This is the first Virginia Wine Time Podcast. Listen in as we chat with Stephen and Shannon Mackey of Notaviva Vineyards. Click on the podcast icon to listen to the show.
This weekend we visited three wineries and one vineyard in the beginning stages of becoming a winery. We are currently collecting stickers for both the Passport to Virginia Wineries 2006 and The Loudoun Wine Trail. The more wineries we visit, the more stickers we collect. Last year we visited 42 wineries in the state.
On Saturday we had the privilege of meeting and talking to Stephen and Shannon Mackey of Notaviva Vineyards. Notaviva is a brand new winery in western Loudoun County. They have big plans for the future and are passionate about making it happen. They hope to break ground on their tasting room in April and possibly open to the public sometime in 2007. They have a few acres of Viognier and Cabernet Franc planted and hope to plant some Petit Verdot soon. Stephen and Shannon are committed to producing quality wines and feel very strongly about the Virginia wine industry. We will be following their progress as their winery takes shape. We will also be writing more about them in the future on the Daily News Record Wine Blog.
After visiting Notaviva, we stopped by Breaux Vineyards for a tasting. Our tasting experience was so enjoyable we decided to sit down and enjoy a glass of their 2002 Jolie Blond and their 2001 Merlot. Look for a review of these wines on the Daily News Record Wine Blog in the weeks to come. We learned a new term while visiting Breaux. In our talks with our wine pourer we found out that the person who pours the tasting wine at Breaux is called a Wine Tasting Associate. We’ve wondered what you call the person who is pouring the wine at the tasting.
Following our stop at Breaux, we headed over to Hillsborough Vineyards for a tasting and to have lunch. We decided on the 2004 Garnet to go with our lunch. In January we wrote about the Garnet as well as posted a video about Hillsborough. Click here to go to that posting.
On the drive home from Hillsborough we decided to stop off at Village Winery for a tasting and to collect our stickers. Village is a relatively new winery. It opened to the public in 2005. Kent Marrs is the owner and winemaker and on this day he was our wine pourer. We have been to Village Winery before and have enjoyed talking with Kent. He is very informative and enjoys discussing his wine and winemaking. You simply must taste his elderberry wine and have him tell you all about it. We plan to return to Village Winery in the future.
As you can see it was a very busy Saturday. We enjoyed all the wineries and all the wines we tasted.
On Saturday we attended the barrel tasting at Gray Ghost Vineyards. We enjoyed seeing how the wines are developing in the barrels. Amoung others we tasted the 2005 Merlot. It’s bursting with cherry! We can’t wait for it to be released later this year. Barrel tasting is always a treat. Below is a picture of wine maker Al Kellert filling Warren’s glass right from the barrel.
Saturday evening we had some friends over to enjoy some Virginia Merlots and to watch the movie Sideways. If you are familiar with the movie, you know there is a famous line about having Merlot. That’s the reason we decided to serve Merlot. We picked out 4 Virginia Merlots to enjoy while watching the movie. The Merlots were:
For dessert we served the Windham Hope’s Raspberry Merlot. It was chilled and served with brownies and dark chocolates. At the end of the evening most agreed the stand out Merlot was the 2004 Oakencroft Monticello Merlot. All of the Merlots were delicious and had their individual characteristics. It was enlightening to compare and contrast the different years and different wineries. Don’t let the line in the movie keep you from discovering Virginia Merlots.
Last weekend we went to Piedmont Vineyards. It was the coldest day of February and we were hoping they would have indoor space to enjoy some wine and some nibbles. They have a very nice tasting room with a gas fireplace that was lit. We were pleased to see that considering how cold it was outside.
We did a tasting and were pleasantly pleased with their offerings. We then decided to get a bottle of their 2001 Reserve Chardonnay to enjoy with lunch. We chose a table near the fireplace and settled in to enjoy the wine and the nibbles we brought. The Chardonnay had a beautiful golden yellow color and had a nutty, toasty nose. You could easily taste pear and apple flavors and the time spent in the French oak barrel was evident. This Chardonnay paired well with our apples, almonds, white cheeses and crackers.
To extend our time at Piedmont we decided to have a glass of their 2004 Merlot with the chocolates we brought. The Merlot had a garnet color, was medium bodied, and presented berry and pepper flavors. The longer it sat on our table, the better it got. The dark chocolates we enjoyed really brought out the berry flavors. The 2004 Merlot is well worth a taste.
Last Friday evening we had a small dinner party and decided to serve the Oakencroft 2002 Petit Verdot with a roasted leg of lamb. It was a cold winter evening and the conversation was flowing. As we poured the last drop, we were wishing we had had another bottle to open.
The 2002 Petit Verdot is a full bodied wine with aromas of raspberries, coffee and tobacco. Lots of berry flavors especially raspberry and cherry; some mocha too. Nice, smooth finish; this one complemented roasted leg of lamb and roasted winter vegetables. It was a crowd pleaser and fitting for a cold winter night’s meal.
On Saturday we were in Charlottesville visiting wineries and one on our list was Oakencroft Winery. We visited Oakencroft in August 2005 and really enjoyed our visit. We decided on this trip to Charlottesville we must stop at Oakencroft to see what new wines have been released.
Oakencroft produces wonderful wines. We did a tasting and chatted with our tastress about the current offerings and those to come in the future. After our tasting, we decided to enjoy a bottle of their 2003 Merlot. Even though 2003 wasn’t the best year for grapes, their 2003 Merlot was quite good. Unfortunately the 2003 is no longer available. While we were there they sold their last bottle. They are now offering the 2004 Merlot. We sat out on their patio and enjoyed the Merlot with some sandwiches and chocolate. Before leaving, we purchased the 2004 Merlot as well as the 2002 Merlot Reserve. Thanks to Lorraine, the manager of the tasting room, and our tastress for providing a superb experience.
On Saturday we took a trip to Charlottesville to attend the Mardi Gras event at Horton Vineyards. It was a rainy day but that didn’t dampen our spirits. With your admission you got a logo glass, Mardi Gras beads, seafood gumbo, chili, and traditional Mardi Gras cake. We enjoyed all of these while tasting many of their wines.
After our tasting, we joined a tour of their tank and barrel room. We were able to taste several of their wines right out of the barrel and a few out of the tanks. It was interesting to taste what the wines are like right out of the barrel. You can taste where the wines will be in the future. Here’s a picture from Horton’s cellar.
This evening we enjoyed the 2002 First Colony Merlot. We visited First Colony in September 2005 and saved this wine for a special evening. We had this merlot with some chocolates and nibbles appropriate for merlot.
Strong cherry aromas greet the nose; big cherry flavors fill the mouth with hints of chocolate and vanilla at the end. This merlot craves chocolates! It lingers in the mouth to provide a longer finish. Some tobacco/leather appears at the end. The tannis are fairly soft and accessible to the mouth; this merlot would be fine with food such as steak yet elegant and easy enough to sip on its own.
This weekend we are headed off to Charlottesville to attend the Mardi Gras event at Horton Cellars Winery. We will also visit Oakencroft Winery and Vinyard and Barboursville Vineyard. We will provide tasting notes on our upcoming wine experiences at Horton, Oakencroft, and Barboursville.
