Holidays Call for Good Wine

Merry Christmas to all Virginia wine lovers, Virginia winemakers and anyone and everyone else who may read this.

Whether or not you are looking to serve good wine during the holidays because it is a special occasion, or if you are entertaining relatives and in-laws and need a bit more bang for your buck, there are thousands of choices for both approaches. And Virginia wineries can help in both ways.

For quality Virginia wines to serve for the holidays, I am a fan of Fabbioli Cellars' Cabernet Franc and Paradise Springs' Chardonnay. Both are great wines that will please your wine-loving and wine-phobic guests alike.

Fabbioli Cellars' Cabernet Franc is a nice, medium-bodied red. It has a touch of sweetness reminiscent of raspberries and dark chocolate. It is not, however, a sweet wine. Rather, the sweetness gives way to an interesting complexity of pepper and nutmeg on the finish. The sweetness and spiciness work well together to give this medium-bodied wine a very well-balanced and enjoyable flavor.

I have sung the praises of Virginia Cabernet Franc in the past, and Fabbioli's is one of the best you can find. Plus, at $19, the wine is a great value for the quality.

As for white wine, if you haven't tried Paradise Springs' Chardonnay yet, you should definitely make it a priority. Not only did it win the 2010 Governor's Cup for white wine, but it is a robust, well-made white that would be a great addition to any meal regardless of official accolades. With crisp pear, green apple and brie flavors throughout, this wine would be a perfect accompaniment for appetizers or to serve at a holiday party.

Although I have been more impressed with Virginia Viogniers in the past, Paradise Springs' Chardonnay has convinced me that Chardonnay can do well in the state as well. At $29 the Chardonnay is a bit pricey, especially when compared to other chardonnays at the same price-point, but it is worth trying and sharing with guests.

This past year has been a good one for the Virginia wine industry, despite the sluggish economy. There are many options out there for very good Virginia wines that you can serve during the holidays.

Whatever you drink and serve this holiday season, have a safe and merry Christmas.

Recap: Charleston Wine and Food Festival

I was pleasantly proven wrong, both about my perceptions of the Deep South and of Southern food, especially grits, when Caitlin and I traveled down to Charleston for their annual Wine and Food Festival. Both are worthy of praise, but the festival’s offerings were the main reason for our trip. Neither of the Carolinas have become great wine-growing states yet. North Carolina has a few notable vineyards, like Biltmore Estates, which was at the festival, but I still haven’t had too many Carolina wines that have impressed me.

Although Biltmore had a presence at the festival, this was not just a regional festival in terms of the wines that were available. There were plenty of importers, wineries and regional distributors on hand pouring samples. Many wineries from California made the trip across the country to participate…had I known that there would have been so many good Lodi zins, I probably would have paced myself on the shrimp and grits front…But I didn’t, and I don’t really have any regrets about it.

There were many great wine options to choose from – including some fantastic wines that are usually out of my price range. I can’t tell you how many times I went back to get another sample of the thick, jammy, fruity deliciousness that is Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Sonoma-Cutrer’s light, crisp, sweet, pear-heavy chardonnay was a great white wine standout. Same for Kim Crawford’s slate and citrus-laden, almost tart Sauvignon Blanc. Mr. Crawford is one the best winemakers in New Zealand, and I was happy to suggest that everybody I was with try some of his wines, especially the Sauvignon Blanc, which has done so much to put New Zealand wines on the map.

What I did notice was surprisingly absent from the Charleston Wine and Food Festival were wines from Virginia. I tend to look for Virginia wines whenever I am at such an event. I noticed that they were glaringly absent from the moment we entered the tent…Actually, I noticed it after we each were treated to a breakfast brownie as our first food sample of the day. I thought that Virginia wines would want to take full advantage of a major food and wine festival to expand its regional reputation, but I didn’t see any wines, wine organizations, or wineries from the Old Dominion.

While wines from Virginia were themselves noticeably and unfortunately absent, I was happy to talk to some people from other wineries about Virginia wines and was shocked at how strong the state’s wine reputation is becoming. While Caitlin, her brother and his wife were getting their sample of grilled antelope – I am still upset I never got any – I spoke to Andy Wilcox from Lambert Bridge Winery in Dry Creek Valley, CA. After trying Lambert Bridge’s wines, where the peppery zinfandel which had a nice kick, plenty of tannins and a rich, molasses-like body was the standout (I do use “molasses-like” primarily because I was in the South) I asked Andy about Virginia wines. Andy was a good sport when I asked him to say, again, what he thought about Virginia wines when my iPhone camera didn’t record his statement the first time. The key takeaway is that Virginia wines are good, are getting better, and people in California are taking notice.

So often, I compare wines from Virginia and New York – where Caitlin and I do most of our tastings – to wines from more well-known wine-growing regions in California and overseas. Because of that comparison, I tend to find a lot of the wine we try flat and one-dimensional, especially reds (save for some really good Cab Francs from Virginia). So I say with no disrespect or ill will to Lambert Bridge that the Viognier I tried from their winery was less impressive than some of the Viogniers from Virginia I have discussed in the past. Virginia just seems to do Viogniers very well, and the state’s wine reputation continues to grow. Now if only Virginia wines would show up at festivals, such as Charleston’s Wine and Food Festival, even more people could learn about wines from Virginia.

Expanding DC’s Wine Country to Include Fairfax

There was considerable attention paid to the controversy surrounding Paradise Springs Winery last year. I wrote about it a couple times, here and here. After months of delays and thousands of dollars in legal fees, Paradise Springs Winery was finally able to open its doors to the general public earlier this month – becoming the first winery to call Fairfax County home.

Caitlin and I visited Virginia’s newest winery during their soft opening several weeks ago. We were both impressed with the beautiful winery grounds that make you forget you are in Fairfax, the restored farmhouse that has been converted into tasting rooms on two levels (avoid the lower one if you are on the tall side), and the barn that features live music and a third tasting station.

As for the wines themselves, Caitlin and I did a full tasting in the farmhouse and each had a full glass in the barn. I was a fan of their 2008 Viognier and their 2008 Cabernet Franc. Considering that these are the white and red varietals, respectively, that work best in Virginia, it is no surprise that these are the two strongest offerings from Paradise Springs. The former was citrusy, mineraly and had a slight hint of slate to it while the Cabernet Franc was a darker, robust and rather jammy wine for a cab franc. With both wines falling within the mid-$20 range as a price-point, you are paying more than the wine is worth. Still, both are decent drinking wines. And if you open either of the bottles on site, the scenery, hospitality, live music and atmosphere will more than make up for it. Light fare such as bread, cheese and salami are available on site.

Overall, I was impressed with what I found at Paradise Springs. I was, of course, hoping that they would win their legal battle and be allowed to open. On another level, I was skeptical that a winery would be able to thrive in the suburban cluster that is Fairfax County, albeit a part of the county that still retains a rural, rustic feel to it. The level of support the winery is receiving from the community I witnessed during our visit was impressive. Paradise Springs was packed, and we were told it had been bustling all day. The wine itself, while a little overpriced, is a welcome - and much belated - addition to DC’s wine country.

Given that our visit was during one of their opening weekends, I was not surprised by the festive atmosphere, and am eager to visit again under more normal circumstances. My congratulations go out to Paradise Springs for their successful opening, and for paving the way for wineries to open in Fairfax County.

Happy 20th, Tarara!

Tarara Winery in Leesburg is celebrating its 20th year in operation. To think of how far the Virginia wine industry has come since Tarara first opened its doors two decades ago is amazing. Of course, once upon a time - give or take the generations surrounding the Founding Fathers - Virginia was known for tobacco. Sure, some of its former residents - Thomas Jefferson, for example - dabbled in wine making, but having an established and respected winemaking industry is a fairly new development for the Commonwealth.

It must have been with some skepticism and perhaps a little anxiety that Whitie and Margaret Hubert opened their doors back in 1989 with the goal of producing wines that could be enjoyed by both the novice and the snotty aficionado alike. I doubt that the Huberts could have realized, back before the Internet, cell phones and laptops that they were going to be seen one day as a new breed of pioneers forging the reputation of Northern Virginia’s wine culture and industry. Whitie passed away last year, but Virginia’s wine landscape is spotted with “Glen Graduates,” as his disciples in Virginia winemaking are known.

Long story short, 20 years on Tarara casts a large shadow over DC’s wine country and is one of the true destination wineries in the region. It is not just its sheer size, but its prominence and reputation that help to distinguish Tarara. Their secret to success, as far as I can tell, is based on both the atmosphere and the wine that it produces. The winery has beautiful views of both mountains and water, a friendly and cozy, albeit often very busy, tasting room, and a good program of events that invites the community in to see what the winery has to offer. On top of that, Tarara makes some very, very good wines.

With all the high praise and bromides out of the way, Tarara does have some room for improvement when it comes to customer service. When I called up Tarara recently to get a bit more information on their “Toast to the Tunes” concert series, I called five times, and never once got hold of a live person on the other end, as there is no way to reach a live human on the weekend, even though there was an event that evening. Even after the frustrating phone ordeal, Caitlin and I headed out to Tarara, picnic in tow, to spend an evening at one of Virginia’s great wineries.

Back to the bromides and high praise for the place. Tarara is a beautiful, destination winery for good reason. The Toast to the Tunes series takes place on a bandstand that overlooks a pond, and while under-staffed, they set up a tasting bar in the center of the activity. There was plenty of space to set up on the lawn, if not at the tasting bar. Even though the event was well attended, it was not so crowded as to make it uncomfortable.

To be honest, though, I seriously doubt if anyone headed out to Tarara for the music alone. People were here for the wine first and foremost, and Tarara makes some great ones. Of their whites, my favorite is their 2007 Viognier. It was very crisp with a touch of acidity on the palette that gives the wine an almost, but not quite, sparkling quality. The nose has some fruit to it, but also has a bit of a chalky hue. In case you’re wondering, that is actually a good thing for this wine. Don’t ask how I got “chalky.” I did, and it’s not a bad thing. For $30 a bottle, their viognier is a bit pricey for a Virginia wine, but if you want to splurge on a great Virginia white, Tarara’s viognier is worth it.

In terms of reds, I tried a very nice Cabernet Franc and a less-impressive Pinot Noir. Stick with the cabernet franc. It was a bit darker than most cab francs, and had a nice, full body to it. The nose was lighter than the color was, though there was a nice hint of plumbs and a little whiff of chocolate to both the taste and the smell.

Swedish Hill Winery: Come for the Riesling, Stay for the Jackass

There is a huge difference between taking what you do seriously, and taking yourself so seriously that you come off as pompous and arrogant. The former can be a blessing while the latter can be the kiss of death. Luckily, Swedish Hill Winery in Romulus, NY takes the process of making wine seriously, though it is still able to maintain a fun-loving sense of humor that comes out in the tasting room. Need evidence that they are fun? How many wineries do you know that have a donkey named Doobie as their mascot? As of this writing, I can think of only one, Swedish Hill. Still, with Doobie and the great and knowledgeable people who work in the tasting rooms - they have three separate ones - you can learn a lot about the wines that they make and not feel like you are in a lecture hall. 

Swedish Hill is part of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail which is one of the two primary one trails in the Finger Lakes - the other one being around Seneca Lake. Cayuga Lake has some great wineries, though, like most wines from the region, you should be prepared to taste a lot of sweet and semi-sweet wines. They are the regions bread and butter and riesling is defiantly the king grape of the Finger Lakes. 

The first wine that we tried at Swedish Hill was the 2007 Dry Riesling, which was a light, citrusy riesling that had a nice body and decent finish. Being a riesling, even though this was their “dry” variety, there was still a tinge of sweet syrupiness to it, which, given the characteristics of the riesling grape should be expected.

The next wine on their tasting list was their 2006 Reserve Chardonnay. Unlike many chardonnays I have had from the Finger Lakes, this one was not too oaky. It actually tasted like wine instead of scotch. It did have some light oak undertones, as well as the buttery finish that one expects with a chardonnay. This particular wine also had some hints of pear and apple in it. As this part of New York is also known for its apples, this was not surprising. Now if only the Finger Lakes cold make their apples taste like wine, that would be awesome.

The 2006 Reserve Chardonnay was followed with Swedish Hills’ Blue Waters Riesling. This was perhaps the most reflective of Finger Lakes wines that we tried at Swedish Hill. Not only does the label hint at the region’s lake culture with its halcyon image of kids jumping off of a wooden pier, but it is a riesling that has a sweet, but not too sweet, taste throughout with a fruity, lingering aftertaste of peaches. The Blue Waters Riesling is a good candidate to be an ambassador wine for the region, even though the Blue Waters line is Swedish Hills’ budget line. Riesling is king here, and this is a good riesling.

As for the reds that we tasted, the 2006 Cabernet Franc-Lemberger smelled like a cabernet sauvignon, and had a bit of a peppery aftertaste, but was a light and thin wine that could have been greatly improved if it had any more of a body and a deeper complexion. The Meritage was dry, without almost any nose and was too thin for my taste. Considering that Meritage seems to be pushed hard in every wine-producing region I have visited, even though it is a totally made-up term without any standards or regulation, except that a winery has to pay for the use of the name, a future post will likely be dedicated to Meritage as a whole. 

Finally, I talk about my fiancee, Caitlin, quite frequently in this blog. She is the very beautiful lady in red in one of the pictures on this post. Everyone say hi to her and be as lucky as I am to know her!

Cayuga Wine Trail - An Overview

We visited Caitlin’s parents who live on Owasco Lake over the Fourth of July holiday. As one of Finger Lakes, Owasco Lake, and Caitlin's parents' house, is conveniently located a quick drive to both the Seneca and Cayuga Lake Wine Trails. We stuck to the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, where some of our favorite wineries in the region are situated. The Finger Lakes has two main clusters of wineries concentrated around Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. Both lake clusters do a good job promoting their wineries and their wine.

The Finger Lakes are riesling country. No other grape is as advertised and highlighted. Nor is any other wine varietal as consistently enjoyable as rieslings are in this region. Be warned, though - most wineries tend to have sweet, semi-sweet and dry rieslings. Look for the residual sugar (RS) percentages posted on winery's tasting cards, and stick to the lower RS dry or semisweet rieslings. Some of the sweet rieslings - above 5% RS or so - will make you crave salt and water for the rest of your trip, which is not an enviable position to be in when wine tasting is in order.

Although riesling reigns supreme in the Finger Lakes, Honorable Mention should go to cabernet franc. While most Finger Lakes reds are a bit on the light side for me - in terms of color, body and taste, the cabernet franc grape does well in cooler climates and thus thrives in this part of the country. To give you an idea of “cooler climate,” it was just into the 70’s when we were there... In July. Cab francs tend to be lighter and sweeter than their bigger, more powerful progeny, cabernet sauvignon, though they still have some of the same, albeit more subtle, characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon put Napa on the map. Riesling is working to do the same for New York. If New York needs a red to aide in riesling's mission, cab franc makes for a solid candidate.

We visited four different wineries in the Cayuga Lake cluster. I noticed only one painted barrel. I plan to review the wines and the atmosphere of the each wineries we visited in more detail in their own posts in the coming days. Until then, grab a glass of Finger Lakes riesling or cabernet franc and enjoy the unseasonably cool, unhumid, and pleasant DC summer days we have been experiencing. After all, both rieslings and cab francs thrive in cooler climates.