tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26327669420714646262024-02-01T23:34:31.090-08:00UncorkVirginiaMelissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2632766942071464626.post-79053677280391896752012-03-15T11:46:00.001-07:002012-03-15T12:00:58.952-07:00The 2nd Annual Virginia Sparkling Wine Taste Testing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Two weekends ago I had the privilege of joining a few other Virginia wine bloggers, PR professionals, and food critics in Charlottesville for this event. Our organizer was Frank Morgan (Twitter/Blog handle @DrinkWhatULike), and our host was Andy Reagan, Winemaker and General Manager of Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville, VA. Let me start off by saying - if you ever get the chance to attend an event led by these guys - don't miss it!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Thomas Jefferson Vineyards</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am not convinced that there is ever a bad weather day in Charlottesville. When I arrived just before noon, the sky was a beautiful bright blue, and the grounds and vineyards looked amazing. Our event took place in the barrel room, right across from the tasting room. Frank had arrived early to set up the tables, with 11 Riedel wine glasses for each of the ten tasters. The barrel room was amazing - there was a wood burning stove to heat the barn-like facility, a leather sofa, and large bar area. True rustic elegance - I loved it!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Wood burning stove in the barrel room</b></span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Eleven tastings each</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This year there were ten Virginia wines ready for tasting, and one non-Virginia wine thrown in for comparisons sake. The Virginia sparkling wine line-up was as follows:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Afton Mountain Tete de Cuvee</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prince
Michel Sparkling Wine</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Veritas
Scintilla </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Old House Petillante</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Barboursville Brut</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thibault-Janison <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Blanc de Chardonnay</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thibault-Janison FIZZ </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Kluge Blanc
de Blanc </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Horton Sparkling Viognier</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Paradise
Springs Sparkling Viognier</span></li>
</ol>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Blind Tasting Bottles</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Each of the bottles was brown-bagged for disguise, and numbered 1-11 accordingly. Frank (I told you he was a great event organizer) prepared tasting note sheets for each of us ahead of time. We could rate and comment on each wine however we wanted to, but ultimately had to rank each from most favorite to least favorite. After we were done, Frank took each of our rating sheets and entered all of the data into an Excel sheet pre-populated with a results formula (didn't I tell you he was great?) and - voila! - we had our winner!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Some of my favorites</b></span></i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now, given that the focus here was on Virginia wine, that makes it all the more difficult to announce the collective winner. But I will say this - if you happen to be in New Mexico anytime soon for a celebration, you may want to pick up a bottle or two of <a href="http://www.gruetwinery.com/" target="_blank">Gruet Brut</a>. My personal favorites? The <a href="http://veritaswines.com/Admin2/ProductDisplay5.php" target="_blank">Veritas Scintilla</a> was #1, and the <a href="http://www.barboursvillewine.net/winery/barboursville-brut-nv" target="_blank">Barboursville Brut</a> was #2.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When we were finished, Andy treated us to some of his special strawberry wine, and ordered delicious cheese, meat, and fruit platters. Did I tell you he was an awesome host??</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Melissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2632766942071464626.post-71900730070195864432012-03-06T07:57:00.000-08:002012-03-07T18:44:21.497-08:00Sparkling Wine 101<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtN5Iu1aHDuKPjRrzBssEUO98yGKQJQ01cfzi8DmM6-z37oDQm-6NUeSIabiVM8F0Je2nwJCTNmeeBh8p8pjDBFGK0GNoH5SJUUff3GAIJ_qAqU6lzrGIaXqUnkDSESDDEQ9MfuVqalc4/s1600/sparkling3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtN5Iu1aHDuKPjRrzBssEUO98yGKQJQ01cfzi8DmM6-z37oDQm-6NUeSIabiVM8F0Je2nwJCTNmeeBh8p8pjDBFGK0GNoH5SJUUff3GAIJ_qAqU6lzrGIaXqUnkDSESDDEQ9MfuVqalc4/s320/sparkling3.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo credit: theartofbottledpoetry.com</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the spirit of the 2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><sup>nd</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Annual Virginia
Sparkling Wine Blind Tasting that occurred last Saturday at Jefferson Vineyards
(more on that, later) here’s some of the ‘skinny’ on sparkling wine:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Methods<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">There are four methods commonly used to make sparkling wine:</span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Adding
carbon dioxide to the wine in the bottle</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traditional Method</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> – natural fermentation occuring in the bottle (also referred to as the Champagne</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">or Champenoise method)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charmat Process</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> –this
is when the wine u</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">ndergoes secondary fermentation in a large tank and is
bottled under pressure (the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> method used
for</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Prosecco)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transfer Method</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> – </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This method will take the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">cuvée</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">to bottle for secondary
fermentation, which allows for the additional complexity, but then will
transfer the wine out of the individual bottles into a larger tank after it has
spent the desired amount of time on yeast.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo credit: Adrian Bryska</i></span></td></tr>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
Types</span></u><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Champagne</b> of
course is the classic sparkling wine made exclusively in the Champagne region
of France. <span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mousseu</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> or <i>Crémant</i> are terms used to refer to sparkling wines made
outside of the Champagne region. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.8pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crémant</b> sparkling wines are produced using the traditional method, and
have to fulfill strict production criteria.
In France, there are seven appellations for sparkling wine which include
the designation Crémant in their name:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 19.45pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant d'Alsace</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant de Bordeaux</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant de Bourgogne</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant de Die</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant du Jura</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Crémant de Limoux</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Crémant de Loire</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prosecco</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">is an Italian white wine — generally a
Dry or Extra Dry sparkling wine— normally made
from Glera ("Prosecco") grapes. Prosecco is known as
the main ingredient of the Bellini cocktail.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Sekt</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">is the German term for quality
sparkling wine. The majority of Sekt produced is made by the Charmat method
with the remaining premium Sekt being made according to the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Traditional Method<i>.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Cava</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">is the name of a type of Spanish </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">white or pink sparkling wine produced mainly
in the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Penedès
region</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">in</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Catalonia.</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Other </b>Sparkling
wines are usually white or rose, but there are some sparkling reds such as
Italian Brachetto and Australian sparkling Shiraz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Styles<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blanc de Blancs</b> – white of whites, 100% chardonnay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brut</b> - very dry <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Brut Natural</i> or <i>Brut Zéro</i> (fewer than 3 grams of
sugar per liter)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><i>Extra
Brut</i> (fewer than
6 grams of sugar per liter)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Brut</i> (fewer than 12 grams of sugar per
liter)</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Doux</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - sweet</span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><u><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Interesting Fact
(thanks Wikipedia) <o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While Dom Perignon is often credited with inventing Champagne, he
actually spent most of his life trying to prevent the wine from developing
bubbles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where to find in Virginia<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Many Virginia wineries are now making sparkling
wines. These include <a href="http://www.paradisespringswinery.com/" target="_blank">Paradise Springs</a>,
<a href="http://www.veritaswines.com/" target="_blank">Veritas</a>, <a href="http://www.barboursvillewine.net/winery/" target="_blank">Barboursville</a>, <a href="http://www.aftonmountainvineyards.com/" target="_blank">Afton Mountain</a>, <a href="http://www.tjwinery.com/" target="_blank">Thibaut-Jannison</a>, <a href="http://www.trumpwinery.com/" target="_blank">Kluge/Trump</a>, <a href="http://www.princemichel.com/" target="_blank">Prince Michel</a>,
<a href="http://hortonwine.com/" target="_blank">Horton Vineyards</a>, and <a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/" target="_blank">Old House Vineyards</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Be sure to check some out on your next winery visit!</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzema0NsKgt5_BjdMcGbDiqUpUHaoYAbtRjtakhiAzwVJU2uW2Ec6GLolp9KBArGtj0jB7BENDQNXeSxldK4HIsK-VwJ3fidSkR8htNNEAyDBKgJEZ46wIckNhpXlL5rQa4rwHxgJArke/s1600/Sparkling_Wine3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzema0NsKgt5_BjdMcGbDiqUpUHaoYAbtRjtakhiAzwVJU2uW2Ec6GLolp9KBArGtj0jB7BENDQNXeSxldK4HIsK-VwJ3fidSkR8htNNEAyDBKgJEZ46wIckNhpXlL5rQa4rwHxgJArke/s320/Sparkling_Wine3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo credit: makeitfromscratch.blogspot.com</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>Melissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2632766942071464626.post-47972627177350271372012-02-26T15:15:00.000-08:002012-02-26T15:25:41.879-08:00Retail Shopping for Virginia Wine<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Over the past few weeks I have come across a few articles or statements from people mentioning they have difficulty finding
Virginia wine in Virginia stores, or think they can’t buy it anywhere other than onsite at a
Virginia winery. I know for a fact this
isn’t true. I often browse the Virginia
wine sections at various wine and grocery stores. Personally, I enjoy buying Virginia wines from
the wineries themselves. I enjoy the experience
of escaping the DC beltway craziness on a weekend afternoon. A mere one hour drive out to the Virginia
countryside can make you feel worlds away, and is one of my favorite ways to
unwind. But, I can certainly understand wanting to find your favorite bottle of Virginia wine closer to home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, I decided to incorporate a few extra stops into my
routine of errand running this past week.
In total, I hit six stores over six days across Northern Virginia in search of Virginia
wine. Four were chains, and
two were smaller independent retail outlets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Harris Teeter on S. Campell Ave. in Arlington is my
local neighborhood supermarket, so this was probably the most convenient stop
for me. I’m in here at least three times
a week, and this particular store has carried Virginia wine for quite some
time. Last week, nine Virginia wineries were
represented on the shelves. Notables
included Breaux, Prince Michel, Barboursville, and Horton Vineyards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FkwDtQu1IyHb2uTyBgx3vCTSVgXr0zJsQq92cnvjTKv4GPQuf2hiCdVIbpynZ7xMlTZp6vImC65tfpz56j_RF8bje-LqrEEVS0ywtccMjcelMZko87AIpg6v_9Eqo7pJedLROKUBEORJ/s1600/harris+teeter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FkwDtQu1IyHb2uTyBgx3vCTSVgXr0zJsQq92cnvjTKv4GPQuf2hiCdVIbpynZ7xMlTZp6vImC65tfpz56j_RF8bje-LqrEEVS0ywtccMjcelMZko87AIpg6v_9Eqo7pJedLROKUBEORJ/s400/harris+teeter.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Harris Teeter S. Campbell Ave. Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Whole Foods in Clarendon is another relatively routine
stop for me. As is with the Harris
Teeter, I’ve noticed Virginia wines in the wine section in this store for a while
as well. When I swung by last week, they
seemed to be running low, but I counted nine separate wineries, most of which
had multiple varieties for sale. Noteworthy wines included White Hall, Cooper
Vineyards, Pearmund, and Fabbioli.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3vbE6t3TWdTSE5prlTE9jyc43R58agPIqpUA3WBLMi2cnZHgfptxRnBmbtX8d9XKRpNaMqJnTnM1V9F5n4MDib1v1pQP8PKfU8_wmLj5G8_XX8q1RQWn7muH8nqiR2cp7pebXf4H7Wr9/s1600/whole+foods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3vbE6t3TWdTSE5prlTE9jyc43R58agPIqpUA3WBLMi2cnZHgfptxRnBmbtX8d9XKRpNaMqJnTnM1V9F5n4MDib1v1pQP8PKfU8_wmLj5G8_XX8q1RQWn7muH8nqiR2cp7pebXf4H7Wr9/s400/whole+foods.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Whole Foods Clarendon Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wegmans in Fairfax was no doubt the largest grocery store I
shopped at this past week, and their downstairs wine room also had the largest
selection of wines for sale. I had never
looked for Virginia wine here before, so was particularly curious as to what I
would find. I was pleasantly surprised –
roughly 21 different Virginia wineries were here, most with multiple varieties
for sale. Some that were noteworthy
included Chrysalis, Breaux, Barboursville, Horton, Prince Michel, Ingleside, and
Willowcroft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX81QF3VbkmUBmWNQV7NL3FXbYf4eHuwxFWbOg3Ez3MQ3TmC7DCB_ZvyMKFxdwltQUpOS7rXpznJpsxZRyvqGxHkNSNwSmb3HULizmlYOg7N-f-lUPYzleK_NxQ-eVvZRfbNSaUBtY-vdL/s1600/wegmans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX81QF3VbkmUBmWNQV7NL3FXbYf4eHuwxFWbOg3Ez3MQ3TmC7DCB_ZvyMKFxdwltQUpOS7rXpznJpsxZRyvqGxHkNSNwSmb3HULizmlYOg7N-f-lUPYzleK_NxQ-eVvZRfbNSaUBtY-vdL/s400/wegmans.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Wegmans Fairfax Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was purchasing several bottles of wine as a thank you gift
this week, and picked these up from Total Wine in Alexandria. It was here that I found the absolute largest
selection of Virginia wines – I counted 47 different wineries. So folks – if you live near a Total Wine –
definitely check out one of these stores if you’re hoping for a nice selection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NDAEZGGM78jxH_u7xSURmL01IbyDGc906nodErGmRy48szICFmy9g44wTfp9q9cQ58v4VdQ8RvM9jlE7FWlN2KNsa-qWtvbEYcxQasf5RRsM0oY5FHuDi0PMNU2_J-Bcbv8U07oWu45F/s1600/total+wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NDAEZGGM78jxH_u7xSURmL01IbyDGc906nodErGmRy48szICFmy9g44wTfp9q9cQ58v4VdQ8RvM9jlE7FWlN2KNsa-qWtvbEYcxQasf5RRsM0oY5FHuDi0PMNU2_J-Bcbv8U07oWu45F/s400/total+wine.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Total Wine Alexandria Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While having lunch at Cheesetique in Shirlington on Friday,
I quickly browsed through their small but selective wines for sale. I was surprised to see two Virginia wines amongst
their collection – a 2010 Lovingston Petit Manseng and a 2010 Jefferson
Vineyards Viognier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYIwwm9o_XgdRmUYSsJYuLMDWbsgYNQhEzSjiIE3v722iERuVMK72TNFweVwSOEyPf2Fa1GjGXSrHpBBrgHzcD727dLCDW7UWedZIUVqMdBWdE7HII2afLcos4mnsfJhZ5cRA018Co4ol/s1600/cheesetique1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYIwwm9o_XgdRmUYSsJYuLMDWbsgYNQhEzSjiIE3v722iERuVMK72TNFweVwSOEyPf2Fa1GjGXSrHpBBrgHzcD727dLCDW7UWedZIUVqMdBWdE7HII2afLcos4mnsfJhZ5cRA018Co4ol/s320/cheesetique1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWQuEd4tOiBtX2BILM8zlV25ZB_da2Ja2r-hwPEvbuVydo1_kdwJrdlUi9WssbLV46Uvbm7hAGKgYOhc6S6jqw5Ih0kiUfUi3v0RIK0X5eFv4ESmiQ71WHOlKlZOb-I60rcnXvwa24TjD/s1600/cheesetique2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWQuEd4tOiBtX2BILM8zlV25ZB_da2Ja2r-hwPEvbuVydo1_kdwJrdlUi9WssbLV46Uvbm7hAGKgYOhc6S6jqw5Ih0kiUfUi3v0RIK0X5eFv4ESmiQ71WHOlKlZOb-I60rcnXvwa24TjD/s320/cheesetique2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Cheesetique Shirlington Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My final stop was to Arrowine in North Arlington. This artisanal wine and cheese shop has been
a popular neighborhood store for years.
I counted 16 Virginia wineries represented on the shelves. These included Barboursville Octagon (one of
the most famous Virginia wines), Chrysalis, Linden, Pearmund, Rappahannock
Cellars, and Glen Manor (although not the recently crowned gold medalist 2009
Hodder Hill from last weeks Virginia Governor's Cup competition).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBSFNHCw7noVbeDYM0PPITR68dcRmd4j4Eb6FdC7KY7sM7-FOroWpdHKP4tuZGBM8LA5diU_9N8MuI4zqY3we7ajI7Nx4CH0TpHJCGdWu8CY5iyiJ6U9Db-quA6PJbAKtv6ce1260ZDDD/s1600/arrowine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBSFNHCw7noVbeDYM0PPITR68dcRmd4j4Eb6FdC7KY7sM7-FOroWpdHKP4tuZGBM8LA5diU_9N8MuI4zqY3we7ajI7Nx4CH0TpHJCGdWu8CY5iyiJ6U9Db-quA6PJbAKtv6ce1260ZDDD/s400/arrowine.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Arrowine North Arlington Virginia Wine Selection</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although I had seen Virginia wines on the shelves many
times, it was fun to take a closer look at the names, number of wineries, and
varieties.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As for the prices of the
wines, they looked to me to be pretty close to what I see at wineries
themselves.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cheers!</span><o:p></o:p></div>Melissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2632766942071464626.post-32417880557115706402012-02-20T07:32:00.000-08:002012-03-15T12:02:46.633-07:00Day Two: Virginia’s Monticello Wine Trail – the Birthplace of American Wine<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m not going to lie.
The facts that Donald Trump owns Trump Winery and Dave Matthews owns Blenheim Winery were my main reasons for wanting to visit both while in Charlottesville. The
third winery we visited on this day was Jefferson Vineyards. Three wineries owned or named after famous
men in America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.trumpwinery.com/" target="_blank"><b>Trump Winery</b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Most people who follow wine news in Virginia are familiar
with the backstory on the recent Trump acquisition of bankrupt Kluge
Winery. I’ve heard many people say they
would never visit this winery just because of the Trump affiliation. I had an open mind and wanted to try it
first-hand before making any judgments.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTgX4kIVKjkfKWz_KsS1p7DeYHVdJ7yVwCk_WbiG9jRwDpUbhJq2GC51Etb9AX73J65S1Fc0TOv2oEhGDwTVqMhxnhi7gusSFI9Yclz21b8VvEWwlpidBZblinIaXcrtgiGohgFIVQtKZ/s1600/trump1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTgX4kIVKjkfKWz_KsS1p7DeYHVdJ7yVwCk_WbiG9jRwDpUbhJq2GC51Etb9AX73J65S1Fc0TOv2oEhGDwTVqMhxnhi7gusSFI9Yclz21b8VvEWwlpidBZblinIaXcrtgiGohgFIVQtKZ/s640/trump1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>Trump Winery: Entrance sign and tasting room</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Trump winery lies along the Southern Monticello
trail, and is located about 20 minutes south of Charlottesville. The drive here felt more remote than the
previous day – but it could have been the route we chose to take. With all </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">of the open territory, it wasn’t difficult
to spot Patricia Kluge’s expansive <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYOimY0jjE" target="_blank">Albemarle Estate</a> and vineyards </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nestled in the hills.
The tasting room is across the street and just down the road from this
estate. What I found ironic, especially
given the Trump reputation for acquiring and re-branding, is that the address
of their tasting room is on Blenheim Road!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The tasting room is a small, cute building, but I was
expecting the larger facility which is advertised on the main page of their
website. It appears their website has
been updated since my visit, as the tasting room link now shows this smaller
building. Once inside, we encountered
confusion, and first-hand reminders of where we were thanks to the Donald Trump
book display. We weren’t welcomed, nor
told where to go. Off to the side, we
saw a very tiny tasting room packed with noisy people, and one young man trying
to juggle the pourings for about 15 people simultaneously.
We stood three rows back for about 15 minutes, waiting for our turn, but
ultimately gave up. Their tasting menu
offered six different options ranging from a tasting of two wines for $8 on
upward to a tasting of six wines for $17.99.
Yes, we were definitely in Trump territory. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBohFwbynJiNt8l8ctSIypWCtyUkg1JPacgje6tDCW4Ukz_jukewsLmQ9a80qdobeBArGbH9bKty4JXjO44MwvIuPowDI3aYv1x0oYwii88WsnFdO648JYP8Z1k3UK2DiNtMBqSRHgVVF/s1600/trump2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBohFwbynJiNt8l8ctSIypWCtyUkg1JPacgje6tDCW4Ukz_jukewsLmQ9a80qdobeBArGbH9bKty4JXjO44MwvIuPowDI3aYv1x0oYwii88WsnFdO648JYP8Z1k3UK2DiNtMBqSRHgVVF/s640/trump2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i style="background-color: white;">Trump Winery: Entrance table, tasting room, and our two glasses of wine</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Opting out of the tastings, we decided to
just get two glasses of wine for $8/$12 a piece, and invited ourselves over to
sit at a table in the main room.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After a
few minutes here, we were finally approached by an employee.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He offered to provide us tastings at the
table (thanks, wish you had told us that when we walked in!).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We declined and just kept our two glasses.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I did take the opportunity to ask him a few
questions.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had noticed some cute Trump
Winery labeled souvenirs – a woman’s shopping bag and etched wine glasses.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I asked how much the shopping bag was and he
responded with “More than you want to know.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Again, thanks.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The glasses, while
attractive, were $12 apiece.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What I
found most ironic, and confusing, was that the place still seemed to have a bit
of an identity crisis.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While the Trump
name was everywhere, all the wines were still labeled Kluge.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I asked about this, and the man stated that
he thought a Trump labeled wine was in the works, but beyond that he didn’t
know what the plans were for re-branding.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Huh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not long after this, the noise
of the tasting room became too much and it was hardly a relaxed setting.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The boisterous group of middle-aged adults
celebrating something was getting out of control as their wine kept
flowing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the employees shouted at
them to keep it down.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nice.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There was more confusion regarding how to pay
as they were seriously short-staffed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We
finally managed to do this.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And bolt.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO4hOO5utUkseEMyYDSaHpONjojVEgXkFfBAJy1zpNkSF6R9YgXElvFidnuNuRn8jS_Q1v0xRZr_gZLMtARTDYiPiS2AxtI0aMGVQketn-ESEqhcKhX-zW0FeuCwUTxDYOendyctxGHP4/s1600/trump3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO4hOO5utUkseEMyYDSaHpONjojVEgXkFfBAJy1zpNkSF6R9YgXElvFidnuNuRn8jS_Q1v0xRZr_gZLMtARTDYiPiS2AxtI0aMGVQketn-ESEqhcKhX-zW0FeuCwUTxDYOendyctxGHP4/s640/trump3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Trump Winery: Trump displays, Trump accessories, Kluge wine</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>My Experience Rating </u>(relative to other Virginia
wineries): Convenience: 5, Knowledgeable
Staff: 3, Wines: Did not taste enough to judge, Tasting Room and Amenities: 4, Scenery
and Ambiance: 7, Value: 3<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://blenheimvineyards.com/" target="_blank"><b>Blenheim Vineyards</b></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
Driving up the road to Blenheim from our raucous
experience at Trump was a welcome relief.
We instantly felt the more laid-back style and a QUIET setting. The tasting room building itself has somewhat
of a ski-lodge feel. The architecture
inside is really interesting. A glass
floor allows you to see the wine barrels in the cellar downstairs. The tasting counters back to
floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking their vineyards.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEh-MABFC0fnjprZv6Bgcz6CtzF_FQWfFQNHiYbyRbEll5H016LGDJ-QjPD313S1dh-Jv9wKqH5jZbxZGttbF9uzmjtlBT9kHBbLu4nthHFoQZNYa0KHNWb6MqGE4cW_JGTRXL3KJDKd2W/s1600/blenheim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEh-MABFC0fnjprZv6Bgcz6CtzF_FQWfFQNHiYbyRbEll5H016LGDJ-QjPD313S1dh-Jv9wKqH5jZbxZGttbF9uzmjtlBT9kHBbLu4nthHFoQZNYa0KHNWb6MqGE4cW_JGTRXL3KJDKd2W/s640/blenheim1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Blenheim Vineyards: Property, vineyards, and tasting room</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We tasted five wines on their tasting menu for
$5.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This included the Painted White 2010
(42% Chardonnay, 28% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, and 10% Marsanne), Red Table Wine
(blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah), Cabernet
Franc 2010, Petit Verdot 2010, and their Painted Red (47% Merlot, 21% Syrah,
14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, and 7% Cabernet Franc).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bottle prices ranged from $14 - $30.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoPy7OxTNVGm1mbvaA72KLC90_FjO2j_nC7C1cyQ6fOZ9Ccs7Bo9ZtO0pqbaB6KLk3Mj2U0G5E8uMpbmBa_loAuKoSeS1FCB2wciPvA8-uXMkESFkU3oxtX8U4eKmgECamft6lUi7C7zu/s1600/blenheim2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoPy7OxTNVGm1mbvaA72KLC90_FjO2j_nC7C1cyQ6fOZ9Ccs7Bo9ZtO0pqbaB6KLk3Mj2U0G5E8uMpbmBa_loAuKoSeS1FCB2wciPvA8-uXMkESFkU3oxtX8U4eKmgECamft6lUi7C7zu/s640/blenheim2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Blenheim Vineyards: Inside the tasting room and the glass floor</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I asked our pourer how often Dave Matthews
visits the winery these days (and no doubt I was the 4 zillionth person to ask
him this question).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He said he does
visit occasionally when he’s in town.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We
were told Dave’s mother purchased the property in 1999 as she wanted a fruit
farm, and this was subsequently turned into a winery in 2000.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">His influence is elsewhere though, as Dave developed
the designs for the building, and also designed the labels of the Painted White
and Painted Red wines.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<br />
I would love to go back here!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /><u>
My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia
wineries): Convenience: 5, Knowledgeable
Staff: 9, Wines: 8, Tasting Room and Amenities: 8, Scenery and Ambiance: 8, Value:
7<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="http://jeffersonvineyards.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jefferson Vineyards</b></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This was our last stop of the day. The oldest of the three wineries we visited
this day, the tasting room is smaller and more discrete. This is one winery where we will have to go
back to as we walked into yet again the same inebriated crowd we’d run into at
Trump. [Note: Ladies, if you think it is a good idea to
gather your sorority sisters to celebrate your 45<sup>th</sup> birthday, or
any birthday for that matter, and get completely wasted while swearing and
yelling at the wine pourers, you WILL make a complete idiot of yourself and you
SHOULD care.] </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxsfPsK34Zd3OY2mR2jQnlTPp1ERZQHJHrClO5ifv7s_zRCH7HkOWAbhBq695fGDEZVwb-aUdrRWecmIUCv2jdFAxmFqZWrAlaG_ZCnF8jBsNAduHHJCcmjSkEQbBgIqTNHE-Souggkz8/s1600/jefferson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxsfPsK34Zd3OY2mR2jQnlTPp1ERZQHJHrClO5ifv7s_zRCH7HkOWAbhBq695fGDEZVwb-aUdrRWecmIUCv2jdFAxmFqZWrAlaG_ZCnF8jBsNAduHHJCcmjSkEQbBgIqTNHE-Souggkz8/s640/jefferson1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jefferson Vineyards; Tasting room, grounds, and historical marker</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
Our experience was pretty well ruined, but we
did try their tasting menu which consisted of a Pinot Gris 2010, Chardonnay
2010, Chardonnay Reserve 2010, Vin Rouge, Cabernet Fran 2010, Petit Verdot
2010, Meritage 2008, Johannisburg Riesling 2010, and Vin Blanc. We enjoyed nearly all the wines on this menu.<br />
<br />
We will go back!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /><u>
My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia
wineries): Convenience: 7, Knowledgeable
Staff: 9, Wines: 8, Tasting Room and Amenities: 6, Scenery and Ambiance (boisterous women aside): 7, Value:
8<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span>Melissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2632766942071464626.post-43717328789097192132012-02-18T10:46:00.000-08:002012-03-15T12:02:03.591-07:00Day One: Virginia’s Monticello Wine Trail – the Birthplace of American Wine<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As a couple living just outside Washington, DC who both
enjoy wine and American history, there really isn’t a more obvious local
destination to spend a holiday weekend.
This, however, was our first visit to Charlottesville together, and our
first visit to the many destinations on our itinerary to the central Piedmont
area.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Monticello region is one of six American
Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) in Virginia.
And believe it or not, this is one of 24 trails across the state of
Virginia, now home to over 200 wineries.
Monticello itself, one of our destinations, was the home of Thomas
Jefferson and where he first attempted (yet failed) to grow vines for making
his own wine over 200 years ago. Today,
over half of Virginia’s 2000 vineyard acres grow within the Monticello
AVA. Given the breathtaking views edging
the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the rich culture and history
at every turn, this is not only considered the birthplace of American wine, but
also referred to as the ‘crown jewel’ of Virginia’s wine industry today.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area,
it’s just under a two hour drive before you reach the northern point of the
trail. For this weekend trip, we didn’t
have the time to drive the entire trail.
There are, after all, 25 wineries dotting the Northern, Eastern,
Western, Southern, and Northern Gateway stems.
We down-selected to seven that we thought we could fit into the weekend
were so happy with our selections!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.princemichel.com/" target="_blank"><b>Prince Michel</b></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our first stop was at Prince Michel [pronounced
<i>Michelle</i>]. We have enjoyed tasting their wines at some
of the frequent festivals in Northern Virginia, so were excited to check out
their winery in person. Not only that,
but given their location directly off of Route 29 South, it is a really convenient
destination if you’re continuing your drive south like we were.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On this particular Saturday, the tasting room
was lively and fun, but not overly crowded.
We took a peek at the large party room off to the side and the fun
artwork and furniture in the sitting rooms.
The tasting room is large, with an oval shaped tasting station in the
middle and a good sized bar surrounding it.
In addition to the bar, this winery sells a multitude of fun wine
accessories and chocolate covered fruit and nuts made by a local vendor. Just beyond the tasting room is their barrel
room, where they offer a fun, easy, and educational self-guided tour.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The tasting menu at Prince Michel, I have to
say, has to be the best deal I have experienced to-date in Virginia. We were first offered to select a dry or
sweet menu (we went with dry) and for $5 we could select 15 red or white wines
to taste. Yes, 15! Given this was our first stop of the day, we
split one for 7ish tastings a piece.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The woman pouring for us told us she was the
tasting room manager. She was laid- back,
friendly, and super knowledgeable on all the wines. The first one I selected was the Prince
Michel Sparkling wine (love me some bubbles!) which was a blend of Pinot Noir
and Chardonnay. It had a peachy color, refreshing
finish, and was honestly my favorite of all of them. But, at the $39 price point, I didn’t end up
buying a bottle. The vineyard designate
wines on the menu were the Mt. Juliet Petit Manseng, Mt. Juliet Petit Verdot,
Quaker Run Syrah, Crown Orchard Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mountain View Cabernet
Franc. [Note: Cab Francs are a popular wine within this
region, and they were a favorite of ours at just about all the wineries!] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After our tastings, we took a walk around to
view the items for sale and do the self-guided tour.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia wineries): Convenience: 10, Knowledgeable
Staff: 10, Wines: 7, Tasting Room and Amenities: 10, Scenery and Ambiance: 6, Value:
8</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3nmPMe983lmhLevZWfz2nulLaJZ9FV99Q3zX7UYN8_IvQQk4M-epCM_kG_ppJSfdGIWf-nQ2KFj3x91SmyfBOJv28DiisviiVwzDjQSEHNqdXbvxkm124RPkLjt5WdTNkZxDu4PRXILp/s1600/PrinceMichelPics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3nmPMe983lmhLevZWfz2nulLaJZ9FV99Q3zX7UYN8_IvQQk4M-epCM_kG_ppJSfdGIWf-nQ2KFj3x91SmyfBOJv28DiisviiVwzDjQSEHNqdXbvxkm124RPkLjt5WdTNkZxDu4PRXILp/s640/PrinceMichelPics.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Prince Michel Winery: self-guided tour, looking over the barrels back into the tasting room, and beautiful grounds</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJQ0mJM86We5nF1PbYY3c3QiulqsucSincO9HeB2L9ZyM6HooNuFld1tJ5Ot7lucvYDbtz9HHGtgfiHhwcDd3G-mD7Bt3vV-7GVd-67YVqonS4Mft4gr__TzAQnutpnsXNyy9rR_4yIln/s1600/PrinceMichelPics2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJQ0mJM86We5nF1PbYY3c3QiulqsucSincO9HeB2L9ZyM6HooNuFld1tJ5Ot7lucvYDbtz9HHGtgfiHhwcDd3G-mD7Bt3vV-7GVd-67YVqonS4Mft4gr__TzAQnutpnsXNyy9rR_4yIln/s640/PrinceMichelPics2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Prince Michel Winery: Historical photo of men 'airing' the grapes and collage of former U.S. Presidents who lived in the area</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kingfamilyvineyards.com/" target="_blank">King Family Vineyards</a> </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’d read a lot about this winery, and given that nearly everyone RAVES about the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was
really looking forward to our visit here.
The winery is about a 15 minute drive outside of Charlottesville. Once you leave I-64, it’s a few more turns
through a neighborhood and farmland until you reach the entrance. This part of the drive has a very ‘tucked
away’ feel, as you pass Tanglewood and Folly Farms. As is typical in this area, black picket fences
line the edges of the roads to mark the farm properties. On this particular day, we pulled into a
packed parking lot. Walking around, you
instantly fall in love with the sprawling property, views of the polo fields,
and Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.<b> </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The tasting room was cozy – a woodburning fireplace and leather
furniture were the centerpieces, surrounded by additional seating areas and
wine displays. The tasting menu featured six wines for a tasting
fee of $5 each. We sipped two 2009 wines
– a Meritage and a dessert wine called Seven – and four 2010 wines – a Viognier,
Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and second dessert wine called Loreley. We felt
more of the 'college town feel' here as many of the other customers appeared to be
students from UVA. The gentleman pouring
our wines was very knowledgeable on the wines, and also worked at a local bistro
in town. He told us he was in the
process of applying to wine school in France.
My favorite of the day was their Chardonnay, made in 2/3 new oak barrels. Their Seven dessert wine was probably the
most interesting on the list – a good wine for after dinner paired with chocolate. They use Kentucky Woodford Reserve barrels
for this wine which gives it a bit of a bourbon kick. While the wines were good, price points sit
at $22 and above. Due to the crowds, we actually made a second trip back here
before heading north, and ordered two glasses of the chardonnay, a freshly
baked baguette, and some cheese which we enjoyed immensely while soaking up the
scenery and the warmth of the fireplace.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia wineries): Convenience: 7, Knowledgeable
Staff: 10, Wines: 9, Tasting Room and Amenities: 10, Scenery and Ambiance: 10, Value:
7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj4-_7q9dRwOzPzPPe2HwObwmWJ93xGG4bLXJaPqwaXIV-18J6_MXRdqXzy7LqWsjA30EFCgnjQAkwbXO-twgbdxNmzoMzTPpYuvuUD38GShnqEAnmMuR82sTkNqHvoRsE8sq3cyCtdfZ/s1600/KingFamily1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj4-_7q9dRwOzPzPPe2HwObwmWJ93xGG4bLXJaPqwaXIV-18J6_MXRdqXzy7LqWsjA30EFCgnjQAkwbXO-twgbdxNmzoMzTPpYuvuUD38GShnqEAnmMuR82sTkNqHvoRsE8sq3cyCtdfZ/s640/KingFamily1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">King Family Vineyard: Views of the polo field, patio, and grounds</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXFABYW1KJmTD_8nxJkJGKjT3Ezy0aHlKYoGUjXPYsSLayDgaWW9Xpklpl3Dk5OngLUq0vbSjapiy700CiWPqmTo6k3UyG1KIcJkss3ErylwaKjeCPviaavKbOsM7gIEFhg6J331oTV7C/s1600/KingFamily2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXFABYW1KJmTD_8nxJkJGKjT3Ezy0aHlKYoGUjXPYsSLayDgaWW9Xpklpl3Dk5OngLUq0vbSjapiy700CiWPqmTo6k3UyG1KIcJkss3ErylwaKjeCPviaavKbOsM7gIEFhg6J331oTV7C/s640/KingFamily2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">King Family Vineyard: Inside the tasting room area</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<b><u><a href="http://www.veritaswines.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Veritas Winery</span></a></u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Veritas was another winery I was excited to
visit, not only for their wines, but for the mountain views. I quickly learned that there probably isn’t a
winery in this area that doesn’t benefit from this factor! The drive from King Family involved some very
steep and windy turns – certainly not good for anyone who may be out tasting
several other wines beforehand! We made
our way into another crowded parking lot.
Rounding the corner of the property, we had amazing views of the property
and happened to catch some phenomenal sun rays which were fantastic for what
could have otherwise been a very chilly winter afternoon. Unfortunately, the main tasting room was
closed this day as we were told they were re-doing the floors. Instead, everyone was directed to their main
event room, which looked to be decorated for a wedding, but we found out they
were decorations from a New Year’s Eve party.
Tables, chairs, and couches were scattered around the large space and we
found it to be very noisy and disorganized.
There must have been close to 100 people here at this point. The UVA students were in abundance here as
well. We made our way onto a couch, as
one of the pourers told us she could fit us in.
We sat down next to another couple, which was a little TOO close to be
and a bit awkward at first. Our pourer
was friendly, but distracted with the crowds and seemed unsure of the process
herself. Another couple soon joined in
next to us. They were from northern
Virginia as well, and had been in town for a wedding. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
On this day we paid $5 each to taste quite a
range of 10 wines: Scintilla (a 80%
Chardonnay Brut), Sauvignon Blanc 2011, White Star (80% Viognier), Rose 2010,
Cabernet Franc 2010, Merlot 2010, Red Star (Cab Franc, Merlot, and Chabourcin),
Petit Manseng 2010, Othello 2009 (port), and Kenmar 2009 (Traminette, similar to
Ice Wine). Our favorites that we
purchased were the Cab Franc, Rose, and the Petit Manseng.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Veritas is definitely a winery I would like to return
to – when the main tasting room is back open, and hopefully on a less crowded
weekend.<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<br />
<u>My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia wineries): Convenience: 6, Knowledgeable
Staff: 6, Wines: 9, Tasting Room and Amenities: 10, Scenery and Ambiance: 10, Value:
8<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbECemEOgvZKvx53x1QRKDLtCRs6GJ9ec9-lOsYDOu7V9TeJ01qDYdNErxXBXE-wCrpG4yKC0FB3j-FY9CeouZW57ic8wju3BN1s7pXh8zrtY_E3y6OweUR89yD-y32T9kMChn3sdZazW/s1600/veritas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbECemEOgvZKvx53x1QRKDLtCRs6GJ9ec9-lOsYDOu7V9TeJ01qDYdNErxXBXE-wCrpG4yKC0FB3j-FY9CeouZW57ic8wju3BN1s7pXh8zrtY_E3y6OweUR89yD-y32T9kMChn3sdZazW/s640/veritas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: small;">Veritas Winery: Beautiful outside scenery</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<u><a href="http://www.aftonmountainvineyards.com/" target="_blank">Afton Mountain Vineyards</a></u></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
Most wineries in Virginia close at 5pm
sharp. On this day, we were arriving
around 4:30, so just as they were preparing to wind down. The property had a very peaceful feel – and the
pond out back was a nice addition to the surrounding mountain views. The inside was very cozy – somewhat of a family
room feel with another wood burning fireplace.
All the seats here were taken with a group enjoying wine with some
food. The crowd on this day was older
than what we encountered at Veritas. Out
back was a lovely patio with views of the pond.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
There were two options for tastings - $8 for their reserve tasting menu of seven wines, or $5 for their house tasting menu of seven wines. I personally am not a fan of these types of menus
– it leaves you with a “Do I want to try their good wine, or their not-so-good
wine?” feel. We decided to do a tasting
of each menu, and share the wines. This
tasting room was smaller than others we’d visited, and our pourer on this day
was new, so not as informed on the wines.
Apart from their dessert wines, prices range from $17 - $30. We tasted a mix of Tete de Cuvee Brut,
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Festa di Bacco (blend of Sangiovese,
Merlot, and Cab Franc), Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Riesling,
semi-sweets, and dessert wines. Our favorite was the 2009 Cabernet Franc
Reserve.<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<br />
<u>My Experience Rating</u> (relative to other Virginia wineries): Convenience: 6, Knowledgeable
Staff: 5, Wines: 8, Tasting Room and Amenities: 8, Scenery and Ambiance: 10, Value:
6<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP81uxy5DGMIa6QvL1N8UBUZEDT_EqkOrifu0wTyUgIpsEa1INtegB_-NRzGwDdB91ruEXmy6nouL96M82-o6Yb0avmwWpiOXb9ZBGx84AuwY01jPApva-7NapaD9C2B0GAU-mlgCuXkk/s1600/aftonmountain1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP81uxy5DGMIa6QvL1N8UBUZEDT_EqkOrifu0wTyUgIpsEa1INtegB_-NRzGwDdB91ruEXmy6nouL96M82-o6Yb0avmwWpiOXb9ZBGx84AuwY01jPApva-7NapaD9C2B0GAU-mlgCuXkk/s640/aftonmountain1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: small;">Afton Mountain Winery: Tasting room and vineyard</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6qldImaw5cXs_YMGDyBpFpGCvzpnSEyIdFgMXUgQzwYEaN-oehLExHlKeFoo3SlHCXH5LTtsrzpGYFBe3-l76zMmsSOceNgMycThRJsP-1MzhF2UYjZb6HA2oTldvGH0kIv3G6TVXhHn/s1600/aftonmountain2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6qldImaw5cXs_YMGDyBpFpGCvzpnSEyIdFgMXUgQzwYEaN-oehLExHlKeFoo3SlHCXH5LTtsrzpGYFBe3-l76zMmsSOceNgMycThRJsP-1MzhF2UYjZb6HA2oTldvGH0kIv3G6TVXhHn/s640/aftonmountain2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: small;">Afton Mountain Winery: Tasting room fireplace, wine awards, and views of the patio</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<br />Melissa Watthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04740339647367445094noreply@blogger.com0