Visiting Fauquier County Wineries with Northern Virginia FLITE Tour

Last week we participated in the Fauquier County day of the two day Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell FLITE (First Lady's Initiatives Team Effort) tour of northern Virginia wineries. The purpose of FLITE  is to "bring attention to the great work being done by selfless people around the Commonwealth who are taking the opportunity to leave Virginia a better place than they found it". In addition, the First Lady uses these tours as a Bully Pulpit to encourage retailers and restaurants to include local Virginia wine in their portfolio. Thus, our tour was primarily composed of members of those markets as well as a few members of the media, a blogger or two, as well as First Lady Maureen McDonnell and Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry Todd Haymore.

Left Bank Vineyard at Delaplane Cellars

Tasting at the Wine Bar

The first stop for our bus was Delaplane, Virginia and Delaplane Cellars where proprietors and winemaker Jim & Betsy Dolphin met us along with State Senator, Jill Vogel. After a few introductory remarks Jim gave us a tour of the facility as well as his wine making philosophy. Delaplane normally specializes in the Rhone varieties Syrah and  Viognier; but with supplies limited, we sampled their red Bordeaux, Chardonnay, Melange Blanc white blend, and an estate Petit Manseng late harvest. Delaplane has always given center stage to the vineyards where they source their fruit and this year's vintage is no exception, and they are finally able to showcase their estate Left Bank vineyard. Their 2010 Left Band Reserve is more of a left-right combo because of the significant amount of Merlot. Their Splinglot and Williams Gap Bordeaux blends are both fuller, courtesy of the more mature vineyards, with the Williams Gap Reserve my favorite - big blackberry flavors, a chewy mid palette, and a spicy - tannic finish. Their estate Late Harvest Petit Manseng show why that grape has promise in Virginia as it's inherent acidity nicely balances the sweet juice. Petit Manseng is also an input to the Melange Blanc (plus Chardonnay and Viognier), a nice summer wine - particularly for that100 degree day.

We then headed just down the road to Paris, Virginia and lunch at the Ashby Inn And Restaurant. Here our sweet and sour radish soup and crispy port belly were paired with the Pearmund Cellars 2011 "Vinecroft" Viognier and the Chester Gap Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc respectively.  This magnificent lunch definitely gave the sommeliers in our group inspiration to pair local wine with local produce.

Jim Law

Hardscrapple Vineyard at Linden Vineyards

Our final stop was to Linden Vineyards where famed winemaker Jim Law and Shari Avenius, Linden’s director and owner/winegrower of Avenius Vineyard, received us with a glass of the 2011 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was highly appropriate not only to soothe our group from the day's heat index but also to showcase that white Bordeaux can be produced in the region (Glen Manor Vineyards). This is one of my favorite Linden wines; bright, crisp, with a nice combination of citrus and grass.  In the cellar we followed up with the 2009 Hardscapple Chardonnay, 2010 Claret Merlot, 2008 Hardscrapple Red, and 2006 Late Harvest Vidal. Notice how Linden holds back releasing vintages in order for the wine to mature in the bottle. At Linden there is obviously no need to rush vintages out the door. And we learned how meticulous Law is in the cellar by juice to the Claret and in the vineyard by ripping out entire blocks when disease or low quality ensues. No wonder, Linden is considered one of the top - if not the top - producer in the Commonwealth.

And this tour was another example of the McDonnell Administration promoting these excellent wines to local establishments. Several Linden, Chester Gap, and Pearmund wines are available in my area - hopefully they will be available in yours very soon.

#WBW75 - Tarara Winery 2010 Honah Lee White

One of the most recognized vineyards in the Commonwealth of Virginia is Honah Lee Vineyard. The property is owned by Wayne and Vera Preddy and sits at 1000 feet elevation on a steep South-West facing slope in central Virginia (Orange). This means that the grapes are exposed to an abundance of sunlight during the hot summer months; but the elevation provides suitable diurnal temperature variation through night-time cooling. The soil is hard clay which limit deep root growth and leads to more fruit character over minerality.

The vineyard was first planted by Jim and Sharon Horton from Horton Vineyards when they leased the property from the Preddy's. The vineyard provided the foundation for Horton to quickly become one of the premier wineries in the state and showcased their Rhone and Portuguese varieties. However Horton was eventually evicted from the property after a dispute with the landlords. Horton's loss quickly became other winery's gain as the vineyard's sourced the fruit to several Virginia wineries.

And many of these wineries choose to create single vineyard wines from the grapes. Delaplane Cellars, for example, has or continues to produce a Honah Lee single varietal Viognier, Syrah, and Tannat. Our feature winery today, Tarara Winery, has created an interesting take on the single vineyard theme by creating a single vineyard blend: the 2010 Honah Lee White. The blend consists of Virginia's signature grape Viognier (40%), Petit Manseng (40%), and Roussanne (20%). This is a dry wine with peach and apricot flavors - thanks to the Viognier - and plenty of balanced acidity thanks to the petit manseng. Winemaker Jordan Harris writes that "Honah Lee Vineyard is one of our favorite partners....the fruit from Honah Lee is some of the most enticing and exotic fruit we get each year." And one of Jordan's goals is to recognize and highlight the best vineyard sites in Virginia as evident by the Tranquility, Nevaeh, and Honah Lee labels.

This year the 2010 Honah Lee White was the only Viognier based wine to receive a Gold medal in the newly revamped 2012 Governor's Cup competition. Revamped in the sense that, among other changes, now all wines submitted into the Governor's Cup must consist of 100% Virginia grown fruit - reversing the previous policy of allowing 25% outside fruit. We concurred with the award and after sampling a few at the Governor's Cup reception, "borrowed" a bottle to use in our toast during our interview with Governor McDonnell below. Cheers.

Barrel Tasting with Delaplane Cellars

Last Saturday night (March 10th) we were invited, along with several other wine bloggers, to Delaplane Cellars where owners Jim and Betsy Dolphin were showcasing their soon to be released red wines. The winery focuses on single vineyard wines, whether single varietal or blends. And the winery excels in showcasing these vineyards on the wine's labels - a practice we wish more wineries would follow. But before heading downstairs into the barrel room, we were first offered a palate cleansing white, the 2010 Mélange Blanc, a blend of Chardonnay (62%), Honah lee Viognier (27%) and Petit Manseng (11%). Even with the petit manseng, this is a dry blend - fruity with refreshing acidity. For those of us who usually enjoy the winery's 100% Honah Lee Viognier, this wine will have to substitute, since they did not receive enough fruit to produce a single varietal.

Once downstairs we started with the first estate wine bottled at the winery, the 2011 Delaplane. The vines were planted in 2008, and thus, three years later bearing suitable fruit. The blend is predominately Merlot (50%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (33%) and Cabernet Franc (16%). The wine is fruity with low tannins making this an easy drinking wine. The only deficiency was a lack of mid-palette - but that will probably go unnoticed by most consumers.

The next stop was at a Slavokian oak barrel filled with their Williams Gap 2010 using grapes sourced from Williams Gap Vineyard - located in Loudoun County near Round Hill, Virginia. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (31%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (27%), and Petite Verdot (12%). This is a bigger wine than the Delaplane- with bold flavors and more tannins on the tail, even though the wine went through extended masceration to soften the tannin structure. This will be a fine wine, possibly my favorite blend of the evening.

The final blend was the 2010 Springlot, sourced from grapes grown on the top of Naked Mountain by John Everson. The proportion of grapes was directly related to amount of grapes sourced which corresponded to a semi-Right Bank wine: Cabernet Franc (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Merlot (17%), and PV (14%).

We then moved to two single varietal red wines starting with the 2010 Shirland Syrah aging in a new American Oak barrel. For those who are interested, the vineyard is located near Middleburg. The wine will be located in the people's cellars rather quickly since Delaplane has a history of crafting mighty fine Syrah. I don't see this as an exception.

The other single varietal red was the 2010 Honah Lee Tannat and as many are aware, this Orange, VA vineyard is the source of many different grape varieties. Whereas their 2009 Tannat needed to lay down because of the high tannins - the 2010 version is ready to drink now. The juice was pressed quickly at dryness so as not to add even more tannins. Tannat is quickly becoming a favorite wine of ours and this is another example of an underrated grape that excels in the Commonwealth.

Finally, we sampled what we consider Virginia's other signature white grape, Petit Manseng. For the first time Delaplane is producing an estate Late Harvest Petit Manseng which comes in at 10.5% RS but with typical acidity to balance the sugar. This pineapple flavored wine will satisfy their consumer's demands for a sweet offering.

This was a special evening where I was fortunate enough to be invited to the barrel sampling, but also a chance to meet or catch up with fellow bloggers My Vine Spot, Wine About Virginia, Virginia Wine In My Pocket, and Craig's Grape Adventure. Cheers to Delaplane Cellars.

Where the Wild Things (Grapes) Are

This week Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell announced several changes to the structure of the Virginia Governor's Cup Competition. One change is that eligible wines must be certifiably made from 100% Virginia grown grapes. While we applaud the Virginia Wineries Association (VWA), Virginia Vineyard Association (VVA), the Virginia Wine Board (VWB), Governor McDonnell, and Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore - doesn't this new regulation simply codify what we, as consumers, most likely already expected? Isn't it obvious that the wine that is judged to be the best in the state, be made from 100% Virginia grapes? What took so long? And shouldn't a wine labeled "Virginia Wine" be made entirely of Virginia grown fruit? Nope. Make sure you read this article by Frank Morgan in Flavor Magazine that explains why this may not be the case.

Now that wines entered in the Virginia Governor's Cup will consist of solely Virginia grown fruit, we still may not know from where? Was it from estate fruit? A vineyard in a local American Viticultural Area (AVA)? Somewhere else in the state? Just like the locavour movement, wine consumers should start requesting (or demanding) more information about the source of a wine's grapes - whether from inside or outside the state's borders. And this isn't just a Virginia issue, it should resonate with wine consumers in all states.

Recently I visited Linganore Winecellars in Mt. Airy, Maryland. While browsing their wine selection, I was reminded of a Maryland Merlot they crafted which won the Maryland Governor's Cup several years ago. That state's Governor's Cup Competition has always required 100% Maryland grown fruit and this wine was produced from grapes grown in the Maryland Eastern Shore. But the region and vineyard were not publicized? The wine just stated Maryland Merlot. And in a couple weeks, our family will be headed to Seven Springs where we normally visit Glades Pike Winery, just outside of Somerset Pennsylvania. On the last visit, they were pouring a Norton wine made from grapes sourced from Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg Virginia. Knowing that Chrysalis holds the world's largest planting of Norton I surmised this wine's source. But state law allows the winery to print "Pennsylvania" on the label because Middleburg is within a mile radius restriction. Bizarre. Why not publicize the fact that they grapes are sourced from the most trusted grower of Norton. The same holds for eastern wineries that utilize Finger Lakes Reisling or Long Island Merlot or any other grape sourced from a different vineyard.

In Loudoun County Virginia, several wineries (such as Tarara Vineyard & Winery and Corcoran Vineyards) are moving in that direction by creating vineyard designate wines where the vineyard is proudly displayed on the label. And what better way to publicize well known independent vineyards such as Benevino and Honah Lee. There's also another solution implemented by Virginia's Potomac Point Winery and Delaplane Cellars. On their tasting sheet, they note the appellation or vineyard which provided the grapes for each wine. And if the grapes were sourced from multiple vineyards, both note all the appellations or vineyards. The same holds for practically every California winery we have visited. What an easy way to educate consumers when the grapes are sourced from outside the estate. I think as eastern wineries start competing with left coast wines, the source of their wine must be fully disclosed.

One of the beauties of a bottle of wine - as opposed to beer and spirits - is that the wine, itself, is history. The wine directly reflects the weather that affected a geographic region during a specific period of time. If we don't know the wine's source, this sense of history is lost.

"Discover Your Local Crush" During Virginia Wine Month

It's that time of year again; the heat and humidity is slowly dissipating, leaves are dying, summer flowers are exerting one last display of life, and the grape harvest is in full gear. And for the 24th year, the Commonwealth is celebrating Virginia Wine Month. This month's theme is "Discover Your Local Crush", acknowledging the state's numerous and diverse wine regions: Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Central Virginia, Eastern Virginia, Chesapeake Bay, Blue Ridge Highlands, Hampton Roads, Heart of Appalachia, Southern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley AVA, Monticello AVA, Eastern Shore AVA, Washington Birthplace AVA, North Fork AVA, and the Rocky Knob AVA.

Regardless of the region, there will be ample opportunities to sample excellent wines, listen to music, enjoy the scenery, and meet the winemakers. We plan on starting Virginia Wine Month at Chrysalis Vineyards and their 11th Annual Norton Wine & Bluegrass Festival. And why not, pair some of Virginia's native grape with Jackass Flats, Hickory Ridge, and Good Natured Riot. Then our favorite Charlottesville musician; no, not Dave Matthews; but William Walter performs at Delaplane Cellars. Then we will head back to Visit Loudoun to listen to more music and sample some Viognier. That's our "Discover Your Local Crush". What's yours? To help plan your outing visit WineCompass or Virginia Is For Lovers to find an event in your area.

WBC11 Preview: Viognier Night: A Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers

For those attending the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference or for wine fans anywhere, there is a unique opportunity this Thursday July 14th (7 to 9 pm) to learn about Virginia's signature grape, Viognier. The Virginia Wine Board is hosting Viognier Night: A Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers. See below for the participating wines and take a look at the tasting notes here. But most importantly, the winemakers themselves will be available to answer questions about their wines or the Virginia wine industry. Remember to use the #VaViognier hash tag. See you online.
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Join Virginia Winemakers for the first ever Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers!

It is easy to participate! Just pick up a bottle of Viognier from one of the participating wineries: Barboursville Vineyards & Winery, Blenheim Vineyards, Cooper Vineyards, Delaplane Cellars, Horton Vineyards and King Family Vineyards. OR just grab your favorite VA Viognier...

Then grab some friends and food, and tune into the #VAWine #VaViognier conversation on Twitter! It is the perfect way to experience Virginia Viogniers in varying styles, from dry to off-dry, still and sparkling.

Winemakers will tune in on Twitter Thursday, July 14th from 7-9pm to answer any and all questions pertaining to these Virginia Viogniers. Most of these Viogniers can be found at your local Kroger, specialty retailers, or ordered directly through the wineries.

Participating wineries:
Barboursville: 2009 Viognier Reserve
Blenheim: 2010 Viognier
Cooper: 2010 Viognier
Delaplane: 2010 Maggie's Vineyard Viognier
Horton: NV Sparkling Viognier
King Family: 2010 Viognier

Also, please post pictures of your local VA Viognier tasting on Twitter during the event! We look forward to having you join us for this first ever Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers!

Live Music on the Virginia Wine Trail

This past Saturday we visited three Virginia wineries that host live music for a feature on Virginia Wine TV. We've been to wineries when they hosted live music before, but like many clubs, the music was an added attraction to a social engagement. Today we focused entirely on the music and really appreciated the talent of these musicians. The videos are available at the MyJoogTV YouTube channel and this week at MyJoogTV. The day started at Delaplane Cellars where Gary Smallwood was performing. Smallwood combines a clear acoustic picking with a soulful voice. After a few songs we had to move on, and the next stop was Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn, which had booked Mike Bowers. And Bowers was the biggest surprise. The background noise is atrocious, but listen to his voice in these videos. Unbelievable. And like Smallwood, Bowers regularly performs at several Virginia wineries. There is no excuse not seeing him. The final stop was at Quattro Goomba’s Winery where Andre Fox was playing the "party" room. Fox is more engaging with the audience and had groups of people dancing around the fermenting tanks. Besides being charismatic, Fox has another beautiful soulful voice, from Percy Sledge to Otis Redding. You get the idea. As you can hear, another reason to visit your local winery - support local music.

Crusing the Crooked Run Valley: Delaplane Cellars

After the 2010 DrinkLocalWine.com two fellow bloggers, MyVineSpot and Anything Wine visited Delaplane Cellars and enjoyed their stay. A few days later I had a chance to follow their footsteps and caught the winery just before closing. Fortunately the Jim and Betsy Dolphin were willingly to stay open a tad longer to accommodate my visit. Delaplane Cellars is an infant, having opened officially this year. However, Jim Dolphin has been making wine and studying viticulture and vinification for years, even studying under esteemed winemaker Jim Law of Linden Vineyards and taking oenology courses through U.C. Davis. Thus, he didn't have to rely on other winemakers to solely craft his initial batch - he was able to borrow different facilities to craft his wine style while the winery was being constructed. No slapping another wineries product with a different label here.

The winery and estate is located in the scenic Crooked Run Valley. The tasting room\winery building was constructed to match the Sporting Library in nearby Middleburg, but that fact is quickly forgotten once you witness the panoramic scenery from the tasting room. The view is simply amazing as the valley stretches out from their vineyards to the Cobbler Mountains in the distance. The winery's label characterizes that mountain range. And the Dolphin's never tire of that view. The estate is planted with traditional varieties that excel in the Commonwealth; Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Tannat, Merlot; as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Menseng. Until the vineyard comes of age, their fruit is sourced from several highly regarded vineyards. In fact, the winery is so proud to be associated with these vineyards, that the vineyard name is used in the wine's name whenever possible. We applaud this designation, great wine starts with good fruit, and vineyards that provide these should be getting the appropriate accolades.

Delaplane Cellars offers a solid portfolio of wines, yet one of my favorites wasn't even one of theirs. It was the Glen Manor Sauvignon Blanc which the winery provides to round out their portfolio. Winemaker Jeff White has crafted a winner here. Delaplane specializes in Viognier and I was able to sample three: 2008 Honah Lee Viognier, 2008 Maggies Vineyard Viognier, and the 2007 Emerald Lake Viognier. Each of the wines are aged in neutral French oak barrels which provide a fuller mouthful all the while trying to maintain a balance between the fruit and oak. These are all nice wines, but I am still not sold on oaked Viognier; for my palate, I enjoy those imprisoned in stainless steel.

On the other hand, I had no issues with their red portfolio, unless you include their Pink Rose, which is a 3% r.s. concocted for a particular audience. But their dry reds are memorable. Their 2007 Old World Cab Franc contains a small amount of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, but the fruitiness of the Cabernet Franc is prevalent - assisted by a nice acidic finish. This is a nice example of a medium bodied Cab Franc - typical cherry with some plum flavors and a smooth finish. Their 2007 Left Bank Bordeaux Blend is fuller and consists of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon (Tranquility Vineyards), 29% Merlot (Bella Luna Vineyard) and 4% Petit Verdot (Springlot Vineyard). The nose to this wine is almost overpowering; it then eases into a nice blackberry mid palette and then a pepper finish. Nice. During one conversation at the DrinkLocalWine.com we discussed how winemakers love Syrah, but in general, the public doesn't know enough about the varietal to constantly purchase it. Well, here's another worthy example made in the Northern Rhone style that includes a small dose of Viognier to soften the wine. This wine is toasty and earthy - an old world wine crafted in the new world. Yet the best was still to come in their 2007 Springlot Reserve Single Vineyard - a classic Bordeaux blend of CF, CS, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The fruit comes from Springlot Vineyard, a two acre lot of granite based soil located at 1200 feet above sea level and meticulously maintained by John Everson. A perfect storm of soil, elevation, and vineyard management. Plus the grapes were harvested in 2007, the closest year that Virginia gets to the average California season. The result is a dark fruit flavor, velvet mid palette and smooth finish. This wine may be priced a little high for the average consumer ($40), but its worth every cent.

I wish I good of extended my stay and enjoyed a glass of one of these reds, but I had already overstayed my visit. Regardless of what brings me out Route 66, a visit to Delaplane Cellars is on the agenda. A fabulous view and nice wines, what more do you need?