Virginia Wine Showcase - Day 1

The first day at the Blogger's Corner has ended and its been an interesting experience. On the plus side I was able to meet a couple new wine\food bloggers (The Food Scribe and The Humble Gourmand) and witness the Dezel's popularity with the wine public. Dezel's Virginia Wine Spot also has more interactive interpretation of the Showcase than my postings. I was also able to taste wines from several new wineries. I discussed Acorn Hill Winery earlier and I was able to visit with Mattaponi Winery. They have a very interesting Pinot Blanc and several fruit wines - try the peach and strawberry. I also liked the Conundrum and Rosé from Vault Field Vineyards.

On the downside, it was difficult to visit the tasting booths while your laptop and belongings were sitting out in the open. With a limited amount of time and fighting the large lines, I was only able to visit a few of the wineries I'd anticipated. For instance, at Vino Curioso, I was only able to taste their Chardonnay - as a constant flow of customers interrupted my tasting by purchasing wine. Imagine that - evidently a very popular winery. I also couldn't get near Breaux Vineyards or Hillsborough Vineyards and didn't even attempt to get close to Fox Meadow Vineyards. The final disappointment - at least as a consumer - is sticker shock with the higher price of Virginia wines. The average list price now seems to be over $20/bottle. Whereas some bottles are definitely worth that price, others are not. And with the 2007 vintage that many winemakers anticipate will finally put Virginia on the wine map - look for even higher prices to come.

If I return Sunday, my goal will be to select the best value red and white Virginia wine. Plus, my laptop will stay in the car.

Virginia Wine Showcase - Cooper Vineyards Petit Verdot

The bloggers decided to share a bottle of wine since it was getting crowded at the tables and we selected Cooper Vineyards Petit Verdot - which won a Gold medal at the 2007 VA Governors Cup. This wine is a blend of 80% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; it has a full berry flavor and a slightly spicy, but smooth finish. April, The Food Scribe, found samples of cheddar cheese that was a perfect match. She gained instant credibility in our eyes.

Virginia Wine Showcase - Round 1

I just took a short dry red run and tasted some very interesting wines. My first stop was Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard to try their Corot Noir a new grape developed at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. In fact Davis Valley is one of the first wineries to make wine from this grape - a cross between Seyve Villard and Steuben that is more suitable for growers in cold climates. The Davis Valley's version has a cherry aroma with a smooth berry flavor. While not as structured as Pinot Noir, the wine is very similar. I plan to bring a few bottles home for a more in depth analysis.

I also tried the red selections from Acorn Hill Winery, which plans to open this spring in Madison. Today they are pouring their 2006 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot is full bodied and smooth and for some reason I preferred it over the Cabernet Franc. Go figure.

Finally, I was able to taste the red wine's from my wife's favorite winery, Savoy Lee Winery. I tried their Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which weren't bad- I think I'm becoming a Merlot lover, but my favorite was the 2004 Echo Forest Red, a smooth cab blend.

Virginia Wine Showcase - Finally Online

After a brief network hiccup, Dezel from My Virginia Vine Spot and I are finally online at the Virginia Wine Showcase's Bloggers Corner. Throughout the day we will be posting highlights of the showcase and the wines. There are a number of Virginia wineries that traveled a great distance to be here including Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard, Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery, Peaks of Otter Winery, and Savoy Lee Winery to name a few. The Bloggers Corner is situated right next to James River Cellars and Bluemont Vineyards so we should get good sample of their offerings. We are also looking forward to tasting a few new wines such as Cooper Vineyards Petit Verdot and Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard's Corot Noir. This is also a chance to taste the wines from Virginia's newer wineries, Acorn Hill Winery, Mattaponi Winery and Vault Field Vineyards. I'll be back shortly.

Virginia Wine Showcase

This Saturday, the 9th, I will be joining Dezel from the Virginia Vine Spot at the Virginia Wine Showcase at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The sponsors are creating a Virginia Bloggers table where we will be "blogging" about the festival and Virginia wines. Please stop by and say hello. The Expo is open from 11am-5pm Saturday and Sunday. The cost is $25 online or $35 at door. "Enjoy unlimited tastings of Virginia’s award-winning wines all in one comfortable, indoor location. Become a wine aficionado in pairing and tasting seminars for both the novice and the connoisseur. Stock your cellar with hard-to-find artisan wines and shop ‘til you drop for the best art, craft and gourmet offerings in the region at this fabulous mid-winter showcase - just in time for Valentines Day!"

Hops & Barley Shortage

Our brethren in the beer industry are facing a crisis due to shortages of hops and barley. Several factors lead to this development: rotation to higher margin crops, increased beer consumption in China, real estate speculation, the weather (drought in Australia and storms in Europe), and government subsidies for bio-fuels and ethanol. Demand for ethanol has doubled the price of corn and farmers have switched to rapeseed and canola as the government subsidizes biofuels - so why grow barley. In fact, very few in the Federal government will acknowledge that their search for the ethanol Holy Grail has negatively affected other farm products - expect your dairy and beef prices to rise as well.

As a result of these factors brewers either can not find substantial supplies of barley or hops or can not find the specific type of hops they prefer. When they do find a hops supplier, the price is between 300 to 400% higher than last year. Many craft brewers have had to suspend brands such as our favorite Tuppers' Hop Packet Ale and New River Pale Ale. In other instances, breweries have closed and consolidated. In theory, the higher prices of hops and barley should induce farmers to switch back to these crops. In the meantime, expect a smaller variety of craft beers this year - at a higher price.

February 2008 Wine Events

The Wine-Compass.com event database is growing rapidly for the 2008 wine season in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in February, here is a short list of events in a few states:

Aizona
5th Avenue Fine Art & Wine – Scottsdale: Feb 15th-17th
Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival – Carefree: February 29th-March 2nd

California
Truffles, Tidbits and Wine Tasting – Pleasanton: February 7th
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition – San Francisco: February 16th

District of Columbia
Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival - Ronald Reagan International Trade Center: February 29th-March 2nd

Florida
South Beach Wine and Food Festival - Miami: February 21st-24th
17th Annual Space Coast Wine & Beer Festival - King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne: Feb 24th

Massachusettes
17th Annual Boston Wine Expo - Seaport World Trade Center, Boston: February 9th-10th
Extreme Beer Fest - Boston Center for the Arts, Boston: February 15th-16th

Missouri
Chocolate Wine Trail – Hermann Wine Trail: February 16th-17th

Oklahoma
5th Annual Flying Fez Wine Tasting Festival - Bedouin Shrine Temple, Muskogee: February 23rd

Oregon
Oregon Seafood and Wine Festival - The Oregon Convention Center, Portland: Feb 1st-2nd
Newport Seafood & Wine Festival - Rogue Ales Brewery, Newpor: February 22nd-24th

Pennsylvania
Wine & Chocolate Valentine's Weekend – Berks County Wine Trail: February 9th-10th

South Carolina
Winter Parrot Head Festival - La Belle Amie Vineyard: February 23rd
Charleston Food + Wine Festival - Marion Square Park, Charleston: February 28-March 2nd

Virginia
Virginia Wine Showcase - Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly: February 9th-10th
Virginia Wine Expo - Greater Richmond Convention Center - Richmond: February 16th-17th

Washington
Red Wine & Chocolate – Lake Chelan Wineries: February 8th-17th

WineCompass.com introduces MyCompass Calendar

WineCompass.com now includes the ability to create a personal calendar of wine events. Wherever an event is listed on the site, it will include a calendar button next to its title. The button's tool tip will inform you whether the event currently exists in your calendar. Simply click the button to add or remove that event from your calendar. Your calendar is viewable under the MyCompass tab. In the coming weeks wine-compass.com will include the ability to save these events to your Yahoo, Google, or Outlook calendars as well. Note: This functionality is only available for registered users, but registration is free for all.

Government Regulation Gone Crazy

Here is yet another example how government regulation is ruining people's freedom to enjoy wine:

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 25, 3:51 AM ET

RICHMOND, Va. - If you're served a pitcher of authentic sangria in a Virginia restaurant, someone's breaking the law.

Since 1934, the state has prohibited mixing wine or beer with spirits. Frances McDonald, vice president of La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurants, found that out the hard way when his Alexandria location was cited for violating the sangria ban in 2006 and fined $2,000.

McDonald and managing partner Shana McKillop appealed their case to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Thursday before going to the Capitol to urge legislators to pass a bill legalizing the red wine, liqueur and fruit concoction.

McDonald said his business received no warning about the ban. He said he was unaware of the prohibition and had he known about it would not have located any of his five restaurants in Virginia. "It's like not being able to serve tequila in a Mexican restaurant," he said.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Department agent who cited La Tasca even ordered restaurant employees to pour its sangria — about 40 liters — down the drain, said Shana McKillop, managing partner at the Alexandria restaurant.

A ruling on the La Tasca's appeal should take two to four weeks, said Kristy Marshall, a spokeswoman for the ABC Department. In the meantime, the restaurant has taken to modifying its sangria recipe. The brandy has been eliminated and the triple sec replaced with a nonalcoholic orange liqueur.

"It's still sangria but not as authentic as we'd like to offer our guests," McKillop said.

2005 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc - 75 Wine Company

Over the years we have tried several excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines from France, New Zealand and Virginia, but I think we may have found on of our favorites: the 2005 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc from 75 Wine Company. The winery is named after the year the Beckstoffer family moved to the Napa Valley.

The wine possesses a refreshing citrus aroma and flavor, but has the texture and finish of a good chardonnay. After fermented in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged on lees for three months. Technically this means that yeast components, usually polysaccharides, are released to the wine by autolysis. For our purposes, this means that the wine develops greater palate weight and texture, i.e. a rich and creamy finish. The 2005 and soon to be released 2006 Sauvignon Blanc are both very affordable at $20/bottle. We drank this wine with fruit and cheese - a great combination.

Burnley Vineyards

For the first time we finally took the time to visit one of the oldest vineyards and wineries in the Charlottesville area: Burnley Vineyards. The Reeder family harvested their first grapes in 1980 and sold them to other Virginia wineries until 1984. At that time they started their own farm winery. They have gradually expanded operations where they currently have 31 acres planted which produce close to 5,000 cases annually. Only 5% of their grapes come from elsewhere.

We had never previously tasted Burnley’s wines at the various state festivals, so this was a great opportunity to familiarize ourselves with their products. They started with the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay which was fermented in oak, then aged in oak for only 4 additional months – the result is a wine with subtle hints of oak – a very refreshing wine. Burnley also offers a stainless steel fermented Chardonnay that is dry – but fruitier. Of the two – I leaned towards the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. The Rivanna White was next – a semi-dry Vidal Blanc – made in the Germanic style where unfermented grape juice is added to the wine to “enhance the fruit flavors and add natural sweetness to the wine”. I really liked this wine and at 1% r.s. – it’s a medium dry wine – your summer afternoon wine. Their Riesling was made in the similar method where the unfermented Riesling juices increases the residual sugar to 2%. The strong Riesling flavor is evident in this wine.

The first red wine served was the Rivanna Red a blend of 2003 Chambourcin, Norton and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an excellent everyday table wine – made in the Beaujolais style – dry and fruity. Each grape variety contributes – Norton to the fruity flavor, the Chambourcin to the nose and texture, and the Cabernet to the slightly spicy finish. This is also a bargain at $11 a bottle. I next tried the only wine not made from Burnley Vineyard grapes, the 2006 Zinfandel – made from grapes grown in Amador County that were immediately processed on delivery. This is a very good Zinfandel – loads of plum flavors and the expected spicy finish. It is also a young wine that will improve with age. Their 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon is similarly dry – but heartier – a strong wine. It is also unfiltered and after having aged 5 years in the bottle – the finish is very smooth. This is another good red wine. The final dry, full-bodied red is their 2006 Norton. This wine is young and acidic – but contains the fruity Norton flavors. I would recommend letting this one sit a couple of years to mellow – a process the Reeder’s wish to do, except the wine sells too quickly as is. I’ll let you know in a few years how my bottles aged.

Burnley’s best selling wine is their Somerset, a sweet wine made with Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Riesling, Norton, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite the combination. Unfermented Vidal Blanc juice is added back to the wine after fermentation for sweetness and the Norton, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon provide plenty of color. The wine is a little too sweet for my tastes as an every day wine but I strongly recommend their Moon Mist a dessert wine made from Muscat Blanc and Orange Muscat. The wine has the floral aromas and flavors of the Muscat grape and at $12 is another bargain.

Burnley also produces a blush style wine, their Rivanna Sunset. This wine shows the versatility of the Chambourcin grape, which is normally made into a dry red wine, but here, the grapes are processed with no skin contact. This is a sweet blush – with more flavors than a standard White Zin, but just as sweet at 4% r.s.

The final two wines were their Peach Fuzz and Spicy Rivanna. The former is a blend of grape juice and peach juice that is cold fermented, cold filtered, and cold bottled. Serve chilled or as Lou Reeder suggested, mixed with Champagne. Our bottle lasted one night using that approach. The Spicy Rivanna is your Christmas wine, where the winery adds cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, anise, orange peel, lemon peel and residual sugar to the Rivanna Red. This wine can be served chilled, but is better served warm. This wine is also a string seller after the season as a visitor purchased a case during my visit.

In the future, we will make more of an effort to visit Burnley’s tasting tent at this year’s festival or visit the winery again during trips along route 29. The winery is only 6 miles of the highway – although be prepared for 6 miles of twisting road over several one lane bridges. The ride itself is almost worth the trip.

Flute

On a recent trip to New York City, I stumbled upon a great wine bar - or should I say Champagne bar: Flute. There are two New York locations and I found the midtown one located on W. 54th street, between 6th Ave and Broadway. The goal of this establishment is to provide "a comfortable space where guests could have a "Champagne experience" whether they came for caviar and bubbly or cocktails with friends." I think they succeeded. I arrived promptly at 5:00 PM, right when they opened and thus I had the tasting bar to myself - plus another couple starting their Saturday evening. Flute serves 100 champagne and sparkling wines by the bottle with about a dozen of these available by the flute. You can also purchase tasting flights of various champagne and champagne cocktails.

I started with a flute of the Chartogne-Taillet Rosé NV - a dry champagne made from 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, plus a splash of Pinot Meunier. The wine has strawberry flavors and a dry - complex finish. I can't wait to step up and try their Cuvee Fiacre. I wanted to also try a French sparkling wine, so the bartender recommended the Blanquette de Limoux Grande Reserve, a dry champagne from southern France's Languedoc and the home of the first sparkling wines. This wine was lighter than the Chartogne-Taillet and balanced throughout, a very drinkable champagne. It is made from the Mauzac grape, known locally as “Blanquette” and the name of the appellation: Blanquette de Limoux. I would suggest this wine before a meal and the Chartogne-Taillet during.

Niner Wine Estates - 2004 Sangiovese

On Christmas Eve, a dinner guest brought over a 2004 Sangiovese from Niner Wine Estates. After re-tasting today, this is the best Sangiovese I've tried produced outside of Italy. I can't articulate tasting notes as well as the winery's description so here it is:

"This wine’s deep dark color is notable for Sangiovese. The promises made by its appearance are kept by the aromas and flavors of this dark rich wine. The nose brings aromas of black fruit and well-integrated oak with a hint of licorice. Warm rich flavors of jammy blackberry and juicy cherry are accompanied by soft tannins and a subtle note of mint on the finish."

In layman's terms this is a fruity wine, but with a smooth - slightly spicy finish. Even with the low tannins the finish is unique. This morning I discovered that the wine won Best of California and Double Gold Medal at the 2007 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition and various other Gold and Silver medals during the past year. The wine is also very reasonably priced at $20. I hope I can find another bottle in my area.

Antis Malbec

A short while ago, one of our local wine merchants, Norm's Beer & Wine, suggested a bottle of the 2003 Antis Malbec. We have been back several times to restock. Antis is another term for the Andes Mountains and this wine is made from 60 to 90 year old vines grown on the foothills of these mountains. The wine is composed of 92% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in different oak combinations. The result is a dark purple wine - with strong fruit flavors - and a slightly spicy finish. Plus at around $10 - it is a bargain. But don't just take our word - the wine won a Gold medal at the 2003 CATAD’OR, Argentina's most famous wine competition.

Vintage Ridge Vineyards

Last Saturday we visited one of Fauquier County's newest wineries, Vintage Ridge Vineyards. The winery is located in the historic village of Rectortown, which still contains many 100 + year old houses - and was where General McClellan was camped when relieved as commander of the Army of the Potomac. The vineyards are hidden from the main road; but once you drive up the driveway the estate opens into an array of vines surrounded by woods and views of the Blueridge Mountains. An amazing site.

I am constantly surprised when new wineries produce quality wines in their first vintages, and Vintage Ridge Vineyards is no exception. They started by planting vines of two grapes that grow extremely well in Virginia: Cabernet Franc and Vidal Blanc. Plus, they added a little character by growing Mourvedre. Thus all their wines are estate grown, except for a Syrah where the grapes are grown in another Fauquier County vineyard.

Vintage Ridge has a very unique method for serving their wines. Visitors can purchase a tasting platter containing meats and cheeses as well as access to a variety of mustard and chutneys. The tasting sheet offers suggestions for pairing the wine with specific meats, cheeses, or spreads. The winery wants visitors to appreciate how a wine's flavor changes when combined with different foods - plus it makes the tasting experience a lot more entertaining. The first wine was a dry vidal - the Summer Night (dry) - which has a nice floral aroma and dry fruity finish. I preferred the next wine, the Maiden Voyage, a blend of Vidal and Mourvedre. This is your refreshing afternoon wine after a day of work - smooth with a refreshing acidic finish. Moving to the sweeter whites, Vintage Ridge produces a second Summer Night, this one with 1.5% RS. This is an alternative to a semi-dry Riesling. And then there's the Ice-wine styled Late Harvest Vidal Blanc - made from grapes frozen after harvest. This is the wine to have the most fun tasting with chocolate, the chutneys, and even spicy mustard.

Turning to reds, Vintage Ridge poured two excellent wines from Cabernet Franc that show why this grape is special in Virginia. The 2005 Cabernet Franc was aged one year in the barrel and is a full bodied spicy wine. Spicy from the initial aroma to the "tail". The 2006 Cabernet Franc is smoother and more complex - more reminiscent of a Bordeaux styled wine. Both are completely different - but excellent in their own styles. The final wine was a Syrah - but after the Cabernet Franc - my attention span was wavering - so any thoughts would not give this wine justice. Next time, I'll try this wine first.

If I can't return to the winery before Christmas, I look forward to my next visit in the spring. Plan ahead and give yourself ample time to try the wines and food - I plan to spend an afternoon.

December Wine Festivals

The 2007 festival season is winding down and the Wine-Compass.com event database contains over 400 upcoming events in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in December, here is a short list of events in several states:

California
Holidays in the Vineyards - Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association: December 1^st-2^nd

Missouri
Fifth Annual Kristkindl Markt - Hermann Wine Trail: December 8^th-9^th

New York
"Wreath Fineries @ 10 Wineries" – The Shawangunk Wine Trail: December 1^st-2^nd
Deck The Halls - Seneca Lake Wine Trail: December 1^st-2^nd
Holiday Happening - Niagara Wine Trail: December 1^st-2^nd

Ohio
Very Cool Wine Trail - Ohio Wine Producers Association: December 1^st-2^nd
Tannenbaum Trail - The Wineries on the Vines & Wines Trail in Northeast Ohio - December 6^th-7^th
Very Cool Wine Trail - Ohio Wine Producers Association: December 7^th-8^th
Tannenbaum Trail - The Wineries on the Vines & Wines Trail in Northeast Ohio - December 14^th-15^th

Virginia
Heart of Virginia Jingle Bell Wine Trail - Heart of Virginia Wine Trail: December 1^st-2^nd
Deck the Halls Weekends - Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association: December 1^st-2^nd

Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot #44

Somehow we stumbled upon one of our new favorite values wines: Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot #44. Located in Sonoma, Marietta Cellars specializes in Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each year the winery creates a proprietary blend consisting of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane and lesser amounts of Cabernet and Syrah. The current version, Old Vine Red Lot #44 is awesome - blackberry aroma - slightly spicy - but with a smooth, almost buttery finish. And priced under $15 it's a bargain.

Wine Gifts

Over Thanksgiving we were asked by several family and friends if we had any good wine gift ideas. I decided to compile a list and post for anyone interested. My basic philosophy is to give something a little different; and you can find good wines for less than $15.

For instance, why not try an Argentinian Alamos 2006 Malbec, a Spanish Mano a Mano 2005 La Mancha, a South African Beyerskloof 2006 Pinotage, or an Oregon Bridgeview 2004 Black Beauty Syrah. For whites or rose try an Austrian Velt. one 2005 Gruner Veltliner, an Italian Falesco 2004 Vitiano Bianco, or a Washington Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Neillie's Garden Dry Rose.

I also like giving dessert wines, although you will have to splurge a bit more. Try the California Quady 2005 Elysium Black Muscat, Hungarian Royal Tokaji Wine Company 2000 Red Label, or the Canadian Inniskillin 2006 Riesling Icewine.

For those looking for accessories the Riedel 'O' Series stemless wine glasses are becoming more popular. We've been using a similar style European wine tumbler for years. And everyone needs a proficient corkscrew, we use both the Rabbit 6-Piece Wine Corkscrew and the Insta-pull Lever Corkscrew.

Finally CelebrationCellars.com provides many gift ideas including personalized wine labels and celebrity sketches. I hope this list helps.

The Grapes of Galilee

While reading through the Catholic Digest I saw an advertisement for The Grapes of Galilee^TM, wine made from grapes grown between Mount Tabor and the Sea of Galilee. The wine is produced and imported by Georgia based Haroz Vintners and is marketed to the Catholic community. The company "suggests pouring The Grapes of Galilee at wedding receptions or communions, or any festive occasion where Christians seek a physical connection to their spiritual homeland." Currently there are three type of wine:

* Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Deep royal purple, showing herbal and black olive flavors backed up nicely by currants and wild berries. Soft tannins and good balance make the wine fun to drink.
* Merlot 2005 - Medium bodied, with soft tannins and generous berry and black cherry fruits; very pleasant.
* Chardonnay 2006 - Light gold, medium bodied, with citrus and tropical fruits on a lightly earthy background. Good balancing acidity keeps the wine lively and fruity.

The labels depict Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and his walking on the Sea of Galilee. Haroz Vintners has received mostly positive reviews for simply producing the wines; while some believe the idea is distasteful. The wines are available online and at several retail outlets in selected states. Check their website for locations. I look forward to giving the wines a try, particularly as Israeli wines improve in quality.

Kokomo Winery 2005 Zinfandel, Perotti Vineyards

We have been drinking several different Zinfandel wines lately and our favorite has been the 2005 Zinfandel, Perotti Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley from Kokomo Winery. This three year old Sonoma Valley winery specializes in single vineyard wines, particularly Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and of course, Zinfandel. The Perotti Vineyards Zinfandel was fermented in French & American oak after harvesting from the famed third generation vineyard. This wine is pure Zinfandel - a raspberry forward flavor and a spicy complex finish. And the wine is reasonably priced at $22.