Posts Tagged ‘Virginia Wine Expo’
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Charlottesville – Virginia – USA
Cost: $20 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Velvety accents of plum, raspberry and lilac charm the nose while flavors of lively tangerine and red apple dance across the palate. Aged in French and American oak.
My Review: I have, in the past privately amongst friends and family, and publicly on this website as well as several others, made it quite clear how big a fan of Blenheim Vineyards and their winemaker Kirsty Harmon. Thanks to the 2009 Blenheim Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon the streak is still alive.
During the latest Virginia Wine Expo, I made it a point to stop at the Blenheim Vineyards booth where Kirsty was kind enough to take myself and my family through the tasting which of course lead to a certain inevitable ending – I came home with wine. Last night while the wife was out with a friend (read: abandoned the dog and I to our own devices), I tossed a steak on the grill and opened up a bottle.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Region: Charlottesville – Virginia – USA
Cost: $30
Winemaker’s Notes: Deep purple color with aromas of dark blackberry and currants. Soft flavors of concentrated berries with hints of vanilla and oak. Pairs well with steaks, chops, or hamburgers.
My Review: I’ve been sitting on this review for a few days because I was thinking of the best way to approach it. Given that the wine I was drinking was in a box, I clearly wasn’t drinking it in a single sitting (I’m not that irresponsible), so I couldn’t do my usual bit on what I liked or didn’t like about the wine and how it went with what I was eating. So I’ve decided to take a more…general view of it.
I picked up the 2009 Virginia Wineworks Bag in the Box Cab Franc at the Virginia Wine Expo last month. While walking around the Expo I saw their booth and immediately knew I was going to visit them as I had heard they were offering a boxed wine, something I’d never heard of a Virginia vineyard doing before. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s Virginia Wine Expo time, and before I attended the 2011 Virginia Wine Expo (thoughts to come later), I had the change to taste the gold medal winning wines that were vying for the 2011 Governor’s Cup for red wine. Those wines were:
- 2008 Hiddencroft Vineyards Cabernet Franc
- 2008 Fox Meadow Vineyards Le Renard Rouge
- 2008 Cooper Vineyards Norton Reserve
- 2009 Keswick Vineyards Cabernet Franc
- 2009 Afton Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
- 2008 Barboursville Vineyards Petit Verdot Reserve Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Viognier
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $19
A nose of smoky papaya gives way to concentrated apple and white pepper tones with a lingering lemon finish. Pairs well with seafood, grilled chicken, and spiced food.
Recommendations: The deeper we’ve gotten into summer, the more I’ve been drinking wines like Viognier. Fortunately, living in Virginia, it’s easy to come by as we grow it quite well. Back in February, at the Virginia Wine Expo, I was first introduced to Blenheim Vineyards, and instantly fell in love with both their Cabernet Franc and their Viognier. In March when my wife and I spent a weekend traipsing around Virginia wine country, we made a point of stopping in at Blenheim as we had not bought nearly enough of their wine, specifically their Viognier, to last us through the summer.
This past weekend while enjoying a dinner of grilled scallops and rockfish flounder, my wife and I opened a bottle of the Blenheim Viognier we had chilling in our fridge. I had forgotten that the Blenheim Viognier is a bit heavier than some other Viognier that I’ve had, but that’s not a bad thing. Blenheim’s Vigonier is a bit more robust, holding up well to the seasoning that my wife and I applied to our dinner, while still showing the floral aromas that I associate with Viognier. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Seyval Blanc
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $20
Light, aromatic white wine with a tartness that is balanced with residual sugar. Pairs well with seafood and white meats.
Recommendations: Athena Vineyards here in Virginia was an unknown entity to me until this past February when I attended the 3rd annual Virginia Wine Expo. The first booth we stopped at, their unique bottles and clear enjoyment for what they do made it worth stopping in. We left with a bottle of their Lighthouse White Wine, which my wife and I finally opened up this past 4th of July weekend when it was 100 and Stupid outside.
Athena says the wine is a mix of Seyval Blanc and several other whites, not naming them. The Seyval Blanc comes through the most, but there was a bit of oakiness on the finish that reminded me a bit of Chardonnay, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some in there. Much like Viognier, this wine is perfect for sipping on a hot day and for pairing with seafood or white meat.
While we didn’t pair it with anything, choosing to turn it into a deck wine on the 4th, the slight residual sugar (1%) would be a nice pairing for some seasoned and grilled white meat and of course some rich, fatty seafood. While you might want to pick up this bottle just for the unique shape, it’s certainly worth trying for the wine inside as well, especially as we move deeper into the summer.
Varietal: Viognier
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $17
Aromas of ripe peaches, apricots, and honeysuckle with flavors of oranges, grapefruit, and subtle spice. Bright acidity on the finish with a hint of vanilla. Pairs well with spicy foods such as Thai cuisine as well as bolder cheeses.
Recommendations: I had visited White Hall Vineyards some years ago, and I don’t remember liking them this much. During the Virginia Wine Expo my family and I stopped at their booth and sampled their wines, and instantly took a liking to both this Viognier and their 2008 Cabernet Franc (a review for another time).
On the nose I get more of the honeysuckle than anything and the flavors of citrus are there, though I’d call the vanilla more than a hint. The floral finish is what really comes out in this wine and one that I really enjoyed. While I didn’t pair it with a spicy dinner (some grilled pork chops were the dinner of choice), it’s very easy to see how this would pair with a dinner of spiced meat and vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »
