Virginia Wineries - 2010

Two years ago I blogged about several Virginia wineries we visited. We visited 3 different wineries on our trip this year and were not disappointed.

Our first stop was at Barren Ridge Vineyards as we were driving in. All of the grapes from their wines come from within a 25 mile radius of the winery. I was impressed with the quality of the wines. The one I was most impressed with was their Cab Franc, my wife liked their Viognier and Dessert wine. They have a nice area with a beautiful view to sit and enjoy a glass.

Just outside Gordonsville, VA we visited two different vineyards. Horton Vineyard has a long lineup, around 40 wines. The building itself was a site to see. Their wines had an average price below the other vineyards. They had many fruit and desert wines including ports in their lineup. The wine I was most impressed with was their chocolate wine called XOCO. It had a nice chocolate flavor and was not overly sweet. I had never tasted wine like this one before. They also sold Norton wine which I like but I must admit most people probably will not like Norton. It has a strong and unique taste and is on the dry side. It makes a great wine reduction sauce if you do not like it out of the glass.

Our favorite vineyard of the three was Barboursville Vineyard. The vineyard also has an Italian restaurant on site and we would like to try it on a future visit. We liked most all of the wines. As is usually the case in Virginia wineries I liked their Cab Franc. The also had a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were a higher quality with more complexity.

Wine - Pennsylvania

Went to Hershey, PA over Memorial Day weekend 2010. We had a great time and as usual we stopped by a few local wineries during the trip. We did not find any real gems. The wines were more sweet to semi-sweet emphasis. None of the wines had long complex finishes so they were all on the low end of the price range.

Wine - Hilton Head

If you like wine, and find yourself in Hilton Head, then you have to visit Wine Times 4. This wine bar successfully specializes in serving over 72 wines by the glass due to its state of the art preservation system. You can purchase a taste, half glass, full glass, or a bottle. When you walk in you by a card that works like a debit card. You can then use the card to get the wine you want and the amount you want. If you run out of money on the card you can always add more, or tie it to a credit card. They had a nice blend of wine and a nice blend of price ranges. It would be tough to not find one you like. We found several we liked. Nothing like trying it before you buy it.

Wine Times 4

Bodegas El Nido

I had to blog about the wine that I would have to call the best I ever tasted. I had the opportunity to try this in an upscale tasting and both my wife and I just melted as we sipped this jewel. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and old vine Mourvedre from Spain. It has a tremendous nose and a finish that lasts long after you swallow. The price point is high enough, $140+, we will not be financially able to enjoy it as much as we would like (all the time).

If you get the chance, try it. If your taste for wine is similar to my wife's and I you will be asking for that cigarette after you finish. It has been several months since we tried it. Maybe it is time to revisit it just to make sure it is still our favorite! :-)

Missouri Wineries

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit 3 different wineries on our trip to Branson, MO to attend a family reunion. Missouri is not known for big bold reds, however they due have a native grape called Norton that tends to be dry. Norton is not a wine you should run buy until you have had a chance to try it. It will only be liked by folks that like a certain style, like me. They tend to have more middle of the road table wines, sweet wines, and fruit wines. They also do a good job with the Vignoles grape, a hybrid of the Viognier.

The first winery was St James Winery. St James, named after the town it is in, has a long lineup of wines from dry to sweet. Nothing they make is expensive or classified as high-end wine. Their niche is every day table wine. I have been enjoying their wine for years. They have multiple wines in the $6-$10 range that are really quite good. A couple of examples are; Friendship School Red, Country White, and Cynthiana.

The second winery we stopped at was in Branson itself, Stone Hill Winery. In order to taste their wines you are encouraged to do a winery tour. The tour was their try to make it entertaining, after all we were in Branson. They tended to take to everyone as if they were in Kindergarten. At first I didn't care for it, but after a while it did get amusing. The tasting was not so enjoyable because we with a group that did not enjoy wine as much as we did. They tend to have similar wine as St James but the prices were a little more. Nice place to visit.

Our third stop, Mount Pleasant Winery, was definitely a step up in quality and price. Their wines were good but we didn't think they were worth the price. Many of their wines were in the $30+. I would never turn them down but I will probably not be buying them for myself.

We ended up buying wine from St James but not the other two.

Argentina Wines

Attended a wine tasting of 90+ pts Argentine wines on 8-2-2008. I was impressed with the quality and complexity of the reds. Argentine wines are a nice step up from the fruitier sweeter wines new wines drinkers tend to prefer. They are still reasonably priced and offer some complexity for those wanting to progress their pallet. A tremendous value. The wines we tried are:

Susana Balbo Rose 2007 - 100% Malbec rose. This was a good rose.
Susana Balbo Torrontes 2007 - 100% torrontes. Tremendous nose on this one. Great wine with spicy foods, like Thai. Finish has a little acidity.
La Posta Cocina Red Wine 2006 - 60% Malbec with some Syrah and Bonarda. Buttery nose. One of my favorites in this tasting. Good complexity and finish. Only $14.99.
Susana Balbo Syrah-Bonarda 2005 - A good wine but it followed a better wine.
Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Violets on the nose, very floral. Tasting good but it will smooth out with some age. Me, I would drink it now. My wife would let it age some first.
La Posta Malbec Palucci Vinyard 2006 - A typical Malbec from Argentine. 35-40 year old vines.
Tikai Patriota 2006 - 92 pts. 60% Bonarda 40% Malbec. What can I say but WOW! Price point is higher than all the previous wines, $25.99. It also tastes like it is a step up in class. This one will age for several years and still be wonderful.

What a great wine tasting. If you get a chance to try these wines and you like reds, don't hesitate. Yummy!!

Jean Farris Winery & Bistro

Stopped at Jean Farris Winery & Bistro on the way home from our weekend trip, July 6, 2008. They have a wonderful lineup of wines. The reds have some character to them that you would not expect from this part of the country. The last time I visited I really liked the Syrah. They were out of it this time, I wonder why :-). The Cabernet Sauvignon was tasting especially good this time. They also had several whites and a rose that were tasting good.

We also stayed for dinner in the Bistro. We liked the food. Menu is not large but everything we tried was excellent. A true diamond, in what seems like, in the middle of nowhere. Hope they can stay in business. We will be back.

Jean Farris Winery & Bistro

Virginia Wineries

My wife and I visited several wineries over the 4th of July weekend in Charlottesville area of Virginia. I did not realize how many wineries there are in Virginia. Two grapes that seem to grow well in the region are Viognier and Cabernet Franc. I was surprised to hear Viognier grew well there since it is typically labeled as a hard grape to grow. I think all the wineries we stopped at had both varietals.

The growing season in Virginia is shorter than Napa and other more popular regions. The short growing season means that there were no big bold reds. They need time to develop. The Cab Franc was different than expected. It was not the dusty earthy type, like some other areas. It was more fruity and not as dry.

One of our favorite wineries we stopped at was Sugarleaf. Sugarleaf is a fairly new winery, but their wines were all good. All 6 of them. The Viognier was exceptional, which made my wife happy. It is her favorite white.

Rockbridge Vineyard
Afton Mountains Vineyard
Jefferson Vineyards
First Colony Winery
Sugarleaf Vineyards