to join them for dinner on Monday evening.
The meals at Meander plantation are always elaborate and delicious. Even breakfast has three courses! The dinners are always special because each course is paired with a specific Virginia wine. Check out the menu for Monday night’s dinner:
Each course was a work of art. I took photos of each course. You can see what Warren selected for each course.
First Course
Second Course
Intermezzo-Blood Orange Sorbet (I ate it before taking a picture)
Entree
Dessert
The dinner was delicious! Thank you Suzanne and Suzie! We always enjoy our time at The Inn at Meander Plantation. It’s a very quiet, relaxing place to stay. We are already thinking of booking a weekend in the fall to enjoy the fall colors. If you plan a trip to The Inn at Meander Plantation, be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Heat Wave!
No, not the Motown hit by the Vandellas—the 100 degree weather that has us all wilting. These hot and humid days require wines that cool and refresh, and we found some wines at Barboursville that may just accomplish the task.
Warren’s summer picks:
Sauvignon Blanc 2010: crisp and citrusy with grassy notes
Viognier Reserve 2009: elegant with floral notes and fuller mouth feel
Phileo: Moscato and Gewürztraminer blend that should pair well with peach cobbler
Paul’s summer picks:
Chardonnay 2010: for stainless steel lovers like myself. Crisp and clean; serve well chilled.
Rose 2009: Strawberry Hills forever! Versatile for this time of year.
Be on the lookout for future releases of Petit Verdot and Vermentino. Bill, our tasting associate told us that Luca created a 2008 Petit Verdot that will probably only be seen at the restaurant, Palladio. Luca also made a 2009 Petit Verdot that should be released later this year. In the meantime, visit Virginia wineries to find your own summer favorites. Be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.
Wine Blogger Conference Impressions Part II
So I’ll conclude my wrap up of the WBD 11 conference here with this shorter post that will focus on break-out sessions, presentations and the awards dinner.
Break Out Sessions:
A number of break out sessions were available for bloggers to attend. We attended the sessions on millenials and wine, drinking local, and the future of blogging. Of these, I found the drinking local conference most interesting and useful for our purposes. The session was moderated by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, and panelists included Lenn Thompson of New York Cork Report, Remy Charest, blogger at The Wine Case in Canada, and Washington Post critic Dave McIntyre. McIntyre defined drink local as “a story that is just beginning.” If this is the case, then bloggers do play a critical role in the whole drink local movement. When we began our own blog six years ago, we were one of a handful of blogs writing about Virginia wine. We opted for a drink local focus because, although we both enjoyed wines from around the world, Virginia wines seemed less likely to be featured in the wine media, traditional or online. As the other 46 states continue to develop their own wine industries, bloggers will continue to play a key role in the process. After all, there is little to indicate that the established industry resources will regularly feature non-traditional wine regions. Other topics included the issue of price and local wines with McIntyre noting that if a local wine earns the same accolades as a wine from France or California, then the matter of price should be a non-issue.
The session on millennials and wine was probably the session that least held my attention. A basic summary of this session seemed to be that millennials like to be engaged and entertained and are more likely tune out information they deem to be boring or useless. No tasting notes or references to terroir for them. And f-bombs are okay with them. I’m not so sure that I bought any of this, but then again I’m closer to 50 years of age than 25. I was once 20-something with a short attention span, so I understood the gist of what I heard. However, I did come away with a conclusion that the millennials are unencumbered by elitist attitudes toward wine and thus more likely that boomers to try wines from other regions. I do think that it is a more open-minded generation. And I don’t think dropping f-bombs is necessary to grab their attention.
Paul attended the future of blogging session on Sunday morning. I was able to sneak in a bit later after grabbing some breakfast. This session was blogger led and supposed to be about the Present and Future of wine blogging. The first part was a discussion about how Twitter is used and the roll of Facebook in wine blogging. There was technical talk but the discussion really revolved around basically three bloggers discussing how the wine blogging community could come together and help change things in the wine world..like the use of certain enclosures. Before we knew it, the session was over. If it had continued, I’m sure we would have gotten to some more substantive topics. I actually think the conference should have more sessions like this one…more time for bloggers to talk about what is relevant to us. Either way, it was a good time to hear other bloggers talking about what they are so passionate about.
Presentations:
The Ignite presentations were given by bloggers, and these ranged from infomercial to entertaining to controversial. My favorite was given by ECoastWines.com who gave an excellent comparison of east coast wine regions to those on the American west coast and Bordeaux. The most controversial presentation was one that attempted to debunk the cork shortage issue and asserted that plastic or screw cap enclosures are actually rather harmful to both wine and drinker. From our own experiences with enclosures, we still prefer cork but do not mind the screw caps. The plastic enclosure? Not so much. If we have to dump a bad bottle of wine, it is usually one that had been sealed with a plastic cork.
Awards Dinner:
This event accomplished two things: 1) it showcased Virginia and its history as a wine producing region, and 2) it recognized bloggers for jobs well-done. Part of the showcasing included featuring locally grown food with locally produced wines, and I do have to admit that a couple of the food and wine pairings were a bit curious. For example, the corn chowder with Virginia rieslings were not as successful as the duck pate paired with the Horton Sparkling Viognier. I’m not sure how Virginia rieslings even made the menu, but I will acknowledge that the Lovingston Petit Manseng was the bright star in the lineup. The dessert pairings which featured local cheeses partnered with the Gray Ghost Adieu and the Rockbridge V d’or were quite solid.
Before the dinner, bloggers were awarded for excellent work. Nominees included Virginia’s own Swirl Sip Snark! Winners included the New York Cork Report, Fermentation, Enobytes, and Vinography. Congratulations to these outstanding writers.
Al and Cheryl Kellert from Gray Ghost Vineyards
Jen Breaux Blosser and Chris Blosser from Breaux Vineyards
Conclusion:
All in all, this was a positive experience for us. This was our first blogger’s conference, and we came away with renewed energy to continue to support local wine. We met lots of bloggers from all over, and we learned that their experiences were likewise quite positive. The heat? Not much to do about it except deal with it. Conferences? We heard some complaints about lack of content at this event, and that might be worth revisiting for next year’s organizers. For example, with this year’s advice given by keynoters Jancis Robinson and Eric Asimov still fresh in our minds, a writers’ workshop might be useful. Wines? Overall, the feedback by those who actually tasted lots of Virginia wine was positive; this has been acknowledged by Virginia winemakers with whom we chatted during and after the conference. Were all of the wines excellent? No, but that has to be expected regardless of wherever the conferences are held. We concur with Frank Morgan at Drink What You Like who commented on one blog’s rather negative post—for those who left their hotel rooms and actually participated in the events with an open mind, there was much to learn and experience. Would we consider attending another blogger’s conference? Absolutely! And to close, another thank you to Annette, Amy and Mary Catherine of the Virginia Wine Board for a job well done!
The Virginia Wine Blogger Clique
Impressions On the Wine Bloggers Conference 2011
Paul and I attended the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference held in Charlottesville. Wine bloggers, winemakers, and other industry people from around the world came to the conference to talk wine, pour wine, and appreciate wine. Along the way, bloggers got the opportunity to hear words of advice from industry experts as well as from each other. I will post a summary of the conference and my impressions of it in a two part post. Today’s post will feature keynote addresses and important events that allowed bloggers to interact with each other, with winemakers, and of course, wine
Keynotes
If there was an official start of the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference, it was delivered on Friday by keynote speaker and wine industry legend, Jancis Robinson. After an amusing recap of her storied three-decades long career in the wine writing business, Robinson offered advice to bloggers: 1) be more investigative; 2) be more creative; 3) fine tune the writing and use the Economist magazine as a stylistic model; 4) date what you write; 5) be accurate; 6) be authentic, and 7) try to write for a more international community. Some of these tips seemed to concur with Saturday’s keynote address given by New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov who likewise encouraged bloggers to be more investigative and creative. In fact, Asimov advised bloggers to eschew posts that present tasting notes other than to describe wines as either sweet or savory. Like Robinson, Asimov offered accuracy and authenticity as critical assets to quality blogging.
We certainly internalized and reflected upon these critical pieces of advise from these renowned voices in the wine writing field. It certainly is very easy to become too comfortable with a known formula for topics and blog posts especially with the hectic realities of day to day living (like jobs, for example)! However, Paul and I used the days after the conference to brainstorm a list of topics that are outside of our usual focus on winery visits. We may even plan to revive our Extra Pour feature that presented lengthier articles and required more investigation and research. However, I’m not sure about abandoning tasting notes in our posts. For us these notes present our sensory experience with wines and how they matched with food. Why? When I read reviews of wines, either on blogs or traditional media, I like to read the tasting notes. How do these palates compare to mine? If the review features a wine that I’ve already tasted, did I get similar characteristics? Were my own taste buds off? What are other nuances that I should be able to detect? In other words, I consider the tasting notes part of the educational experience both for my readers and myself.
Interactions
Wine Tastings: In my opinion, these offered the best opportunities for bloggers to interact with each other, wine makers and other industry people about the one subject we all enjoy—wine.
1) Speed Tastings: Two of these were conducted, and the first one was held on Friday evening before we all went out to Monticello for a tasting of Virginia wines. The Friday session featured white wines from around the world including Virginia, and the second session was held on Saturday before the awards dinner. The second session presented red wines. The pace of these was certainly rapid with five minutes given for each winery to present its wine to tasters who than frantically tweeted their impressions. Despite the pace, we were able to compare notes with other bloggers. I don’t remember how many wines were tasted, but the whole thing lasted for almost an hour. Needless to say, I did lots of spitting. I do recall enjoying a bubbly from Gloria Ferrer and a Pinot Noir from King Estate in Oregon. I allowed myself to swallow a sip of those before reluctantly hitting the dump bucket.
2) Monticello Dinner and Tasting: Mother Nature intruded on this Friday evening event and delivered a 100+ degree scorcher. Heat and humidity was definitely an issue both for tasters and winemakers who had to present their wines in less than optimal conditions. At least 30 Virginia winemakers were on hand to pour one white wine and one red wine for guests. Tasters seemed to be in the mood to try white wines, and in conversations with other bloggers who had never tried Virginia wines, Virginia Viogniers seemed to excel. One blogger noted the aromatic nature of Virginia white wines; another applauded the array of Viognier styles with each seeming to be well-crafted. We made the round of white wines first then enjoyed small portions of food that included cheese grits with shrimp, fried green tomatoes, and crab cakes. The heat did make some sippers leery of trying red wines, but those who did commented on the solid Bordeaux-style wines; however, the most buzz was generated around the Pinot Noir from Ankida Ridge. In fact, wine experts Richard Leahy and Dave McIntyre both gave me a thumbs up when I asked their opinions about it. One blogger from Oregon did also mention this one as a favorite of the Virginia reds. How did they all respond to the heat? I’m from New Orleans, so I felt like a fish in water (literally), and I’m able to roll with this kind of weather. I did ask one blogger from British Columbia how she fared in weather that had to be foreign to her, and she replied, “I just dealt with it. I’m here to experience local wines and talk to other wine bloggers about wine. I’m not sitting in the hotel room because it’s hot.”
3) The Other 46 tasting: I was surprised that more wineries from other states did not participate in this, and I was even more surprised that most bloggers did not attend. With an increasing focus on drinking beyond West Coast and Western Europe, I expected this session to be heavily attended. To be honest, this was conducted after the Monticello event, so some bloggers may have been heat fatigued. However, the heat did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm for private parties that occurred at the same time. For me, this was a chance to try wines from Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Maryland. Several of us left with bottles of Missouri bubbly, Missouri Norton, and a very nice Missouri Vignole. I was also surprised by a Texas Tempranillo and a dry Riesling from Ohio. At the end of the session, a table of us Virginia bloggers were joined by a winemaker from Canada, a blogger from Vermont, a representative of Boordy Winery in Maryland, and Jen Breaux Blosser from Breaux Vineyards to chat about wine and the different varieties and styles offered by the various states.
4) Winery Visits: This was held on Saturday afternoon, and bloggers boarded different busses each destined for at least two Virginia wineries in the Charlottesville area. Our particular bus (bus 4 rocked with DrinkWhatYouLike, Swirl Sip Snark, Cellar Blog, and Breaux Vineyards) headed for newly opened Pippin Hill Farm and Veritas Vineyard and Winery. We were particularly impressed with Pippin Hill, and its gorgeous setting prompted more than one blogger to snap as many pictures as possible. Wines included a Chardonnay, a Viognier, a Rose and a Blended Red. I’ll spare the details about the wines for a future post, but I will say that the wines were all well received as I spotted bloggers leaving with bottles. What may have helped to sell the wines were food pairings offered with each wine sample. Winery chef Amalia Scattena prepared a plate of seared scallops, chicken salad wrapped in grape leaves, and a muffin topped with frosting and a drizzle of chambourcin. I would have stayed longer just for more of the scallops and Chardonnay! From Pippin Hill we then boarded the bus and headed to Veritas Vineyard and Winery where we were directed to the tank room. It was deliciously cold down there too! Here winemaker Emily Pelton and her father, Stephen, gave us a vertical of Veritas Cabernet Franc starting back to the 2002 vintage and Petit Verdot. This session ended with a sneak sample of the upcoming Petit Manseng. We were then offered lunch in the upstairs dining room with a complete tasting of current releases provided in a private tasting room. Comments from the group? The white wines seemed to earn the most accolades with one blogger from New York suggesting that Virginia had given her a new appreciation for Chardonnay (lest we all think that Virginia only makes Viognier, of course). Petit Verdot seemed to trump Cabernet Franc, too.
So what to conclude from these interactions? In regard to Virginia wine, the feedback that we received was largely favorable. Another blogger from Ohio summed up her perceptions in this way,”Virginia wines are clean and well made. I didn’t like everything that I tasted, but I liked a lot of what I tasted.” Fair enough. We also heard admiring comments about the extensive support offered by the state government and the well-organized efforts to promote Virginia wines. Dedication of winemakers was also noted; if anything, the weekend’s hot weather gave many bloggers an appreciation for the area’s challenges in making quality wines.
In regard to other bloggers, I was impressed with the number of folks who made an effort to participate in every program offered at the event. They were not daunted by the heat or the sometimes hectic pacing. I was also impressed with their open-mindedness toward Virginia wines; I must admit that I was a bit nervous as to how west coast palates would receive Virginia wines. However, a San Diego blogger extolled the virtues of Virginia reds, especially the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Keswick Vineyards. It was unfortunate, then, that a handful of bloggers who opted not to participate in these events complained about the lack of interaction between bloggers and winemakers, squawked about the heat as though anyone could do anything about it, and snubbed Virginia wines. These complaints were usually tweeted from the comforts of their hotel room or the hotel lobby.
For brevity’s sake, I will end this post here but conclude my impressions in another post. Before I sign off, though, Paul and I cannot thank the Virginia Wine Board, headed by Annette Boyd, enough for planning this conference. They did an amazing job pulling all of this together. Until next time, happy sipping from Virginia Wine Time.
Evening Sippers
The evening before we left for the Wine Bloggers Conference we took advantage of Wine Wednesday. Our sipper for the evening was the 2009 Pinot Grigio from Gadino Cellars and our dinner wine was the 2009 Rose from Linden Vineyards. They were both lovely and went with our nibbles and meal very well.
We had the 2009 Gadino Cellars Pinot Grigio with cheese and crackers. First off we noticed the light straw color and the aromatic nose of twists of lemon, subtle peach, and minerality. On the tongue we noticed the refreshing minerality and nice acidity. We noted lemon and the crisp feel and finish. It accompanied our cheese and crackers rather well on a very warm afternoon.
Our dinner wine was the 2009 Rose from Linden Vineyards. As we’ve noted before, you can’t go wrong with anything from Linden. This rose had a pale pink color and a strawberry, grapefruit, and melon nose. On the tongue we noted strawberry, melon, citrus zest, and refreshing acidity. We wanted a lighter wine for our chicken and pasta and this one filled the bill perfectly. Of course this means I have one less bottle of Linden Rose on my rack!
If you visit Gadino Cellars or Linden Vineyards anytime soon, mention you read about their wines on Virginia Wine Time!
Day One
Here are some photos from our first day at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville. We tasted a lot of wine and met some great people so far. The conference gets in full swing today with keynotes and wine tastings.
We started with the international wine tasting. We tasted wines from France, Spain, South Africa, and others.
After the international tasting we headed over to Sips on the pedestrian mall near the hotel to meet Virginia winemakers. We chatted with Kirsty Harmon from Blenheim, Steven Barnard from Keswick Vineyards and Fritz Repich from Mountfair Vineyards.
We finished the evening by tasting some wines from Jordan Winery in California. We really had an event filled day on day one of the Wine Bloggers Conference.
Wine Bloggers Conference
Today we are heading to Charlottesville for the Wine Bloggers Conference. We will be tasting a lot of wine, meeting lots of people, hearing speeches, and having a great time. Tonight alone we have three different tastings to attend. We’re not sure we’ll get to them all but they all sound fun and educational. We will be posting during the entire conference so check back often for updates to find out what we’re doing. Also, make sure you are following us on Twitter because we’ll be updating our Twitter feed all the time during the next four days.
If you are a blogger, winemaker, or pouring wine at any of the events over the next four days, be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to us! We’re looking forward to meeting lots of new people and tasting lots of wine!
Dry Mill Sippers
Continuing our quest for summer sippers we recently stopped at Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery. Dry Mill has a full list of wines on the tasting menu but we concentrated on those we thought would make nice summer sippers. After tasting all the wines we focused on three wines.
First up wass the 2009 Steel Chardonnay. On the nose we noted pear and apple. In the mouth we picked up citrus, grapefruit, apple and pear. This one would make a nice sipper for a warm afternoon or a pre-dinner sipper.
The second wine we selected was the 2009 Viognier. This one gets our gold star for the day. It’s aged in French oak barrels. We noted a floral nose and tropical flavors on the tongue with a hint of honey and a round mouth feel. We think this one would compliment seafood dishes. And since viognier is now the state grape, consider adding this one to your collection.
Most of our summer sippers have been white wines. However, our final sipper here is the 2008 Chambourcin. We selected this one because its lighter bodied and would go really well with summer barbecues. We noted cherry on the nose with tart cherry, herb, and spice on the tongue. This one would be perfect for hot dogs and hamburgers.
After our tasting we decided to enjoy a bottle of the 2009 Viognier. We brought some sandwiches to enjoy with our wine. The wine paired beautifully with our lunch items. Our search for more summer sippers will continue the rest of summer, but in the mean time be sure to check out these wines at Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery. And if you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!