A Few New Wineries

So I've been in the Outer Banks for the last week, but on the way we attended a few tastings at some wineries that I wanted to share.

The first was a return visit to the Williamsbug Winery, where our wedding reception was held. Williamsburg has a great selection of wines at very good prices. It was startling for us to go there and remember that a high quality, Virginia winery has bottles for sale at $7, $8, and $9. I think Williamsburg is especially notable for some wonderful blends and table wines. "Two Shilling Red" is still one of my favorite reds, and we got some "Governor's White" as a nice, crisp, fruity white to have at the beach. These are all on the lower end of the price range, but taste great. Kate and I picked up a Henings Statute Cabernet Sauvingon - named after the 1769 law passed by the House of Burgesses, authorizing 100 acres of public land in Williamsburg to be used for growing grapes for wine. We've been really attracted to the Cabernet's lately, and I think you'll notice that throughout the post.

The next stop was Sanctuary Vineyards, in Currituck County, NC. Sanctuary was a real treat, because they also had wines from two other North Carolina wineries (Martin's Vineyards and Moonrise Bay) for tasting and purchase. These two wineries are located on Knott's Island, which we would have had to take a ferry to get to.

The wines at Sanctuary were classic North Carolina - with the muscadine grape front and center. Muscadine wines are a singular experience, scoffed at by European wine aficionados who think that only dry wines should be taken seriously, and ignored by California vinters who are secretly just jealous that they can't grow the grape. The Muscadine grape thrives in the hot, humid climate of the Carolinas. The wine-maker (who also gave us our tasting) at Sanctuary told me that they won't grow north of Norfolk, VA. Another interesting factoid is that the Muscadine grape is a grape that is native to America, like the Norton grape. If it is growing at all in Europe (which seems doubtful), it is because it was transported there from the United States. These wines are exceptionally sweet, but they have an interesting honey/tangy sweetness to them. There is no way to confuse a muscadine wine with a sweet Riesling or Petit Manseng. It's very hard to describe for me, but its hard to forget after you've tried one. Normally I don't like wines that are too sweet either, but I do like fruity wines, and I had to appreciate these for their uniqueness. However, we didn't pick up any Muscadines here. There was a Cabernet we liked, and two different red blends (one was called "Atlantis", and the other "Coastal Collage").

After a couple days at the beach, we visited Native Vine Cellars and Tasting Room, which was just off of Caratoke Highway, which runs down the Outer Banks. Native Vine also provided tastes of wines from all of North Carolina. Some of the most impressive wines came from Biltmore Estates, the winery on the Vanderbilt property in western North Carolina. These were classic wines: a lusciously buttery Chardonnay; a dry, surprisingly smooth Cabernet; a fruitful, peppery Syrah. Excellent, excellent fines wines. These were clearly not the products of a small, start-up winery.

We did end up buying a Muscadine wine at Native Vines, specifically a Scuppernong wine. I'm no expert in the Muscadine family of grapes yet, so I couldn't tell you the difference between a Scuppernong and another type of grape, but this particular white was delicious and sweet - with enough fruitiness so that the sweetness wasn't overpowering. An interesting bit of trivia is that the oldest continuously producing grape vine in the world is actually a Scuppernong vine, growing at the site of the oldest (non-continuously existing) English settlement in North America: Roanoke Island, North Carolina (a picture of this vine heads this post). We learned that from our tasting, but from the Scuppernong Wikipedia page I also came across a nice little poem dedicated to the grape:

"The winter will be short, the summer long,

The autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot,

Tasting of cider and of scuppernong;"

by Elinor Wylie

There were also several fruit wines at this tasting: Blackberry, Strawberry, Peach, and Raspberry. Now, once again - while I like fruity wines made from grapes, I'm usually not too big a fan of deserty fruit wines. The same holds here - we didn't end up getting any of these. But lets face it - a glass full of blackberries is incredible to drink, however you cut it. It just wasn't what made it into our collection.

Before we leave Native Vine, I also want mention a beer that I got there. I asked the winemaker what of the many North Carolina beers he carried he would suggest, and eventually I settled on Fest Beer from Weeping Radish Farm Brewery, in Jarvisburg North Carolina (just north of Sanctuary Vineyard). This beer was really great - it was a hoppy ale with a really full malty/yeast character to it. It almost tasted a little sour from the yeast - but I mean that in a good way. It was interesting. I'm trying to think of a beer that it's comparable to so I can communicate that better - I'll update this if I think of one.

We went out for drinks after dinner on Wednesday night to the Outer Banks Brew Station, in Kill Devil Hills. I got a sampler of four of their beers - I liked the Mutiny Pale Ale best, but I also liked the Olsch (their signature Pilsner). They had an interesting oatmeal stout too - and I also like their wheat ale. The wheat ale reminded me a lot of Sam Adam's Summer Ale. It didn't have the lemon zest of the summer ale, but the wheat flavor was relatively muted much like that classic Sam Adams brew, which I appreciated.

FINALLY - on the return trip, after stopping for lunch in Colonial Williamsburg, we went to the brand new New Kent Winery, off of interstate 64, right before you hit Richmond. This place is younger than my new niece Sophia (although obviously it has been gestating a little longer than she has). You heard it first here - New Kent will be a powerhouse in the Virginia wine industry. These guys were on the mark. First of all, they had a gorgeous tasting room and winery, "built from materials reclaimed from buildings and structures well over a century old", according to their website. Their wines reminded me more of the wines from the Williamsburg Winery or Biltmore Estates, rather than the other wineries we've tasted that opened in the last decade or so. They produce only six wines right now - all of which we tried. The Chardonnay and Chardonnay Reserve (2004) were smooth and buttery - like a good Chardonnay should be. The Vidal Blanc was a little sweet for my tastes, but it wasn't overpowering. It tasted just like a Riesling, and had that crisp, green apple taste at the front that made it more drinkable than other wines of that sweetness. The Merlot was good, but not exceptional. I was very impressed with the Meritage (a Meritage is a blend - basically an American Bordeaux, because the damned French wouldn't let us use that word... just like they won't let us use "Champagne" anymore). Strong, bold, smooth - fruit forward. And finally, their "White Norton". It looks like a rose, but oh no - don't be fooled by its appearance. When the taster described it as a "bold, lighter wine" I didn't have very high hopes. Everyone that makes a rose wants to try to tell you that it's "bolder" than other roses... and who can blame them? You don't want to just make another white wine that has a pink color to it. Usually, in my mind, they fail to live up to their talk. This was different. The Norton grapes, which are big, flavorful, earthy grapes, really gave it a grape-jam kick. It was also surprisingly peppery - sort of like a Cabernet. This taste doesn't stand out as much for Nortons, which made the White Norton notable. Most of all, I think this rose had body - it coated your mouth and really hammered back at the white bread we offered with the tasting. It is not just a sipping/brunch wine. It can stand up to a lot of substantial food.

WOW - that was a marathon post. It must seem like we went on a wine tour rather than a beach vacation. But that brings me to the final point that I want to make: if you live in a wine growing region, get outside and do some wine tastings. As glamorous as these excursions were, they cost five bucks a pop in most cases (Sanctuary was free), and didn't take up too much of our beach time. We came home with six free wine glasses on top of that. It supports small, local businesses and it also contributes to an industry that is millenia old, and that has been practiced on these shores since settlements first started sprouting up. You aren't throwing away money on some stupid item that's mass produced in China, or some pop sensation that we won't even remember a year from now. In a year, the reserve Cabernet we picked up might still be in our wine rack, and it will be even better than when we got it. The simple Two Shilling Red or Governor's White of Williamsburg Winery will never go out of style because they're classic blends for that establishment, and for us because they were featured at our wedding reception.

And if you have the time, money, and inclination I also encourage you to start a wine collection. Think of it as an investment - these wines are an appreciating asset because they get better with time. Even if they're not a wine that's meant to age - and you only open it a month or two later, they appreciate in value simply because when you pop that cork you relive the memory of visiting that winery, or the first time you tried that wine (if you didn't get it from a winery).

OK - I'm going to stop here, but I'm serious about this. Support the place that you call home - there are wineries all over the country. Support these farmer-manufacturers and the winery tradition. Don't forfeit your tastes to what is in vogue in the south of France right now. If you're in Virginia - try to fall in love with the Norton, or the Muscadine if you're south of here. Learn to appreciate our own wine heritage.

Chinese Wine

An interesting Slate article on the demand for and supply of wine in China.

In other news:

We opened a Merlot from Prince Michel yesterday - a confidence booster for Kate's job interview today. Very smooth merlot.

About a week ago we also opened a Viognier from La Grange. It was a 2007 - very good year for Virginia wines. Viogniers are on the sweeter side - "grapefruits and honeysuckle" is what you usually hear, but I tasted some pineappley notes in this as well. Definitely a honey quality to it, too.

In beer news, about a week ago I got a six-pack of Gold Ale from Clipper City Brewing Company, based in Baltimore. A pretty standard ale - very malty. Not too dark or heavy. I like their McHenry Ale better.

Breaux Vineyard 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Quite simply, one of the best wines I've had in a long time.

Aged 30 months in oak barrels, unusually long contact maintained with the grapes skins - this is what they mean when you hear people talk about "tannins". Still, eminently drinkable. This was our only bottle - now I want to go back up to Leesburg and buy one or two more to save.

Breaux Vineyards itself is really a gem. Everything we had there was great - easily one of our favorites.

We also recently had a Sterling Vineyards Chardonnay - its a California winery that you can find in most grocery stores. Very good as well - it has that buttery/vanilla character to it that chardonnays aged in oak get (wines aged in stainless steel don't get the same contact with oxygen, giving it a "crisper" taste... I like to think of it in beer terms: "oak aged wine : ales :: stainless steel aged wine : lagers").

In terms of beer... haven't had anything new lately, but I have bottled my beach lager, and the bottles are already rock hard - which means the carbonation has begun! Soon I'll brew the "blonde bombshell" wheat ale that Evan and Tricia got me.

Swedenburg Rose

So several weeks back, Kate and I went to Swedenburg Estate Vineyard, and several other wineries in Middleburg, VA. We opened the first bottle from Swedenburg yesterday - a rose that I insisted on buying after we tried it. Normally I don't like roses much - they're basically like a white zinfandel for people not familiar with them. Usually not very exciting - they're not as crisp and fresh to me as a white, and they don't have the full experience of a red. This one was different, however - it had some strawberry notes (again something I usually don't like too much - strawberry flavored wine reminds me too much of "Arbor Mist"). In this case, I think the strawberry really complimented the alcohol that came out because it was so dry. That's the other problem I have with "berry notes" in wine. Usually you see it more with super-sweet wines, and its all just too much. But this wine was drier, so the strawberry went well with it. I liked it a lot.

Wine Party Insights

Clearly, this one had a little too much wine...

So my wife and I had a wine tasting party last night as a belated housewarming and birthday party that also turned into a job celebration party when we found out that morning that she got a job offer!!!


The idea of the party was that we would provide lots of food that would pair well with different kinds of wine, and the guests would bring a bottle of wine. Tempting as it was to fill my glass, I tried to stick to about half an inch of wine every time I refilled so that I could try several of the wines that came through the door. Here are some reflections:


1. Agiorgitiko Red Wine: Two of our good friends came over early to have dinner with us (mmm... venison from western Maryland) and help set up. They brought us a Greek red table wine to have with the dinner, and it was really tasty. It wasn't very sweet - quite dry, but still very fruity. It was heavier as well which helped it stand up to the red meat. I'm reading the label of the bottle now and it says that it's aged in oak which really came across to me as I drank it - the flavors are soft, not crisp like you would get in stainless steel.


2. Riesling: We also had a Riesling - a traditional German white wine that is crisp and refreshing. It usually has undertones of green apples, and tastes great chilled. The guests that brought the Riesling also brought food of their own to go with it - sliced green apples with a slice of parmesan cheese on top, and crackers with salmon. The apple - cheese combination was awesome! The tartness of the apples and the sharpness of the cheese really canceled each other out and blended well - and of course the apples went well with the Riesling.


3. Rappahannock Cellars Cabernet Franc: A Virginia wine, this was brought by another Virginia winery aficionado friend. I probably kept going back to this bottle more than any other. The Cab Franc is a lot like the Cabernet Sauvingnon - it's a light bodied wine, but has a peppery taste to it almost. However, the fact that I'm still a little green in my wine knowledge came through last night over this wine. Another guest asked me if the Cab Franc was peppery, and honestly I didn't know. I knew I always liked Cab Franc, and I had just had some of this one maybe half an hour before, but I didn't know. So I told him - "no not really"... oh well. One day I'll be better about communicating these characteristics off the top of my head. A good wine nonetheless.

4. Some staples: We also had friends bring two staples that are regulars on the grocery store shelves - the Three Blind Moose Merlot, and The Red Bicyclette Syrah. I made sure I tried both of them - both soft and light - with a little bit of cherry. Nothing unexpected but very good. I actually found myself going back to the Syrah a couple times. I was musing about the Three Blind Moose Merlot with another guest, and we figured that being blind should heighten the other senses of the mooses, so they must know what they're talking about when it comes to wine.

5. The other good wine I had was an unpronounceable French wine - "Domaine Andre Brunel, Cotes du Rhone". It was a red - fairly gentle and light, like a merlot. I'm guessing it was a Bordeaux of some sort but I really just don't know!

A final tip from one of our guests (the one who brought the Rappahannock Cab Franc): If you didn't already know, 2007 was a good year for Virginia wine - perhaps one of the best since Prohibition. It was drier, which was bad for other crops but great for wine because the sugars in the grapes are more concentrated. We've already seen and grabbed one or two 2007 whites that have come out, but the reds typically come out later than the whites. Well, our friend told us that she heard that a lot of 2007 reds from Virginia will be going reserve immediately - so the wineries will hang on to them to age them in their own cellars. So if you see a 2007 Virginia red - go ahead and grab it. They may be hard to come by for awhile. And look forward to seeing some amazing reserves a little while down the road.

Five Virginia Wineries in Late June

Hi everyone -
Kate and I went to five wineries around Leesburg yesterday; Breaux Vineyards, Hillsborough Vineyards, Doukenie Winery, Loudon Valley Vineyards, and after getting a little turned around in the town of Waterford (we were coming up on our fifth winery of the day, after all), Village Winery.

Village Winery was actually a nice treat at the end - it was a small, out of the way place. The tasting room was unfinished wood frame with a cement floor, and the walls were lined with cases of wine. No decorations, nothing fancy. The tasting room had been open for only three years, and the vines have been growing only a few years longer than that - but they had some delicious products. One bottle we bought from Village Winery was a bottle of Elderberry Wine. This was nice, because unlike strawberry or blackberry wines (which are also good, granted), the elderberries tasted very much like grapes. So it only had hints of being a berry wine. If you weren't informed that it wasn't made from grapes, you probably wouldn't notice. We also bought a Merlot from Village, as well as a small block of locally produced cheese.

Now I'll go from the end back to the beginning. Our first stop was Breaux Winery, which was probably my favorite for the day, only beating out Village by a little. Breaux had been in operation for ten years and they had some fantastic wines available. Great Cab Franc, and great blends of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot - some of our favorite stand-by's. But they also had new winers for us to try. One was a "Nebbiolo" - which is apparently a grape that is very popular in Italy but not grown much in the U.S.. It was delicious, but very pricey (probably the most expensive I've seen sold in the tasting room of a Virginia winery) - so we just enjoyed our taste of it, and left it at that! I was also impressed with the whites from Breaux - there was one with some Petit Manseng blended in, which has a nice soft (not very acidic) tropical fruit taste to it. I first tasted Petit Manseng at Whitehall Vineyards, in Charlottesville, and have been very impressed with it ever since. Anyway, my point is that Breaux did a great job blending the sometimes overpowering Petit Manseng with other varietals, and I think I liked the blend better than the Petit Manseng on its own. The other thing that impressed us about Breaux was the person giving the tasting. She was from Peru, where apparently there isn't a whole lot of wine production, but she was very knowledgable about wine-making in Chile and Argentina (where it is huge), as well as France, Napa, and upstate New York. She told us all kinds of great stories about traveling to these places and gave us great backgroudns on the wines. We're convinced that next year's vacation needs to be a drive to the Finger Lakes in New York, and a trip through NY wine country. Eventually we'll save up for a Napa trip, but we're happy patronizing Virginia wineries for now!

Surprisingly few Norton's on this whole trip (they were used in a lot of the wineries around Middleburg that we went to a couple weeks back). But there was enough Cab Franc and Petit Verdot to keep our appetite for nice strong reds satisfied.

OK - I need to get to some work now. There are three other wineries I'll review, and as we slowly open these bottles I'll review those as well. In the next couple weeks look out for a review of some Charlottesville wineries - we'll probably be making a trip down there. We'll definitely hit First Colony winery, one of our favorites, and Horton - one that we've been dying to try. The woman that gave the tasting at Breaux also suggested King Vineyard and Jefferson Vineyard in the Charlottesville area, so look out for these soon!

Prince Michel Chardonnay

So two days ago Kate and I opened a Chardonnay from Prince Michel, a winery that's off of Rt. 29 on the way to Charlottesville, Virginia. It's nice, but a little bland. I really don't know what I like in whites that well yet, though, so I reserve the right to revise this review. Prince Michel's Riesling is much better, in my opinion.

We also recently opened a white from First Colony, a winery just outside of Charlottesville - quite close to Monticello. I forget what it was, actually - I think it might have also been a Chardonnay. I'll get back to you on that. This was delicious - a nice, grapefruity taste. We had it with chicken marinated in a spicey-lime Cuban marinade. Awesome combination.

Kate and I are going to a few more wineries north of Leesburg this weekend, so hopefully I'll bring back some more reviews.