Warning: As I stated previously, I am not nearly as kind in my reviews as the Guru is… I lost the ability to sugar coat years ago. That being said:

A few weekends ago I had a girlfriend visiting from out of town and since it was a beautiful day outside we thought maybe a little boutique shopping and wine tasting in a great part of the city sounded like a great way to spend an afternoon.  While the weather didn’t disappoint, the shopping wasn’t every successful and the wine was extremely disappointing.  I have attended the Carytown Food and Wine Festival on two other occasions and I seem to enjoy it less and less each time I go.  There are always a few “usual suspect” vineyards who choose to attend every year with a rotating set thrown in which seem to be comprised of the smaller,  lesser known vineyards in the state.  That wouldn’t be a problem except those vineyards are in my opinion lesser known because they’re wines are of a lesser quality.

Most notable among the “usual suspects” as I called them is Horton Vineyards. Each year Horton participates in numerous festivals around the state and at every festival you can spot them without a need for signs. They are the booth with a 5 deep clamoring crowd of 20 something sorority girls attracted by their huge selection of fruit wines. You name a fruit and it’s almost guaranteed Horton makes some sort of wine out of it. This year at the wine festival I saw a sign that Horton was poring both a Syrah and a Malbec which I was very interested in as I am a fan of both varietals and they aren’t the most commonly grown grapes in Virginia.  After waiting in line for 15 minutes or so and making little progress my friend ran into someone she knew exiting the hoard and we were informed that the wait to do a tasting was over 30 minutes and that they were pouring over 30 wines. At a festival this small and with such limited space there is no reason whatsoever to be pouring 30 wines.  It seems much wiser to pour a limited but representative selection of wines that allows you to serve more paying customers, especially serious wine drinkers willing to spend money.  The flip side of that coin was also present at the wine festival, in the form of a vineyard which was only pouring 2 wines: a red and a white. When I say a limited selection I don’t mean THAT limited. I never did get to elbow my way into a tasting spot at Horton’s booth to see what the fuss was about or if it was deserved.

Aside from Horton many other aspects of the Carytown Food and Wine Festival seemed deliberately geared towards the younger crowd, and I’m saying that as a 27 year old.  There were at least 2 different vineyards selling…Wine Jell-O shots. Let me repeat that so I know you didn’t miss it: WINE… JELL-O SHOTS! If your wine is anywhere near respectable what would possess you to turn it into a Jell-O shot? That’s what the world has cheap vodka for.  I know that there is a large college aged crowd in Richmond thanks to numerous Colleges and Universities in the area, but there needs to be a balance between offering wines that college kids just learning about and getting into wine will enjoy, and offering wines that more experienced and discriminating wine drinkers such as myself would enjoy.

Needless to say I left the Carytown Food and Wine festival discouraged and not feeling like like $20 admission was well spent. Every year the Guru and I attend the MASSIVE Virginia Wine expo in February and 3/4 of the way through my pallet and finer motor skills are shot,  everything tastes the same and at least one wine glass has fallen victim to my failing grip.  So I keep hoping smaller festivals like this will come through and deliver on good wine from great vineyards on a more reasonable scale, but it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know if that’s because the big dogs don’t see the value in something so small, or if the little guys swoop in to participate because it’s the only festival they can afford, or maybe both? All I do know is that unless next year’s roster is drastically different this will likely be the last time I attend this particular event.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t mention the food half of the Carytown Food and Wine Festival it’s because I didn’t have any. We went to brunch beforehand at Millie’s Diner and had the best brunch EVER, they were definitely the highlight of the day.

Related posts:

1. Tips For Surviving Your Next Wine Festival
2. Austria Food and Wine Themed Getaway
3. Taste of Loudoun Dinner

While anything could be better than the first year of the expo (not using the entirety of the venue was a major misstep), I felt as though the 2nd and 3rd year of the event were better than this one. That’s not to say that this year was bad – quite the opposite, just that a few regulars that I was hoping to see and some of my favorite vineyards bringing a limited selection of wines was somewhat of a let down.

All that being said, I had a great time at the 2011 Virginia Wine Expo, the staff and volunteers were great, and the venue continues to be a great choice with a great layout that facilitates the large number of people (10,000 people were expected through the weekend) that are looking to sample Virginia wine.

Now…on to the wines.

The Homeplace Vineyard

While I don’t plan to share my thoughts on the sampling in any particular order, I did want to start with the first vineyard we stopped at. I was unfamiliar with The Homeplace Vineyard before walking up to their table to sample some wines. Overall I was underwhelmed by their wines, with their reds (a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chambourcin, and a blended red of the cab and chambourcin) all having hints of mint/spearmint on the finish that I found….unpleasant. Part of that is because of my general distaste for mint, but either way it just wasn’t enjoyable to me.

Mountfair Vineyards

I’ve tried a few Mountfair wines before, and unfortunately at the Expo they weren’t pouring their 2008 Engagement (65% Merlot; 25% Cabernet Franc; 10% Petit Verdot) or their 2008 Wooloomooloo (60% Petit Verdot; 30% Merlot) as they are sold out of them which gives you an idea of how enjoyable they are.

As for what they were pouring, the 2009 Merlot was full of dark fruit flavor and the 2008 Belated (60% Merlot; 30% Cabernet Franc; 10% Petit Verdot) had a nice jammy, peppery flavor to it, while the 2008 Indigenous (50% Petit Verdot; 50% Cabernet Franc) had the pepper flavors of the Cab Franc with the nice velvet finish of the Petit Verdot.

While I didn’t walk away with anything from Mountfair, they are high on my list of vineyards to visit if only so I can get my hands on a bottle of Wooloomooloo.

Fox Meadow Winery

While I had tasted their Governor’s Cup winning wine the night before, I wanted to see what else they had to offer. They were offering two more robust wines and two sweeter wines. Being as I’m not a sweet wine drinker as a general rule, I avoided the latter two, sticking to the more robust wines.

The 2008 Reserve Chardonnay and nice notes of pineapple with less of a buttery finish than you would expect from a wine that had spent 20 months in oak. The 2008 Le Renard Rouge still had the flavors of black cherry that I’d found the night before.

Gabriele Rausse Winery

Gabriele Rausse was another winery that I was unfamiliar with walking up to their table, but looking at their tasting list I couldn’t help but give them a try. Their 2009 Vin Gris de Pinot Noir was an interesting white made from Pinot grapes that had hints of pear.

The 2009 Viognier was more robust than I was expecting with a nutty finish that wasn’t bad, but just unexpected. Paired with the right food it could be an amazing wine. The 2008 Malbec was bright in the mouth but the finish was just off to me – can’t put my finger on what it was, only that something about it was just off.

The 2008 Pinot Noir was the reason that I walked up to the table, and while it wasn’t a Pinot like I was hoping for, it was nice to see a Virginia winery trying to make a grape that doesn’t really grow here, so for that alone I applaud them.

The 2008 Cabernet Franc had a nice bell pepper finish and I ended up taking a bottle of it home with me, and the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was nice and smooth and cried out for a steak….or rather it would have for less than the $35.

Delaplane Cellars

Another one I had never tried before (this will be a trend). Offering two Viogniers – a 2009 “Honah Lee” and a 2008 “Maggie’s Vineyard” – I preferred the 2009 as it had great floral notes that I associate with Virginia Viognier.

All three of their reds were enjoyable, but of the 2008 Cinq, 2008 Syrah, and 2008 William’s Gap, the Cinq was my favorite. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Tannat was juicy with a deep garnet color and just generally appealing.

Ingleside Vineyards

Ingleside is a table that I swing by every year. While I always grab some of their Blue Crab Blanc, this year I wanted to try their whole offering to see if there was something new that would catch my eye. While their Petit Verdot was a standout of the tasting, I ended up taking home the Blue Crab Blanc and the Blue Crab Red, mostly because of its versatility.

Blenheim Vineyards

Blenheim has quickly become one of my favorite Virginia vineyards, not the least of which is because Kirsty, their winemaker, is doing great things there. Everything I tasted was great, but some deserve mention. Of the whites, the White Table Wine and the Rose’ were both excellent and I brought home 3 bottles of each. Of the reds, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Petit Verdot were both amazing and 3 bottles each of those also came home with me.

I’ll be doing longer reviews of all four of those wines, but you should definitely go visit Blenheim and check them out for yourself before I get around to writing more about them.

Philip Carter Winery

I was familiar with Philip Carter, though it had been a while since I had tried any of their wines. They were pouring four different wines, 2 white 2 red, of which the 2009 Chardonnay of the whites was my favored with a subtle butter finish, and the 2009 Cabernet Franc of the reds with its bright flavors and good pepper.

Wineworks/Michael Shaps Wines

As soon as I saw the table for Wineworks I knew I wanted to visit them as they are the first winery in Virginia to offer a boxed wine, and I support boxed wine. While I tasted their whole selection, I have to say that their 2009 Wineworks Viognier and their two boxed wines – a 2009 Chardonnay and 2009 Cabernet Franc – were all excellent. I bought one of the 2009 Cabernet Franc boxes, but would recommend any of the three and plan to make a trip out to Wineworks in the near future to try spend more time with their wines.

Afton Mountain Vineyards

Another of the gold medal winning vineyards, and one that I enjoy thanks to their Gewurztraminer. They were pouring that at the Expo, and I would recommend it to anybody, and especially to those that are wary of the grape because of their belief that it has to be sweet.

I found their Steel Chardonnay to be a bit pithy, though still good, and their 2009 Cabernet Franc to be bright and full of berry flavors. They weren’t pouring their gold medal winning 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, but I do recommed it if you get a chance to try it.

Flying Fox Vineyards

The 2010 Fox White lied to me on the tasting sheet when it said it was semi-sweet as I found it to be far sweeter than just “semi”. The 2008 Cabernet Franc was spicy with bright red fruit flavors. The 2008 Trio (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) was just smooth. The 2008 Petit Verdot was loaded with dark cherry flavors. I skipped the 2008 Fox Red as it too was listed as “semi-sweet” and I refused to be lied to again.

Pollak Vineyards

I’ve been out to Pollak and really enjoy their wines. Of the four they were pouring, I truly enjoyed the 2008 Durant White (60% Chardonnay; 30% Viognier; 10% Pinot Gris) with its floral notes, roundness from the Chardonnay, and just a hint of effervescence. I also found the 2008 Cabernet Franc to be great with good pepper and berry notes. Both of these came home with me and you can look forward to longer reviews in the future.

Lake Anna Winery

Lake Anna is another winery that I was familiar with walking up. Typically I visit them for their Spotsylvania Claret, but I have to say that this year I wasn’t as impressed with it as in years past. I was, however, impressed with their Totally White with some cinnamon on the nose and nice crisp flavors, the 2007 Morgan Merlot with a great pepper profile that would pair well with a bold dinner, and the 2007 Bell Haven Cabernet Franc with great green bell pepper flavors (which as you can tell I really like).

Keswick Vineyards

Keswick is another vineyard that I really enjoy and have had a great time at when visiting their tasting room. Of the four wines they were pouring, the gold winning 2009 Cabernet Franc was far and away my favorite. That, coupled with a great 2009 LVD Viognier that had great floral notes, made them one of my favorite tables to visit.

Jefferson Vineyards

I was disappointed that Jefferson Vineyards didn’t have their Petit Verdot to pour and buy, but of the wines they were pouring, I would recommend their 2009 Cabernet Franc.

Phew…alright…great Expo. Lots of great wines were sampled, and again I salute Virginia Wine and the organizers of the event for putting this together and look forward to next years’ Expo. If you didn’t make it this year there’s always next year, and if you live in or around Virginia, I recommend going out and supporting Virginia Wine as all of the winemakers are doing great things and should be rewarded by having their wine purchased in great quantities.

Related posts:

1. Virginia Wine Expo 2010 in Review
2. 2011 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Tasting
3. Virginia Wine Tasting

I just realized that I haven’t posted any of the photos I took from the Virginia Wine Expo.  Here are just a couple.

Veritas Vineyards tasting booth

 I’m a big fan of this vineyard if for no other reason than because my brother-in-law got married here.  Anybody looking to get married at a Virginia vineyard should really consider them.

Stone Mountain Vineyards tasting booth

 You may take your life in your hand to get to the tasting room, but Stone Mountain offers one of the best places to enjoy a bottle of wine with their deck overlooking the Shenandoah mountains.

Jefferson Vineyards tasting booth

Amazing Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are reasons enough to visit this vineyard. 

Potomac Point Winery tasting booth

Potomac Point is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit.  With their amazing patio, great wines, and welcoming nature, whether you enjoy their wine or not (and I think you will), you’ll enjoy spending an afternoon at their tasting room. 

Tarara Winery tasting booth

I’d never heard of Tarara before the Virginia Wine Expo, but they’ve quickly made their way onto my list of places to visit in the coming year. 

Vino Curioso tasting booth

These guys just clearly enjoy making wine.  With wines like Franc the Tank and Snake’s Den, there’s nothing pretentious or snooty about their wine, but it’s great quality wine that you’re sure to enjoy time and again.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Virginia Wine Expo in Review
2. Preview of the 2009 Virginia Wine Expo
3. Top Chef: Why Don’t You Like Wine?

Eat Before You Go to the Festival

You’re going to be drinking wine all day, and take it from my own personal experience, that mixing differing wines is bad enough, but doing it on an empty stomach is just asking for trouble. Eat something before you leave that will help to counter the effects of the alcohol on you so that you can spend more time enjoying yourself at the festival.

Eat During the Festival

Most wine festivals I’ve attended have some kind of food available. It may be little more than snacks to help clear the palate, or it may be vendors offering everything from burgers and fries to more elaborate food. Whatever it is, make a point of having some food during the event, especially if you’re going to be there for a while.

Go With Friends

Not only does this give you somebody to compare thoughts on wine with, it also gives you a person to let you know if you’re maybe enjoying the festival too much. We all think we know our limits, but having somebody there to let yo know it’s time to head home is always helpful. Also, carpooling to the festival together is a great way to save on gas and parking.

If Possible, Avoid Driving to the Event

Get a cab, take public transportation, have somebody drop you off and pick you up later, anything to avoid having to drive back home after you’ve spent hours drinking wine at the festival. Spending some money on a hotel room near the festival is far preferable to getting a DUI. If the festival is in a larger city, spend some time walking around the city, get some dinner, whatever you need to do until it’s safe to drive your car. Better to waste the rest of your day than spend a night in jail.

Don’t Attempt to Try All the Wine

If the event is more than one day, this should be self-explanatory. However, if the festival is only one day (or if you’re only attending one day of a multi-day festival), keep in mind that you do not in fact have to try them all. Just because a vendor offers you a sample doesn’t mean you have to take it. I’ve seen people take samples of wine that they know they don’t enjoy just because it was free. Why bother? Most festivals will list which vineyards will be attending ahead of time, so take your time and pick out which ones you know you want to hit, try the wines you really want to, and then pick a few more that either look interesting or are clearly popular (or unpopular if you don’t want to wait in line).

Pace Yourself

If the event is five hours long, you don’t have to leave until those five hours are up. Take your time, try some wines, then walk around. Try some more wines, get some lunch. Try some wines, take some purchases out to your car. You don’t have to constantly have a glass of wine in your hand. Pacing yourself helps to prevent you from overindulging and from just exhausting yourself. Wine festivals are all about enjoying yourself, and nobody has fun when they’re stressed out.

Have Fun

Enjoy yourself! You’re drinking wine, mingling with people, eating food, and hopefully spending time with friends or family. This should be a great time, and so long as you take some of the above advice, there’s no reason you can’t have a great and memorable time. So drink up and have some fun.

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Starting on February 27 and going through March 1, the second annual Virginia Wine Expo will again descend on Richmond, Virginia.  Feauturing more than 300 wines from 50 Virginia wineries, the Virginia Wine Expo was a huge success in 2008, and looks to be much the same this year.

Tickets are $35 ahead of time, $45 at the door, but I recommend buying them ahead of time as last year a lot of wine lovers showed up, and as a result, the event is limiting ticket availability for each day of the expo.

Check out the schedule of events, buy your tickets, and come to the 2009 Virginia Wine Expo.  I’ll be there, and will be reviewing wines, wineries, and the event itself following the event.  Shoot me an email about your experience and it might make it’s way onto the site.

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