Category: Winery

Visiting Cana and Old Farm Winery

/ Paul / 1 Comment

Shortly after the Governor’s Cup winner was announced we headed over to Cana Vineyards and Winery with some friends to taste the winning wine and the current line up of wines.

We decided to start with tasting flights of some of their wines. Jill and I selected the white wine flight which consisted of three of their current whites. We both agreed the 2021 Rhapsody in White was our favorite. We thought it was a perfect white for warm afternoons with light fair. The tropical notes were particularly delightful. I also liked the 2020 Chardonnay. I noted lemon curd, apple notes and a creamy ending. I thought it would pair nicely with some fish dishes or even oysters.

Warren and Michael picked a flight that consisted of one white wine and two reds. They both liked the zesty nature of the 2020 Albariño. Michael really enjoyed the 2019 Petit Verdot. He tends to like bigger reds and noted the cherry and chocolate notes of this one. The tasting room manager, Don treated us to a few more tastes. We tasted the 2021 Rose of Cab Franc. We enjoyed the strawberry notes. We also appreciated the dry, crisp and refreshing nature of this one. Our next taste was the 2019 Melbac. It had a nice dark color, a fresh fruity palate. Don told us it was blended with some petit verdot. Our final taste was the 2019 Le Mariage which was selected for the Governor’s Case and won a gold medal. This one is a Bordeaux blend with cabernet sauvignon making up 43% of the blend. This was the most complex red we had tasted at this point in our tasting. We noted plum, black cherry, a hint of spice and ended with some soft tannins. We saw why it was selected for a gold medal and a member of the Governor’s Case.

After our tasting we decided to splurge and share a bottle of the Governor’s Cup winning 2019 Unité Reserve with our lunch items. The 2019 Unité Reserve is a blend of 65% Petit Verdot, 29% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot. Dark fruit notes were present with vanilla and oak notes and moderate tannins. It paired nicely with our roast beef slices and hard cheeses. Warren thought it would pair nicely with his famous leg of lamb. What a nice bottle of wine! We added this one to our list of wines to bring home.

Since we were in Loudoun County we decided to visit a new winery after our time at Cana. We selected the Old Farm Winery at Hartland.

From their website:

Open since November 6th, 2021, Old Farm Winery at Hartland lies on 35 acres of preserved 18th century farmland and newly-planted vineyards in Aldie, Virginia, with a charming renovated 19th century farmhouse and barn, outdoor bar, and expansive outdoor seating area. We bring an authentic working farm winery experience just one hour away from the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC. Old Farm Winery at Hartland is located in the heart of historic “hunt country” of Loudoun County and is rich with colonial and Loudoun’s famous fox hunting history.

Old Farm Winery is the sister winery to the Winery at Bull Run.

Our tasting associate, Bill Ellis expertly walked us through the six wines on the tasting menu. The 2020 Rosé was our favorite of the whites side of the tasting sheet. We noted lots of berry notes and Warren picked up some mint as well. He also thought it would pair well with lamb chops. Bill also let us taste the 2021 Tally-Ho – a white blend with stone fruit notes, white pepper and ginger.

We then moved on to the reds. The 2020 Meritage is a Bordeaux blend finished in American oak barrels. We noted smoke, red fruit notes, plum, spice and medium tannins. I put a star next to this one. Bill also let us taste the 2018 Meritage – another Bordeaux blend with seed berry notes and bigger tannins. While it was very nice, we did prefer the 2020. We also enjoyed the 2020 Petit Verdot. It’s one of my favorite grapes. We noted some nice fruit up front, tart cherry and savory notes at the end. Warren wrote down sage. Another really nice red.

After our tasting we shared a bottle of the 2020 Meritage with some hard cheeses and crackers. It was nice to get to add another winery to our list of wineries visited. This is number 198. Before leaving we picked up a few bottles of our favorites and thanks Bill for a wonderful tasting experience. If you are looking for a new winery to visit, think about Old Farm Winery at Hartland. Of course plan to visit Cana and pick up a bottle of the Governor’s Cup winner while supplies last. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Celebrating Spring With Virginia Wines!

/ Warren / 1 Comment

Winter is slowly losing its seasonal grip as spring flowers begin to bloom in the area. We recently treated ourselves to a long weekend visiting Virginia wineries while taking in the beauty of spring flora!

Our scenic trek through Virginia landscapes allowed us to take in lovely cherry trees, blooming Bradford pears (not my favorite but they do herald spring in their own way), and dazzling bulbs that included daffodils. We brought along sliced deli meats and cheeses to enjoy a tasting and lunch at Gray Ghost Vineyards, a favorite winery of ours. The newly released 2021 Riesling announced spring in all its glory—aromas of white blossoms were followed by stone fruit flavors on the palate suggested a perfect pairing with ham or shellfish. We opted to enjoy lunch with my favorite 2018 Reserve Chardonnay with its pear notes and fuller mouth feel. A warm breeze and fluttering birds joined us for wine and snacks.

Quievremont Vineyard and Winery was next on our tasting agenda, and we were glad that we included this winery on our weekend trip. It had been quite a while since our last tasting at Quievremont Vineyard and Winery, and winemaker Karl Selzer treated us to a wonderful tasting experience. The 2019 Q Table Red reminded us that we needed a lighter-bodied red wine on the rack that can be enjoyed either on its own or with simple fare. This blend included Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but light aging in neutral oak barrels made for a fruity quaffer. The 2019 Vin de Maison was more complex, and this blend included Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Aged for a year in both American and French oak barrels, this one exhibited notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and plums. Oakier nuances suggested a pairing with a beef dish sided with roasted veggies. Watch out for a release of a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon; although quite young, it presented blackberry and cherry notes along with a whiff of licorice. Aged in 100% French oak barrels, we look forward to tasting this one again once it is released. Our outdoor tasting allowed us to take in mountain views decorated with trees waiting to burst with a splash of fresh green leaves as temperatures warm.

We always look forward to dinner at Claires at the Depot whenever we stay in Warrenton, and we nursed a glass of the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay from Gray Ghost Vineyards while gazing upon a sunset layered with tones of pink, periwinkle and cobalt.

Our final winery tasting included a self-guided flight at Pearmund Cellars. My favorite is always the Old Vines Chardonnay, and the 2017 vintage did not disappoint me. I enjoyed the lush aromas of grilled pineapple and pear, and its rich palate finished with a generous kiss of oak. Our outdoor tasting proved to be a chillier experience since the sun decided to take a nap that day; however, a sturdier breeze toyed with wind chimes to provide music for our tasting experience.

We encourage readers to plan their own spring outing to these and other Virginia wineries. Of course, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Congratulations to Melanie Natoli!

/ Warren and Paul / Leave a comment

The winner of the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup is the 2019 Unité Reserve from Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg. Melanie Natoli is the talented winemaker who crafted this excellent red blend. Readers may know that we have been following Melanie’s progress as a winemaker in Loudoun County, and you can read our interview with Melanie here (at the bottom) to learn more about her.

Kudos to the Virginia wineries that made it into the Governor’s case. The 12 bottles that made up the case are:

50 West Vineyards 2019 Ashby Gap
Barboursville Vineyards 2020 Vermentino Reserve
Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg 2019 LeMariage
Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg 2019 Unité Reserve
Maggie Malick Wine Caves 2020 Albariño
Michael Shaps Wineworks 2019 Chardonnay
Pollak Vineyards 2017 Meritage
Rockbridge Vineyard 2018 V d’Or
Shenandoah Vineyards 2019 Reserve Red
Stinson Vineyards 2017 Meritage
Trump Winery 2015 Brut Reserve
Wisdom Oak Winery 2019 NINETEEN

We will make it a goal to taste as many of the excellent wines that medalled in this year’s competition, especially as we continue to open up after a two year uncertainty due to the covid epidemic. Let’s all compare tasting notes! Join us as we embark on a task to sample these wonderful wines, and please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Magnolia Vineyards

/ admin / 1 Comment

Happy New Year! This post is long overdue. Warren’s parents visited us for Thanksgiving back in November. While they were here we took them to visit a few wineries. One of the wineries was Magnolia Vineyards. It had been awhile since we visited so it was time to see what was new.

The last time we visited Magnolia they were tasting wines in the basement tasting room and had begun construction of their new tasting room. This visit the new tasting room was complete and had been open for sometime.

We found a table and opted for the self-guided tasting. You get to taste 6 wines paired with cheeses and chocolates. The Vidal Blanc was paired with Black Pepper BellaVitano cheese, the Viognier was paired with raspberry parmesan cheese, the Battle Mountain Blush was paired with a sea salt caramel, the Cabernet Franc was paired with Manchego cheese, the Hawkins Run Red was paired with Rosemary Asiago cheese and the Pazzo (blackberry and cabernet franc blend) was paired with a raspberry dark chocolate. All of the wines were nicely paired! Mom enjoyed a nice hot chocolate on the chilly day.

Owners Glenn and Tina Marchione recognized us when we came in. We chatted with them for a bit and they offered a few extra tastes. Two reds stood out for us. We enjoyed the 2019 Cabernet Franc and noted cherry notes, black pepper and some moderate tannins. We also enjoyed 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and noted blackberry, cherry, pepper notes, accessible tannins and thought it would stand up to a big meal.

Before leaving we picked up half a case of wine. It was a nice return visit and Glenn and Tina made our visit enjoyable. Thank you! We’ll have to return sooner than later next time. If you haven’t been to Magnolia Vineyards lately, plan a trip and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!