Virginia Wine Showcase - Round 1

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

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

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

Virginia Wine Showcase - Finally Online

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