Athena Vineyards (http://www.athenavineyards.com)
Athena Vineyards is worth going to just to check out their unique bottle designs.  Owned by former nurses, Athena Vineyards offers a great deck wine in their Lighthouse White and a nice Meritage with a good pepper finish.

Potomac Point Winery (http://www.potomacpointwinery.com)
I’ll be the first to admit that I went to Potomac Point just to pick up a few bottles of their La Belle Vie 2008 for when the weather turns warm.  This year they’ve introduced a La Belle Vie Rose that was enjoyable, but not as good as the original.

White Hall Vineyards (http://www.whitehallvineyards.com)
I’ve been to White Hall Vineyards before, and if you’re ever our in the Charlottesville area, I certainly recommend visiting them.  While there weren’t any of their wines that I disliked, I came away with 3 bottles of their Cabernet Franc and 3 bottles of their Viognier.

Rosemont Vineyards (http://www.rosemontofvirginia.com)
Rosemont was the first vineyard I visited to give me some truly unique flavors.  Their Vidal Blanc offered up a herb, mint finish that was new and refreshing.  Their Meritage has a clove finish that I will admit reminded me a bit of high school.

Pollak Vineyards (http://www.pollakvineyards.com)
Lime in their Durant White reminded me of South American Sauvignon Blanc.  Their Cabernet Franc had a more subtle pepper finish than many I had during the day, while their Cabernet Sauvignon offered a touch of eucalyptus.

Mountfair Vineyards (http://www.mountfair.com)
Most notable from Mountfair was their slightly effervescent Stickdog Riesling with a slight mineral finish.  Fairly refreshing and one worth considering as the weather turns warm.

Blenheim Vineyards (http://www.blenheimvineyards.com)
I really enjoyed Blenheim, and while I didn’t dislike any of their wines, I enjoyed their Viognier and Cabernet Franc the most, bringing home two bottles of the Viognier and one of the Cab Franc.  I already wish I had grabbed 3 bottles of each.

Tarara Winery (http://www.tarara.com)
I was really looking forward to Tarara, and was sadly sort of disappointed.  I went there looking forward to their Long Bomb, and while I really enjoyed their Charval with a slight mineral finish and found their 2008 Cabernet Franc to be great, but their Long Bomb Edition 2 was a bit of a let down.

Lake Anna Winery (http://www.lawinery.com)
I’m a huge fan of Lake Anna, and while I went there to try and pick up their Spotsylvania Claret (3 bottles), I can’t help but recommend their Totally White and Totally Red as quality table wines.  The Bellhaven Chardonnay is very refreshing and definitely worth considering as well.

Villa Appalaccia Winery (http://www.villaappalacia.com)
While I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I favor red wine for most occasions, I was blown away by the whites offered by Villa Appalaccia.  Not to take away from a great Toscanello (a great blend of Cab Franc, Sangiovese, and Primitivo), their Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Reserve, and Simpatico are worth buying.  The Pinot Grigio is a great deck wine, and there’s not much seasfood that I wouldn’t pair the Reserve with.

First Colony Winery (http://www.firstcolonywinery.com)
The two most worth it to me were the Viognier with its light floral flavor and their Cabernet Franc with its combination bell pepper white pepper finish.

Grayhaven Winery (http://www.grayhavenwinery.com)
While certainly not the last winery that I visited, it was another one that I went to with a certain wine in mind.  Just up the road from my home, this is a vineyard that I’ve visited several times for their great, homey tasting room.  Their Cabernet Franc is always one to love, with a light color and great pepper finish.  They have a Sauvignon Blanc that I have yet to taste, but as it’s always sold out I’m assuming it’s pretty good.

Vino Curioso (http://www.vinocurioso.com)
Three years ago I found Vino Curioso at the first Virginia Wine Expo.  All these years later and I’m still in love with their Cabernet Franc (Franc the Tank) and their Cabernet Sauvignon (Snake’s Den).  Another one that I’ve never tasted the Sauvignon Blanc of because they are perpetually sold out of it.

Jefferson Vineyards (http://www.jeffersonvineyards.com)
Like many of the vineyards at the Virginia Wine Expo, I hit up Jefferson Vineyards looking for a specific wine – their Petit Verdot – which they didn’t have.  Granted, their Cabernet Franc was as good this year as it was last, but them not having their Petit Verdot available was a bit of a let down.

The 2010 Virginia Wine Expo was another roaring success, with great vineyards presenting great wine.  If you’re in the Central Virginia area, or even if you’re not, and you’re not already planning to attend next year, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to not only learn about varietals that you might not get from California, but certainly ones that taste different than those you are used to.

Varietal: Sangiovese (90% Sangiovese; 10% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $14

Ruby red with hints of purple color featuring aromas of ripe fruit with floral hints.  Fruit on the palate with soft tannins on the finish.  Pairs well with meat, roast beef, white meat, or medium-aged cheeses.

Recommendations: If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a fan of Sangiovese.  While restocking my wine cellar, I picked up this wine with the pizza in my freezer in mind.  Paired with a dinner of pepperoni pizza, the tannins managed to come out more than the alcohol (13%), though once the meal was gone that was less the case.

While I did get an initial aroma of ripe fruit on the nose, it was quickly overwhelmed by alcohol aromas, as were the fruit flavors in the mouth.  While it doesn’t have the highest alcohol content of some wines I’ve had recently, it felt like it had more.

While I liked this better than the Il Valore Sangiovese that I had last week, I didn’t like it as much as the Di Majo Norante Sangiovese.  A respectable wine that definitely needs a food pairing to be enjoyed.

Varietal: Carmenere (75% Carmenere; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Syrah)
Region: Chile
Cost: $13

Deep red in color with gentle and silky tannins and rich flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice.  Pair with pasta, grilled meats, spicy entrees, eggplant, or bell peppers.

Recommendations: I’ve been a fan of Root:1 wines for a while, regularly keeping their Sauvignon Blanc on hand.  While restocking our wine cellar after the rampant snow we’ve had here in Virginia, my wife and I found a bottle of Carmenere from Root:1 and were quick to grab it.

Paired with a dinner of baked herb chicken and garlic green beans, we were soon ignoring the meal to focus on the wine.  Beautifully dark red with aromas of berry and green bell peppers, the spice and bell pepper on the palate are amazing, and reminded me of the Viu Manent Carmenere that I enjoyed during the Wines of Chile Blogger tasting, though the flavors of bell pepper were much more mellow – which was not a bad thing.  

The best part of the wine was that the more it was allowed to open up, the better the flavors of bell pepper became, easily masking the high alcohol content (14%), something that I appreciated.  If you’ve never had Carmenere before I highly recommend that you try it, and the Root:1 is a great place to start.

Not only do I recommend this wine, but I expect to be picking up more of it very soon.

Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Italy
Cost: $6

Garnet colored in the glass with aromas of cherry and crushed fruit on the nose.  Cherry, crushed fruit and a spice finish in the mouth.  Pair with pasta or meat.

Recommendations: Given that my wife and I have been snowed in for the better part of two weeks, our supplies of wine are starting to run low.  While watching a movie (The Neverending Story for those that care), we opened up a this bottle of Sangiovese that I had picked up at our local Trader Joe’s in anticipation of the coming snow storms.

Fairly light in the glass and on the palate, I got flavors of cherry and spice, along with a little fresh crushed fruit.  In typical Sangiovese style, the wine was rather dry and would have paired great with a pasta dish or some red meat, though it was a good compliment to the realization that the movies from my childhood may not have been as good as I thought they were.

While certainly not the best Sangiovese I’ve ever had, not even the best in the last 30 days to be honest, it’s really hard to argue against a passable bottle of wine that’s less than $10.  Worth it to keep around the house for cooking/pairing with quick pasta dishes, but not good for much else beyond being a cheap table wine.

Varietal: Sanviovese
Region: Italy
Cost: $10

Violets, berries, spices and leather on the nose of this garnet colored wine with flavors of ripe fruit that pair with pizza, pasta, and grilled meats.

Recommendations: I grabbed this bottle of wine at a local store because, quite frankly, the price point was too good to pass on for a Sangiovese that had been highly rated by The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator in previous years.  Also, as Chianti is my first love of red wine, I have a hard time walking away from any Sangiovese.

Paired with a meal of pasta with red sauce and ground Italian sausage, the dryness of this wine was a perfect compliment.  A bit of ripe fruit on the palate does take the edge off the wine, making it enjoyable well after the meal is gone (my mark of a good wine), and the price means you can pick this wine up in bulk to keep around for any occasion.

If you’re not a fan of dry wines, you might want to pass on this one, but if you are a fan of Chianti or any dry wine, or are looking to get into them, this is absolutely one you should pick up – easily one of the best values I’ve found for any red wine.

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Chile
Cost: $10

Garnet color with flavors of cherry and bold tannins.  Pair this wine with red meat or a boldly flavored meal.

Recommendations: For a dinner alone, I swung by my local Fresh Market (which if you have one you should visit often) and picked up a steak and this bottle of wine, partially for the price, and partly because the card with the wine recommended it for steaks.

I opened up the wine while my steak cooked on the grill and let it breathe a bit, finally pouring some as my steak came off the grill.  Paired with the steak, the wine was excellent.  Bold tannins and some flavors of red fruit came through, and the high alcohol content (14%) was balanced well by the juiciness of the steak.

Unfortunately, my steak was soon gone and the rest of the wine was not.  Being a good husband, and because she threatened me, I left the second half of the bottle until my wife came home.  Once she arrived we poured out the rest of the wine and settled in to watch some TV.

Without the steak to help cut the alcohol and tannins, the wine was a bit overwhelming – especially the alcohol.  As anybody that’s visited this site knows, my true test of a wine is after the food is gone – sadly the 2008 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t pass the test.

While I’m hard pressed to say don’t buy this considering the price point, I will say that if you’re going to buy it, be sure you’re pairing it with food that will help to counter the alcohol content, otherwise it’s just too much and is a waste of the wine.

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (50% Nero d’Avola; 50% Merlot)
Region: Italy – Sicily
Cost: $14

Intense red colors with hints of purple featuring aromas of cherry, sweet spices and tobacco with balanced tannins on the palate.  Pairs well with pasta with meat sauce, braised beef, juicy steak.

Recommendations: When this wine showed up for me I instantly started thinking of what to pair it with.  The bottle itself recommends pasta with meat sauce, and given my love of Italian-style food, I was quick to agree.  More purple than red in the glass, with a good tannic structure, the high alcohol content (14%) does demand that you pair the wine with something to help take the edge off.

That being said, allowing the wine to open up (either by decanting or just letting the bottle sit for a bit) takes the edge off the wine and makes it a very enjoyable sipping wine, especially with the flavors of crushed fruit that came through for me after it opened up.

While I’ve never been shy about making it clear that I’m not a Merlot drinker, I would recommend this wine for anybody looking for a good red wine to pair with either an Italian-style meal or red meat.  It’s a great value and certainly meets my criteria of being good with and without food.

Special thanks to The Wine Chateau for supplying the Vignali Roccamora ‘Carlo Alfano’ Nero d’Avola Merlot for this review.

Varietal: Rose (70% Grenache; 30% Shiraz)
Region: South Australia
Cost: $15

Deep pink color with aromas of fresh berries and strawberries.  Berry on the palate, notably raspberry, with a crisp finish.

Recommendations: I have officially consumed more pink wines in 2009 than in the previous 3 years combined – and that’s ok.  My experience with pink wines started with the Peju Provence, and it has ended with the Angoves Nine Vines Rose.

A gift from my brother-in-law and his wife for Christmas, I was intrigued given the blend of Grenache and Shiraz.  Dark pink in color with ripe fruit on the nose and refreshingly tart flavors of raspberry on the palate, this wine was a great pair for marinated salmon, mashed potatoes, and garlic green beans.

While I will be the first to admit that I am still hesitant about pink wines, this past year has taught me to be a bit more open minded, and the Rose from Nine Vines is a good one to be open minded with.

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (85% Sangiovese; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $10

Dark garnet color with rich flavors of fruit balanced by robust tannins on the finish.  Pair with red meats, pasta with red sauce, or sharp cheeses.

Recommendations: I’ve always been a sucker for Italian wine – Chianti will always hold a special place in my heart as my first red wine.  When I saw this on this shelves at my local Costco, it was practically a no-brainer to pick up a bottle to try out.

The wine itself was a dark garnet red in the glass and while the flavors of fruit were noticeable, the big finish of tannins were what really made this wine an instant favorite for me.

Paired with a plate of sharp cheddar and crackers (some munchies while waiting for Christmas Day dinner to finish cooking), the wine was a great sipping wine that I could easily imagine pairing with a meal of robust pasta and red sauce.

Definitely one I plan to pick up again on my next trip to Costco and one I recommend you do as well.

Varietal: Red Blend
Region: Italy
Cost: $20

Deep purple coloring with aromas of roses, violets, and woodlands.  Red and black fruits on the palate, with hints of truffle and chocolate.  Pair with veal, hearty soups, hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Pecorino, lamb, Osso Bucco.

Recommendations: I’ve been sitting on this bottle for a few weeks since receiving it just before Thanksgiving waiting to pair it with some steaks that have been sitting in my fridge waiting to be cooked.  I was so glad that I did.  I’m a fan of dry red wines, and the Canneto Rosso did not disappoint.

Tons of earthiness on the nose lead into a very dry wine that still managed to exhibit flavors of ripe berries.  Although the wine has a high alcohol content (14%/vol), it doesn’t show either on the nose or on the palate, a huge selling point for me.

Paired with a well seasoned steak, the dryness of the wine was a great compliment to the juiciness of the meat, and the earthiness on the nose mixed well with the herbs I used on the steak (rosemary is my friend).  While this wine is a bit expensive to use as an everyday table wine, it’s certainly in that vein and if you’re looking for a fancier table wine, this is certainly what you’re looking for.  Definitely worth grabbing.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.