Tag: Magnolia Vineyards

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!

Black Friday at Magnolia Vineyards

/ Paul / Leave a comment

Warren’s parents visit us each year at Thanksgiving. We try to take them to a few wineries each visit. This year we decided to take them to Magnolia Vineyards on Black Friday.

We first visited Magnolia Vineyards when they first opened for business in the summer of 2014. At that time they were tasting their wines in the basement level of their home. During this visit we also tasted the wines in their basement but we found out a new tasting room and wine facility is almost complete. Hopefully early in the new year tastings will be taking place in the new tasting room and wine production will be taking place in the new wine facility instead of their garage.

Our tasting consisted of three white wines, a blush, three red wines and a dessert/port style blackberry merlot wine. Each wine was paired with a different kind of cheese as well. Our palates must have been in sync that day because we both enjoyed the 2015 Viognier with it’s melon and honey notes. Of the reds, we also both enjoyed the 2016 Cabernet Franc reserve. We noted cherry, raspberry and some black pepper. It paired nicely with the Manchego cheese. Warren’s father also enjoyed the Petit Verdot. He enjoyed the cherry and cranberry notes as well as the tannic presence at the end.

After our tasting we all enjoyed a glass of the 2015 Viognier. Magnolia Vineyards is a dog friendly facility and allows dogs in the tasting room. While we enjoyed our Viognier, we watched the dogs play with each other and run around the tasting room. Before leaving we bought all our favorites to enjoy at home. We plan to return in the future to see the new facility and check out the new tasting room. The next time you visit Magnolia Vineyards, let them know Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Winery Visit Roundup

/ Warren / Leave a comment

In this post we share our experiences at three wineries that we visited within the past month. It includes one newbie, too!

Granite Heights Winery: Always a treat to visit Luke and Toni at Granite Heights. We enjoyed the crisp 2012 Chardonnay with its characteristics of pear and citrus with a flinty finish. Look out for the 2013 Petit Manseng that is a blend of 60% malolactic fermented wine and 40% non-malolactic fermented wine. Like Mae West, it is round, full-bodied and sensual. Rich tropical fruit notes with a creamy mouth feel should make this one a fine pairing with Thanksgiving dinner if turkey and gravy are on the menu. Of the red wines, the 2010 Cabernet Franc captured our attention with its smoky nose and notes of blackberry, leather and anise. It presented quite a lengthy finish to boot. Buy now and serve later—it is certainly age-worthy.

Magnolia Vineyards: And this is the newbie. This winery recently opened to the public, and we had a chance to visit here with our friends, Jill and Michael. Glenn and Tina Marchione operate this small winery that currently has four acres planted in vines. Doug Fabbioli serves as wine consultant; however, Tina Marchione is full time winemaker. We gave our nods to the 2012 vintages including the 2012 Black Walnut White made from Traminette grapes. We also enjoyed the 2012 Cabernet Franc Reserve with its notes of seed berries, dried herbs, and spice. It was blended with Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Merlot (5%). Grilled beef should pair well with this one. In fact, we enjoyed this one so much that we all shared a bottle after our tasting!

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Morais Vineyards and Winery: It had been over a year since our last visit to Morais; needless to say, all wines that we tasted were new to our palates. Candace, our tasting associate, skillfully guided us through our tasting of wines. It was a rainy yet warm day, and our summer taste buds preferred the 2012 Battlefield Green, a white wine done in the Vinho Verde style. This is a blend of Albarino and Vidal Blanc grapes and presented notes of green apple, citrus, and freshly cut grass. Paul enjoyed the light-bodied 2013 Merlot with its bright cherry nose and elements of dried herbs and sweet tobacco. I found the cherry wine to be the most intriguing. This dessert wine was made with morello cherries; it was aged in stainless steel. In the tasting room, this tasty treat is served inside of a chocolate cup! Decadent indeed! I made certain to purchase a bottle to serve with a favorite chocolate dessert.