Re-discovering Oakencroft Farm & Winery

After perhaps a 15-year hiatus we finally returned to the 250-acre Oakencroft Farm & Winery as the winery has re-opened and still making wine from some of the oldest vines in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The property is located just outside of Charlottesville and is a relaxing destination with estate and other wines available for purchase along with spreads and charcuterie. The winery first opened in the early 1980s under the ownership of Felicia and John Rogan -- who are considered one of the founding families of the modern Virginia wine industry. The winery closed in 2008 when Mrs. Rogan retired after 25 years in the industry. Over that period she worked with viticulturist  Lucy Morton to transform the Rogan farm into a Vineyard and Winery.  And most importantly, she spearheaded the effort to establish the Monticello AVA, started the Jeffersonian Grape Growers Society, and was chairwoman of the Virginia Wine Growers Advisory Board for a several years.  

Even though Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery had officially closed, the farm continued to operate and the original grape vines were maintained.  A decade later Dorothy Batten purchased the farm and championed many of the sustainable practices currently implemented. One practice is the continued use of hybrid grapes (Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin, De Chaunac, and Merlot Kanthus) which provides broader genetic diversity and requires less pesticides and other chemicals. Former winemaker Phil Ponton spent 40 years maintaining the estate's vines and still shares his wisdom with current Farm Manager Logan Collins. This wisdom included combatting pests by using an integrated pest management system of beneficial plants, animals and insects as well as compost to reduce chemical sprays and industrial fertilizers. Jessica Trapeni is the current winemaker and came to Oakencroft after completing the UC Davis Winemaking Certification program and working at Virginia Wineworks where she was both Lab Manager and Production Manager. 

During our visit we dabbled into two of their estate releases, their 2021 Albemarle County White Wine and 2020 Albemarle County Red Wine. Both were very pleasant expressions of Seyval and Chambourcin and easily pass as more traditional vinifera wines. The Seyval Blanc was fermented under cool temperatures and on its lees, which both preserved the fruit characters and added texture to the body. Lots of racy acidity and minerality. Production of the red wine was more complicated as it is a blend of 64% Chambourcin co-fermented with 11% Vidal Blanc, and the remaining 25% a combination of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine also has bright acidity and ripe cherries leading to very approachable tannins and a long finish. An easy sipper with charcuterie.

The winery also offers several Virginia and international wines and ciders. On our next trip I would be interested in sipping the White Wine next to an Austrian Gruner Veltliner and the Red Wine with a Provence red. 

Finally, the Monticello Wine Week runs from April 26th to May 3rd. Check the Monticello Wine Trail for specific events. 

Grappa, Brandy, Vidal, and Sangiovese at Maryland's Fiore Winery & Distillery

Since attending my first Maryland wine festival about 20 years ago and through various festivals and trade tastings over the successive years, I've wanted to visit Fiore Winery & Distillery. Yet its relatively remote location with its back to the Pennsylvania border in northeast Maryland hindered that effort. Fortunately this past weekend we traveled to visit relatives in Harford County who live only minutes away from the Free State's 12th bonded winery.

This year Fiore Winery is celebrating its 36th anniversary which doesn't include the many earlier years when founder Mike Fiore joined the Maryland Wine Association and planted two acres of 150 Vidal Blanc vines. After making the difficult decision to become bonded they expanded the plantings with more French hybrids such as Chancellor and Chambourcin and it was a bottle of an aged Reserve Chambourcin that drew my attention to the winery and the wine I would seek out at future tastings and festivals. The family added several vinifera grapes to their portfolio including a uniquely Maryland Sangiovese to honor Mike's Italian heritage. And eventually seeing the popularity of craft distilling on the horizon, they incorporated distilling and warehouse operations into the farm.

Their current lineup includes a large range of dry to sweet wines and traditional spirits to flavored moonshine. The three of us shared two wine flights of seven wines each and a spirit flight of four samples. For the spirits, I chose the Bourbon Whiskey ($34.99), Straight Rye Whiskey ($29.99), Apple Brandy ($29.99), and Grappa Nicholas Reserve ($39.99). The two whiskies were excellent representatives of their genres with the Bourbon rounder than the Rye, but both having a dry lasting finish.  The Apple Brandy is a solid spirit where the apple fruit dominates the palate and ends with a clean pomme finish. Fiore produces two grappas by distilling the leftover pomace from their estate-grown grapes. The Reserve is produced by aging a portion of that spirit in specially designed 30-gallon oak casks for a minimum of two years. This rounds out the intense profile of the grappa providing roundness, nuts, and honey. Nicely done. 

We stuck to mostly their dry wines and for the whites, their traditional dry Vidal Blanc ($14.99) being the consensus among our party. The wine provides plenty of tropical and stone fruit notes and refreshing acidity -- excellent for a sunny, autumn day. Their Chambourcin 2016 ($19.99) is still one of the best produced in the Free State, aged two years in oak, and shows loads of dark fruit (without the jamminess) with a round slightly tannic finish. We tried the single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot but these grapes are better represented in the Proprietor's Select Meritage 2014 ($39.99) -- a proprietary blend aged two years in new Hungarian oak barrels.  A mouthful of structured fruit and a lasting tail. Fiore is an east-coast pioneer in planting Sangiovese and offers two versions in their tasting room. The Sangiovese 2013 ($19.99) is a fresher wine whereas the Proprietor's Select Sangiovese 2014 ($39.99) is aged longer in new Hungarian oak barrels which helps create a fuller character with some earthiness and chocolate mixing with the dark fruit. The final wine was the Green Apple Riesling ($12.99) which is also canned and a little sweeter than the others. However, the tartness of the apples and acidity from the Riesling helps alleviate that sensation for a refreshing palate cleanser. 

During the visit, we learned more about the area and hope to return soon to visit the neighboring breweries (in both PA and MD) and hike to Kilgore Falls --  Maryland’s second-highest free-falling waterfall. See what other craft beverage operations are in the area using theCompass Craft Beverage Finder. Cheers. 

Missouri Wine: The Basics

Source: Missouri Wine and Grape Board

In the 1870s, 6 million acres of French vineyards were destroyed by a mysterious plague. Desperate, the French government invited Missouri's first entomologist Charles V. Riley to diagnose the situation. He determined that the vines were suffering by an infestation of phylloxera, most likely introduced by imported American vines. Riley also suggested the idea of grafting vinifera vines to native American rootskocks were immune to the louse and introduced French authorities to growes such as George Husmann, Hermann Jaeger, and Isador Bush. Subsequently, millions of cuttings of Missouri rootstock saved the French wine industry from disaster. (1)

Source: Missouri Wine and Grape Board

At the time seeking out a Missouri specialist was a logical choice as the state was one of the largest producers in the country.  Early in American history, European immigrants brought their wine-making skills with them as they settled west of the Mississippi River. In 1699 French immigrants founded Ste. Genevieve, situated on the Mississippi River. German immigrants settled along the Missouri River and in 1837 founding Hermann (Missouri's Rhine Village) whereas Italian immigrants settled slightly south near St. James. These three areas became focal points of early Missouri wine production.  Wines from Stone Hill Winery, which the German immigrant Michael Poeschel began building in 1847, won eight gold medals at world fairs between 1873 and 1904. And by the turn of the century, Missouri was the second largest producer just behind California. Then came Prohibition and the end of the Missouri wine industry.

Source: Missouri Wine and Grape Board

In modern times the Missouri wine industry has rebounded thanks to the work of individual proprietors and the Missouri Wine and Grape Board.  According to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), in 2017, Missouri produced 1.2 million gallons of bottled wine making it the 18th most prolific producer in the U.S. This production derives from over 130 wineries with even more grape growers (425) resulting in 1,700 acres under vine. The economic impact is substantial, providing $3.2 billion to the local economy. Geographically, Missouri contains five American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) Augusta, Hermann, Ozark Highlands, the Ozark Mountain AVA which resides jointly in the Ozark Highlands and the Hermann AVA, and the Loess Hills AVA shared with Iowa.

Source: Missouri Wine and Grape Board

The Show Me State is a difficult climate to grow wines with micro-climates near rivers best able to moderate harsh winter conditions.  Vinifera grapes are very rare with a majority of the grapes hardier French hybrids, native labrusca, and Vitis aestivalis -- the signature Norton grape. It was this Norton grape that most likely was awarded the world fair medals and quite possibly the culprit in introducing phylloxera to Europe. The grape was first discovered in Richmond in 1823 by Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton and is thought to be a result of random pollination between Pinot Meunier and a now extinct hybrid known as Bland. The grape became a staple at nurseries where European immigrants procured vines on their journey west. See below for descriptions of the most planted Missouri wine grapes.

In Missouri, most of the wineries are located in the east, particularly around the towns mentioned above: Hermann, St. James, and Ste. Genevieve. However, there are wineries sprinkled throughout the state with several located in the northwest around Kansas City. These wineries encompass two wine trails, the Northwest Missouri Wine Trail and the Kansas City Wine Trail. Next week I will be visiting a half dozen of these wineries as well as sampling wines from several others during a trip sponsored by Visit Kansas City and the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. Follow #mowine on all social media platforms and Missouri Wine for subsequent posts on the trip. Cheers.

Wine Grapes

Catawba
Catawba is an American Vitis labruscana grape that was discovered near the Catawba River in North Carolina. It is a pinkish blue grape that is processed as a white wine grape. The 180-day growing season in southern Missouri allows Catawba to ripen fully and avoid the high acid levels encountered in other eastern grape growing areas. It is one of the "foxiest" of labrusca grapes and is usually used to make sweet or sparkling wine.

Chambourcin
This is a French-American hybrid grape that is flexible in that it can produce full-bodied dry red wines, medium bodied off-dry wines, structured rosé wines, and even sweeter wines. In general, the wines are characterized by juicy cherries, earthiness, and soft tannins.

Chardonel
This hybrid grape is a cross between Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc developed in 1996 at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, New York. Like both its parents it can be fermented in oak or stainless steel barrels, and the grapes produce a dry and full-bodied wine.

Norton
Genetically the same, this wine may be bottled as either Norton or Cynthiana. Norton/Cynthiana is an American grape, Vitis aestivalis, which was found in 1835 near Richmond, Virginia. The clusters are small to medium-sized with small blue-black berries, hardy, and extremely vigorous. It is one of the most disease resistant grape varieties, with some resistance even to black rot. Generally, Norton is made into medium-full bodied dry red wines with plenty of aging ability because of its high acid content.

Seyval Blanc
This is a French-American hybrid grape that makes a good all-purpose neutral, crisp, white wine that is light to medium in body. Barrel fermented Seyval Blanc wines take on an oak complexity indicative of Chardonel.

Traminette
This wine is known for its floral character and is made in a range from dry to semi-dry or even semi-sweet. It was developed in 1996 at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York and is a cross between Joannes Seyve 23.416 and Gewürztraminer. Export floral aromas, citrus, tangy acidity and a touch of spice.

Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc is a French-American hybrid grape that is generally made from dry to semi-dry to sweet. The wines are generally clean with floral notes, citrus and apple flavors, and juicy acidity. It is also known for dessert style and late harvest wines.

Vignoles
This is another French-American hybrid and versatile grape as it produces wines ranging from dry to sweet, late harvest dessert wines. Vignoles provides an abundant floral aroma and pineapple and apricot flavors. The vines have good cold hardiness and a later bud opening period than most wine grape cultivars, thus making it less susceptible to late frost damage. Thus a popular wine for both the consumer and producer.

(1) The History of Missouri Wine

Borderless Wine from Harvest Ridge Winery

Straddling the border between Delaware and Maryland along the Mason-Dixon line lies Harvest Ridge Winery. Whereas the winery and a majority of the estate vineyards reside in Delaware, a significant block of estate vines are planted in the Free State. In fact, one of the original Mason-Dixon witness stone and crown markers, number 47, is located on the property. After fifteen years of home winemaking, Chuck Nunan converted his family farm to an estate vineyard by planting a series of vinifera grapes in 2011. After the winery opened in late 2013, he expanded the original planting of Chardonnay, Viognier, Malbec, and Merlot to include both Cabernets, Chambourcin, Vidal, Barbera, and several other grape varieties. He also hired Jason Hopwood, who had experience in Sonoma and the Finger Lakes, as the head winemaker. This growth enables Harvest Ridge to provide over fifteen wines in their tasting room as well as a new cider brand Rebel Seed.

I arrived on a Friday just after noon (Friday - Sunday they open at 12) and several visitors had beaten me to the tasting room. Harvest Ridge offers three different flights of eight wines for $7 (dry, sweet, and the mixed variety). There is also a cider flight at the same price and additional samples can be purchased as well as wine and cider by the glass or bottle. Children and outside food are allowed inside and on the outside courtyard but you will need to keep your dogs leashed outside.

I chose the mixed flight in order to gain an appreciation for the winery's many styles. For dry whites, they offer two styles of Chardonnay ($22), one unoaked, the other barrel fermented. I was more intrigued with the 2016 White Wine No. 47 ($17) - note the marker reference - that is a 90-10 blend of Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay. The wine has depth you normally don't associate with Vidal combined with the characteristic floral and spice profiles. A nice summer-beach wine. Similarly the 2016 Red Wine No. 47 ($17) is light and refreshing. This blend of Chambourcin, Barbera, and Landot Noir can also be served slightly chilled as there are few tannins. And as a single varietal wine, the 2016 Barbera ($25) shows excellent promise. It is, again, light bodied with subtle spice, moderate tannins, and abundant acids. Harvest Ridge offered two rosé wines with the Rosé of Chambourcin Country Bloom ($16) included in the tasting. The grapes macerate on their skins for 48 hours providing a blush like color and this clean wine is targeted more to that style with its 5% residual sugar. Also high in sugar is the 2016 Blue Hen Blue ($16) a blend of blueberries and concord grapes. Because of the berries acidity I was attracted more to this wine than the rosé as the grapey character of the concord was also restrained.

Finally, I was able to sample three dessert wines starting with the Portella ($18) made from a Muscat descendant Aromella -- which was recently bred at Cornell University. The wine possesses a raison-fig profile with a strong floral and spicy aroma. The 2015 Chamfort ($22) is a Chambourcin based ruby port styled wine fortified with neutral grape spirits and exuding chewy blackberries and chocolate. Last up was the 2013 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($15) that reminded me of the Tokaji styled dessert wines with the strong apricot flavor combined with smoked almonds. Quite Nice.

Off the Beaten Trail in Virginia Wine Country with Rosemont Vineyards

Located in a remote area of the Commonwealth, Rosemont Vineyards and Winery is relatively disadvantaged when selling their wine. It is the sole craft beverage producer situated in southeastern Virginia along I-85 -- which runs from I-95 south of Richmond-St. Petersburg to the Raleigh-Durham triangle. Since they cannot leverage an existing wine or craft beverage trail to attract consumer traffic, they must attract customers through the quality of their portfolio. That is what enticed us to visit the winery as well as most other visitors who travel from Richmond, Raleigh, and nearby Lake Gaston.

The 450 acre Rosemont Estate has been a working farm ever since the Rose family purchased the property in 1858. In 2003 Stephen Rose, along with his wife Chandra, returned home and planted 22 acres worth of grapevines. And in 2007 they produced their first wines using an underground and modern gravity-flow wine production facility. Their son Justin volunteered to assume the winemaker position and "subsequently enrolled at Napa Valley College to study viticulture and enology while interning at O’Shaughnessy Winery and Capiaux Cellars." Since their first release, the vineyard continues to expand as the winery maintains releasing only estate wines.

Upon arriving at the winery, their large tasting facility is partly enclosed by newly planted vines and a large picnic area suitable for dogs and children. Inside there are also spacious accommodations both at the tasting bar and at various tables to enjoy a sip at your leisure. Tasting fees are $10.00 per person which amounted to 11 wines during our visit, with each wine reasonably priced.

Traminette 2016 ($16.95) - the grape is a cross of the French American hybrid Joannes Seyve 23.416 and Gewürztraminer with the intention to produce the distinct varietal character of its vinifera parent. And this dry wine lives up to that reputation. It possesses the floral aromatics of Gewürztraminer as well as it's distinct spicy character. The winery recommends serving with spicy foods or oysters.

Virginia White ($14.95) - is a bright, dry wine blend of Vidal Blanc, Chardonel and Traminette. There is abundant stone fruit and citrus character throughout - from the nose to the tail - creating a refreshing summer sipper.

Pinot Grigio 2017 ($18.95) - in 2016 Rosemont lost 88% of their Pinot Grigio crop to frost and as a result, experimented by barrel fermented the harvested fruit. That process was well received so they continued into 2017 with a portion of the grapes fermented in barrel. This results in a wine with more body than anticipated while retaining the refreshing green apple and acidity character. One of our favorite wines.

Rosé 2017 ($18.95) - produced from lightly pressed Chambourcin grapes that combines both strawberry and tart cherry with refreshing acidity. This wine is what attracted us to visit and we were not disappointed.

Virginia Red ($15.95) - is a medium bodied blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin and Syrah. This is an easy sipper - perhaps an entry point into red wine - with hints of oak and tobacco that melds with the cherry profile.

Syrah 2015 ($19.95) - this is a medium bodied wine that still packs plenty of fruit alongside the grape's spicy character. Although it spent 16 months in oak before bottling it is not overdone as the vanilla easily mingles with the spice and fruit.

Merlot 2015 ($20.95) - an estate favorite as Rosemont believes their Merlot "shows the best of our terroir" and it was the wine we opened at the hotel that night. It is a delicious wine, plenty of berry fruit with hints of chocolate and baking spices. The winery suggests pairing with rustic Italian, hard cheeses, and steak; but we preferred solo surrounding a fire pit.

Cabernet Franc 2015 ($22.95) - this was once considered Virginia's unofficial signature grape as its relatively thick skins and loose clusters handle the region's high humidity. This release includes 12% Merlot which softens the wine's prolific profile. This wine would still benefit from aging to soften the remaining rich tannin structure and spicy and nutty characters. We have a couple that hit the cellar on our return.

Kilravock 2015 ($32.95) - is a Meritage blend of 40% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, and 24% Petit Verdot and named from the Scottish castle where the Rose family traces their ancestry. This is an excellent wine, our favorite of the reds, with a structured backbone, leather and tobacco, and a little vanilla to soften the finish. The tannins and finish are also very approachable. Nicely done.

Lake Country Sunset ($12.50) - the first sweet wine in the portfolio is made from a blend of early and late harvest Vidal Blanc. It is sweet, but the grape's acidity counters the sugar allowing the citrus and stone fruit to shine through.  At this price, it's worth opening at dock side.

Blackridge Red ($12.50) - made from 100% Chambourcin, this wine is sweet and jammy. Although well made, for my palate, the acids do not compensate enough for the high sugar profile. But residents of the area seem to disagree.

Barrel Tasting at Maryland's Catoctin Breeze Vineyard

We returned to Catoctin Breeze Vineyard last weekend shortly after our ski visit in order to attend a club barrel tasting event. The session was led by winemaker Mike Lentini who had pulled barrel samples of four future releases. The first was an upcoming rosé made from gently pressed Chambourcin grapes grown by a grower in Maryland's St. Mary's County. This vineyard benefits from sandy soils and marine coastal influences and is in an area that Dr. Joe Fiola (Extension Specialist in Viticulture and Small Fruit for the University of Maryland) has championed for years. This Chambourcin rosé is already delicious and showcases the versatility of the fruit. It is light and fresh with plenty of acids and is no comparison to the Syrah rosé wine currently on display. Expect an early summer release.

The tasting then turned to three reds starting with a Petit Verdot, sourced from the same St. Mary's vineyard. This will be a big wine, huge, with hoards of jammy dark fruit, abundant tannins, and juicy acidity. The current condition of the wine reflects the grape's thick skins and natural acidity and will benefit tremendously with additional barrel aging and bottle conditioning. Expect an early winter 2018-2019 release. A future estate grown Cabernet Franc is in a similar condition. It is big and raw with plenty of flavor and inherent pepper characters. Mike believes that Cab Franc is the future for Maryland red wine (I saw a similar pattern with their southerly neighbor) and the winery intends to capitalize on their productive estate vineyard. Expect the same release schedule as the Petit Verdot. The final red was the future vintage of Concerto, their signature Bordeaux blend -- which in this release will be majority Cabernet Franc, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. This wine is ready now, even out white wine preferring friends easily quaffed this delicious blend. Expect, I believe, a fall 2018 release.

By chance during a tour of the events area, Mike happened to spot a floater in a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that was being stored for a spring-summer release. This is another wine that I preferred more than the current release available in the tasting room. It is fresh, citrus - but not lemongrass - with a nice saline character. Perhaps another sourced from St. Marys?

After a round of sampling through their Sweet ($8) and Signature ($10) wine tastings I wanted to comment on the meads. The have three honey wines available, all from a large 2010 vintage and each has a touch of sweetness without any clawing sugary aftertaste. The Honeymmon ($25) is blended with orange juice and feels like fall whereas the Amber ($23) is spiced with Christmas flavors. Both are solid meads. However we came home with a bottle of the Dolce Vita ($24), a melomel mead made with blackberries. The berry flavors are prevalent with the sweet honey kicking in near the tail. Nicely done.

When leaving we decided to also tour the three covered bridges in Frederick County all within 10 miles of the winery. In fact, the closest, Loy's Station, is only a half mile past the winery on Roddy Road. These are impressive structures which even Civil War soldiers respected while marching through the area. After theCompass Craft Beverage Finder navigates you to Orchard Cellars continue to these bridges. Cheers.

A Quick Flight into Charlottesville's Adventure Farm Winery

A couple weekends ago we visited Charlottesville and on the drive down Route 29 decided to visit a relative new and somewhat obscure winery: Adventure Farm. Located just outside the Charlottesville Airport north of town, the farm land was purchased by Morris Chisholm in 1950. Back then, the airport didn't exit and this area was traditional country farmland and pastures - which it remained while the city slowly encroached ever closer. Since the 1950s the Chisholm family has raised beef cattle (Angus-Salare) goats, pigs, and chicken as well as grow various crops. And in 2006 they planted a vineyard consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Chardonnay, and Viognier. As with most ventures, viticulture led to winemaking and Adventure Farms leverages the services of esteemed Michael Shaps and his Wineworks.

On our visit there were five estate wines on the tasting lineup starting with the 2015 Chardonnay ($21). Half the wine undergoes malolatic fermentation and the finished wine is aged eight months in one year old French Oak. The process provides considerable depth and creaminess to this wine without the overbearing buttery-toffee characters. A great value at this price. The 2015 Viognier ($28) is fresh and floral with strong peach flavors. Fermented in steel and aged just four months in neutral oak, this is a refreshing and very acidic wine. The 2015 Rosé ($19) is another fine bargain made from 95% Chambourcin and 5% Cabernet Franc. There's plenty of bright red fruit and acids with the Chambourcin providing a little spicy kick to the finish. The 2014 Gigi Red Blend ($22) is also predominately Chambourcin (25%) with the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an entry level red, low in tannins, plenty of acids - very smooth on the palate. Perhaps serve a little chilled. But the star of the tasting was undoubtedly the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($32). The wine is aged 18 months in French Oak, which provides a lush, velvety body but doesn't overwhelm the strong dark cherry characters. Even with noticeable tannins, the finish is very smooth and  mature.

Adventure Farm hosts several festivals and weekend live music. This is a definite spot to visit and theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will get your there. Cheers.

A Holistic Farm Winery in Montgomery County Maryland: Rocklands Farm

On June 27, 1863 Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and 5,000 cavalrymen began crossing the Potomac River at Rowser's Ford in Seneca, Montgomery County Maryland. His immediate destination was Rockville and wagon trains to capture with a long term destination into Pennsylvania - launching the Gettysburg Campaign. But in Seneca his troops burned boats, damaged the locks on the C&O canal, and helped themselves to the produce and meat from the rich farmland that is now the Agricultural Reserve of Montgomery County.

One of these farms was most likely the predecessor of Rocklands Farm - a farm winery practicing "holistic" agriculture. The farm raises chickens, hogs, cattle, sheep, and goats as well as growing numerous types of vegetables and fruit - which includes 8 acres of vines.  These vineyards consist of diverse grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chambourcin, Norton, and Concord for reds and Chardonnay, Chardonel, Gruner Veltliner, and Semillon for whites. The winemaker is TJ Fleming - a middle school science teacher who helped start the winery while also studying Enology and Viticulture through UC Davis.

On our visit on a late Saturday afternoon the winery was crowded with visitors walking the farm, lounging about, or participating in a wedding. However the tasting bar was wide open to sample their eight wines available that day. In general these wines were well made and represented the varietals they encapsulated. And the gentlemen pouring the wines was extremely informed regarding the grape varieties. For the whites the semi-dry Honey Blossom Vidal Blanc ($19) was spot on floral, citrusy and acidic. The dry White Oak Chardonnay Blend ($24) was very interesting, shades of slightly oaked Chardonnay but also hints of 16% Chardonel, 8% Vidal Blanc, and 4% Grüner Veltliner. I brought a bottle to a family function that evening and it quickly disappeared. The five reds ranged from a light bodied, but spicy Farmhouse Chambourcin Blend ($23) and a unique off-dry Medley Sparkling Chambourcin ($23) to a much darker and stronger Montevideo Petit Verdot Blend ($35). And the tasting concludes with a clean dessert wine in the Bramble ($25) which consists of Blackberries, Chambourcin, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Rocklands Farm is a destination winery in the sense that there is no reason to leave - spend the day walking the farm, enjoying the brick oven pizza and wine. And as always, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will show you the way. Cheers.

Linganore Winecellars Barrel Tasting: The Future Looks Bright

This year Linganore Winecellars is celebrating it's 40th anniversary as the winery opened in 1976 after planting their first vines 1972. They relied on Cornell University to help determine which grape varieties to plant and eventually became a test vineyard for their experiential grapes. In 1978 the winery augmented their grape production with fruit wines after a local plum grower lost a verbal contract. Today Linganore is a giant among local wineries producing 155 thousand gallons annually. And they are proud of their upcoming 2016 offerings and organized an industry tasting of these wines in preparation for a similar consumer barrel tasting available this weekend. Mostly known for their festival style and fruit wines, Linganore also produces a wide range of dry and off-dry wines. These wines were the focus of our visit.

Second generation winemaker Anthony Aellen, Marketing Director Jessica Garcia, and a trio of young winemakers led our group on a tasting of several wines fermenting and aging for a future release.  After a brief introduction about the history of the Aellen family and winery (available here) we entered the tank room to sample the off-dry, Cayuga based White Raven. In the past this wine was 100% Cayuga but this year they blended it with 18% Chardonnay which added much needed weight. At .5% R.S., this wine comes off completely dry.  Later in the tasting room we sampled the current release which falls flat in comparison.

We then moved to the barrel room laden with rows of American, French, and even Bulgarian oak barrels. We started with the a sample of the base that will eventually become their méthode champenoise Sparkling Cuvee. The Vignoles grapes were harvested early in order to retain more acids and is currently aging in neutral oak. There is still an element of toastiness that blends with the grape's citrus flavors.  I'm looking forward to seeing this base transition to a sparkling wine. We next tasted what will become their Reserve Chardonnay. This wine will eventually see eight months in oak and we we tasted it half way through the process. It starts with a buttery aroma, but the oak influences fade as the Chardonnay flavors dominate to the finish. Linganore's winemakers are waiting for the oak to integrate in finish and then it's off to bottling. Again, later in the tasting room, we sampled the current 2014 Reserve Chardonnay and it was fantastic. Perhaps the best wine from Linganore that I had tasted - bright fruit, texture, just a little oak presence, and plenty of acids. We concluded our tasting of whites with a Late Harvest Vignoles that is in it's second year in barrel. I was ready to take this home now, layers of creamy lemons unfolded throughout the palate. I wonder where this wine is headed?

Moving to reds, Linganore grows Chambourcin, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even Barbera -- although they usually augment their Barbera with fruit from a grower near Westminster. In 2015 the winery was able to harvest the Chambourcin and Petit Verdot just before a two week rain deluge, but the Cabernet had to wait until after the storms. The Cab and Barbera were still undergoing malolatic fermentation, which all reds undertake in order to reduce their acid levels, so we sampled just the Chambourcin and Petit Verdot. Both of these were from three year old vines producing their first commercial harvest. And they were tasting well, particularly the PV which possessed loads of deep cherry flavors. They may bottle this as a single varietal wine or it may be used to augment the Cabernet in their Red Skins wine. We were also able to sample three dry reds in the bottle which were just waiting on labels before release. Their Bacioni (Italian for "A Big Kiss") is Barbara based and is a fruit forward friendly wine with easy tannins on the finish. And at $15, a great value. The Estate Chambourcin is more complex but still easy on the palate. And the Reserve Cabernet, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, is tasting nicely as well. This is a creamy textured wine with more tannins and acids than the previous two. Nicely done again.

Our last endeavor was to sample their Port styled wines aging in barrel, all fortified with neutral grape spirits. We started with their 2015 Ruby Chambourcin that has been in barrel for only three months. It was big, but aggressive with acids taking over the profile. We then sampled the 2014 Ruby Chambourcin that was entering it's second year in barrel. The contrast showed the benefits of this extra year as the wine was rounder, the caramel flavors more prevalent, and it had a much more pleasant finish. Afterwards Anthony couldn't help himself and indulged us with a barrel tasting of their Black Raspberry port styled wine. He's justly proud of this wine. First you don't find that many black raspberry wines, but also, this wine tastes exactly like the fruit. He and the other winemakers at Linganore are justly proud of their upcoming releases. There's no reason to wait until a music festival. Visit anytime.

Touring the Route 17 Wine Road in Virginia's Piedmont

I've driven through the intersection of Route 29 and Route 17 probably a hundred times on trips to Charlottesville and elsewhere but have never stopped at any of the wineries just south of Warrenton. That changed this past weekend as I traveled directly to the middle of Virginia's Piedmont in order to visit three area wineries. Granite Heights is also located in the area but closes for the winter. And as always, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will guide you to these wineries.

Molon Lave Vineyards
This winery is owned by the Papadopoulos family, the same Greek family who started Mediterranean Cellars. The vines for Molon Lave were planted in 2003 with the winery and Tasting Room opening in late 2009. The utilize primarily estate fruit and are the first winery in Virginia to produce Kosher wines. A rabbi travels down from New York to supervise all phases from harvest to pressing and fermenting to ensure the designation. And like Mediterranean Cellars they produce a a traditional Greek Retsina styled wine, the Kokineli ($28) rosé that has less of a resin profile than Mediterranean's version.

A tasting during this visit consisted of eight wines for $8 with a very traditional wine list (outside of the Kokinelli. The 2012 Chardonnay ($24) is one of their Kosher offerings and is showing nicely with lively acids and just a tad of butter from the oak treatment. The 2013 Viognier ($26) also sees some oak and is made off dry at 1.5% R.S. The acids penetrate any sweetness thus this wines tastes like dry honeysuckles. Their 2013 Pinot Grigio ($32) is also produced off dry at 2% R.S. and is a tasty wine, but $32 - for Pinot Grigio - I think that's asking a lot.

Chambourcin is a French hybrid that gets a bad rap and I think Molon  Lave produces two nice versions, first the 2014 Katie's Charm ($24) fermented and aged in stainless steel. There's plenty of fruit and approachable tannins to make this one an easy sipper. On the other hand the 2013 Chambourcin ($26) is aged 18 months in oak to created a bigger wine with more spices and tannins. Take your pick according to the style you prefer. Their two biggest wines are the 2013 Merlot ($28) and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)  aged 12 and 18 months respectively. Black fruit are prevalent on both with the main difference being the Cabernet Sauvignon has a more black pepper profile and is Kosher. I definitely enjoyed the visit to Molon Lave and see it know as a launching point to travel further south on Route 29.


Grey Horse Vineyards
This is a new winery that is still waiting on it's two year old estate vineyard to yield fruit. Thus, they source most of the juice from Molon Lave Vineyards and other Virginia vineyards. The winery has a large spacious and comfortable tasting room where they provide live music for visitors. Andrew O'Day was onstage this day. And this was a popular spot with a group event and several people lining the tasting bar. Grey Horse offers a Standard Tasting of 5 wines for $10 and a Premium Tasting of four wines plus the Canter ($52) port-styled wine. I chose the Standard Tasting and chose the Bethany's White 2014 ($31, Viognier and Vidal Blanc), Over Fences 2013 ($31, Chardonnay and Viogner), Chardonnay 2012 ($29), Merlot 2012 ($35) , and Equidae 2012 ($36, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). On the positive side, the two reds were very nice with the Merlot creamy, spicy, and showing solid tannins while the Equidae had less spices and body but a friendlier finish. On the negative side, the Over Fences and Chardonnay were flawed with the over abundance of volatile acidity tainting the wine. Also, the wines are over priced - $30 for a white wine - particularly wines aged in stainless steel.  And $10 for a tasting of 5 wines; should be half that price. Recommended to people who like red wine and live music.

Morais Vineyards & Winery
In contrast to Grey Horse, there wasn't much to complain about Morais Vineyards. The Morais family has been making wine in Portugal for over a century and Jose Morais, with his fourth generation winemaker Vitor Guimarãis, have brought Portuguese wine culture to the Commonwealth. Opened in 2011, the winery has an elegant event center for weddings and a similarly elegant tasting facility - a circular building hosting a circular tasting bar. Families will enjoy the spacious grounds and play areas; but on this visit I enjoyed the wines. They offer two tasting flights, the Classic Tasting of eight wines for $8 and the Deluxe Tasting of the Classic plus four dessert wines for $15. The winery also provides a platter consisting of cheese, chocolate, and salami to suggest potential pairings for each wine.

I chose the Deluxe and thought all the wines well made with several unique offerings. First, the Portuguese influence is present with the fruity and creamy Verdello ($22, 12%) and the spicy Touriga ($25). And the Battlefield ($21) is made in the Vinho Verde style but is an interesting blend of 60% Vidal Blanc and 40% Albarino weighing in at a measly 10% abv. Picked early, these grapes possess plenty of green apple flavors. The final white was an excellent Sauvignon Blanc ($22) which blended seamlessly with its suggested food pairing - salami.  Their Rosé ($21)  is a bleed from 100% Cabernet Franc, but I preferred the resulting Cabernet Franc ($23) red wine with its slightly creamy flavor and solid acids. The Merlot ($24) and Select Red ($25) - a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc - rounded out the reds and are were both very nice wines.

The winery's dessert wines were getting plenty of attention from my fellow visitors that day and I quickly learned why. The Cherry ($17/375ml) is made from sour cherries in the a style reminiscent of the Portuguese dessert wine Ginjinha and is fantastic. I guess I could say all the dessert wines were fantastic or very close. The Moscatel ($27) is 100% Muscat of Alexandria and possess the expected floral aromas with only subtle hints of alcohol. The Jeropiga ($17/375ml) is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc fermented with a cinnamon stick and fortified with grape brandy. And of course they must offer a port styled wine; the MV Tawny ($28) made from 100% Touriga and simple delicious.

The tasting room staff was also a pleasure to meet. When not familiar with a question they quickly escalated the question to someone who may and were knowledgeable about the winery and products. And the prices were very reasonable for a Virginia made wine, particularly wines produced primarily from estate grapes. Well worth a visit.

Loudoun's Creek's Edge Winery - A Relaxing Destination

Question? Which community holds the two oldest standing houses in Loudoun County, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is home to a new farm winery? The answer is Taylorstown, a small village two miles south of the Potomac River that was first settled in 1734 by Richard Brown who build a mill over the Catoctin Creek. The two oldest standing houses are "Hunting Hill" and "Foxton Cottage" - both located directly across the Catoctin Creek from each other.

The new farm winery is Creek's Edge Winery, which was established by Tedd Durden in 2010. The estate vineyard consists of 4.5 acres of vines such as Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Amish structure housing the winery and tasting room is magnificent, even at night when we ventured over.  Although we missed the views of the estate, nighttime has another advantage, particularly Sunday night when the remain open until 7PM and occasionally live music. The winery charges $8 for a standard tasting and $15 for an expanded menu. I chose the standard and learned that most of the wine is Virginia grown except for the Riesling and Sangiovese which are sourced from Washington state.  The Virginia fruit is sourced from a neighboring Lovettsville vineyard as well as southern Virginia. The wines for the standard tasting are listed below (with my immediate thoughts) and the prices were pretty consistent within the Loudoun community.  Overall the wines were solid; I enjoyed the Pinot Gris the most . Add in the ambiance and Creek's Edge Winery is a relaxing destination in the Loudoun County Wine Trail. And theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will guide you to historic Taylorstown.

• 2014 Pinot Gris ($26) - peaches
• 2014 Stainless Chardonnay ($26) - green apple
• 2012 Chardonnay ($28) - lots of butter
• 2014 Riesling ($25) - 2.5RS a solid wine
• 2014 Rosé of Sangiovese ($25) - strawberry acids
• NV Chambourcin ($24) nice fruit, slight pepper
• 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) - very smooth, light green pepper
• 2012 Merlot ($30) - slight earthiness, low fruit, black pepper

A Quick Visit to Knob Hall Winery in Maryland Wine Country

While traveling west on Route 70, a little past Hagerstown, I stopped for gas at the Clear Spring exist and checked theCompass to check my surroundings. And to my benefit Knob Hall Winery was only a short drive away. I first crossed paths with the winery at the the 2013 DrinkLocalWine.com Conference, where I sampled their Chambourcin and sat at a dinner table with owners Richard and Mary Beth Seibert, with Mary Beth being one of only a few female winemakers in the state. The property has been in the Seibert family for more than 200 years when Jacob Seibert (an immigrant from Germany) settled there. The stone section of the house was built in the early 1800’s and the barn which houses the tasting room in 1865. They sure built solid buildings back then. 

In order to keep the farm self sustaining (profitable), they turned to grapes - not too surprising since Richard was an original partner in the old Wild Goose Brewery, one of my favorite escapes to the eastern shore. The estate backs to the eastern slope of Fairview Mountain and contains parcels of red clay and limestone.  It even resides in Maryland's most western AVA - the Cumberland Valley AVA.  The Seibert's planted mostly vinifera Albarino, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petite Verdot; but also a few hybrids: Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Viognier, and Chambourcin.

The winery produces a wide portfolio, from dry to sweet, all to satisfy local tastes. On my visit, I concentrated on the dry side and was particularly fond of the reds and rosés. Their Jealous Mistress is an  80-20 blend of Chambourcin and Merlot with a spicy berry aroma, followed by berry flavors and a slightly spicy finish. The N39 is an unoaked Chambourcin blended with oaked Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This is an easy drinking wine - probably serve slightly chilled. And then there's their single varietal Chambourcin, which was a decent amount of spice throughout. As for the rosés, there are two dry versions to sample. The Chambourcin Rosé is light and tart with nice acids. My favorite, however, was the Cabernet Franc Rosé - tart juicy with a creamy strawberry texture. This wine melts in your mouth.

A Much Belated Return to Willowcroft Farm Winery

This weekend I realized that it had been almost eight years since I last visited Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, located just southwest of Leesburg in Loudoun County Virginia. Don't know why the long hiatus, but Sunday night we used theCompass mobile application to navigate to the winery.  Good timing, since the winery is celebrating it's 30th anniversary in 2014 - one of the oldest in the Commonwealth. Once a space opened at the tasting bar, our tasting room rep, Lydia, guided us through the winery's portfolio and history.  (We also found a couple books in the tasting room that describe the history of the properties on Mt. Gilead.) 

All the wines we tasted were harvested directly from the estate, except for the Petit Manseng which is sourced further southwest in the Shenandoah Valley.  We sampled most of their wines, and in general, I was quite impressed. Almost all possessed the characteristics you would expect from each grape.  The estate grown Albarino was my favorite white (floral with nice acidity), followed by the Harmony and Cabernet Blanc. The former is an semi-dry blend of Petit Manseng, Vidal Blanc and Traminette (great acidity to balance the sugar); whereas the later is a lightly pressed Cabernet Franc that tastes of the lighter side of cherries. Moving on the reds, the Petit Verdot was medium bodied with mellow tannins; the Chambourcin was also medium bodied with a spicy tail, and the Merlot was full bodied - very smooth and tasty.

I plan on returning very soon, particularly when the medal winning Cabernet Franc and Apple wine are released to the public. Lydia almost talked me into the Wine Club, and I think I can be persuaded on my next visit. Since the strength of their portfolio encompasses the breadth of the wine selection, I think I can be assured that every two months I'll receive a wine I enjoy. Cheers.