Friday, February 28, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio Awarded 2014 Governor’s Cup

~Adagio Joins 11 Other Fine Virginia Wines from 9 Wineries to Comprise Governor’s Cup~
Secretary Haymore Awarded Wine Person of the Year by the VWA

RICHMOND Governor Terry McAuliffe tonight awarded the 2014 Virginia Wineries Association’s (VWA) Governor's Cup to The Williamsburg Winery's 2010 Adagio, a blended red wine.  The Governor’s Cup was awarded Thursday evening, February 27 at the VWA’s Governor’s Cup Gala at the John Marshall Hotel.

Speaking at the Governor’s Cup awards ceremony, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am honored to award the Governor's Cup to The Williamsburg Winery, one of Virginia’s oldest and most prolific wineries.  It is no secret the Commonwealth’s wine industry has experienced tremendous growth both in quantity and quality in recent years.  Such growth has an enormous impact on Virginia in terms of economic development and job creation.  The Virginia Governor's Cup, now recognized as one of the nation's most stringent competitions, helps to raise awareness of the world class wines grown and blended right here in the Commonwealth.  My congratulations to The Williamsburg Winery for their long history of success and their most recent notable contribution to the Virginia wine industry."

The Williamsburg Winery's Adagio is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 28% Petit Verdot. Aged in French, American and Hungarian Oak, the ratio is  43% new oak, 14% one year old oak; 29% two year old oak; and 14% three year old oak. The winemaker's tasting notes are as follows:  The 2010 Adagio is a very bold upfront wine with loads of jammy fruit.  The blackberries and blueberry notes are accentuated with some elegant mature darker fruit such as figs, dates and prunes.  There is a hint of spice (warm cinnamon) with molasses and soy.  The earthy notes come across with a touch of nuttiness.  The oak is very integrated into the weight of the wine and the tannins are smooth and graceful. The wine has a wonderful finish that lasts for quite awhile. 
            "It is very satisfying and very humbling to be with my peers and the others who have won the Governor's Cup.  The 2010 Adagio was unbelievable, exceeding all expectations for quality, and it was nice for Adagio to get that recognition,” said Matthew Meyer, vice president and winemaker of The Williamsburg Winery.  "Adagio, from the Italian ad agio, or 'at ease', is a musical term indicating the tempo of a composition that is meant to be slow and stately, so named in honor of the extraordinary depth, elegance and grace of this wine."
The 2014 Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition was conducted over three weeks of preliminary tastings, held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C.  The final round of tastings was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond in early February. The Governor's Cup award winner was selected from the 2014 Governor's Cup Case. The top 12 scoring wines of the competition, The Governor’s Cup Case, were selected from 410 entries of both red and white wines, from 96 wineries.

In addition to The Williamsburg Winery's 2010 Adagio, the other 11 wines in the Governor’s Cup Case are: 


The Governor’s Cup competition, revamped in 2011, is a result of a partnership among the gubernatorial-appointed Virginia Wine Board (VWB), the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA), and the VWA, which owns and manages the competition. Any wine made from 100% Virginia fruit was eligible for the competition, while ciders and fruit wines had their own category and medalists. All entries included an affidavit with a certification of 100% Virginia fruit and vineyard particulars, including grower names and location, as well as information on alcohol, acidity or basicity (pH), and residual sugar.

            Wine included in the Governor’s Cup Case will be used by the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office for marketing purposes in Virginia, across the country, and around the world.  A number of cases will be shipped to select wine media, promoting Virginia wines to a larger national and international audience.  The award winning wines will be used for education purposes at Virginia winemaker roundtable discussions to improve overall quality of Virginia wines.  Governor’s Cup Case wines will also be used by Governor McAuliffe on select domestic and international marketing missions and other events designed to promote Virginia wine and winery tourism.

            Jay Youmans, one of only of 31 Masters of Wine (MW) in the U.S., directed the competition. Youmans, who is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and the owner and educational director of the Capital Wine School in Washington, DC, recruited wine judges from the professional wine buying and wine media community. The judges were compensated for their time for a rigorous schedule of judging to ensure the competition maintained the highest level of professional evaluation. There were 30 judges in the preliminary round and 15 judges in the final round. A list of the judges along with their bios can be found at http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup

One of the most important aspects of the revised competition is the educational component of the judging. After the competition, regional forums for the winemakers will be held with the judging director. Notes with the judges’ blind comments will be shared with individual winemakers, so that they will get direct feedback on how their wines were received.
            The Williamsburg Winery is located on Wessex Hundred, a 300-acre farm located in Virginia's Historic Triangle.  The winery has experienced continuous growth through an expanding portfolio of wines. The introduction of the 2007 Adagio was the culmination of a single-minded goal to produce the highest quality wines in the world. This is the second Governor’s Cup for Williamsburg Winery. The winery won in 1989 for its 1988 Chardonnay.
            "Winning the Governor's Cup is a testament to Matthew's talent and to the dedication of our entire team, whose focus is on excellence in wines made 100% from Virginia grapes. Our goal is to grow as a leader in the industry, developing wines that reflect the character of our Commonwealth, neither Californian or European, but displaying elegance and interesting flavors," said Patrick Duffeler, president and CEO, The Williamsburg Winery.

In addition to awarding Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio the 2014 Governor’s Cup, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore was named Wine Person of the Year for his contributions to this rapidly growing sector of the Commonwealth’s economy. 

As Secretary, Haymore works closely with the Governor, General Assembly, and key stakeholders on numerous legislative and budgetary initiatives to integrate agriculture and forestry fully into Virginia’s overall economic development and jobs creation platform. A dedicated proponent of the Virginia wine industry, Secretary Haymore has worked in partnership with Virginia’s wineries and vineyards to proudly showcase Virginia wines during domestic and international trade missions.  During his time as Secretary, Haymore has facilitated the first commercial shipment of Virginia Wine to China; helped to launch the Virginia Wine Summit, bringing national and international attention to Virginia wine; helped to almost triple the amount of funds placed in the Virginia Wine Promotion Fund for research, education and marketing; and worked with the General Assembly to establish a reimbursable tax credit program for the establishment or expansion of vineyards and wineries.  His strategic focus has led to new sales and opportunities for Virginia wineries that will continue the industry’s growth in the years to come.

Sales of Virginia wine reached a record high in fiscal year 2013 with more than 511,000 cases, or more than 6.1 million bottles, sold. Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with 250 wineries. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producing state. According to a recently released economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost $750 million to the Commonwealth’s economy on an annual basis.

For a complete list of previous Governor’s Cup winners and information about the Virginia wine industry, please visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Office http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup/awards/ or call 804-344-8200.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Love by the Glass: Virginia Wine & Dine Month - Begins Saturday March 1st

We just received this press release announcing Love by the Glass: Virginia Wine & Dine Month. Hope you can travel around the Commonwealth to sample excellent Virginia wine and food. And as always, theCompass mobile app can guide you to your favorite Virginia winery. Cheers.
Richmond, Va. (February 27, 2014) - The Virginia Wine Marketing Office and the Virginia Tourism Corporation today announced March as Love by the Glass: Virginia Wine & Dine Month, a celebration that showcases Virginia wines at more than 500 participating restaurants and wine shops across the Commonwealth. Special wine and food pairings along with wine travel packages make March an ideal time for wine lovers to visit Virginia.

Across the state, restaurants and wine shops alike will be showcasing Virginia wines by carrying a minimum of five Virginia wines either by the glass or the bottle, as well as offering special packages and events including winemakers' dinners, pre fixe menus paired with Virginia wines, Virginia wine and food pairings, Virginia wine dinners with local B&Bs, Virginia wine flight/comparative tastings and educational events.

Virginia, home to more than 250 wineries statewide, is fifth in the nation for wineries and for wine grape production and was recently named one of the 10 best wine travel destinations for 2012 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

"Love by the Glass: March Wine and Dine Month is a great way for consumers to try new and exciting Virginia wines, which rank among the best in the world. From regional food and wine pairings to flight/comparative tastings, March Wine and Dine Month gives wine connoisseurs and wine neophytes everywhere countless reasons to fall in love with Virginia wines for the first time or all over again," said David King, chairman of the Virginia Wine Board.
Virginia Wine and Dine Month is a partnership between the Virginia Wine Marketing Office and the Virginia Tourism Corporation to encourage Virginia restaurants and wine shops to feature more Virginia wines by the glass.  Love by the Glass started as Virginia Wine Week in 2010.  It quickly grew in popularity, so much so that the state has expanded the event to the entire month of March.
Select hotels, resorts and inns have created special travel packages for visitors who want to partake in Virginia Wine and Dine Month.  Highlights of these travel packages are below with more found on  http://www.virginiawine.org/wine-and-dine

Consumers can also learn about Love by the Glass: March Wine and Dine Month on social media:

·         Virginia Wine Twitter: twitter.com/VAWine
·         Virginia Wine Instagram: vawine    
·         Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/vawine


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Boneyard Wines Take Over #VAWineChat

Last week Tarara Vineyard & Winery winemaker Jordan Harris presented a selection of his new brand, Boneyard Wines to the monthly twitter chat #VAWineChat. These wines diverge from the traditional Tarara brand in that they are more experimental and consist of entry level as well as "uber" luxury options. The labels are very cool - earth movers digging up the boneyard - which respects Tarara's tradition by honoring a field where old wine making and vineyard equipment are sent to rust. The tasting for the evening consisted of the Boneyard 2012 Skins (Rkatsiteli orange wine), the Boneyard Boneyard Bubbles Blanc de Blanc, the Boneyard 2012 Cabernet Franc, and Boneyard 2010 Syrah.

We started with the much anticipated Boneyard 2012 Skins ($20), much anticipated in the sense that I am a deep believer in Rkatsiteli. In order to create an orange wine, the juice was macerated on its skins for 31 days, followed by mild oak treatment. In general, this type of wine possesses a floral aroma, with spicy characters in the palette and finish - with plenty of acidity. Unfortunately, the Boneyard Skins did not live up to my expectations; the floral aroma was present but the wine lacked both acidity and the spicy characters.  Yet, I applaud Jordan for his experiment - keep on digging....

The Bubbles Blanc de Blanc ($35), on the other hand, nailed all expectations. The wine was produced from Chardonnay grapes harvested in 2009 and then vinified using methodoise champagne traditions.  The wine was then bottled aged on its lees for 3 and a half years, developing texture and creaminess, before being disgorged and undergoing secondary fermentation. There sparkling wine is clean, fresh with plenty of effervescence, as well as gentle green apple and citrus flavors. Well done.

Only 26 cases were made from the Boneyard 2012 Cabernet Franc so this wine is only available for Case Club members. The wine spent 12 months in oak and despite the oak, is a medium bodied, fruit forward wine with very smooth tannins. The nose has a little smoke and tobacco, but the palette is a mixture of blackberries and raspberries. I enjoyed this one, but so long - unless I join the Case Club.


We finished with the Boneyard 2010 Syrah ($100) - yes the most expensive Virginia wine to date - more than those from RDV Vineyards.  The Syrah was co-fermented with 6% Viognier and then aged 38 months in oak;  Jordan is a self-described Rhône geek.  Like the Cab Franc, the tannins are smooth - yet the flavor is more plum and finishes with plenty of spice. Like the other wines, this one is closed with the screwcap and it needed to breathe for awhile to allow the Viognier floral notes and fruit to develop. Before breathing, the wine raced straight to the spicy finish. The price point speaks for itself, and we will let buyers express their rational. Cheers.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Notaviva Vineyards Hosts Melodies of the Danube 2015 - a European River Cruise

Stephen Mackey, owner of the Virginia winery Notaviva Vineyards (Purcellville), is hosting a wine and music European river cruise next year where travelers can enjoy fine European and Virginia vinifera and Central European music. The Melodies of the Danube 2015 starts in romantic Budapest where you spend the day touring Buda and Pest. I highly recommend an hour in the Central Market Hall and the Tokaji wine bar.  Learn to appreciate dry Furmint as I did many years ago. Also, if you have a chance to sample Soproni Kekfrankos or anything from Villany - drink it.

From Hungary, the boat travels to Austria and while gently cruising along the Danube, Mackey will be leading several wine lectures throughout the journey.  He will be pouring wine from Notaviva and showcasing why Virginia is a rising wine region as well as leading comparative tasting between the Virginia and Austrian wine.
1) Onboard Wine Tasting - "Austrian Varietals in America" Host Stephen Mackey leads a discussion of Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner. Enjoyed with Notaviva Vineyards "Vierzig" Blaufrankisch inspired by Mozart's 40th symphony.
2) Onboard Wine Lecture #1 - "Wine and Music Pairing Experience" -- Led by host Stephen Mackey, guests will enjoy two blind tastings of Virginia wines, accompanied by diverse music playlists and and engaging, interactive evaluation of how various musical genres accompany different wine styles. Includes discussion on the science of cognitive neurology and emotional receptors as they relate to the sensory perception of wine.
3) Onboard Wine Lecture #2 - "Introduction to Music Theory" -- Enjoy a carefully chosen selection of Virginia and Austrian wines while host Stephen Mackey analyzes works from Beethoven, Mozart and Strauss and explains the core technical elements of Western music such as melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, dynamics, form and tone color. Each composer's work will be paired with an appropriate wine, and there will be fun quizzes and prizes!
4) Paired Wine Dinner - "Ottantotto" barrel-fermented Viognier, "Vierzig" (Mozart) Blaufrankisch, "Ode to Joy" (Beethoven) Meritage
5) Onboard Wine Lecture #3 - "TasteLive!" -- Host Stephen Mackey will conduct the first-of-its-kind live International tasting of Austrian and Virginia wines from the ship while connected via social media and video conferencing with passengers' friends, family and Virginia wine industry colleagues back in Loudoun at the Notaviva Vineyards tasting room.



Wachau - courtesy of AWMB / Gerhard Elze
The boat spends four days in Austria - Vienna, Krebs, Durnstein, and Linz where the spotlight remains on wine but the classical music of Strauss and Mozart as well as traditional folk music are introduced. There are several opportunities to explore medieval villages and sample wine from various Austrian wine regions: Wein, Wachau, Kremstal, Wagram, and more. Here you will get your fill of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and perhaps a smooth Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder). The final destination is Passau, Germany where Octoberfest and beer come into play. And for even more fun, AMAwaterways, the host travel agency, is also offering pre and post cruise tours of Budapest, Munich, and Prague. To learn more about the host winery, Notaviva Vineyards, check out this profile in Northern Virginia Magazine. Cheers and happy cruising.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Three Keswick Vineyards Viogniers for #VAWineChat


Last week we were invited to participate in the monthly twitter tasting #VAWineChat, feauring a trio of 2012 Viognier from Keswick Vineyards.The winery is situated due east of Charlottesville and with 16 acres,  has one of the state's largest planting of Viognier - perhaps the largest.  The three wines were produced from 100% estate fruit and are 100% single varietal. 2012 was a typical growing year for Virginia and winemaker Stephen Barnard also explained that they "backed off on ripeness for racy lower alcohol wines". In the winery, Barnard believes that neutral oak gives the palate some lift and  enhances the texture and using a small percentage of new oak adds to complexity.


We started off the tasting with the 2012 Viognier ($24, 13.5% abv), where 70% of the juice was tank fermented, the other 30% fermented in neutral. The fermented juice then maturated for 6 months on lees.  The result is an assertive fruity wine with a mouthful of citrus cream followed by a clean, refreshingly acidic finish. A rather nice start to the evening.

Next was the 2012 Reserve Viognier ($27.95, 14.2% abv) , where the juice was whole cluster pressed and then fermented wholly in neutral barrels.   This wine possesses more of the peach & apricot notes usually associated with Virginia Viognier as well as more oak creaminess with hints of coconut on the nose. There's a bit of white pepper as well, which initially threw me off, but as the wine breathed, integrated nicely into the overall sensation.


The final Viognier was the 2012 Signature Series Viognier ($34.95, abv), a bold project where the juice was whole cluster pressed and racked straight to barrel without being inoculated with custom yeast strains or primed with sulpher. The hardest part for Barnard was waiting for the various yeast strains moving about the winery to begin fermenting the juice. These yeast strains could be natural strains that exist in all around us or perhaps commercial yeast that is still floating in the winery. 30% of the oak used in fermentation and aging was new French oak; thus the resulting wine is heavier than the other two with more of a toasted vanilla and honey character. The finish is still citrusy with plenty of balancing acidity - definitely the best of the bunch.

The Keswick wines showed why Viognier has great potential to be the Commonwealth's signature grape. If only the grape was not so finicky in the vineyard, more wineries could participate in the Virginia Viognier movement. But cheers to those who do, particularly Keswick Vineyards. Pair with Charlottesville based rock band Sons of Bil and Green PA Broadleaf cigars from Cigar Volante.