We have arrived at the Virginia Wine Showcase at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Virginia. You can see Dezel and Warren are ready to begin some tasting and report on what they find. We’ll be reporting for most of the day from the Showcase. Stay tuned for more updates. Scroll down for the updates. They will appear below this post.
We met Kevin Rupy from Bluemont Vineyards at the beginning of the showcase. We had a great discussion about wineries and bringing food to your favorite winery. We have yet to get to Bluemont Vineyards but we have it on our list of wineries to visit.
Warren just got back from his first round of tasting. He went to Flying Fox Vineyards and enjoyed the 06 Chardonnay. He liked it’s crispness and noted apple flavors with citrus. For those who prefer red wines the 05 Mertlot might fit the bill. It’s blended with Cabernet Franc and is a bigger bodied wine.
He then stopped at Mattaponi Winery and found some wines our friend Michael Tyler would enjoy. This is a brand new winery. They currently make about 200 cases of wine. Their peach and strawberry wines are perfect for summer sipping or for those who prefer a fruitier sip with a suggestion of sweetness.
Next he went to the Breaux booth and put a gold star next to their Viognier. It had lots of tropical fruit flavors with honey suckle on the nose. Another gold star was placed next to their Chere Marie. This off dry wine is packed with peachy/appricot flavors. Chere Marie is in the running for the Unique White Varietal for the coveted Virginia Wine Showcase People’s Choice award.
Our friend, Rick Tag, who we know from Pearmund Cellars, and Keswick Vineyards, dropped by the Bloggers Corner to say hello. It was good to see him and catch up. He said he enjoyed Hillsborough and Fabbiloi.
So we’re back from another round of tastings. Bluemont Vineyards was first up this go round, and the strongest pour there was the 2005 Norton with its distinctive grapey qualities. Noted here were cherry flavors and a smooth finish. For those hoping to stock up on summer wines, the Rose might be an option—ripe, bright berry flavors result from a blend of red and white wine grapes.
Miracle Valley Vineyard is another new kid on the block. Chardonnay lovers may appreciate their Reserve Chardonnay which is done first in stainless steel and then in American oak. Creamier texture noted here. Patio sippers might opt for the Sweet Michelle, the result of Rkatsetelli. “Rkat” is a Russian varietal known for its short finish after a burst of sweetness.
And then we moved on to First Colony—of the wines tasted here, we both placed their Meritage blend at the top of the list. A lighter bodied, Bordeaux blend, cherry flavors with some spice prevailed in the mouth.
Another experience for us was the offerings at Potomac Point. Gold stars were placed next to the Viognier done in the French style, and the Norton Reserve which is blended with Cabernet Franc. The Franc rounds out the Norton quite nicely, and the vintage bottle is quite unique.
Last up was Veramar. We both enjoyed the 2006 Cabernet Franc with its herby nose and raspberry/pepper flavors. Of course, we are always on the prowl for lighter-style wines that friends might enjoy in warmer weather, and Pink Chicken (a rose) with its bright strawberry flavors might prove to be a crowd pleaser at a summer concert.
Back from our last round of tastings. We stopped by Acorn Hill first. The strongest showing at Acorn Hill was the 2006 Cabernet Franc with its raspberry and spice flavors.
From there we went to Kluge. A real deal on the New World Red! Of course, the Simply Red is always a pleaser.
Last but not least, we sampled the offerings at Cooper Vineyards, and we both enjoyed the 2005 Norton with its dark cherry and licorice notes.
We enjoyed our time at the Expo. Please visit any of the wineries that participated, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.