Guest post by The Norton Wine Travelers:
A couple of years ago we had the opportunity to visit eight Virginia Norton vineyards. It was time to return to as many of the remaining twenty-two Norton vineyards as possible to explore this great potential experience. Thanks go out to http://www.wine-compass.com for help in navigating the hills and dales needed to find these east coast Norton wineries.
On our first trip we began a Norton wine exploration by visiting Abingdon Vineyard & Winery, Bluemont Vineyards, Burnley Vineyards, Cooper Vineyards, Horton Vineyards, Keswick Vineyards, Rockbridge Vineyards, and The Winery at La Grange vineyards. We were particularly fond of the Norton wines found on that trip at Abingdon, Horton, Rockbridge and especially Cooper Vineyards. Some were better than others in 2008, but just like the grape in the fields, each year has new winners and sometimes, disappointments. Vintages vary within the course of nature’s flow and vintners’ intentions. It was time for us to return and see the changes and new approaches to Virginia’s Norton offerings.
In most vineyards we were served newly opened bottles making evaluation difficult of Norton wines needing to breathe extensively before enjoying. Also some tastings started as early as 10:00 am and others were enjoyed after a long day’s drive in the late evening. Many factors could have influenced our tasting reactions, but in the end we hope this will whet your appetite for visiting the following wineries and letting us know your reactions.
We started our most resent trip to Virginia visiting Peaks of Otter Winery and Orchards near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Upon finding the orchard, $3.00 can provide you with a small tasting glass which you can keep, or you can opt out for a free tasting using one of Peak’s little plastic dental sippy spit cups. Makes no difference what your preference, the tasting will be so small that only the bottom of the glass/sippy cup will be coated with the pour. The tasting sheet consists of a Mountain Sunrise Norton, a Sheep Creek Ruby Cab Franc and a plethora of Peach, Fig, Apple, Crabapple, Acia-apple, Tomato-apple, Blackberry, Pear, Plum, Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Raspberry fruit bomb wines. If that is not enough fruits, how about trying their 30 variety peppers Kiss the Devil chili pepper wine. Some will really like these sweet fruit wines in wonderful variations of bottle designs and colors. As for their Norton wine, my wife thought it potable without sourness, but I thought the flavors were very acidic. Trust my wife or just go with my negative flow. Let’s come away with a positive note. Their Apple wine reminded us of a once purchased sweet “Cloudberry” wine. What’s easier for you, traveling to Virginia’s POW for apple wine or Newfoundland for Cloudberry wine?
Next was an evening run to Lexington Valley Vineyard. Here we found a delightful couple who returned east for “retirement” after working professionally in Missouri. You can call it retirement, but what we observed was a lot of hard work. With chemistry Professor Kelvin Hale and his wife, Janette, a real project is on tap working with grapes in the harsh environs of Lexington, VA. Not only will you find a delightful Chill Norton Rose, but a Southern treat white Traminette which had rhubarb overtones (yum). As for their Norton wines, they offered a 2006 Norton blend with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Good, but I found this silver award winner tainted with dark tar flavors. Their 100% Black Tie Norton is a younger 2007 murky brown wine which hasn’t matured into formal attire at this point. We picked up a couple bottles of their Norton wines for a later 2014 Virginia Norton wine comparison.
. . . . . . . . . ~ Driving along Virginia’s Northern Neck river coastal waterways a few days later, we found blue crab freshly steamed in heavily seasoned river brine. We instinctively went for our Lexington Valley Vineyard young with sharp tannins Norton and were pleased with the pairing of this wine and the incredible treat of spicy crabs. Good for this meal, but unfortunately the Black Tie Norton did not hold up the next day exhibiting cooked raisin flavors and unusually heavy sediments.
Finding Virginia’s oldest continuously operating vineyard, Mountain Cove Vineyards, was only part of the allure. Here we were greeted with not only a nice “folk” Norton blend (Norton, Chambourcin, Cab Franc), but wines made from fruit that was actually fun to taste. This is a place with charm that only a backwoods setting could conjure. Enjoy the wines, but as important, ~ enjoy the people you will meet here. Bring yourself a picnic lunch and find your own special spot to enjoy the day on the farm.
New Kent Winery is a new-fangled venture of homes, golf courses, soon-to-be built 5-star hotel and the like. Be aware that the $10 tasting fee does not apply to purchases. Hot looking facility using recycled woods from eras gone by, but unfortunately real cool taste reactions by us for all seven wines served. We found a brassy Chardonnay and reds that just missed the mark all together. The experience was as artificial as the Richmond, VA stamped heavy ceiling beams which had come from Connecticut. We had to buy their White Norton in the blind since they only had a few bottles left from an earlier vintage. Because of crop failure, another similar Norton will not be available until 2012. First of all, we tend to not find ourselves drinking Rose very often, but were willing to try the NKW White Norton. To make this more palatable, we tried to couple this with an appropriate occasion food pairing. Out came the freshly picked strawberries dipped in chocolate and smiles from dinner guest who finished the first bottle of NKW White Norton in quick order. Good experience and glad we made the effort to pick up bottles of NKW White Norton for this once in a lifetime experience. Until the next NKW White Norton will be available, they are substituting a White Merlot.
We were fortunate in finding the owner and vintner of Belle Mount Vineyards after our late arrival to his winery along the Chesapeake Bay Region. Obviously a big investment had gone into his vineyard venture which included recreational sites, camping area, permanent RV properties, and large banquet lodge facility. Unfortunately they had run out of Norton wine in the tasting room, but he knew of possibly one bottle left in town (which we picked up the next day). He did have a Merlot, Chambourcin, Norton blend created for the 40th anniversary of the Virginia is for Lovers tourism campaign which we found a bit tart and musty. Our host so overwhelmed us with the politics of Virginia wine laws, we were not able to focus on his wine offerings. His over confidence in his wines punched out at us, making it impossible to reflect on them. Returning home we gave this Norton wine time to settle from our travels. We uncorked the bottle and let it breathe for 40 minutes or so. During our pouring, we noticed the term “inky black” certainly applied to this Norton wine - the blackest wine I’ve encountered. This wine had a slight murky aroma and a taste that had minimal sour overtones with very little tannin interference. I had to close my eyes in tasting this wine because the color tainted my opinions. Not a bad Norton wine, but you will have to just take my word for this since he is completely sold out now of this undated Norton wine vintage. He did not give me a date of when he expected to bottle his next Norton grape harvest.
Driving along the Northern Neck peninsula of Virginia between the Rappahannock and Potomac River we arrived at Potomac Point Winery. This is a great setting for a presentation of wines. Their well scripted wine list included wine name, pictured labels, appellation (Virginia vineyard locations), varietal make up of each wine, aging (SS, French & American Oak), alcohol percentage, residual sugars, winemaker tasting notes, cost, and space for your own tasting notes. Wow, we wish other wineries would mimic this wine list layout. At Potomac Point Winery you get a choice of Classic or Reserve tastings ($5 / $10) which was suppose to include the cost of your glass, but alas they had run low on stemware and did not offer a discount or bottle applicable pricing for their retention of the advertised glasses. Lots to choose from, but again we were here for their Norton wine. An unusual cocoa bouquet 2008 wine made from Orange county grapes (leased land near Horton Vineyards) which I was not immediately enamored with, but will put up for a few years and try again in 2013 or later.
Though I did not personally visit Barrel Oak Winery along I-66, a short ride west of Washington, DC, my daughters were there and reported a beautiful new facility “packed house” that was noisy and incredibly hard to get service. It took them literally 20 minutes to buy us a gift case of Barrel Oak Winery 2009 Nortons, an Indy International Red Wine of the Year winner. They are usually pretty insightful about what we would enjoy or not, so we did not go to this vineyard. We did try the BOW Norton wine and decided that the wine would be greatly enhanced with a few years of resting quietly.
Sometimes you just get lucky when finding a small remote vineyard and this was the case at Castle Gruen Vineyards And Winery and its owner-vintner, Dean Gruenburg. We made a concerted effort to find this setting through recommendations made by several Virginia Internet wine bloggers. Usually only open on weekends, Dean was very gracious in meeting us one early weekday. Though only five offered wines from this small family vineyard, you are quickly introduced to a person who is truly in love with his grape works. You just cannot go wrong with any wines at Castle Gruen. From a truly well crafted “Southern” Gewurztraminer style Traminette produced in stainless steel to a drinkable now Merlot (75% Merlot, 10% Alicante Bouschet, 10% Concord, 5% Viognier). His CGVW 2007 Norton is described as ‘Deep, Dark, Vanilla, and Cherry, with Balanced Tannins’. Good description except we did not find this Norton “dark” in color or taste. Dean stated that “the issue is not always the flavors, but the aromas” and this is so true to the bouquet of his light bodied, yet complex California Pinot Noir style produced Norton wine. Sixteen vineyards later on this one trip, my wife found this the most drinkable now Norton, but we both are betting after holding for a few more years we might have one of the best Nortons to be found in Virginia. Don’t leave without considering also their King’s Red blend (Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc). Again, we will hold this wine royalty for a few more years. Dean’s experimentation with wine started at the age of eight (yes, 8) and today he is still looking forward to the latest and different with new grapes coming on line; as, Crimson Red in approximately three years. Thank you Castle Gruen for your time and pleasant wine and visit.
We are betting that DuCard Vineyards will become a Virginia Wines point-of-interest for many wine travelers in the years to come, tucked neatly in a scenic roads Shenandoah mountains valley 45 minutes off I-81. Though only a few offerings at this time selling out very quickly each year, we were so lucky to hook up with Scott Elliff in his busy schedule as he works to finish the new on-site tasting and sales facility scheduled to open in late May, 2010. How wonderful it was having him showing us variations of vine pruning in his vineyards. The ride into the beautiful Madison County area is a memorable part of the journey, followed by a superb drink now or hold 2007 Norton. DuCard’s description lists this wine as an ‘intense and inky-black wine with distinctive aromas’. This wording accurately describes a wonderful, newly discovered, Norton wine. Unique to this vineyard is Scott Elliff’s participation with a nearby technical college in which students “adopt” a row of grapes. What an experience he is presenting with his community viticulture teaching and work participation program.
Wisteria Farm and Vineyard: It has been noted that California often tries to recreate the European wine experience. In the town of Stanley, VA we found a lovely setting and charming Lebanese host doing the unusual in not duplicating someone’s wine, but rather creating his own unique style of wines, including our native Norton. Mousa has introduced to his small community a wealth of wines including Traminette, Seyval, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Norton, and in the future a Lebanese grape. This young Norton is not polished at this time, so we will hold our purchase for a few years to see what develops.
A flier from Rappahannock Cellars states: “Recognizing the promise in Virginia wines, we moved our family’s winery from California to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the heart of Virginia.” And with this move came the knowledge for preparing a wonderful assortment of wines produced from local Virginia grapes. Usually sticking mainly to Norton wines, we left Rappahannock with a case containing Claret, Meritage, Nortons, and a Port styled 100% Norton dessert wine. Some delightful white wines were available, but alas our case could only hold 12 bottles of reds and my wife had to lug the tote bag out with the four ports. The Norton was a 25% Cab Sauv blend which made this an easy to drink now Norton, but will be enhanced by putting away for a few years. Interestingly discounts applied only to Club Members, but a “Spring Special” applied to others in forms of free tasting fees / extra bottle (3 bottle purchase 1 free tasting; 4 bottle purchase 2 free tastings; & 12 bottle purchase 2 free wine tastings plus 1 extra bottle of your choice, ~ a Vintner’s Dozen). High praises go to Rappahannock Cellars for another reason, and that being their willingness to share facilities and insights with new area vintners. We visited several Virginia wineries freely stating their appreciation for all the help given to them by this Front Royal, VA area site.
In Casanel Vineyards we found a relative newcomer to the Norton world. What a pleasant setting using original structures dating back into the 1700s. The tasting room had been a small rock barn in which the proprietors had carefully recreated proudly the structure into an inviting venue for sharing wine with others. There is a sense of great pride with every project on the grounds. With the maturing of vineyard vines in the years to come, this location will become popular to visit and relax with Casanel’s wines. Though not to our taste, Casanel’s Rose Norton Batucada is a wine that I think would be perfect for preparing sangrias. You can already find here Chardonnay, Viognier, the mentioned Norton, Merlot, and a Cabernet. A $5 tasting fee does not apply to purchases. Good things will be coming from this family endeavor.
Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery is only a short drive from Casanel Vineyards. Basically the same location, but oh so different are the wines. You meet the proprietor, Dean Vanhuss, and you know that you are going to enjoy some of his wines. All wines are purposely different with an appreciated attitude. Take his spicy (my wife said “salty”) flavored Traminette which contrasts to previous tastings of this grape, but again unique to the fruit. The same can be said for his light, yet tasty Chambourcin. The attitude carries well over into his Nortons combined with 10% Mourvedre for this softened blend. Though Dry Mill’s 2007 Norton can be easily consumed now, we are going to put it through its paces for a couple more years and enjoy at a later date. It is refreshing at this site to compare Chardonnay wines prepared in stainless steel and with one oak barreled. What fun, it’s your choice.
We found generally Virginia’s gravel roads lead to good wineries, but add a single lane bridge into the picture and you get even finer wines. With this description your travels take you to Chrysalis Vineyards. Here you have a choice of a $5 Estate tasting or a $10 Reserve tasting. Let me implore you to treat yourself to the $10 Reserve tasting. As you ramble through the offerings, the variety and quality will soon be apparent for the additional pricing. I’m not a fan of tasting fees since I find so many good wineries do not need these, but there are those locations that possibly protect themselves from abusive curiosity wine seekers. In the case of Chrysalis Vineyards, you will get a more than reasonable taste and “seconds” are not turned down if requested in a polite and thoughtful manner for a particular reason. Here you will be treated to an array of non-viniferous wines broaching all that can be found well in Virginia. With the Reserve tasting, if you buy them or not, you will have experienced some of the best Norton wines that can be found on the East coast. What you experience two years ago will change today and two years from now since Chrysalis dramatically changes their blends annually. If you want to really learn more about the American wine industry which includes a fabled history of the Norton grape, search out the new book by Todd Kliman, The Wild Vine. This is a documentary about the characters, dead or alive, and the development of the American wine world, including the contributions of Chrysalis Vineyards and Jennifer McCloud. Learn the importance of wineries; as Chrysalis Vineyards in Virginia or Stone Hill Winery in Missouri, to the true development of a continuing story of American wines, - yesterday, today, and for sure, tomorrow.
Trying to catch Paradise Springs Winery open means making sure that you allocate time during your weekends for a visit. The ride through the elegant Clifton, VA home roadways will be rewarded by finding their small log cabin winery tasting room built in the early 1800s. Maybe as important as the wines you will encounter, is the story of bringing PSW to fruitation. A complex venture evolved to offer the community that PSW serves wines of amazing substance within the first year of its public operation. Grapes are brought in from other Virginia vineyards at this time, but with the gracious help of nearby wineries, Jane Kincheloe Wiles is producing wines quite successfully. Not only does her 2008 Norton, which is aged only six months in Hungarian oak, stand up well to established VA wineries, this wine took a 2010 Governor’s Cup Gold Medal. For me, I was equally impressed with their 2008 Cabernet Franc. Can you imagine Cab Franc as a soft tasting table wine with interesting character? Do yourself a favor, travel out to Paradise Springs Winery and enjoy a wonderful glass of wine.
Veramar Vineyards is a beautiful 100 acre setting surrounded by the Shenandoah hills where 5,000 gallons of wine are produced annually. There are 12 acres of vines at this site with other winery vine locations scattered nearby. A $5 tasting fee is charged, but dropped with purchases. Though nine wine selections are listed, be aware that their $50 Estate Norton is not offered for tasting and only available to Veramar Estate Club members (can you believe there is a Virginia Norton deserving this price?). Another thing that irked me a bit was that Reserve wines can only be tasted and purchased on weekends. I found it amusing that half of the wines had descriptions of pineapple or grapefruit. Sounded like we were getting ourselves into a fruit bar. Interesting was VV’s production of a 100% Mourvedre. We enjoyed the opportunity to try this Virginia grown Spanish wine, but left with only their Riesling/Vidal white and for a friend a Rooster Red blend (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot). We are still curious about the almost non-purchasable $50 Norton one is not able to taste. If it follows in taste as the other rather middle-of-the-road Veramar offerings, we know that there are other good Virginia Nortons to be had (thank you Cooper, Chrysalis, DuCard, Castle Gruen, Rappahannock, Paradise, etc.). Hmmm, I wonder if I know someone who can help me on this tasting note at a later date? Has anyone else noticed at this location how many negative signs are posted around the grounds (Harley Parking Only, No Parking, Employees Only, Authorized Personnel Only, Private, Foods Only Purchased Here to be Consumed)?
- From Brian at The Other 46 blog comes the following about Veramar’s 2007 Norton: Retailing for $50, I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this was easily the most expensive wine I’ve tried from Virginia. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. A solid wine with nice black fruit and oak, the wine is far, far from a $50 wine. But then again, everyone’s palate is different, and I’m sure they sell the heck out of it.
After visiting Virginia vineyard farm settings that have been in the family for over 200 years, other winery acreage that have developed over the last 15-to-20 years, and wine locations built recently with millions of speculative dollars, it was fun finding a winery that measures how many pounds of grapes were accumulated from the number of vines rather than from how many acres (as little as one vine and as many as five) in his backyard. Welcome to MistyRay Winery in Phillip Kreider’s Harrisonburg, VA suburban back yard. Here is a hobby gone wild from a man who grew up with grapes on his boyhood Ohio farm. Grapes have always been a part of his life, and though alcohol was not condoned in his youth, he learned to appreciate the production of quality wines during his life’s work and travels. At this home backyard setting, Phillip has been amazing to plant over twenty-five unique grape varieties for his desired extremely limited creations; as, Chardonel, Arkansas Sunbelt hybrids, and of course Norton grapes. Each wine offered has a different shining quartz-soil story to tell. Few Virginia vintners can produce a tasty Cabernet Sauvignon, but Phillip can. Don’t pass up his light yet complex flavored Norton wine that truly can stand up to most Nortons produced in Virginia. Since he gets 10-to-15 pounds of Norton grapes per vine (75 lbs total last year), you still have to be quick in being able to purchase this limited production wine. You hear at other vineyards how their wines are produced in stainless steel or oak barrels, but here you taste wines produced in genuine American glass. Do yourself a favor and call for an appointment to visit Misty Ray Vineyards, and don’t forget to ask to taste his rhubarb wine.
We did not make it to Valhalla Vineyards, Byrd Cellars, Bright Meadows Farm Vineyard & Winery, Molliver Vineyards and Hummel Vineyards, so we have something to look forward to in the near future.
A fun eight days finding seventeen Norton grape wineries, plus others that had been highly recommended to us: Lovingston Winery (great 2007 Cabernet Frank and Reserve 2006 Merlot), Corcoran Vineyards (trust me, too many good things to say about this winery, ~ grand red wines), and Fabbioli Cellars (What Doug Fabbioli does with Virginia grapes boarders on the magical. Two exceptional Virginia wines can be found in their Chambourcin and Reserve Cabernet Franc).
Now it’s your turn to make comments on the vineyards I’ve listed or criticize what we found. I look forward to learning from you what takes you have on Virginia’s Norton offerings. Since Norton grapes acquire its own wine characteristics not found in other viniferous wines, this truly entails developed tastes that can be interpreted in so many fashions. Thank you for letting me share our personal experiences and we look forward to hearing more on what you have found in the world of Norton wines. And remember, as you read Todd Kliman’s The Wild Vine, have your selected Norton wine at hand that has had the opportunity to breathe for at least 30 minutes.
The Norton Wine Travelers
Showing posts with label Norton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norton. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Kugler's Vineyard 2004 Cynthiana
This week we opened a real surprise in our Norton series, the 2004 Dry Cynthiana from Kugler's Vineyard. Tony and Kay Kugler own and operate this small family enterprise located just south of Lawrence Kansas. The winery makes wines from a couple traditional labrusca grapes (Concord and Niagara), hybrids (Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc), and its flagship wine: Cynthiana. This is a big wine, and the Kugler's have managed to remove all traces of grapeyness and acidity from the wine. It is full bodied with cherry flavors, yet smooth - with little traces of tannins. A very nice wine. So, next time you find yourself traveling to Lawrence to see the University of Kansas, or a show at the Bottleneck or The Granada, or even just visiting Kansas City, take a little detour.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
2001 Little Mountain Vineyard Norton Hermannhof Winery
Lately we've been eliminating our abundant inventory of Norton wines - accumulated several years ago while traveling weekly to the Midwest. This week we opened an ancient bottle - the 2001 Little Mountain Vineyard Norton from Hermannhof Winery. You know they are serious about this variety when they bottle wine from only vineyard designate grapes. Hermannhof is located in German settlement of Hermann the and its stone cellars are "among the 100 early Hermann buildings placed on the National Register of Historic places by the Federal government". After opening, we decanted the wine for about an hour to let the rust and wine aerate. And it had aged nicely. In fact the usual grapey Norton flavor had been replaced by cherry flavors more reminiscent of a Cabernet Franc. The finish is very smooth - not a bad wine at all.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Guest Article: Developing a taste for Norton Wines
Think back on items that you had to develop a taste for in the past. Coffee, hopefully unsuccessfully tobacco products, or maybe single malt Scotch? Fortunately, acquiring a taste for Norton wines is a bit simpler, if you give yourself the luxury of visiting different vineyards, tasting various examples and discovering which wineries you prefer. I have collected so far a database of 150 vineyards producing Norton wines in twenty states! Somewhere out there in the Midwest or Southeast is that perfect Norton wine to match your preferences. If you are unable to visit these vineyards, possibly you will be enticed into ordering directly some noted references found in this article.
The costs, quality, and types of wines have been interesting to observe over the past 35 years. The places of selection also play into this, be it a liquor store, grocery store, big box discount stores or now, ~ a local vineyard. With today’s explosion of vineyards in all 50 states, the choices become mind boggling. With this explosion comes gifts from friends, to include wines that you have never heard of before. All this rambling brings us back to the subject of the Norton wine.
Our first gift of Norton wine, also known semi-incorrectly as Cynthiana, came with ‘family connections’ from a New Haven, Missouri vineyard, Robller Winery. We were so lucky that this first bottle inked our curiosity into the subject of Norton. It was years later, learning that the Norton grape was also present in Virginia, we decided to investigate Norton wine possibilities. Passing through Virginia on a trip north; we took the time to explore nine vineyards offering Norton wines. A few years back there were only a handful of vineyards growing Norton grapes in Virginia, but today there are 23 wineries sporting this wine (*vineyards visited):
Abingdon Vineyard & Winery *(http://www.abingdonwinery.com Abingdon, VA
Belle Mount Vineyards ((http://www.bellemount.com) Warsaw, VA
Bluemont Vineyard *(http://www.bluemontvineyard.com) Bluemont, VA
Burnley Vineyards *(http://www.burnleywines.com) Barboursville, VA
Casanel Vineyards (http://www.casanelvineyards.com) Leesburg, VA
Castle Gruen Winery (http://www.castlegruenwinery.com) Locust Dale, VA
Chrysalis Vineyards *(http://www.chrysaliswine.com) Middleburg, VA
Cooper Vineyards *(http://www.coopervineyards.com) Louisa, VA
Dry Mill Winery (http://www.drymillwine.com) Leesburg, VA
DuCard Vineyards (http://www.ducardvineyards.com) Madison County, VA
Horton Vineyards *(http://www.hvwine.com) Gordonsville, VA
Keswick Vineyards *(http://www.keswickvineyards.com) Keswick, VA
Misty Ray Winery (http://www.mistyraywinery.com) Harrisonburg, VA
Mountain Cove Vineyards (http://www.mountaincovevineyards.com) Lovington, VA
Paradise Springs Winery (http://www.paradisespringswinery.com) Clifton, VA
Peaks of Otter Winery (http://www.peaksofotterwinery.com) Bedford, VA
Potomac Point Winery (http://www.potomacpointwinery.com) Stafford, VA
Rappahannock Cellars (http://www.rappahannockcellars.com) Huntly, VA
Rockbridge Vineyards *(http://www.rockbridgevineyard.com) Raphine, VA
Valhalla Vineyards (http://www.valhallawines.com) Roanoke, VA
Veramar Vineyard (http://www.veramar.com) Berryville, VA
Virginia Wineworks (http://www.michaelshapswines.com) Charlottesville, VA
Winery at La Grange *(http://www.wineryatlagrange.com) Haymarket, VA
However, the taste of these Virginia Norton wines from the east coast did not resemble what we remembered from the Missouri gift of years past. All interesting, but oh so different. Maybe this was the best state to start our Norton tastings as the examples varied wildly, and it was easy to tell which selections we preferred. On a scale of ‘5’ being the best, we found mostly 2s and 3s, but more importantly a Norton that gingerly bumped the “4” marker.
Before going any further, it is important to state with all Norton wines, do not base your tasting on a freshly opened bottle of Norton wine. All Norton wines need to breathe for an extensive amount of time. Here again, as with most wines, do not base your tasting on your first sip since the second paused sip will settle your senses, and by your fifth-ninth-twelfth-etc. sips, you will be exuding an unquestionable Norton grin. Likewise, take advantage of Norton blends which combine the characteristics of this varietal grape, yet create a balance of complex flavors. To name a few sites which we enjoyed:
The two Virginia heavies in Norton wine production would be Horton and Chrysalis vineyards. I would say that Horton's mission is to introduce to the general public a good Norton wine at a fair price and to this they unquestionably succeed. Chrysalis, on the other hand, wants to produce Norton examples with a full range of tastes and cost. Both of these vineyards are fine examples of the east coast Norton varietal. Our favorite east coast Norton wines on this exploration turned out to be from two small farm-like venues: Cooper Winery, a fine dry red Norton, and from Pennsylvania's Stone Mountain Wine Cellars, a delightful “fruity” Norton. Both were wonderful variations on a theme of Norton grapes. As for a soft and easy tasting table-wine Norton, don't pass up Abingdon Vineyard's Norton.
Obviously, it is time for my wife and me to return to Virginia and try the offerings of other Norton wineries from this state. You will quickly develop your own Norton palate preferences while visiting the many geographical vineyard settings from the coastal rivers to the Shenandoah mountains. Wander the beautiful Virginia countryside for yourself and I promise that you will find several Norton surprises.
On to Missouri where the choices become harder. Virginia has now 23 out of 133 wineries producing Norton wines. I found Missouri has 49 (another report has 53) wineries producing Norton wines! One statement made from a Norton wine web page was not to compare a Norton wine to any similar wine from Europe or from California. Likewise, I would say not to compare Virginia Norton wines to Missouri Norton wines as they are produced under different climatic and soil situations. The same grape, but grown in two different agricultural scenarios.
We found several large producers of Norton wines in Missouri; as, Crown Valley, St. James, and Stone Hill. Crown Valley has an enormous wine production program making various Nortons in tremendous volume. St. James Winery has a similar mission as Virginia’s Horton Winery in that they want to educate and introduce to its public good, affordable wines. Don't let these affordable $6 prices dissuade you into thinking that these are only "cheaper" wines. On the contrary, their $10 middle priced Norton and sometimes available $15ish “Reserve” Norton wine are bargain wines and stand up well to the best-that-Missouri has to offer. To tell you our favorite Missouri Norton wine becomes a hard chore. Let me list a few with comments:
Chandler Hill Vineyards may be the new kid on the block, but what a taste explosion they laid introducing their Norton "Savage" wine. After participating in a dinner tasting of six notable Missouri Nortons at St. Louis' 2008 Norton Wine Festival, this came out an overall first at our table from publicly available selections. This is an interesting winery that is proud of its historic surroundings and goes to great lengths to preserve their history.
Blumenhof Winery produces an award winning Norton wine they have cleverly named "Original CYN". Unfortunately they ship directly only to MO & CA, but I have found that the Missouri Mercantile wine distributor will secure this wine for shipment. Order quickly because they always sell out by early fall. This is a vineyard working hand-in-hand with nature, providing a vineyard tree edge which accepts a 10% loss of grapes to its finely fed feathered friends.
Montelle Winery is now a sister winery to Augusta Winery. Simply stated, this is a fine Norton wine which they call ‘Cynthiana’ at great case prices. I’ll slip in a little note here that has nothing to do with Norton wines, ~ have you ever tried a Chardonel wine? Though I don’t normally pick up whites and even more remotely, don’t consider semi-sweet wines, Montelle’s Chardonel is a good starting point of learning about this Cornell University introduction. (“As a cross of the famed Chardonnay grape with the popular Seyval, Chardonel is usually barrel fermented, very dry and full bodied. This is great with heavier seafood dishes as well as chicken with cream sauces.” http://www.missouriwinecountry.com)
I throw in another Norton wine producer for different reasons. River Ridge Winery is a friendly out-from-the-beaten path winery with a Norton offering that is unique in that you get to contrast two barreled Norton wines. The same grapes from the same location, but one called Norton (aged in American Oak) and the other named Cynthiana (aged in French Oak).
Röbller Vineyard & Winery makes a Norton that sits right in the middle offering a great value wine that successfully caters to tastes that go the gamete north-to-south / east-to-west. Need a picnic or dinner wine? This one can go either place. We started our Norton experience here and will return to this site for many years to come. A robust Norton wine and as importantly, nice people.
A winery we found on this year’s trip west was Oak Glenn Winery & Vineyard. Though we haven’t settled on a family ranking of this wine, it is strange that we keep going back to this case, and before long it will be all gone.
To conclude my Missouri tasting treats, let me add Heinrichshaus Winery. I include this small winery because its proprietor insists that Cynthiana grapes were a sport of Norton grapes and his wines are "true" Cynthiana. He'll even show you the pictured differences between the growing habits of the grape clusters. Supposedly there is not any controversy about the Cynthiana/Norton grape any more, . . . . . . . . . . or is it?
Planning a Missouri wine tasting road tour? This is a selected list of vineyards we would consider returning to or visiting for the first time (*vineyards visited and enjoyed):
Adam Puchta Winery *(http://www.adampuchtawine.com) Hermann, MO
Augusta Winery *(http://www.augustawinery.com) Augusta, MO
Baltimore Bend Vineyard (http://www.baltimorebend.com) Waverly, MO
Bethlehem Valley Vineyards (http://www.bethlehemvalley.com) Marthasville, MO
Blumenhof Winery *(http://www.blumenhof.com/) Marthasville, MO
Bommarito Estate Winery *(http://www.bommaritoestatewinery.com) New Haven, MO
Cave Vineyard *(http://www.cavevineyard.com) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Chandler Hill *(http://chandlerhillvineyards.com) Defiance, MO
Charleville Vineyards (http://www.charlevillevineyard.com/) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Chaumette Vineyards & Winery (http://www.chaumette.com) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Claverach Farm & Vineyards (http://www.claverach.com/) Eureka, MO
Crown Valley Winery *(http://www.crownvalleywinery.com/) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Durso Hills Vineyard & Winery (http://www.dursohills.com) Marquand, MO
Eagle’s Nest Winery (http://www.theeaglesnest-louisiana.com) Louisiana, MO
Eichenberg Winery (http://www.eichenbergwinery.com) Cole Camp, MO
Grey Bear Vineyards (http://www.greybearvineyards.com) Stover, MO
Heinrichshaus Vineyard & Winery *(http://www.heinrichshaus.com) St. James, MO
Indian Creek Winery (http://www.indiancreekwine.com) Monroe City, MO
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery (http://www.jowlercreek.com) Platte City, MO
Keltoie Vineyard (http://www.keltoivineyard.com) Oronoga, MO
La Dolce Vita Vineyard & Winery (http://www.ladolcevitawinery.com) Washington, MO
Little Hills Winery (http://www.littlehillswinery.com) St. Charles, MO
Montelle Winey *(http://www.montelle.com) Augusta, MO
Montserrat Vineyards (http://www.montserratvineyards.com) Knob Noster, MO
Mount Pleasant Winery *(http://www.mountpleasant.com) Augusta, MO
Native Stone Vineyard (http://www.nativestonewinery.com) Jefferson City, MO
New Oak Vineyards (http://www.newoakvineyards.com) Wellington, MO
Oak Glenn Vineyards & Winery *(http://www.oakglenn.com) Hermann, MO
Oovvda Winery (http://www.oovvda.com) Springfield, MO
River Ridge Winery *(http://www.riverridgewinery.com) Commerce, MO
Robller Vineyard Winery *(http://www.robllerwines.com/) New Haven, MO
St. James Winery *(http://www.stjameswinery.com) St. James, MO
Stone Hill Winery *(http://www.stonehillwinery.com) Hermann, MO
Stonehaus Farms Winery (http://www.stonehausfarms.com) Lee’s Summit, MO
Summit Lake Winery (http://www.summitlakewinery.com) Holts Summit, MO
Terre Beau Vineyards (http://www.terrebeauvineyards.com) Dover, MO
Twin Oaks Vineyards (http://www.twinoaksvineyard.com) Farmington, MO
Vance Vineyards (http://www.vancevineyards.com) Fredericktown, MO
Westphalia Vineyards (http://www.westphaliavineyards.com) Westphalia, MO
Whispering Oaks Winery (http://www.whisperingoakswinery.com) Seymour, MO
Now the problem of selecting a Norton wine becomes more complicated after concluding a recent search of Illinois Norton vineyards. Oh, shucks, Illinois has 22 vineyards producing Norton wines. It looks like another trip is brewing.
As stated before, your Norton wines will benefit by decanting, which in turn mellows the strong Norton tannins and balances the flavors when served. Consider putting away your findings for a few years. We have found a little patience goes a long way with Norton wines.
I have to stop typing now as my doctor-minister-wine aficionado-brother-in-law has just walked in the door with a Three Sisters Vineyard Norton exclaiming “you have to taste this outstanding Georgia Cynthiana”. Did I mention that Georgia now has four Norton vineyards? Oh, well – we can talk about this later.
Boris Bauer
Easley, SC
The costs, quality, and types of wines have been interesting to observe over the past 35 years. The places of selection also play into this, be it a liquor store, grocery store, big box discount stores or now, ~ a local vineyard. With today’s explosion of vineyards in all 50 states, the choices become mind boggling. With this explosion comes gifts from friends, to include wines that you have never heard of before. All this rambling brings us back to the subject of the Norton wine.
Our first gift of Norton wine, also known semi-incorrectly as Cynthiana, came with ‘family connections’ from a New Haven, Missouri vineyard, Robller Winery. We were so lucky that this first bottle inked our curiosity into the subject of Norton. It was years later, learning that the Norton grape was also present in Virginia, we decided to investigate Norton wine possibilities. Passing through Virginia on a trip north; we took the time to explore nine vineyards offering Norton wines. A few years back there were only a handful of vineyards growing Norton grapes in Virginia, but today there are 23 wineries sporting this wine (*vineyards visited):
Abingdon Vineyard & Winery *(http://www.abingdonwinery.com Abingdon, VA
Belle Mount Vineyards ((http://www.bellemount.com) Warsaw, VA
Bluemont Vineyard *(http://www.bluemontvineyard.com) Bluemont, VA
Burnley Vineyards *(http://www.burnleywines.com) Barboursville, VA
Casanel Vineyards (http://www.casanelvineyards.com) Leesburg, VA
Castle Gruen Winery (http://www.castlegruenwinery.com) Locust Dale, VA
Chrysalis Vineyards *(http://www.chrysaliswine.com) Middleburg, VA
Cooper Vineyards *(http://www.coopervineyards.com) Louisa, VA
Dry Mill Winery (http://www.drymillwine.com) Leesburg, VA
DuCard Vineyards (http://www.ducardvineyards.com) Madison County, VA
Horton Vineyards *(http://www.hvwine.com) Gordonsville, VA
Keswick Vineyards *(http://www.keswickvineyards.com) Keswick, VA
Misty Ray Winery (http://www.mistyraywinery.com) Harrisonburg, VA
Mountain Cove Vineyards (http://www.mountaincovevineyards.com) Lovington, VA
Paradise Springs Winery (http://www.paradisespringswinery.com) Clifton, VA
Peaks of Otter Winery (http://www.peaksofotterwinery.com) Bedford, VA
Potomac Point Winery (http://www.potomacpointwinery.com) Stafford, VA
Rappahannock Cellars (http://www.rappahannockcellars.com) Huntly, VA
Rockbridge Vineyards *(http://www.rockbridgevineyard.com) Raphine, VA
Valhalla Vineyards (http://www.valhallawines.com) Roanoke, VA
Veramar Vineyard (http://www.veramar.com) Berryville, VA
Virginia Wineworks (http://www.michaelshapswines.com) Charlottesville, VA
Winery at La Grange *(http://www.wineryatlagrange.com) Haymarket, VA
However, the taste of these Virginia Norton wines from the east coast did not resemble what we remembered from the Missouri gift of years past. All interesting, but oh so different. Maybe this was the best state to start our Norton tastings as the examples varied wildly, and it was easy to tell which selections we preferred. On a scale of ‘5’ being the best, we found mostly 2s and 3s, but more importantly a Norton that gingerly bumped the “4” marker.
Before going any further, it is important to state with all Norton wines, do not base your tasting on a freshly opened bottle of Norton wine. All Norton wines need to breathe for an extensive amount of time. Here again, as with most wines, do not base your tasting on your first sip since the second paused sip will settle your senses, and by your fifth-ninth-twelfth-etc. sips, you will be exuding an unquestionable Norton grin. Likewise, take advantage of Norton blends which combine the characteristics of this varietal grape, yet create a balance of complex flavors. To name a few sites which we enjoyed:
The two Virginia heavies in Norton wine production would be Horton and Chrysalis vineyards. I would say that Horton's mission is to introduce to the general public a good Norton wine at a fair price and to this they unquestionably succeed. Chrysalis, on the other hand, wants to produce Norton examples with a full range of tastes and cost. Both of these vineyards are fine examples of the east coast Norton varietal. Our favorite east coast Norton wines on this exploration turned out to be from two small farm-like venues: Cooper Winery, a fine dry red Norton, and from Pennsylvania's Stone Mountain Wine Cellars, a delightful “fruity” Norton. Both were wonderful variations on a theme of Norton grapes. As for a soft and easy tasting table-wine Norton, don't pass up Abingdon Vineyard's Norton.
Obviously, it is time for my wife and me to return to Virginia and try the offerings of other Norton wineries from this state. You will quickly develop your own Norton palate preferences while visiting the many geographical vineyard settings from the coastal rivers to the Shenandoah mountains. Wander the beautiful Virginia countryside for yourself and I promise that you will find several Norton surprises.
On to Missouri where the choices become harder. Virginia has now 23 out of 133 wineries producing Norton wines. I found Missouri has 49 (another report has 53) wineries producing Norton wines! One statement made from a Norton wine web page was not to compare a Norton wine to any similar wine from Europe or from California. Likewise, I would say not to compare Virginia Norton wines to Missouri Norton wines as they are produced under different climatic and soil situations. The same grape, but grown in two different agricultural scenarios.
We found several large producers of Norton wines in Missouri; as, Crown Valley, St. James, and Stone Hill. Crown Valley has an enormous wine production program making various Nortons in tremendous volume. St. James Winery has a similar mission as Virginia’s Horton Winery in that they want to educate and introduce to its public good, affordable wines. Don't let these affordable $6 prices dissuade you into thinking that these are only "cheaper" wines. On the contrary, their $10 middle priced Norton and sometimes available $15ish “Reserve” Norton wine are bargain wines and stand up well to the best-that-Missouri has to offer. To tell you our favorite Missouri Norton wine becomes a hard chore. Let me list a few with comments:
Chandler Hill Vineyards may be the new kid on the block, but what a taste explosion they laid introducing their Norton "Savage" wine. After participating in a dinner tasting of six notable Missouri Nortons at St. Louis' 2008 Norton Wine Festival, this came out an overall first at our table from publicly available selections. This is an interesting winery that is proud of its historic surroundings and goes to great lengths to preserve their history.
Blumenhof Winery produces an award winning Norton wine they have cleverly named "Original CYN". Unfortunately they ship directly only to MO & CA, but I have found that the Missouri Mercantile wine distributor will secure this wine for shipment. Order quickly because they always sell out by early fall. This is a vineyard working hand-in-hand with nature, providing a vineyard tree edge which accepts a 10% loss of grapes to its finely fed feathered friends.
Montelle Winery is now a sister winery to Augusta Winery. Simply stated, this is a fine Norton wine which they call ‘Cynthiana’ at great case prices. I’ll slip in a little note here that has nothing to do with Norton wines, ~ have you ever tried a Chardonel wine? Though I don’t normally pick up whites and even more remotely, don’t consider semi-sweet wines, Montelle’s Chardonel is a good starting point of learning about this Cornell University introduction. (“As a cross of the famed Chardonnay grape with the popular Seyval, Chardonel is usually barrel fermented, very dry and full bodied. This is great with heavier seafood dishes as well as chicken with cream sauces.” http://www.missouriwinecountry.com)
I throw in another Norton wine producer for different reasons. River Ridge Winery is a friendly out-from-the-beaten path winery with a Norton offering that is unique in that you get to contrast two barreled Norton wines. The same grapes from the same location, but one called Norton (aged in American Oak) and the other named Cynthiana (aged in French Oak).
Röbller Vineyard & Winery makes a Norton that sits right in the middle offering a great value wine that successfully caters to tastes that go the gamete north-to-south / east-to-west. Need a picnic or dinner wine? This one can go either place. We started our Norton experience here and will return to this site for many years to come. A robust Norton wine and as importantly, nice people.
A winery we found on this year’s trip west was Oak Glenn Winery & Vineyard. Though we haven’t settled on a family ranking of this wine, it is strange that we keep going back to this case, and before long it will be all gone.
To conclude my Missouri tasting treats, let me add Heinrichshaus Winery. I include this small winery because its proprietor insists that Cynthiana grapes were a sport of Norton grapes and his wines are "true" Cynthiana. He'll even show you the pictured differences between the growing habits of the grape clusters. Supposedly there is not any controversy about the Cynthiana/Norton grape any more, . . . . . . . . . . or is it?
Planning a Missouri wine tasting road tour? This is a selected list of vineyards we would consider returning to or visiting for the first time (*vineyards visited and enjoyed):
Adam Puchta Winery *(http://www.adampuchtawine.com) Hermann, MO
Augusta Winery *(http://www.augustawinery.com) Augusta, MO
Baltimore Bend Vineyard (http://www.baltimorebend.com) Waverly, MO
Bethlehem Valley Vineyards (http://www.bethlehemvalley.com) Marthasville, MO
Blumenhof Winery *(http://www.blumenhof.com/) Marthasville, MO
Bommarito Estate Winery *(http://www.bommaritoestatewinery.com) New Haven, MO
Cave Vineyard *(http://www.cavevineyard.com) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Chandler Hill *(http://chandlerhillvineyards.com) Defiance, MO
Charleville Vineyards (http://www.charlevillevineyard.com/) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Chaumette Vineyards & Winery (http://www.chaumette.com) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Claverach Farm & Vineyards (http://www.claverach.com/) Eureka, MO
Crown Valley Winery *(http://www.crownvalleywinery.com/) Ste. Genevieve, MO
Durso Hills Vineyard & Winery (http://www.dursohills.com) Marquand, MO
Eagle’s Nest Winery (http://www.theeaglesnest-louisiana.com) Louisiana, MO
Eichenberg Winery (http://www.eichenbergwinery.com) Cole Camp, MO
Grey Bear Vineyards (http://www.greybearvineyards.com) Stover, MO
Heinrichshaus Vineyard & Winery *(http://www.heinrichshaus.com) St. James, MO
Indian Creek Winery (http://www.indiancreekwine.com) Monroe City, MO
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery (http://www.jowlercreek.com) Platte City, MO
Keltoie Vineyard (http://www.keltoivineyard.com) Oronoga, MO
La Dolce Vita Vineyard & Winery (http://www.ladolcevitawinery.com) Washington, MO
Little Hills Winery (http://www.littlehillswinery.com) St. Charles, MO
Montelle Winey *(http://www.montelle.com) Augusta, MO
Montserrat Vineyards (http://www.montserratvineyards.com) Knob Noster, MO
Mount Pleasant Winery *(http://www.mountpleasant.com) Augusta, MO
Native Stone Vineyard (http://www.nativestonewinery.com) Jefferson City, MO
New Oak Vineyards (http://www.newoakvineyards.com) Wellington, MO
Oak Glenn Vineyards & Winery *(http://www.oakglenn.com) Hermann, MO
Oovvda Winery (http://www.oovvda.com) Springfield, MO
River Ridge Winery *(http://www.riverridgewinery.com) Commerce, MO
Robller Vineyard Winery *(http://www.robllerwines.com/) New Haven, MO
St. James Winery *(http://www.stjameswinery.com) St. James, MO
Stone Hill Winery *(http://www.stonehillwinery.com) Hermann, MO
Stonehaus Farms Winery (http://www.stonehausfarms.com) Lee’s Summit, MO
Summit Lake Winery (http://www.summitlakewinery.com) Holts Summit, MO
Terre Beau Vineyards (http://www.terrebeauvineyards.com) Dover, MO
Twin Oaks Vineyards (http://www.twinoaksvineyard.com) Farmington, MO
Vance Vineyards (http://www.vancevineyards.com) Fredericktown, MO
Westphalia Vineyards (http://www.westphaliavineyards.com) Westphalia, MO
Whispering Oaks Winery (http://www.whisperingoakswinery.com) Seymour, MO
Now the problem of selecting a Norton wine becomes more complicated after concluding a recent search of Illinois Norton vineyards. Oh, shucks, Illinois has 22 vineyards producing Norton wines. It looks like another trip is brewing.
As stated before, your Norton wines will benefit by decanting, which in turn mellows the strong Norton tannins and balances the flavors when served. Consider putting away your findings for a few years. We have found a little patience goes a long way with Norton wines.
I have to stop typing now as my doctor-minister-wine aficionado-brother-in-law has just walked in the door with a Three Sisters Vineyard Norton exclaiming “you have to taste this outstanding Georgia Cynthiana”. Did I mention that Georgia now has four Norton vineyards? Oh, well – we can talk about this later.
Boris Bauer
Easley, SC
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
2009 Indy International Wine Competition
We just received an email announcing the winners of the 2009 Indy International Wine Competition and there are several surprises. Congratulations to one of our local wineries, Barrel Oak Winery, for their Norton and to Stone Hill Winery for their Vignoles. I sampled this wine several times over the course of a year's travel to Kansas City; its good. And its nice to see Zinfandel get recognized.
Governor’s Cup ~ Indiana Winery of the Year
Huber Orchard & Winery, Starlight, Indiana
Wine of the Year
Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2007 Reserve Zinfandel, Healdsburg, California
Sparkling Wine of the Year
Chateau Frank, 2002 Brut, Hammondsport, New York
Red Wine of the Year
Barrel Oak Winery, 2008 Norton, Delaplane, Virginia
White Wine of the Year
Stone Hill Winery, 2008 Vignoles, Hermann, Missouri
Rosé Wine of the Year
Butler Winery, 2008 Chambourcin Rosé, Bloomington, Indiana
Dessert Wine of the Year
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, 2008 Minus Nine Icewine, British Colombia, Canada
Governor’s Cup ~ Indiana Winery of the Year
Huber Orchard & Winery, Starlight, Indiana
Wine of the Year
Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2007 Reserve Zinfandel, Healdsburg, California
Sparkling Wine of the Year
Chateau Frank, 2002 Brut, Hammondsport, New York
Red Wine of the Year
Barrel Oak Winery, 2008 Norton, Delaplane, Virginia
White Wine of the Year
Stone Hill Winery, 2008 Vignoles, Hermann, Missouri
Rosé Wine of the Year
Butler Winery, 2008 Chambourcin Rosé, Bloomington, Indiana
Dessert Wine of the Year
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, 2008 Minus Nine Icewine, British Colombia, Canada
Monday, December 29, 2008
Casanel Vineyards
On an unseasonably warm day, we drove out past Leesburg to visit one of several new wineries in that area, Casanel Vineyards. Beforehand we learned from their website that the winery was started by Casey and Nelson DeSouza - hence “Casanel”. The couple had many successful years operating DeSouza Construction in the Washington D.C. area and eventually Nelson started exploring the countryside looking for land suitable for a vineyard. For after experiencing the Portuguese wine culture the couple decided to join the growing Virginia wine making community. He settled on a property on Catoctin Mountain that included a hundred plus year old stone dairy barn with an even older log cabin and a red wooden barn. But it was the dairy barn that he envisioned centering the winery operation around. The tasting room would be located in that building with the winery operations in the adjacent red barn. With help from family they restored the buildings and planted Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Norton, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Petite Verdot vines. Since it would take several years before the vines bore fruit, they sourced grapes from several local vineyards. Kerem Baki from Hillsborough Vineyards agreed to join the venture as their winemaker and consultant and the first vintage consists of four varietals: Viognier, Norton, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.We arrived just before sunset to discover a Christmas-decorated stone building with a patio ready for visitors: chairs and an electric and wood heater. The tasting room is impressive. There is a long tasting bar to the left with a staircase to the basement and a couple tables in the center and right. The stones were cleaned, but there is residual dirt helping to hold the stones in place. Make sure you descend down the spiral staircase in order to view the unique triangular table and the solid oak beams supporting the structure.
As for wines, we started with the Viognier which was aged 8 months in light French oak. This is a nice wine soft and slightly creamy, with a tropical fruit flavor. Anytime we find white wines such as this, they come home – and this Viognier was no exception. Next was their Norton, made in a unique dry rose style. The grapes were sourced from Chrysalis Vineyards, pressed whole clustered, then aged 10 months in light French oak. It’s darker than most rose wines – a characteristic of the grape – but with little of the acidity and grapey flavor also associated with the variety. This is a good wine, particularly considering it’s the premier effort. The final two were bolder red wines made from grapes purchased from Breaux Vineyards and aged 10 years in light French oak. The Merlot was our favorite of the two, extremely smooth with a strong cherry flavor. The Cabernet Sauvignon is also full bodied with a more spicy tail. It has more tannins so we would probably age this wine a little more in the bottle. All in all this was a great initial effort from Mr. Baki and the DeSouzas. We look forward to when their vineyards bear fruit and they start blending these varieties. Their “Chegada” brand translates into “Arrival” in Portuguese which can refer to the winery’s new start or the fact that we will be arriving often to hang out in their tasting room.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Glades Pike Winery
While driving from Somerset to Seven Springs Mountain Resort we've always passed Glades Pike Winery on Route 31, but have never stopped in. Until this past weekend. We won't pass the winery without stopping in again. Glades Pike has been open for almost 15 years and makes unique wines that are very characteristic for Pennsylvania wineries.We started with the 2008 Norton made from grapes grown at famed Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg Virginia. The wine was one of the best young Norton wines we've tasted. It wasn't acidic or overly jammy - like many Nortons that haven't had a chance to age in the bottle. Instead it is very smooth with a cherry flavors and an honest chocolate finish. We also discovered an interesting note on Pennsylvania labeling laws while examining the bottle. Even though the grapes for this wine were sourced from Virginia, Glades Pike can label it Pennsylvania wine since more than 85% of the grapes came from within a 380 mile radius from the winery. Interesting.
Since Glades Pike offers nearly twenty wines, we skipped the vinifera reds (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) and chose instead two hybrid reds: the Baco Noir and DeChaunac. Might as well try something different. Both of these wines are very smooth with low tannins. We preferred the Baco Noir, with its fuller flavor and where the tasting notes were completely accurate. We tasted each fruit listed: the black cherry, raspberry and red currant. In order to satisfy the market, the winery produces a few semi-sweet and sweet red wines. The Glades Pike Red is a semi-sweet blend of the Baco Noir and Concord. The Concord contributes the strong grapey aroma whereas the Baco Noir provides the full bodied flavor. Probably without attempting, they've created a nice eastern European styled wine. For those with even a sweeter tooth there is a varietal Concord. And the best selling wine is a sweet blush - the Bicentennial Blush - made from Concord, Niagara, Cayuga and Vidal.
Turning to whites, Glades Pike produces a dry Chardonnay and dry Seyval Blanc but we preferred their off dry Riesling and Vidal Blanc. Both have nice acidity that provides a refreshing finish. The Vidal is more citrus while the Riesling possesses the standard flavor associated with the grape. Another off-dry option is the Mountain Mead, made from local honey. We liked this style - not too sweet and can envision blending with Apple wine to produce our own cyser. The winery also produces a varietal wine from one of our favorite labrusca grapes - Diamond. Theirs is made sweet and contains a hint of the labrusca foxiness - but more citrus. There's another sweet labrusca - Niagara - which reminds us of the white grape juice our son guzzled years ago.
Finally, Glades Pike wouldn't be a Pennsylvania winery without an assortment of fruit wines. Spiced Apple seems to be a state favorite, but the Black & Blue is ours. Just Blackberries and Blueberries. On occasion the winery produces a Raspberry wine, but currentlythey offer a Montmorency Cherry - served with chocolate.
For those traveling to ski from the West or who don't want to drive the 15 minutes from the resort, Glades Pike opened a tasting room a hundred yards from the Seven Springs entrance. This could be a perfect break from the slopes or when the kids are participating in Tiny Tots. We enjoyed the Norton, Baco Noir, and Vidal after skiing. With twenty wines to choose, we are sure there's something for everyone.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Augusta Winery - 2001 Norton
For our semi-weekly Norton tasting we opened a bottle of 2001 Norton from Augusta Winery. The winery was established twenty years ago by Tony Kooyumjian and is noted for their Norton and Vignoles. Their appellation is significant since Augusta Missouri is located within the first U.S. Wine District, or Viticulture Area #1. The 2001 Norton has aged well in the bottle. It is full bodied with a black cherry nose and cherry-tobacco flavor. The finish is long and spicy - but remarkably smooth. There is no evidence of the standard grapey flavor or acidity associated with newer Nortons. One of our party's immediate reaction was "this is the best Norton I've ever tasted". Apparently the latest release has continued this tradition of excellence. It has one Gold medals at the Florida State Fair International, Pacific Rim International, and the Missouri Wine Competition. Congratulations to Augusta Winery.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery: Cynthiana
This week we stayed in the Midwest and opened a bottle of Cynthiana from Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery. Located in eastern Kansas - not far from Kansas City - father and daughter duo, Les & Michelle Meyer, produce about a dozen varieties of wine from indigenous and hybrid grapes. And these grapes are quite unique: St. Vincent, Melody, Aurore as well as Vignoles, Chardonel, Seyval, Foch, Leon Millet, Chambourcin, and Cynthiana (Norton). The Cynthiana has been quite successful for the Meyer's; winning several double gold medals over the years plus the 2004 Jefferson Cup - which honors the best of the best among US wineries from all of America’s wine regions.
We tasted the release following the Jefferson Cup winner and quite frankly, were not really impressed. Even though the wine was aged 12-16 months in oak, the wine was still extremely young and acidic. And only a slight grape flavor. We've stored several purchased bottles in our cellar and after three years in the bottle, we retested the wine. What a difference. The wine has transformed into a good, full bodied wine. It is a little less spicy than the Mount Pleasant from last week, but contains the same rich cherry flavor. This spicy characteristic may be a Midwestern trait, because we have not tasted it with Eastern produced Norton wines. And there were just a few traces of the standard grapey Norton flavor. Once again, the wine could easily pass for a viniferia based wine. Now, if we only had an aged bottle of the Jefferson Cup winner; but this is defiantly one proof that Norton\Cynthiana wines need to age a few years in the bottle.
We tasted the release following the Jefferson Cup winner and quite frankly, were not really impressed. Even though the wine was aged 12-16 months in oak, the wine was still extremely young and acidic. And only a slight grape flavor. We've stored several purchased bottles in our cellar and after three years in the bottle, we retested the wine. What a difference. The wine has transformed into a good, full bodied wine. It is a little less spicy than the Mount Pleasant from last week, but contains the same rich cherry flavor. This spicy characteristic may be a Midwestern trait, because we have not tasted it with Eastern produced Norton wines. And there were just a few traces of the standard grapey Norton flavor. Once again, the wine could easily pass for a viniferia based wine. Now, if we only had an aged bottle of the Jefferson Cup winner; but this is defiantly one proof that Norton\Cynthiana wines need to age a few years in the bottle.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Mount Pleasant Winery - 2003 Norton
This past week we opened another bottle from our Norton collection, a 2003 from Mount Pleasant Winery. We had purchased this wine after it had won the 2005 Missouri Governor's Cup - at a premium of course. Mount Pleasant Winery is one of Missouri's oldest wineries, first established in 1959. It later became a casualty of Prohibition, but was re-opened almost 50 years ago by the Dressel family. And today, the Norton grape is as great a part of the enterprise as it was a century ago.Their 2003 Norton is a dry, full bodied wine and surprisingly spicy - more like a Syrah than a Norton. Initially there was also only a slight grapey flavor and the spicy finish was dominant. However, as the wine was left to breathe, the spiciness subsided in favor of the grape flavor. We discovered this after opening the bottle pairing with a bowl of chili. Initially the spiciness from each offering contradicted each other and we set the glasses to the side. After dinner, we tried the wine again and found that "decanting" mellowed the wine where it was much more complementary to spicy foods. The wine worked in both scenerios; if you would like a Syrah styled wine - drink this Norton immediately. If you are looking for a more traditional Norton - full bodied wine - let the wine decant.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Hinnant Family Vineyard 's 2004 Norton
We realized this week that we have an extraordinary inventory of Norton wines and decided it was time to start drinking some. We have been told that Norton wines age particularly well in the bottle so once in a while we will pull a random bottle and evaluate it. This week we drew the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton. This North Carolina winery is primarily known for its muscadine vineyard, but they branched out to Norton earlier in the decade. The 2004 vintage still retains the characteristically dark, dark crimson color and a grapey nose. But that's where any similarity ends. The grapey flavor has disappeared and is replaced with a blackberry\dark cherry flavor and an interesting spicy finish. The finish is long with the spicy flavor retained on the tongue. It reminds us more of a Syrah than a Norton. The thesis has its first confirmation: the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton ages well in the bottle.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Lexington Valley Vineyards
While passing through Lexington, we took the opportunity to visit another recently opened winery in Virginia, Lexington Valley Vineyard. The Hale family had been growing grapes on the property since 2000 and selling the produce to neighboring Rockbridge Winery. However, several years later, as time permitted – from commuting to the University of Missouri – they decided to proceed to the next stage and produce wine under their own label. The winery’s expertise is with Norton – which is not unexpected since Virginia and Missouri are the two most popular areas growing this variety. And with Mr. Hale’s work at U of M in Columbia, he has access to learn the techniques from several of the leading Missouri wineries. The other wines offered by the winery are white wines made from French-American hybrids. These grapes are hardy enough to withstand the Shenandoah Valley weather.After driving along several winding roads, we were surprised to see several other vehicles already at the winery. For a Friday afternoon we thought that we’d be alone. But no, one group was just starting a tasting and another was lounging with a pitcher of Sangria on the deck. We started with their Vignoles, which is made dry – but contains a strong pineapple flavor with major acidity. It almost felt like a sparkling wine – and could be why it is the main ingredient in their homemade Sangria. This is a good – summer wine. Next was their Vidal Blanc – a little sweeter than the Vignoles – and with more of a grapefruit flavor. We still preferred the Vignoles. We next tried a very unique wine, maybe the only rosé styled wine made in Virginia using just Norton. It is made off-dry and recommended served chilled. It is fruity and when served chilled – refreshing. We liked this wine – basically in summer drink the rosé and in winter, the two Norton varietal wines. Speaking of these two, the Black Tie Norton is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and was awarded a Silver Medal - 2007 Virginia Governor's Cup. It is a full bodied wine with spicy tannins – but the traditional Norton fruity taste. The 100% Norton is as full-bodied with a string black cherry flavor and a smoother finish than the Black Tie Norton. I guess being purists, we preferred the Norton over the Black Tie Norton – obviously others with a stronger wine pedigree disagree.
We stayed a little longer at Lexington Valley than we had planned Рbecause it was so relaxing. When sitting on the deck, the vineyards spread out in the distance, with hawks flying overhead, honey bees buzzing among the clover, and humming birds feeding on the deck. We could have stayed for hours Рdrinking the Vignoles, Chill Ros̩, or the Sangria. However, Floydfest was in full swing and we had to move on. Currently their wines are sold exclusively from the tasting room and they are not participating at the numerous Virginia festivals Рthere is no one available to cover the tasting room. We recommend a visit.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Corey Ippolito Winery
While traveling through Tennessee on I-81, we saw signs and then the chateau for Corey Ippolito Winery and quickly exited. We learned that the winery is the newest in Tennessee, yet the vineyards have been producing grapes since 1999. In fact, Corey Ippolito Vineyard was the first vineyard to successfully grow Traminette, in which the state is now taking an active role in subsidizing the planting of this grape. Many of the other estate grown grapes are Labrusca (Carawba, Niagara, Steuben) with the remaining being Cabernet, Cynthiania, Golden Muscat and Leon Millot. Oh yea, and Sunbelt, a grape created by the Arkansas Agricultral Experimental Station. Bascially the grape is a concord with the hardiness to endure warmer weather. After growing these grapes and operating a bed and breakfast onsite, the next logical step was to start producing wine. After many years operating as amateurs and winning medals in several competitions, the winery opened to the public this year.The wine selection was as diverse as the estate grapes. There were three styles of white wine: a dry Chardonnay, a semi-sweet Rocco Bianco, and the semi-dry Traminette. This last wine had the spicy aroma and flavor characteristic to the variety and was our favorite among the white wines. For reds, they offer a dry Merlot, a dry Cynthiana, and the sweet Bella Rosso Red - a blend of several of the labrusca grapes. The Cynthiana was good for a young wine. It didn't have the acidity associated with some new Norton wines and was drinkable now. Give it a few more years in the bottle and the wine will improve even more. The final select of wines was a mix of fruit, muscadine and blush styled wines. The Muscadine wine was really good; it had the fruit flavor of the grape without the syrup or grittiness that some muscadine wines possess. The Catawba based Sonnino Sunset Blush was also a good wine for this blend. It is made semi-sweet but tastes more dry than sweet. What is sweet is the Blackberry wine, made in a dessert style and even more interesting when mixed with shaved ice.
If you find yourself driving along I-81 at the Virginia-Tennessee border, visit Corey Ippolito Winery. What a great break from the road.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, September 10, 2007
National Norton Festival
On Saturday September, we were fortunate to attend the First Annual National Norton Festival in St. Louis Missouri. Organized by the Missouri Wine Country The event provided the general public a chance to sample a wide array of Norton wines from 25 wineries from Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. This event was the culmination of activities that began in August, at the 2007 National Norton Wine Competition.
We made it a point to visit the Gold medal winners first, and after tasting, agreed with the judges decisions; these were excellent wines. Best in Show Sugar Creek Vineyards & Winery's 2006 Cynthiana was smooth and fruity and somewhat similar to Westphalia Vineyards' 2006 Norton Reserve. Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Norton was fruity with a little more spiciness at the finish. Bethlehem Valley Vineyards' 2004 Norton and Chrysalis Vineyards' 2005 Barrel Select 100% Virginia Norton and 2004 Locksley Reserve Norton where fruity, but possessed a little more character at the finish. Finally, we tasted the best dessert wine this side of Tokaji, Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery's 2002 Missouri Red Port. This may have been our favorite wine of the day.
Besides tasting these wines, we enjoyed tasting wines we normally would not be able to try such as Stone House Vineyards' (TX) 2005 Claros Norton, Tiger Mountain Vineyards' (GA) 2002 Mountain Cynthiana, Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Illinois Cellars Norton, and Stone Hill Winery's (MO) 2005 Norton, Cross J Vineyards. The last was made from grapes from one of the winery's oldest vineyards. Plus, there were excellent wines from some of our favorite Missouri producers: Crown Valley Winery, Montelle Winery, St. James Winery, Les Bourgeois Winery, Baltimore Bend Winery, Cave Vineyard, Augusta Winery, Hermannhof Winery, Chaumette Vineyards & Winery, and the previously mentioned Stone Hill Winery. We will definitely be planning a trip Herman and Saint Genevieve next year.
We will post pictures and a longer description of this event at Compass Tours and a review of Chrysalis Vineyards and other Virginia Norton producers in the October edition of Virginia Wine Lover.
For those who are familiar with Norton or Cynthiana we strongly recommend this event. For those who have never tasted a Norton, try to find one in your area. You will soon learn why it is referred to as the Cabernet of the Ozarks.
We made it a point to visit the Gold medal winners first, and after tasting, agreed with the judges decisions; these were excellent wines. Best in Show Sugar Creek Vineyards & Winery's 2006 Cynthiana was smooth and fruity and somewhat similar to Westphalia Vineyards' 2006 Norton Reserve. Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Norton was fruity with a little more spiciness at the finish. Bethlehem Valley Vineyards' 2004 Norton and Chrysalis Vineyards' 2005 Barrel Select 100% Virginia Norton and 2004 Locksley Reserve Norton where fruity, but possessed a little more character at the finish. Finally, we tasted the best dessert wine this side of Tokaji, Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery's 2002 Missouri Red Port. This may have been our favorite wine of the day.
Besides tasting these wines, we enjoyed tasting wines we normally would not be able to try such as Stone House Vineyards' (TX) 2005 Claros Norton, Tiger Mountain Vineyards' (GA) 2002 Mountain Cynthiana, Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Illinois Cellars Norton, and Stone Hill Winery's (MO) 2005 Norton, Cross J Vineyards. The last was made from grapes from one of the winery's oldest vineyards. Plus, there were excellent wines from some of our favorite Missouri producers: Crown Valley Winery, Montelle Winery, St. James Winery, Les Bourgeois Winery, Baltimore Bend Winery, Cave Vineyard, Augusta Winery, Hermannhof Winery, Chaumette Vineyards & Winery, and the previously mentioned Stone Hill Winery. We will definitely be planning a trip Herman and Saint Genevieve next year.
We will post pictures and a longer description of this event at Compass Tours and a review of Chrysalis Vineyards and other Virginia Norton producers in the October edition of Virginia Wine Lover.
For those who are familiar with Norton or Cynthiana we strongly recommend this event. For those who have never tasted a Norton, try to find one in your area. You will soon learn why it is referred to as the Cabernet of the Ozarks.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mountain Cove Vineyards
While travelling home from North Carolina, I stopped at Virginia’s oldest winery, Mountain Cove Vineyards. Located half way between Lynchburg and Charlottesville, the winery is situated within the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent to the Fortunes Cove Preserve, a large Nature Conservancy property. In 1973, Al and Emily Weed planted several varieties of hybrid grapes on their property and began selling wine commercially a few years later. In 1997 they re-planted most of the vineyard with viniferia Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Muscat; Norton; and the hybrids, Chambourcin, Villard Blanc and Traminette.I started with the Tinto, a blend of Norton and Cabernet Franc. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and extremely smooth. The Cabernet Franc introduces a cherry flavor that moderates the grapey flavor of the Norton. This is an excellent blend. Next was the Mountain Cove Chardonnay, a dry wine made from grapes grown from the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge in Bedford County. The wine was aged partly in stainless steel and partly in oak - which produced a refreshing wine with a silky finish. Mountain Cove offers two semi-dry wines – the Skyline White and the Skyline Rose. The Skyline White is a blend of Villard Blanc, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, and Muscat made in the Vouvray style (think of Loire Chenin Blanc). The Skyline Rose is basically the Skyline White blend with Norton added for color and CO2 added in the bottle. This provides a nice acidic feeling on the tongue. Both these wines are refreshing, great sellers, and perfect for an afternoon in Mountain Cove. Finally, I tried their two fruit wines, Blackberry and Apple. The Apple wine is made from Winesap apples harvested from neighboring Mountain Cove Orchard. The apples are prevalent from the aroma to the finish. CO2 is also added in the bottle, giving the wine a bit of a sparkling-wine feel. The Blackberry wine is slightly sweeter, but not gritty. It has a full blackberry flavor – just like shoving the fruit into your mouth when picking directly from the vine. But this time, no worries about staining your fingers or clothes.
Mountain Cove is a great attraction – from the views of the surrounding mountains to the excellent wines – made from local fruit. The winery is only a short drive from Charlottesville and only a few couple of hours from Washington D.C. and Richmond. I hope to visit again in the fall, maybe during their October Blues Festival, to hike the Fortunes Cove Preserve.
You can view pictures of the winery at the Compass Tours section of wine-compass.com.
Monday, August 6, 2007
2007 National Norton Competition Winners
Today, the winners of the 2007 First Annual Norton Competition were announced with Missouri's Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyards winning Best in Show and Best of Class – Dry Norton. Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery, also from Missouri, won Best of Class – Port Norton for their 2002 Missouri Red Port. A handful of other wineries were awarded Gold medals. Virginia's Chrysalis Vineyards won two golds, one with their 2005 Barrel Select 100% Virginia Norton and the other for their 2004 Locksley Reserve Norton. Mary Michelle Winery was the other non-Missouri winery to win Gold, this from their 2006 Illinois Norton. The other gold medals were awarded to Missouri's Bethlehem Valley Vineyards, Sugar Creek Vineyards & Winery, and Westphalia Vineyards.
In total 67 wines were awarded medals, representing Norton produced in ten states. Predictably Missouri made Norton won the majority of medals, followed by Norton's native state Virginia. But other states were well represented. Every Kansas winery that entered a wine were awarded medals, with Holy-Field Winery winning two and Kugler's Vineyard and Davenport Winery winning Bronze medals. Spirit Knob Winery and Piasa Winery joined Mary Michelle Winery as Illinois medal winners and neighboring French Lick Winery, from Indiana won Bronze for their 2002 Heaven's View Port. Finally, medals were awarded to our friends at Hinnant Family Vineyards (NC), Tiger Mountain Vineyards (GA), Summerside Vineyards (OK), and Stone House Winery (TX). Congratulations to all.
We look forward to attending the grand tasting on September 8th to try several of these medal winning wines. And check back later for more articles on the Missouri and Virginia winners.
In total 67 wines were awarded medals, representing Norton produced in ten states. Predictably Missouri made Norton won the majority of medals, followed by Norton's native state Virginia. But other states were well represented. Every Kansas winery that entered a wine were awarded medals, with Holy-Field Winery winning two and Kugler's Vineyard and Davenport Winery winning Bronze medals. Spirit Knob Winery and Piasa Winery joined Mary Michelle Winery as Illinois medal winners and neighboring French Lick Winery, from Indiana won Bronze for their 2002 Heaven's View Port. Finally, medals were awarded to our friends at Hinnant Family Vineyards (NC), Tiger Mountain Vineyards (GA), Summerside Vineyards (OK), and Stone House Winery (TX). Congratulations to all.
We look forward to attending the grand tasting on September 8th to try several of these medal winning wines. And check back later for more articles on the Missouri and Virginia winners.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Chrysalis Vineyards - Norton
One of the participants of this week's Norton competition is Virginia's Chrysalis Vineyards, the largest grower of Norton in the world. Jennifer McCloud, the owner of Chrysalis, intends to "restore Norton to its position of eminence among fine wines". In doing so, the winery offers several types of Norton, from the whole clustered Sarah's Patio Red to their flagship wine - Locksley Reserve. In between, Chrysalis also produces an estate bottled as well as a barrel select Norton. The 2003 Chrysalis Vineyards Norton - Estate Bottled is our everyday table wine - full of grape flavors - and with a smooth finish. Their Norton - Barrel Select is a bit smokier with a heavier finish. Finally, their Locksley Reserve is the best, but a bit pricey at $35 a bottle. The grapes are grown from the home vineyards at Locksley Estate. The result: a strong grapey flavor balanced with a smooth smoky finish. I recently spent an hour at the winery savoring and analyzing every taste of this wine. Chrysalis should be very competitive this week.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
2007 National Norton Wine Festival
In September, MissourWineCountry.com is hosting the first National Norton Wine Festival in St. Louis Missouri. The festival consists of a tasting competition held August 4th and a general tasting of 25 of the top Norton producers on September 8th. The results of the tasting competition will be announced the night before the general tasting and at the general tasting there will also be an opportunity to taste vertical Norton offerings for those who purchase a Norton VIP. The sponsors invited Norton producers from 12 states to the competition and currently there are 93 wines entered, representing 43 wineries from 10 states. Not a bad turnout. These wines will be judged by eight highly respected wine experts, such as Doug Frost (one of only three individuals who passed the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine examinations) and Bob Foster (Chief Judge of the Riverside International Wine Competition).
I am very interested to see how the east coast Norton fairs against the Midwestern wines. While traveling to the Midwest last year I became a huge fan of Kansas and Missouri Norton - such as Davenport Winery, Kugler's Vineyard, Holy-Field Winery, Stone Hill Winery, Röbller Vineyard Winery, Mount Pleasant Winery, St. James Winery, Stonehaus Farms, and Augusta Winery. There are dozens more Norton producers that I haven't tasted spread throughout Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas. Many of these wineries will be participating in the competition. From the east coast, New Jersey's Valenzano Winery is sending their Cynthiana which won the NJ Governors two years in a row. Most of Virginia's Norton producers have entered; the country's largest Norton grower Chrysalis Vineyards, Rappahannock Cellars, Cooper Vineyards, The Winery at La Grange, Veramar Vineyard, Keswick Vineyards, and Horton Vineyards. I've tasted the Norton from all these Virginia producers and believe they will be very competitive. Finally, several smaller Norton producers are also participating, including Jones Cabin Run Vineyards (West Virginia), Grove Winery (North Carolina), and Crane Creek Vineyards (Georgia).
We will post the results of the competition when they become available and look forward to trying several of these wines at the general tasting.
I am very interested to see how the east coast Norton fairs against the Midwestern wines. While traveling to the Midwest last year I became a huge fan of Kansas and Missouri Norton - such as Davenport Winery, Kugler's Vineyard, Holy-Field Winery, Stone Hill Winery, Röbller Vineyard Winery, Mount Pleasant Winery, St. James Winery, Stonehaus Farms, and Augusta Winery. There are dozens more Norton producers that I haven't tasted spread throughout Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas. Many of these wineries will be participating in the competition. From the east coast, New Jersey's Valenzano Winery is sending their Cynthiana which won the NJ Governors two years in a row. Most of Virginia's Norton producers have entered; the country's largest Norton grower Chrysalis Vineyards, Rappahannock Cellars, Cooper Vineyards, The Winery at La Grange, Veramar Vineyard, Keswick Vineyards, and Horton Vineyards. I've tasted the Norton from all these Virginia producers and believe they will be very competitive. Finally, several smaller Norton producers are also participating, including Jones Cabin Run Vineyards (West Virginia), Grove Winery (North Carolina), and Crane Creek Vineyards (Georgia).
We will post the results of the competition when they become available and look forward to trying several of these wines at the general tasting.
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