Paradise Springs Winery Grand Opening

After a couple of false starts and some serious regulatory hurdles, the first winery is opening up in Fairfax County this weekend. Paradise Springs Winery is in Clifton Virginia and has been 20 years in the making.

You can follow the grand opening festivities on Twitter. I won't make it out on Saturday, but I'll do my best to get out there this weekend and report to you all.

Fabbioli Open House

Fabbioli Cellars held an open house on the 6th of December where they presented Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

The tasting room was nicely decorated for the holidays, as was the sun deck, where Doug did the tasting.



Doug is one of my favorite winemakers. He is absolutely passionate about the process, and not afraid to experiment. This shows in his wines, which are uniformly excellent and often unique.

The open house tasting included the 2005 Tre Sorelle (his Bordeaux style blend), 2006 Chambourcin and 2006 Cabernet Franc. The Ghosts of Christmas Present were the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve. The Ghost of Christmas future was a barrel tasting of the Tannat.

There were two particular standouts of the tasting. The first was the 2005 Tre Sorelle. I reviewed this wine in 2008; it was great then and it has gotten even better with the additional year of aging. This is one of the tragedies of a small winery, like Fabbioli, it is very hard for Doug to let wine sit in a bottle for 2-3 years before releasing it because there are bills to pay. So, while the wine was good when it was first released it hadn't reached its full potential. I purchased a few bottles to lay down until next year, when it should be fully mature.

The other standout was the barrel tasting of the Tannat. You can see the color of this wine in picture below, it is a deep, rich purple color to it. It also had strong tannins. This is a grape winemakers in Virginia flirt with, it grows well here, but can be finicky, especially trying to release it as a stand alone wine. I think Doug has gotten this vintage right and the wine could be released as a standalone, or perhaps blended with just a bit of Merlot.

Either way, I am anxious to see what he does.

Swedenburg

The first planting of grapes at Swedenburg Winery took place in the mid-80s, making it one of the oldest wineries in Loudoun County. Swedenburg actually sits on Valley View Farm, which has been in continuous operation for over 200 years.

Swedenbug is one of the few places in Virginia that can successfully grow the Pinot Noir grape, even then they are not able to release vintages every year. In addition to Pinot Noir, Swedenburg also produces an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon a Riesling, Seyval and a Chardonnay. They also produce a bottled mulled wine (using the Cabernet Sauvignon as the base). Overall, they produce between 1000-1500 cases a year.




The wine production, including the bottling, are all done on site. Their reds and their chardonnay are barrel aged in a combination of French and American oak.

Their tasting room is pleasant, with a prominent display of Ellen Crosby books.

Of Course Italy

I am familiar with wines from Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and France and my posts generally reflect that interest. But, I love the opportunity to learn about different wine regions. That is why I was so excited when I got the link to Of Course Italy from Lamberto Livraghi.

The site is an amazing resource for trip planning, and just gaining general knowledge about the often confusing Italian wine regions. For example, take a look at the section on Tuscany. Not only does it offer information about hotels and tours, it has over 3000 words about the region.

If you are a novice to Italian wines and planning a trip, this is a great place to start.

Revisiting Casanel Vineyards

I went out to Casanel last year after they had just opened and had a great time. There was still a lot that Casey and Nelson wanted to do to the winery, so I thought it would be a good time for a follow up visit.

The tasting room is completely finished, including the downstairs area, and it looks really nice. Both the tasting room and the adjacent patio are warm and inviting. Nelson is still recovering from his surgery (we all wish you well) but his daughters took good care of us. The gazebo is almost finished and we were were able to sit under it and enjoy the feeling of being in the middle of the lake while we drank our wine.

As for the wines, they have added a Chardonnay (done in the Chablis style) to their line up, and, as I suspected the Cabernet Sauvignon has aged well. Its a surprisingly smooth wine, full bodied with lots of cherry and cedar.

The vines are also coming along nicely, with at least one section looking like it will be ready to yield good fruit next year.

8th Estate Winery

Hong Kong is one of the fastest growing markets for high end wine. While I was in Bordeaux I heard quite a few stories about the recent influx of tourists from China and Hong Kong and some of the Chateaux are no offering their websites in French, English and Chinese.

So, it would make sense to open a winery in Hong Kong. The 8th Estate Winery is an urban winery, and the first one in Hong Kong. The grapes are sourced from Washington State and Italy, they are flash frozen and shipped to the winery where they are pressed, fermented and then barrel aged.

The winery has been open for a little less than a year, but they are just now releasing their first vintages, one of which is Bordeaux-style blend.

Zephaniah Vineyards

Once again, my wine trips have outpaced my wine writing...but I intend to make up for that starting with a trip to local vineyard Zephaniah Farm Winery. Zephaniah bills itself as the smallest winery in Loudoun County and at only a few acres of grapes, that's probably true.

In addition to wine they also raise Angus beef, lamb and make honey (and I can't even muster the energy to write a couple of blog posts ;)).

Cabernet Franc is their flagship grape and you can tell that they take a lot of pride in that particular varietal (see review below). They also grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and have recently planted Petit Verdot. Tasting is by appointment only, but it is worth doing.

The tasting room is in their home, which was built in the 1830s, along with a tasting you get an overview of history of the house and the surrounding land. You are also treated to a history of the family. The tour next ventures out to the vineyards where you can learn about the different grapes that are planted and learn a little bit about their winemaking philosophy. Finally, the tour ends in the cellar where you can taste some of the wines still in the barrels.

10 Steps to a Successful Virginia Wine Tasting

October is Virginia Wine Month and it really is a great time to get together a group of your friends and make a day trip of visiting 4 or 5 wineries. Before you plan your next trip, here are some tips that will help make it more fun for everyone:

1. Consider renting a limo/bus/van: Even though it adds to the cost, it is worth it to have a designated driver. Its even better when you work with a company that knows the wineries and can help you plan.


2. Plan your trip: This is especially true if you are going out with 6 or more people. Figure out which wineries you want to hit and call ahead to let them know about what time you will be there. Plan on 45 minutes to an hour at each winery and don't forget to factor in travel time.


3. Be realistic: Most wineries are open from 11:00 to 5:00 (some until 6:00). Given the above time at each winery, plus travel time it is only realistic to plan to hit 4, maybe 5, wineries in one day. Any more than that and you really don't get a chance to savor the wines.


4. Take notes: mot wineries have sheets you can use to take notes, but even without that there is nothing wrong with bringing a pad and taking some notes on the wines. They don't have to be Robert Parker style reviews, just notes to remind yourself why you liked a wine. That way when you are trying to think back to first winery from the fifth you have something to jog your memory.


5. Pack a lunch: There is nothing better than opening up a bottle or two and enjoying the wine and the scenery over a nice lunch. So, pick one of the wineries and plan on having a picnic there. Again, just call ahead to make sure it is okay, especially if you have a group of 6 or more.


6. Bring lots of water: It is important to stay hydrated as the tastings progress.


7. It is not a bar crawl: The wineries want you to have fun, and enjoy yourself. But, a wine tour is not a drunkfest. Wineries are subject to the same ABC laws as everyone else, if you show up drunk they can't serve you. If you are acting like an ass they will throw you out. Have fun, get a little tipsy, but avoid getting falling down or obnoxiously drunk


8. It is not BYOW: Again, ABC laws prevent you from bringing other wine to a winery, not to mention that it is just rude and tacky. Winemakers work hard to create good wines, bringing another wine to a winery is an insult.


9. Expect to pay a tasting fee: I have tasted wine all over the world and most wineries charge between $5 and $10 for a tasting fee. The wineries have to re-coup the cost of the tasting room somehow, and honestly, even with the charge most wineries don't make a profit on their tasting room.


10. Take a tour: If the winery offers it, take a tour. This will give you a good idea of how the winery works, what the winemaker's philosophy is and it is always a lot of fun.

The Post Remembers Virginia has Wineries

The Post ran their bi-annual 'Virginia has wineries' article this morning. Completely not ironically (I assume) they also ran an article about how Virginia wineries get no respect in their own backyard.

I will give the first article some credit in that they picked 4 interesting wineries from different parts of Loudoun to highlight: Bluemont, Chrysalis, Sunset Hills and Notaviva.

Dry Mill Winery

Dry Mill is one of Loudoun County's newest wineries (if not the newest). Continuing with what seems to be a trend in Loudoun County wineries, Dry Mill is a converted barn. The tasting room retains the rustic feel of a barn with exposed wood beams and two activity rooms that make good use of the original wood.

The owners, Dean and Nancy, have a put a lot of work into restoring the barn and their care really shows.

The wines are made at Hillsborough under the watchful eye of Dean. They currently offer a Cabernet Franc, a Syrah, a Norton and Rose. The Cabernet Franc in particular is a standout wine: black cherries with hints of pepper, nicely aged with medium tannins, a good Cab Franc.

Definitely add them to your next tour.

Quite a Bargain

In case 150 Million Euros is out of your price range Naked Mountain Winery is on the market for about $3.5 Million. I've never been a big fan of their wines, they aren't bad, just nothing spectacular. On the other hand, for $3.5 million you get 41 acres AND your own mountain and the views are amazing, even in the dead of winter:






Sadly, $3.5 Million is still out of my price range...but if you buy it let me know and I'll make sure the wine club comes out to visit :).

Winter at Breaux

I went out to Breaux this afternoon to pick up my Cellar Club shipment. Today also happened to be the first real snow we've gotten this season. I took a couple of pictures, there is something about vineyards this time of year that really epitomizes winter to me (well, something besides the obvious).

Do You Want to Buy a Winery?

According to Times Online legendary winery Chateau Latour is for sale. From the article:

The Château Latour estate consists of 78 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards but only grapes from the 47 hectares that surround the chateau at the heart of the estate are used to make the Grand Vin de Château Latour.

In case you were wondering, a bottle of 2005 Chateau Latour goes for about $1000 on WineBid.

The asking price is reportedly somewhere between 150m-200m Euros.

Casanel Vineyards

Casanel Vineyards is one of the newest wineries in Loudoun County. One of the cool things about Virginia wineries is that many of them have been able to take advantage of existing buildings to make really unique tasting rooms. Willowcroft and Sunset Hills are just two examples of wineries that have created really unique tasting venues.

Casanel follows in this tradition with their efforts to turn a 200+ year old stone barn into a tasting room. They've even documented their progress.

Of course a unique tasting experience is no good without good wines to match. While they have planted their own grapes, it will still be a year or two before those are ready. In the meantime they are making their wines over at Hillsborough. Make no mistake, these are not Hillsborough wines re-labelled, these are Casanel wines.

They currently offer 4 wines, a Viognier which is crisp and dry and a Norton, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The reds are all 2007, so they are still a little young, but they show promise. The Cabernet Sauvignon was the standout here, it is immediately drinkable, but letting it decant for a while really brings out the flavors.

Sunset Hills Winery Redux

I posted about my visit to Sunset Hills Winery a few posts back. This was prior to their official opening last week.

As you can see the work done in the tasting room over the last month or so is simply phenomenal and the opening was a huge success.

Sunset Hills Winery

I went with the wine club to Sunset Hills Winery back in September and really enjoyed it. Sunset Hills has the distinction of being the only winery in Virginia to sponsor a race car (at least that I know of).

They also have a great tasting room, it is a 130 year old barn that was restored using Amish workers -- and the craftsmanship is amazing. The pictures below are from before the tasting room was completed -- but you can see how great the finished product will be.

As for their wines, the standout was a the Petite Verdot, yet another Virginia winery has turned this blending grape into an excellent standalone wine. The Petite Verdot is 80% Petite Verdot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It has deep rich color and a plum taste, the Cabernet Franc adds a touch of spice to the wine and the 18 months in oak have smoothed it out a little.

And, if you are excited about the winery, you are in luck. They are having their grand opening this weekend (occasionally, my procrastination pays off). They are really worth the look.

A friend of mine celebrated her birthday at Notaviva Vineyards. Stephen and Shannon have done a great job building first rate tasting room, the pictures below don't do it justice. They've also done a great job with their wines.

The tasting at Notaviva includes wines from several local wineries as well as their own. There were two wines that were exceptional. The Vivace Viognier and the Cantabile Cabernet Franc. The Vivace is a crisp wine that had hints of pears and grapefruit. Light and breezy, a good summer wine.

The Cantabile is dark, rich Cabernet Franc. It has aromas of tobacco and a peppery kick to it. The 2007 is still a little young, but I am sure it will age well.

I was reminded that there is one more Alaska wine post I need to make.

While we were in Skaqway, we came across this display for Denali Winery at the Alaska Liquor Store. The juice is sourced from grapes in Washington, but the wines are made in Anchorage..including a pretty cool presenatation of a traditional ice wine.

Unfortunately, you can only get the wines in Alaska.

On the way home from Mediterranean Cellars I saw that there was a new winery open just outside of Leesburg. Quattro Goomba’s Winery calls itself a micro winery -- they source their grapes from wineries around the world and make the wine locally on site.

The process appears to be similar the process I use to make wine at home, but on a much larger scale and with much more control over the selection of the grapes used. Quattro Goomba’s Winery uses grapes from California, Chile and Italy in their wines and because of the way they are set up they offer some unique wines.

For example, they offer their Vino D'Ana in both a Californian and Chilean variety. The same varietals, and wine that is made in the same fashion, but from two different regions. The resulting wines are very different (my preference was for the Chilean version, it had more kick).

The owners swarmed around the tasting room offering advice and happily talking about their wines and the winemaking process. A great experience and one that gives hope to all of us amateur winemakers who dream of one day opening their own vineyard :).

I know I promised to catch up on older posts, but I wanted to mention the two wineries I went to today.

I've said before that Fall is my favorite season to visit Virginia wineries, and today was a perfect Fall day. The temperature was in the high 60s, the leaves are changing colors and there were no clouds in the sky.

The wine club went to Mediterranean Cellars this afternoon. This is a perfect fall winery. It is nestled between rolling hills densely populated with trees and it has a patio that looks out over the vines and offers clear views of the countryside.

In addition to the usual complement of wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, they also had a Chambourcin and a Rechina. The Chambourcin was unique because it was naturally fermented, no additional yeast was needed. It had a strong peppery taste that lingered on the palette. They also had a blended wine, Romance, that was a lighter wine, more fruit forward with a hint of black cherries.

Good wines, combined with an excellent view, make this a must visit winery.