Author Archives: Matt Fitzsimmons

Virginia Sauvignon Blanc Showdown (2025)

Posted on by
1

Virginia wine seems to excel in certain varieties. Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Franc often come to mind. Tannat and Albariño are up-and-comers, from what I’ve seen.

But if you had told me Virginia was a hotspot for its Sauvignon Blancs, I’d have been…skeptical. The 99 acres currently in the state (according to 2023 figures) is a fairly large planting, but it seems to trail other whites in terms of awards. Only over the last few years have Virginia Sauv Blancs really surged in recognition.

That’s fairly surprising, as I’ve had a number of excellent examples. Linden and Walsh Family often come to mind, but I’ve found others that are also lovely. Unfortunately for me, the Sauv Blancs I most gravitate towards tend to be high-acid, mineral-driven Sancerre styles, which are tough to find in Virginia.

So when the 2025 San Francisco Chronical (SFC) Wine Competition gave two “Best in Class” awards (out of 5 Sauv blanc price categories and 198 bottles) to Virginia Sauv Blancs, and a 3rd Virginia wine was runner-up for one of these “Best in Class” awards, I was equally surprised and thrilled.

The competition judges seemed equally surprised. SFC wine judge Mike Dunne said of Virginia’s entries; “Each year, some wine region of North America sems to gain recognition for a disproportionate share of high awards at the San Francisco Chronical Wine competition. In 2024, it was Virginia”.

Tasting & Scoring Methodology

Every round my guests picked a favorite. After we finished all 8 wines, we voted to decide the Top 2 of the day. By coincidence we had a tie in picking which to go into the Top 2, so Top 2 became Top 3. We took a food break, then revisited the Top 3 finalist a second time

Caveat; there are a few other excellent examples that could have been used here. But being in NOVA my selection tends to be NOVA-heavy. Moreover; I don’t pretend what we chose were the “best”. I’d say that these were the “best” this day, but on another day or vintage, we may have selected differently.

The Contenders:

  1. The Winery at LaGrange 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (Washington State fruit)
  2. Glen Manor Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
  3. Veritas Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (2025 SFCWC Best in Class/$30-$34.99)
  4. Linden Vineyards 2021 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc
  5. Walsh Family Wine 2023 Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc
  6. Capstone Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
  7. Barrel Oak Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (2025 SFCWC Best in Class/$34 and up)
  8. Endhardt Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (2025 SFCWC Double Gold/$30-$34.99)

Flight #1

  • Bottle #1: LaGrange 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (Washington State) (7 votes, round winner)
  • Bottle #2: Glen Manor 2023 Sauvignon Blanc

While the original plan was to do all Virginia wine, we didn’t realize that the LaGrange’s fruit was sourced from Washington State. Oh well; it was made in Virginia, at least.

Looking back we were surprised that #2 was a Glen Manor wine; we thought we’d have enjoyed it more since they have a great reputation overall, but this one wasn’t a favorite.

Bottle #1 / LaGrange 2021 Sauvignon Blanc. This was our “patio wine”. Round; good finish and balanced. Somewhat golden in appearance. Someone mentioned green apple on the palate, plus notes of lime.

Bottle #2 / Glen Manor Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatic and pale. Multiple people commented how fruit-forward this wine was. One said it was like ‘pop rocks on your tongue’. Cameron mentioned the citric acid was too high for his preference; maybe they let the fruit hang too long?

Votes:

  1. Matt: Voted #1
  2. Sarah: Voted #1
  3. Laura: Voted #1
  4. Isabel: Voted #1
  5. Emily: Voted #1
  6. Cameron: Voted #1
  7. Ashley: Voted #1

Flight #2

  • Bottle #3: Veritas Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (3 votes)
  • Bottle #4: Linden Vineyards 2021 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc (4 votes; round winner)

This was the favorite round for several attendees. Stylistically speaking, this was a “patio wine” (#3) vs a “dinner wine” (#4) comparison, and attendees tended to vote according to that preference.

I had more tasting notes than I could easily write down; the mark of a good round.

Bottle #3 / Veritas Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. Lighter in acid, but the acid was definitely there. Comments including grapefruit, green apple, honey, and lime notes, but none were overwhelming present. I felt it had honey and grapefruit qualities.

It had great complexity, which opened up as the chill came off. It was very bright once it warmed up.

Bottle #4 / Linden Vineyards 2021 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc. This was the fullest wine of the day, with more ‘aged’ and/or barrel notes (but definitely not newer oak). A few mentioned it had a caramel finish. Others mentioned candied lemon, stone fruit, hay, and herbs on the nose.

Votes:

  1. Matt: Voted #4
  2. Sarah: Voted #4, although #3 was ‘like a rave on the palate’
  3. Laura: Voted #4
  4. Isabel: Voted #3
  5. Emily: Voted #3
  6. Cameron: Voted #3
  7. Ashley: Voted #4

Flight #3

  • Bottle #5: Walsh Family Wine 2023 Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc (4 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #6: Capstone Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (3 votes)

Bottle #5 / Walsh Family Wine 2023 Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc. Peppery! Notes of honeysuckle and lemongrass on the nose and palate. Tart, citrusy and grassy on the palate. The tartness threw some people off. Smooth texture.

Bottle #6 / Capstone Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. Pineapple and mango were mentioned. Had weight. Long lingering finish. We speculated these tropical notes indicated this was the Washington State wine we accidentally included in the lineup (nope; 100% grown in Virginia).

Votes:

  1. Matt: Voted #6
  2. Sarah: Voted #5
  3. Laura: Voted #5
  4. Isabel: Voted #6
  5. Emily: Voted #5
  6. Cameron: Voted #5
  7. Ashley: Voted #6

Flight #4

  • Bottle #7: Barrel Oak Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (4 Votes; Winner)
  • Bottle #8: Endhardt Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (3 Votes)

If Round #2 was the group favorite, this round was a close runner up. It also contained a SFC Best in Class ($35 and up), and a Double Gold (which was runner up for the Best in Class) winner.

Bottle #7 / Barrel Oak Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. The color was very light and the nose wasn’t overly aromatic, but this wine packed a punch! Well balanced; notes of citrus and lemon were especially mentioned. I could have written more notes, but I was too busy just enjoying it.

Bottle #8 / Endhardt Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. Had a ‘new tennis ball’ aroma to it. Bigger in body and more fruit forward than what we’d seen in the lineup so far (right below #4). Someone mentioned a note of vanilla cream at the end. Apricot on the nose and white peach on the nose and palate. Also well balanced.

Votes:

  1. Matt: Voted #8
  2. Sarah: Voted #7
  3. Laura: Voted #7; liked its smoothness
  4. Isabel: Voted #7
  5. Emily: Voted #8
  6. Cameron: Voted #7; said it had a ‘crescendo’ of different fruits
  7. Ashley: Voted #8

Finalist Flight

  • Bottle #3: Veritas Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
  • Bottle #4: Linden Vineyards 2021 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc
  • Bottle #7: Barrel Oak Winery 2023 Sauvignon Blanc

We tried to narrow it down to a “Top 2”, but we loved several so much I decided to add a 3rd glass to the finalist round. We ended up with #3/ #4/ #7 going into the finals.

#8 was also well loved, narrowing missing the finalist round (I tried, but got outvoted). #6 received a handful of votes as well.

We tasted the finalist and I awarded 3 ‘points’ for people’s 1st place choice, 2 points for 2nd place, and 1 point for 3rd place choice.

The final tally was 15 points for Barrel Oak, 14 points for Veritas, and 13 points for Linden. The 2023 Barrel Oak Winery Sauvignon Blanc was the overall favorite of the day.

  1. Matt: Voted #7 / #4 / #3
  2. Sarah: Voted #4 / #7 / #3. Felt #4 was the most complex; liked the ‘barnyard’ and hay qualities.
  3. Laura: Voted #7 / #3 / #4. Felt #7 was refreshing and smooth, but enjoyed the balance and dryness of #3.
  4. Isabel: Voted #3 / #7 / #4. #3 had developed a sweetness she liked
  5. Emily: Voted #3 / #4 / #7. Agreed that #3 was landing sweeter, while #7 was more consistent.
  6. Cameron: Voted #7 / #3 / #4. Really liked the complexity of #7.
  7. Ashley: Voted #4 / #3 / #7. Really liked the soft, caramel finish of #4.

I asked Barrel Oak winemaker Jeremy Ligon about his 2023 Sauv Blanc, and he shared these tech notes:

“In 2023 we partnered with a local vineyard in Paeonian Springs Virginia to bring in their beautiful Sauvignon Blanc. We harvested 7.57 tons on 8/31/2023. This Sauvignon Blanc is grown at over 700 feet in elevation with rolling hills with ideal airflow and soil conditions. We produce a Sauvignon Blanc that showcases Virginia Terrior, which is closer to a New Zealand style Sav Blanc than California, but still with its very own uniqueness. This Sauvignon Blanc is fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel, we forego malolactic fermentation to retain malic acid creating a bright and crisp wine.”

SFC described the Barrel Oak wine as “ripe and round” and “fleshy and saturating”, while the Veritas was “lithe, dry, citric, and astonishingly persistent”.

Lessons Learned:

A few observations:

The first is the Virginia Sauv Blancs were tried were very reflective of the specific site they came from. This resulted in an assortment of stylistic differences, with some presenting as West Coast-ish, a few as Bordeaux Blanc-ish, and others not fitting any particular regional profile (although none we had today were New Zealand or Sancerre-ish).

That’s not to say Virginia *must* fit into any stereotype. Virginia wine must represent Virginia; not try to copy someone else. Yet the variation was so dizzying that I couldn’t guess these wines were from the same state.

My second observation was how people seemed to separate these wines into ‘dinner’ and ‘patio’ styles, the former being ‘bigger’ and the later easier drinking. My group’s voting tended to fall along these preferences.

My last observation is I was very impressed with the judging of the San Francisco Chronicle. Wine judging in general can be very hit-or-miss, as I’ve seen the same wines get Bronze in one competition but get Double Gold (!) in another, or ‘shiners’ with the same wine but different labels get different scores.

But this time, 3 of the 4 top wines we tried today (except Linden, which doesn’t do competitions) were all Double Gold winners from the 2025 SFC wine competition. Except for Linden, none of the other wines were even close.

Virginia Pinot Noir Showdown: VA vs Oregon Blind Tasting

Posted on by
1

I’ve been on something of a Virginia Pinot kick of late. I recently emceed an industry roundtable on Virginia Pinot Noir, which later inspired an article discussing the evolution of Virginia Pinot.

To summarize my findings; Pinot Noir struggles in the warm-weather sites that characterize much of Virginia. The reputation of locally grown Pinot was so bad that when wine-legend Jancis Robinson tasted an Ankida Ridge Pinot in 2011 that she exclaimed in the most back-handed compliment ever; “It tastes like Pinot!”.

For my event I picked what I felt are the best 4 Pinot growers Virginia has to offer. These vineyards succeed in growing Pinot where previous ones had failed by planting at relatively high elevations: 12 Ridges (3,300 ft), Ankida Ridge (1,800 ft.), Cave Ridge (1,200 ft), and Hazy Mountain (1,600 ft). All are located in the Shenandoah Valley or the adjoining Blue Ridge Mountains, areas that have strong track records for growing cool weather varieties.

My group picked 4 Oregon Pinots to pair them against. I recently attended a wine dinner with Evesham Wood, so I had 2 wines from this quality producer. Other guests brought two more wines; a low-cost Pinot from Argyle, and a high-quality wine from Résonance.

I honestly had no idea how Virginia would fare here. Oregon has a great reputation for Pinot Noir, so I would have been happy if Virginia simply showed well against a heavy hitter in this category.

Tasting & Scoring Methodology

We did 4 rounds of 2 wines, consisting of a Virginia and Oregon Pinot Noir side-by-side, served blind. After we finished all 8 wines, we voted which were our Top 2 of the day. The Top 2 were set aside and revisited during a ‘Finalist” round.

The advantage of revisiting these wines is this gave the Top 2 more time to open up. The introduction of food changed our palates, adding another dimension to the event. After re-tasting them, we declared an overall winner.

The 4 flights were generally arranged lowest-to-highest in terms of price point.

The Contenders:

  1. 2022 Evesham “Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée” (Oregon; $34)
  2. 2021 Hazy Mountain (Virginia; $38)
  3. 2023 Argyle (Oregon; $28)
  4. 2023 Cave Ridge (Virginia; pricing TBD)
  5. 2021 Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec (Oregon; $55)
  6. 2021 12 Ridges (Virginia; $60? Currently not for sale)
  7. 2021 Résonance Founders Blocks (Oregon; ~$75)
  8. 2021 Ankida Ridge Reserve (Virginia; $95)

Flight #1

  • Bottle #1: 2022 Evesham “Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée” (Oregon; 7 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #2: 2021 Hazy Mountain (Virginia; 1 vote).

Admittedly this was not our favorite round; not surprisingly as I started with the lower-priced wines and worked my way up.

This round ended with Oregon as the favorite by a wide margin. While this particular Oregon wine isn’t this producer’s top-tier wine, it did have all the rich fruit qualities you’d want from a mid-$30 Oregon Pinot Noir.

Bottle #1 / 2022 Evesham “Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée”. Overall we felt this wine showcased fresh fruit, with some earthiness. Most attendees felt this was the Oregon bottle, although not everyone felt confident enough to vote.

Bottle #2 / 2021 Hazy Mountain. This wine was more expressive on the nose; maybe with some notes of oak. On the palate several guests detected notes of earth and allspice.

Votes:

  • Annie: Voted #1
  • Chris: Voted #1
  • Larry: Voted #2, since he preferred the more earthy, ‘aged’ qualities of this wine.
  • Matt: Voted #1
  • Kathy: Voted #1. Noted #1 was fresher, while #2 had notes of forest floor but seemed too cooked.
  • Stacy: Voted #1
  • Patti: Voted #1. Enjoyed #1 for its richer body; could tell it was Oregon. Felt #2 was too tart.
  • Rob: Voted #1. Likewise felt #2 was too tart. 

Flight #2

  • Bottle #3: 2023 Argyle (Oregon; 1 Vote)
  • Bottle #4: 2023 Cave Ridge Vineyards (Virginia; 7 Votes; round winner)

In retrospect I should have paired #1 vs #4, since the #3/Argyle was arguably our least favorite wine of the day. But since Cave Ridge’s Pinot isn’t yet priced, I wasn’t sure which wine to pair against it.

That said, I think Cave Ridge was the surprise of the night. 8 out of 8 attendees felt this wine was from Oregon, which I’ll take as a compliment for this wine.

Bottle #3 / 2023 Argyle. We could tell this wine was mass produced. It had too much of an effervescent ‘cherry coke’ quality to it, or maybe candy notes.

Bottle #4 / 2023 Cave Ridge. Lots of compliments regarding the fruit notes in this wine. Others noted it had notes of almond or marzipan. Multiple people (including myself) really enjoyed the initial ‘attack’ on our first sip.

Votes:

  • Matt: Voted #4
  • Annie: Voted #4
  • Chris: Voted #4
  • Larry: Voted #3.
  • Kathy: Voted #4
  • Stacy: Voted #4
  • Patti: Voted #4
  • Rob: Voted #4

Flight #3

  • Bottle #5: 2021 Evesham Woods Le Puits Sec (Oregon; 7 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #6: 2021 12 Ridges Vineyard (Virginia; 1 vote)

Now we’re talking! At 3,300’, 12 Ridges is the 2nd highest-elevation vineyard on the east coast. Evesham’s Le Puits Sec was also an excellent wine.

While we definitely liked the 12 Ridges, it just didn’t compare well to an excellent vineyard-specific Oregon wine.

Bottle #5 / 2021 Evesham Woods Le Puits Sec. We generally identified this as the Oregon wine, although not universally. This was very well-enjoyed with lots of great descriptors, ranging from “Fresh and well-integrated”, “delicate”, and “balanced”. A few picked up on notes of baking spice, maybe dark cherry. Harissa was mentioned by one guest. I detected a lot of mushroom on the nose.

I felt this particular wine had, hands down, the best nose of any wine enjoyed that evening.

Bottle #6 / 2021 12 Ridges. This was definitely a higher-acid wine, which in retrospect makes sense since it was grown at 3,300 ft’.

Our tasting notes were all over the place. One guest mentioned notes of salted caramel; another said they got notes of sea salt. Yet another mentioned smoke or sour cherry. I didn’t get a lot on the nose, but I did feel it had nice complexity.

Votes:

  • Annie: Voted #5
  • Chris: Voted #5
  • Kathy: Voted #5
  • Larry: Voted #6 (still the outlier!)
  • Matt: Voted #5
  • Patti: Voted #5; her ‘happy place’ since she’s a big Oregon pinot fan
  • Rob: Voted #5
  • Stacy: Voted #5

Flight #4

  • Bottle #7: 2021 Résonance Founders Blocks (4 votes; tied)
  • Bottle #8: 2021 Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve (4 votes; tied)

This was by far our favorite pairing of the night. Not everyone voted to identify the region, although most of the guesses were accurate. It was very much a competition between ‘grace (#7)’ vs ‘power (#8)’. We were evenly divided on which we preferred, so it was a tie.

The #7 was rounder and more balanced. #8 was a ‘big’, but in a good way. Someone said it was “ready to party”, if you will. Both had great complexity, and opinions differed on which was heavier.

Bottle #7 / 2021 Résonance Founders Block. Notes of sour cherries and mushrooms. It had a perceived sweetness; not from sugar levels but had a ‘fruit sweet’ quality to it.

Bottle #8 / 2021 Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve. “Grabby” was my favorite descriptor. Several mentioned notes of sour cherry. The wine was lighter than I expected, although conversely it was still a ‘big’ win in terms of tannin. Kathy mentioned it was ‘layered, had complexity, and notes of forest floor’.

Of all the wines we tasted that evening, #8/Ankida was the most capable of standing up to heavier foods, especially a dish like steak. It was very drinkable now but could still use more time. I later learned the tannin came from the heavy use of stem inclusion.

Votes:

  • Annie: Voted #7
  • Chris: Voted #7
  • Kathy: Voted #8
  • Larry: Voted #8
  • Matt: Voted #8
  • Patti: Voted #7
  • Rob: Voted #7
  • Stacy: Voted #8

Finalist Flight

After the last round we did a poll to pick two wines from any flight to go into the finalist round. 7 votes went to wine #7/Résonance, 5 votes went to wine #8/Ankida, and 3 votes went to wine #5/Evesham Woods Le Puits Sec. #4/Cave Ridge was generally considered the #4 wine of the evening.

With the votes in, #7 and #8 went to the finalist round, and we enjoyed dinner drinking the remaining wines.

This food break worked to our favor as #7 and #8 opened up. The complexity of both improved, with the Ankida especially becoming more graceful. An Ox Eye Blanc de Noir accompanied our beef bourguignon.

We voted a second time…and for the second time in a row, it was again a tie. Ironically, 2 people from each ‘team’ switched sides.

  • Bottle #7: 2021 Résonance Founders Blocks (4 votes; tied)
  • Bottle #8: 2021 Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve (4 votes; tied)

Lessons Learned:

Virginia represented very well; far better than I could have hoped for. It’s fair to say that the state has very few high-quality examples to pull from, but the top ones we used were well received.

I should note that most of the attendees didn’t have pre-conceived notions of what Pinot should taste like. Our self-described Oregon wine aficionado almost always went for the Oregon wine (the Cave Ridge being the exception), but overall the attendees simply wanted something tasty.

  1. Round #1: 2022 Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée (Oregon)
  2. Round #2: 2023 Cave Ridge (Virginia)
  3. Round #3: 2021 Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec (Oregon)
  4. Round #4: Tie; 2021 Résonance Founders Blocks and 2021 Ankida Pinot Noir Reserve
  5. Winners round: Our “Top 2” wines were the Résonance and Ankida…and they tied again.

PS – the 2021 Ankida Reserve and 2023 Cave Ridge were both gifted to me for this event (thank you Christine and Randy!). While the Reserve is Ankida’s ‘top’ wine currently being sold, their 2022 Pinot is also getting headlines of its own.

For Virginia to tie Oregon as the evening’s ‘best’ wine is remarkable. Ankida Ridge should be very happy with that result.

I still say that the 2023 Cave Ridge Pinot Noir was the surprise of the evening. It was only recently bottled, so it has time to go. Yet it could easily have fared well against an Oregon wine in the mid-$30 price range.

The Monticello Wine Trail “Women in Wine” Dinner at The Doyle Hotel

Posted on by
Reply

This June, the Monticello Wine Trail went into celebration mode. Its Wine Week kicked off with a pair of Friday night wine dinners, then segued to a Saturday gala that announced Afton Mountain Vineyard’s 2024 Albariño as winner of the 34th Monticello Wine Competition. This year also featured a number of special events, including a sparkling wine brunch, rosé picnic, and elevated wine tastings.

A key part of Wine Week’s popularity is it allows enthusiasts to mingle with their favorite Monticello winemakers. Recent media coverage of the “the birthplace of American wine” has given these vintners extra reason to celebrate.

Wine Enthusiast has proven to be a huge cheerleader for Virginia wine, crowning Charlottesville and the Monticello AVA as its “Wine Region of the Year” in 2023. More recently it pronounced “Its Ingénue Era Over, Virginia Wine Takes Center Stage”.

Not to be outdone, in late May the New York Times published “Virginia Wine Grows Up”, featuring several Charlottesville winemakers. Decanter, VinePair, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and other major outlets have likewise recently spotlighted Virginia wine.

With this backdrop, it would be an understatement saying the mood at the Monticello winemaker dinner on the rooftop of Charlottsville’s Doyle hotel was festive. The theme of the evening; “Women in Wine”, was also a topic near to the audience’s heart.

Dining at The Doyle Hotel

Our 5-course dinner included wine pairings from six wineries, nearly all of them represented by their female owner or winemaker. These vintners mingled with the crowd and shared their stories as their wine was poured.

First up was Shannon Horton, pouring Horton Vineyards’ Sparkling Viognier, paired with our hors d’oeuvres.

Shannon explained how the idea behind this Méthode Champenoise crafted wine is an example of how quickly her father, Horton Vineyards founder Dennis Horton, could improvise.

Years ago, Dennis had an overly bountiful crop of viognier that needed to be thinned before harvest. Rather than waste fruit, he realized these still underripe grapes could potentially be used for sparkling wine. The chemistry was spot-on, and they’ve been making a sparkling Viognier ever since.

We then moved to the dining area where Kirsty Harmon of Blenheim Vineyards poured a 2024 rosé paired with our first course; a strawberry salad with candied almonds.

Kirsty is a big fan of rosés blended from multiple varieties, with this vintage using a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec (but no Pinot Noir or Syrah this time).

Corry Craighill’s 2024 Sauvignon Blanc from Septenary Winery was our next pairing, served with trout and a charred tomato beurre blanc.

Corry joined my table for a while and explained how owners Todd and Sarah Zimmerman love New Zealand-style Sauvignon Blanc, so she made this wine in a style that’s reminiscent of that region.

While her red wines have yet to hit the tasting room, Corry is the winemaker behind Septenary’s most recent white wine releases. Corry also owns Wound Tight, her personal label where she gets to be more experimental.

Once the starting dishes were finished, the red wine pairings with our main courses were served.

AJ Greely of Hark Vineyards poured our first red; a 2023 Cabernet Franc served with duck confit.

2023 was an exceptional year for Virginia wine, and AJ explained this was Hark’s biggest Cabernet Franc crop to date. I loved how AJ didn’t try to make it into a ‘big’ red and instead let the grape’s varietal characteristics shine through.

AJ hung out at my table for a bit and invited us to visit Hark’s brand new tasting room, which was opening that weekend.

Next to last was Eastwood Farm winemaker Jake Busching sharing his 2022 Petit Verdot, served with wagyu NY strip and potatoes. Owner Athena Eastwood couldn’t attend, so Jake represented in her stead.

Petit Verdot is often thought of as a ‘steak wine’, with tannin and acid that can stand up to heavy foods. While those characteristics often means PVs need time to age, Jake crafted this wine to be fruit forward and easy drinking, enjoyable even without a food pairing.

Jake also told us about Athena’s newest venture, the Virginia Wine Collective. The Collective recently opened in downtown Charlottsville and features a number of micro wine brands that are difficult to find elsewhere.

Owner Laura Lavalle finished the evening with Wisdom Oak Winery’s 2017 Tinto, paired with a triple chocolate terrine.

Laura explained Tinto is Wisdom Oak’s interpretation of a port style wine, using a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and brandy, aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels.

Recognizing Monticello’s “Women in Wine”

The selection of female hosts to lead this event wasn’t coincidental. The “Women in Wine” theme continues to receive considerable attention in the world of Virginia wine.

In August of last year, local wine promoter Nancy Bauer launched the Virginia Women in Wine (VWW) professional organization. VWW has since partnered with the Monticello Wine Trail and other organizations to host additional events, ranging from winemaker dinners, communications roundtables, and the unveiling of the VWW’s “Closing the Gender Gap” white paper.

A breakdown of the demographics of the Virginia wine industry demonstrates the need for these initiatives. Only 18% of Virginia wineries employ a female Head Winemaker, yet females compose roughly 2/3rds of local winery staff.

The opening of Eastwood’s Wine Collective promises to open additional (cellar) doors for entrepreneurs by reducing startup costs that might bar them from the wine industry.

The Collective’s unique design includes individually rentable winemaking spaces, a shared production area, and a joint tasting room, all under the same roof. This allows participants to control their own winemaking process, while sharing equipment and retail space that would normally be outside the financial reach of a small operation.

This setup is especially important for female and BIPOC entrepreneurs, who often lack the networking opportunities and financial backing open to the majority of the industry. Members of the Collective also have the option to utilize Jake as a consultant to tutor them in winemaking.

Wine enthusiasts that missed Monticello Wine Week will soon have additional opportunities to engage the winemaking community. The Doyle will soon host Oeno Camp, an immersive experience that cultivates and supports BIPOC wine entrepreneurs.

Dining With Erin Nuccio of Evesham Wood

Posted on by
2

I recently had the opportunity to join owner/winemaker Erin Nuccio of Evesham Wood for a great dinner that showcased his wine, hosted by The Falls restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. As a wine nerd it’s hard for me to pass a chance to try a new-to-me winery, especially when I get to chat with the winemaker.

Over a 5-course dinner we sampled 4 Pinot Noirs and a white blend. Just as importantly, I got to hear Erin tell the story of Evesham Wood.

The Vineyards & Winemaking

EW Le Puits Sec Vineyard

Evesham Wood is located in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, one of 11 sub-appellations inside the larger Willamette Valley AVA. Evesham Wood and its sister operation, Haden Fig, are boutique wineries that focus mostly on Pinot Noir, including several single-vineyard expressions.

It turns out Erin is a local boy who got his start in the wine business at Arrowine, one of my favorite local wine stores. Inspired by the Oregon Pinot he was drinking, Erin made the jump from selling wine to making it, moving to the Willamette Valley in 2007 to pursue the dream.

Erin initially apprenticed under Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, one of Oregon’s oldest wineries. That experience allowed him to start his own wine brand, Haden Fig. Years later, he took over Evesham when Russ decided to move on.

Being unfamiliar with this area, I did a bit of research and discovered the AVA’s name is a brilliant (and accurate) bit of marketing. ‘Eola’ refers to a local town, whose name is derived from Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds.

These cool Pacific winds and the area’s volcanic soil define the area’s terroir. The former help grapes grown here to retain their acidity, while the later provide character to the wines.

Location aside, I found how Evesham Wood grows its wine to be as interesting as where this wine is grown.

Evesham is part of the handful of local wineries that hold an official organic wine certification, which they apply to their vineyard-specific wines. They are also a member of the ‘Deep Roots Coalition’, a grouping of local vintners who don’t irrigate their vines. This lack of irrigation promotes sustainability as well as allows their wine to be more expressive of the local terroir.

Erin explained how he initially didn’t feel strongly about the need to be certificated organic. But seeing how others were describing themselves as “basically organic” only to find they were spraying pesticides, he decided to take the extra step to become certified.

All that said, most of our conversation was about wine. Erin worked with The Falls to prepare a five-course dinner, with each dish paired with one of his wines.

The Wine

2023 Blanc Du Puits Sec. First up was Erin’s 2023 “Blanc Du Puits Sec” (Pinot Gris/Gewürztraminer blend), paired with heirloom tomato salad.

This wine is a field blend from Evesham Wood’s first estate vineyard, planted in 1986. Erin went for a fresh style, with a little bit of spice on the palate and nice texture. I also detected some flower notes on the nose.  

The story behind this wine was just as fascinating. The vines are planted on their own rootstock and are considered ‘old vines’ by Oregon standards. While this means they are susceptible to phylloxera, the louse hasn’t hit this block just yet, so the damage it’s suffered has been minimal so far.

2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Next up was his Willamette Valley 2023, paired with a risotto made with wild mushroom, kale, and cheese.

This is Evesham’s ‘introduction red’. Fun and approachable, Erin said this wine is designed to “capture the spirit of the season”. 2023 must have been very favorable, since this was darn tasty. I found notes of bramble fruit, especially raspberry. That said, the longer I tasted it, the more earth I detected.

2022 “Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée” Pinot Noir. Our third wine was Evesham’s “Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée” paired with a coq au vin, a French dish made with pomme purée, carrots, bacon lardon, mushrooms and pearl onions.

This was the Reserve version of their Willamette Valley Pinot, aged six months in barrel with a dash of new oak. I found it to be complex and rich, with firmer tannin and more structure. It also had nice dark cherry notes with a more lingering finish. I later opened a second bottle with friends and we agreed this was everything we’d look for in an Oregon pinot.

2022 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir. Our 3rd red was the first vineyard-designated wine of the evening, their Temperance Hill. This was paired with pancetta wrapped pork tenderloin.

This retro-style labelled wine was more restrained than the Eola Cuvée, with more earth notes on the nose. On the palate it started with earthiness but the notes transformed into dark fruit, especially blackberry. Erin mentioned it had some oak treatment, but I could barely notice.

This wine was grown at Temperance Hill, a 100-acre Pinot-heavy vineyard at 800’ ft elevation that produces fruit for a number of local wineries.

2021 Le Puits Sec Vineyard Pinot Noir. Saving the best for last, Erin brought out Evesham’s vineyard-designated Le Puits Sec (served with cheese and charcuterie).

This wine has structure and lift, yet what stood out the most were the wonderful earthy-mushroom notes on the nose that I wasn’t expecting.

More than anything else, this wine has ‘character’. You drink enough wine, you recognize varietals by their stereotypical tasting profiles. What I loved about the Le Puits Sec is I had to pause to think about it, as I couldn’t immediately identify everything I was encountering.

Fortunately, a second bottle enjoyed a week later yielded additional descriptors. That time I found notes of baking spice, maybe harissa. It was also fresh and well-integrated. But that nose – that alone could sell this wine.

The Le Puits Sec Pinot really demonstrates the importance of ‘place’. As it’s a lower-elevation site the fruit ripens earlier than Temperance, which is only a few miles away. Yet these are very different wines, despite similar soils and winemaking.

Evesham Wood & Haden Fig’s tasting room (located around 50 miles south of Portland) is open by appointment. Let me know what you think if you visit!

Exploring The Peak Shenandoah Wine Region

Posted on by
1

Peak Shenandoah is Virginia’s newest wine region. Named after Shenandoah National Park, it brings together six wineries located within 30 minutes of the park’s northern entrance at Front Royal. Region members include Arterra Wines, Capstone Vineyards, Chester Gap Cellars, Fox Meadow Vineyards, Rappahannock Cellars, and Star in the Valley Winery.

These venues are heavily influenced by the mountainous terrain around them. But according to Star in the Valley owner Shane Waller, they are bound by more than geography.

“Our wineries straddle both county lines and American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), yet we are still connected by a common character.

When I look at these other wineries, I see reflections of us. Folks that tend to the vines themselves, make the wine themselves, and have small, family-run-tasting rooms they’re selling wine from.

We’re all in the mountains and are just around the corner from fantastic outdoor recreation spots. That’s why I like to say it’s a wine region, because it’s an area where the wineries have similar characteristics.

We named it Peak Shenandoah as a homage to the park, as there are a lot of people that come here for hiking. We want to let these visitors know there are other fantastic places to visit as well. Or if you’re here for wine, come have a great day, stay overnight, and you can have a great hike the next day.”

Six Wineries Connected By A Common Thread

Peak Shenandoah isn’t a federally designated wine growing area like the nearby Shenandoah Valley AVA or Middleburg AVA. At the same time, it’s more than a wine trail, where participants sometimes share little in common beyond being neighbors.

“What sets our area apart from Loudoun or Charlottesville is elevation is the common thread for our participating wineries,” said Amanda Darvill of Fox Meadow. “Fox Meadow is at 1,800 feet. Capstone is at 1,500’. Star in the Valley is 1,300’. The other wineries are somewhere around 1,000’.

This elevation is important because cool air preserves acidity. Being near Chester Gap also means we have a constant breeze coming through, which helps alleviate disease pressure.”

Peak Shenandoah had its kick-off event on May 18th at Fox Meadow. The event showcased how their wines share similarities as well as unique personalities.

Photos of the Peak Shenandoah kick-off event taken by Mandy Giehll/Giehll Photography

While these wineries share many of the same grape varieties found elsewhere in Virginia, they don’t limit themselves to Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, or Petit Verdot. Every participant has options that are seldom found elsewhere in the state.

Arterra Winery: Owner Jason Murray uses native yeast and minimal intervention winemaking to bring out the natural varietal characteristics of his grapes, a style he calls ‘clean wine’. Jason also recently announced he is pursuing an organic certification for his estate vineyard, which includes Petit Sirah and Tannat.

Arterra’s tasting room doubles as the studio for Hawkmoth Arts, showcasing his wife Sandy’s nature-themed multi-media artwork.

Capstone Vineyards: When describing the weathered, well-drained soils that make up his vineyard, owner Theo Smith explained, “With dirt like this, making wine is easy. All I have to do is not screw it up.”

Capstone grows traditional Bordeaux red varieties, as well as several grapes less common to Virginia such as Chenin Blanc and Muscat Ottonell. That said, Theo’s 2024 Sauvignon Blanc was a standout at the Peak Shenandoah kick-off event.

Jason Murray, Arterra Wines
Theo Smith, Capstone Vineyards

Chester Gap Cellars: With a tasting room set at 1,300 feet at the top of a steep slope, great views are guaranteed here. Visitors can also stay overnight at their on-site AirBnb.

Chester Gap is one of the handful of Roussanne growers in Virginia, although visitors should also try their stainless steel 2021 Viognier for its combination of minerally, crispness, and notes of salinity.

Fox Meadow Vineyards: Owners Amanda and Whiticar Darvill have a very personal connection with Virginia wine; their first date was at the 2011 Virginia wine festival.

Their tasting room is one of the highest elevation sites in the state (and boasts one of the best views). This elevation also affords them the opportunity to grow Pinot Noir, the vineyard’s newest addition.

Rappahannock Cellars: Rappahannock is known for its diversity of options. These include a variety of reds and whites, an in-house distillery, and its sparkling wine program.

Rappahannock’s sparklings include everything from its “Fizzy” rosé for daily sipping to its traditional method “Prestige”. While the variety may seem intimidating, tasting manager Kelly Knight explained, “Most customers don’t seem to worry about how the sparkling is made, as long as it’s good.”

Star in the Valley Winery: Star is the only Peak Shenandoah winery actually located in the Shenandoah Valley. In addition to its vinifera, they produce several wines made with hybrid grapes (make sure to try their Chardonel).

Star in the Valley’s lack of light pollution and higher elevation also makes it a great place for stargazing. Shane is partnering with the Shenandoah Astronomical Society for special ‘full moon’ events on 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, and 9/6, with live DJs to accompany these evenings.

Rappahannock Cellars
Star in the Valley Winery

Visitors to Peak Shenandoah need not confine themselves to wine, as the region is adjacent to Shenandoah National Park, George Washington National Forest, and Sky Meadows State Park. The Appalachian Trail’s Trumbo Hollow trailhead is just around the corner from Capstone and Fox Meadow, while the Tuscarora Trail is minutes from Star in the Valley.

Pinot Noir: Virginia’s Most Underrated Grape

Posted on by
3

Few wines are as versatile as Pinot Noir. Its high acidity and ‘silky’ tannins makes it a go-to pairing for many dishes, while Pinot’s lighter body makes it easy to drink on its own. Pinot Noir is also popular for higher-end sparkling wines, which is why it accounts for 38% of the grapes grown in Champagne.

Yet Pinot Noir’s popularity is almost equally matched by its fragility. Pinot is nicknamed “the heartbreak grape” because of its vulnerability to spring frost, disease, and harsh weather. Its need for very specific growing conditions would give even Goldilocks fits.

Virginia’s warm, humid climate makes this task especially hard. Dennis Horton, a man famous for introducing multiple varieties to the Old Dominion, reportedly once said of Pinot, “I don’t think Jesus Christ could grow Pinot Noir in Virginia. You can do it, but it doesn’t taste like Pinot should.”

Pinot’s reputation as a finicky grape is why it only makes up 41 out of nearly 3,500 acres of Virginia grapevines. Difficulties pushing their grapes to full ripeness also means many winegrowers only use them for sparkling wine or rosé, adding to Pinot’s scarcity as a red wine.

Fortunately, the tide is turning. A growing number of wine growers, mostly in the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains, have finally cracked the code on how to properly cultivate Pinot. A grape once confined to 2-3 consistent producers is slowly becoming more accessible.

New pinot vines at Cave Ridge Vineyard
Cave Ridge Vineyard

The Evolution of Virginia’s Pinot Noir

It’s difficult to say which winery first planted Pinot, but several, including Barboursville and Swedenburg, tried in the 1990s and early 2000s. These viticultural pioneers didn’t yet realize how badly their low-lying sites would struggle, and eventually ripped out their vines. “Pinot is hard for Virginia. It doesn’t do very well here for still wine,” one grower admitted.

The key change from the wines that Dennis Horton tried is these newer vineyards usually select higher-elevation sites, often 1,600 feet and above. This elevation ensures a constant flow of cool air and moderate temperature swings, which protect Pinot’s tightly bunched clusters from damage and allow them to evenly ripen.

Ankida Ridge became Virginia’s most famous Pinot producer based on the strength of their high-elevation site; a 1,800’ mountaintop vineyard with a steep slope. Its inaugural 2010 vintage received such acclaim it became the first Mid-Atlantic wine to participate in the invite-only International Pinot Noir Celebration.

Babak Bakhtiar, CrossKeys
Christine Vrooman, Ankida Ridge
Randy Phillips, Cave Ridge
John Kiers, Ox Eye Vineyards

While Ankida may have paved the way in demonstrating Pinot Noir’s place in Virginia, others were close behind. Ox Eye Vineyards planted Pinot vines at their 1,780’ foot site in 2009, as did Hazy Mountain at its Swoope vineyard in 2016. 12 Ridges founded their 3,300’ foot site in 2016, which includes 3 acres of Pinot Noir. Fox Meadow and Stone Mountain, both with 1800’ vineyards, recently joined the Pinot club as well.

Elevation helps, but that’s not Pinot’s only requirement. John Kiers of Ox Eye Vineyards was encouraged to plant Pinot after seeing its success in the Finger Lakes, a region which shares a similar climate to the Shenandoah Valley. The valley’s limestone soil and limited rainfall provide additional advantages.

Randy Philips of Cave Ridge Vineyards likewise sees parallels between the Shenandoah Valley and upstate New York. “It was partly an experiment, partly a business plan,” Randy said during our chat. “We grow Riesling, which shares many of the growing conditions that Pinot requires. Pinot also has name recognition, which helps with sales.” Today, Cave Ridge and Ox Eye both have an acre of Pinot.

12 Ridges Vineyard

Where To Find Virginia Pinot

The roster of wineries which typically produce a full Pinot is far larger than most realize. Ankida Ridge and 12 Ridges are Virginia’s most famous producers, but they’ve since been joined by Above Ground, Cave Ridge, Hazy Mountain, JBR, and Ox Eye.

Other wineries, including CrossKeys, Rockbridge, and Trump, occasionally make a still Pinot during better vintages. Mediterranean Cellars uses Pinot in its rosé.

Pinot Noir has also been a boon for sparkling producers. CrossKeys Vineyards’ 2019 Estate Blanc de Noir took “Best of Show” at the 2022 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, while Trump Winery’s 2015 Blanc de Noir won the San Francisco Chronicle “Sparking Sweepstakes” award. Ankida, Ox Eye, and others also make Blanc de Noirs.

Must Try Virginia Pinot Noirs:

  • 12 Ridges: Located along the Blue Ridge Parkway, 12 Ridges is the 2nd highest elevation winery on the east coast. Their wines are difficult to find, as the growing conditions which promote great acidity and minerality comes with the tradeoff of lower tonnage per acre. This shouldn’t deter local Pinot lovers from making a pilgrimage.
  • Ankida Ridge: They weren’t the first winery in Virginia to make Pinot, but they certainly put it on the map. During an 2025 industry tasting of Virginia Pinot Noirs, their 2022 vintage was the consensus favorite.
  • Cave Ridge Vineyards: Megan Philips was so convinced their 2023 vintage was ready to go she convinced her dad Randy to bottle their Pinot as a still wine instead of making it into a sparking. Clean, fruity, and with notes of cherry and red plumb, she was right.
  • Ox Eye Vineyards: Their 2022 vintage is charming and approachable, and 2023 promises to be even more so. At $27, this is also one of the best values local Pinot lovers will ever find. Owner/winemaker John Kiers doesn’t make a still Pinot every year, but his $35 Blanc de Noir is a great alternative.

Virginia Tannat Tasteoff: Virginia vs South America

Posted on by
2

Days after I had a blind Virginia vs South America tannat tasting, Wine Enthusiast published an article on Virginia Tannat. Part of me was happy about the publicity. Another part said; “What took you so long to notice?”, as Virginia has made great Tannat for a while.

Tannat was born in the Madiran region of Southwest France. Yet it’s Uruguay that wears the crown as the world’s Tannat capital, growing more Tannat than even France. Dennis Horton of Horton Vineyards was the first to produce a Virginia Tannat, from his 1998 vintage.

As plantings go, Virginia’s 78 acres of Tannat is respectable but far below heavy hitters like Cabernet Franc (661 acres) or even Petit Manseng (200 acres). Tannat’s vulnerability to cold weather force vineyards to be selective in where they plant it, limiting its availability.

Vineyards that do have Tannat treat it like a premium grape, selling at one of the highest price points of any grape in Virginia. One small dash is a great way to beef up red blends with extra tannin and acid. According to Kendell Anderson, winemaker for Bull Run, “Tannat holds its acid but also has good brix. It also calms Petit Verdot without losing its body.”

While it’s increasingly seen in blends, Virginia produces many 100% (or close enough) Tannat wines. Virginia’s first Tannat wines were rustic tannin bombs (the word ‘tannin’ supposedly became bastardized into the name ‘Tannat’), but recent examples are more graceful. In many ways, Tannat is Virginia’s answer to Napa Cabernet, when wine drinkers want something big and bold.

Other than its lack of cold hardiness, Tannat is a great fit for Virginia’s climate. Its high level of acidity means it can hang longer on the vine without losing any punch. It also produces one of the highest tonnages of fruit per acre of any local vinifera. In a good growing site, Tannat can produce an average of 3.5 to as high of 5 tons an acre while still maintaining excellent levels of ripeness.

Lastly, Tannat doesn’t mind excessive water. Jason Murray of Arterra explained Tannat evacuates water from its grapes more quickly than other vinifera; an important consideration considering Virginia’s proclivity for late season storms.

Tasting & Scoring Methodology

Every round my guests picked a favorite. I usually also wrote down the region it came from (if I remembered to ask). After we finished all 8 wines we did a vote to decide the top 2 of the day and revisited them in a ‘Finalist” round.

It was hard to find the specs on many of these wines. I suspect more than a few had a little something else blended in. For half the wines I couldn’t find anything that proved/denied these were 100% varietal wines.

The Contenders:

  1. Walsh Family Wine 2019 Tannat (Virginia) (90% Tannat/10% Cab Sauv)
  2. “1750” Uvairenda 2018 Tannat (Bolivia)
  3. Maggie Malick 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (95% Tannat/5% Merlot?)
  4. Amat 2015 Tannat (Uruguay)
  5. Stinson 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (100% Tannat)
  6. Batovi “T1” 2016 Tannat (Uruguay) (100% Tannat)
  7. Garzon 2022 Tannat (Uruguay)
  8. Narmada 2019 Tannat (Virginia)

Flight #1

  • Bottle #1: Walsh Family Wine 2019 Tannat (Virginia) (5 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #2: 1750 Uvairenda 2018 Tannat (Bolivia) (2 votes)

Bottle #1 / Walsh Family Wine 2019 Tannat (Virginia). On the nose a variety of notes were mentioned, including cassis, lilac, and/or cocoa. A soft mid-palate with notes of cedar box and smoke. A good balance of fruit and tannin.

Bottle #2 /1750 Uvairenda 2018 Tannat (Bolivia). Slightly more aromatic than the first wine. It started off with a chemical or spice nose, while the descriptor ‘cheesy’ was also mentioned. The spice was there on the palate but wasn’t as prominent as the nose suggested. It had an almost grape-y ‘ripasso’-like flavor to it. The fruit wasn’t very strong here. We guessed it probably had some age to it.

I didn’t take notes on which region people thought the wines came from, but it was pretty obvious that #1 was Virginia because it was ‘familiar’ while the mustiness of #2 implied Uruguay.

Votes:

  1. Dan: Voted for #1
  2. Frank: Voted for #1.
  3. Jeremy: Voted for #1
  4. Kendell: Voted for #2.
  5. Matt C: Voted for #1.
  6. Matt F: Voted for #2.
  7. Sedale: Voted for #1.

Flight #2

  • Bottle #3: Maggie Malick 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (3 Votes)
  • Bottle #4: Amat 2015 Tannat (Uruguay) (4 Votes; round winner)

Bottle #3 / Maggie Malick 2017 Tannat (Virginia). The oak was noticeable, with people saying it was either borderline too much or maybe the oakiness level was right, but it had too high a toast factor on the oak.

That said, after we got past that oak it had nice fruit and lots of acidity. Nutty and toasted oak/violets were mentioned. Some earth notes as well.

Bottle #4 / Amat 2015 Tannat (Uruguay). Bright acidity. Notes of plumb, wildflowers were mentioned. The guests who preferred this wine felt it had a balance of red fruit and leather. Tannins were well integrated. Some felt it was the better balanced of the two. It was also lighter and felt less alcohol-y than #3. Maybe it was a blend, but I can’t confirm that.

Votes:

  1. Dan: Voted for #3; felt it was Virginia.
  2. Frank: Voted for #4; felt it was South America.
  3. Jeremy: Voted for #3; felt it was Virginia.
  4. Kendell: Voted for #3, felt it was Virginia.
  5. Matt C: Voted #4, felt it was from South America.
  6. Matt F: Voted for #4; felt it was South America
  7. Sedale: Voted for #3; felt it was Virginia.

Flight #3

  • Bottle #5: Stinson 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (5 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #6: Batovi “T1” 2016 Tannat (Uruguay) (2 votes)

This was universally judged to be our favorite round of the day. By coincidence, both went to the ‘finalist’ round. It wasn’t planned that way; I had no idea in advance these two would be ‘ringers’; my pairing just happened to have the top 2 wines in the same initial round.

While most wines of the day were almost always easily identifiable by their country of origin, this round through us for a loop because both had “South America” vibes. We mostly still guessed them correctly, but I wouldn’t judge those who thought the Virginia wine was from Uruguay.

Bottle #5 / Stinson 2017 Tannat (Virginia). “Damn it’s good!” was quickly mentioned. Red and dark fruit notes on the palate. Beautiful depth. More fruity than sweet but with lots of complexity. Tannins were well integrated. Tea leaf on the nose; even a hint of butter.

“I need this with rib eye” was my favorite descriptor. I later learned it was 15.1% alcohol (the highest of any wine in the event), but it was so well balanced we didn’t notice it.

Bottle #6 / Batovi “T1” 2016 Tannat (Uruguay): Lots of great descriptors. Red fruit and ‘nice’ tannin. Creamy, soft texture; even a candied component. Good acidity and mouthfeel. Smokey and complex. Sour cream/sour cherry on the nose.

Someone mentioned this was a ‘sit by the fire’ wine. I was surprised it was 15.1% ABV; it didn’t taste ‘hot’ at all.

Votes:

  1. Dan: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
  2. Frank: Voted for #5; felt it was South America.
  3. Jeremy: Voted for #6.
  4. Kendell: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
  5. Matt C: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
  6. Matt F: Voted for #6; felt it was South America.
  7. Sedale: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.

Flight #4

  • Bottle #7: Garzon 2022 Tannat (Uruguay) (5 votes; round winner)
  • Bottle #8: Narmada 2019 Tannat (Virginia) (2 votes)

Bottle #7 / Garzon 2022 Tannat (Uruguay). This wine was tight; we were guessing it was a younger wine. Ruby-esque color made us guess it may have been higher in alcohol. Tea leaf nose; soft tannin; ‘shy’.

It needed time to open up, but when it did we had descriptors of smokiness with some intensity and alcohol notes. Soft on the palate but drinkable. Hint of cocoa. Raspberry nose/ dark chocolate palate.

Bottle #8 / Narmada 2019 Tannat (Virginia). This was smoother and more ‘neutral’ compared to #7. Notes of prunes, cocoa spice, and licorice were mentioned. Soft palate, velvety, quaffable.

Votes:

  1. Dan: Voted #7
  2. Frank: Voted #7
  3. Jeremy: Voted #8
  4. Kendell: Voted #7, thought it was Virginia
  5. Matt C: Voted #7; thought it was Virginia.
  6. Matt F: Voted #8; thought it was South America
  7. Sedale: Voted #7

Finalist Flight

  • Bottle #5: Stinson 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (5 Votes; Event Winner)
  • Bottle #6: Batovi “T1” 2016 Tannat (Uruguay) (2 Votes; Runner Up)

Wines #5 and #6 were voted to advance to the ‘finalist’ round. After a 2nd tasting I did a poll of our favorite wines, and #5/Stinson was the event winner. The vintage was so strong, winemaker Rachel Stinson Vrooman later told me, “It made itself.”

#6/Batovi was the runner up. There was a consensus that Walsh Family’s 2019 Tannat was the third favorite, although we also liked Amat and Maggie Malick.

The Stinson and Batovi wines opened up just enough to make our 2nd tasting just different enough to make some of us rethink our votes. Most kept theirs, but Dan and I switched teams (him to Uruguay, me to Virginia).

I don’t know if this is surprising or not, but the top 2 wines were 100% Tannat. I still suspected several had something else blended in (the Walsh Family Wine definitely did; I suspect Maggie did as well).

In summary, the Stinson was judged to be a “I want this to drink by myself” wine (preferably with steak), while the Batovi was more versatile. It was a very tough choice to pick between the two. Dan of MyNoVaWineBlog was VERY happy he brought the winner!

  1. Dan: Voted #6/Batovi
  2. Frank: Voted #5/Stinson
  3. Jeremy: Voted #5/Stinson
  4. Kendell: Voted #5/Stinson
  5. Matt C: Voted #6/Batovi
  6. Matt F: Voted #5/Stinson
  7. Sedale: Voted #5/Stinson

Lessons Learned:

Both Virginia and Uruguay (with an assist from a Bolivian wine) presented very well. 2 rounds went to Virginia, 2 for Uruguay, and the ‘top’ wine was Virginia.

In terms of a tasting profile, the Virginia wines tended to be heavier on oak than their South American counterparts. All of them had some cedar box on the nose and trended towards dark fruit on the palate.

We felt the South American wines didn’t consistently have the same tasting notes, although most had notes of dried fruits/raisins. We also felt they may have spent at least some time in steel.

Yes – Virginia makes amazing Tannats. Nice to see Wine Enthusiast noticed!

Barboursville Vineyards Wins 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup

Posted on by
1

On March 13th, Governor Glenn Younkin announced Barboursville Vineyards’ 2023 Vermentino as the winner of the 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup. Ever the advocate for his home state, Barboursville winemaker Luca Paschina told the audience, “When you go to your favorite restaurant, you must demand they carry Virginia wine!”

Barboursville is one of Virginia’s oldest and most prestigious wineries, and Luca has been its Estate Director and winemaker since 1990. He is also the record holder for most Governor’s Cup wins, taking the trophy home three times since the event was revamped in 2011.

Vermentino is a variety that’s rarely found outside Italy, mostly planted in the maritime regions of Liguria and Sardinia. While not as recognizable as Barboursville’s other Italian grapes, Luca’s team has been successfully growing vermentino since 2009.

“It’s the favorite of a lot of people who visit, even if they don’t know what it is,” Luca said of the event’s top wine. “The acidity isn’t very high, but it has great minerality and phenolics. It does well in Virginia because it likes heat, but it doesn’t mind Virginia’s rainy periods either. I’ve made 14 vintages so far, and it’s always been very consistent, even in a wet year like 2018.”

The underappreciated nature of this variety means it’s a great value for your money, selling for $23 a bottle at the winery. A zesty, light-bodied white, Barboursville’s 2023 Vermentino hits a sweet spot between pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc, with notes of Asian pear, white flowers, and an underlying salinity.

Barboursville’s Vermentino has long been a contender for the Cup, having entered the Governor’s Case (composed of the event’s top 12 wines) seven times but missing the top prize until now. Their 2017 Octagon red blend also made it into the Case.

Ten other wineries entered the Case, representing a cross-section of the local wine industry.

DuCard Vineyards and The Winery at La Grange became first-time entrants into the Case. Valley Road winemaker Corry Craighill also took her place on the Cup finalist stage for the first time.

The remaining Case members were veterans of previous competitions. Michael Shaps Wineworks now boasts 15 Case wines, with King Family not far behind. 50 West, Paradise Springs, Potomac Point, Trump Winery, and Veritas also added notches to their tallies.

This year’s Governor’s Case also set a record for its high number of white wines. The event guidelines require the Case to include a minimum of four non-red wines. This year’s Case included six whites and a sparkling.

The strong showing by white wines and lighter-bodied reds is likely a tribute to the quality of the 2023 vintage, often regarded as one of the best in recent Virginia history. Not only do 2023 vintage wines make up over half the Case, they’ve also brought home many “Best in Class” awards in national-level competitions that California typically dominates.

Daring Wine & Cider Company’s Crab Apple blend was awarded Cider of the Year. A new “Best in Show” category was also unveiled, recognizing the best examples of major varieties or styles that didn’t make it into the Case.

The 2025 Virginia’s Governor’s Case

  1. Barboursville Vineyards, 2023 Vermentino (Cup Winner)
  2. 50 West Vineyards, 2021 Aldie Heights Cuvée
  3. Barboursville Vineyards, 2017 Octagon
  4. DuCard Vineyards, 2023 Cabernet Franc Vintners Reserve
  5. King Family Vineyards, 2021 Mountain Plains Red
  6. Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2023 Chardonnay
  7. Paradise Springs Winery, 2023 Cabernet Franc, Brown Bear Vineyards
  8. Potomac Point Winery, 2023 Albariño
  9. Trump Winery, 2018 Sparkling Rosé
  10. Valley Road Vineyards, 2023 Petit Manseng
  11. Veritas Winery, 2023 Monticello White
  12. Winery at La Grange, 2023 Petit Manseng

Behind The Scenes Changes Help Even The Playing Field

A total of 622 medals were awarded in 2025, including 155 golds. While popular varieties and styles such as red blends, cabernet franc, and petit verdot dominated the medal count, several hybrid wines such as an organically-made cayuga from Loving Cup Vineyard also earned gold.

While the public’s attention is focused on the medal winners, the event was elevated by less-obvious changes in the submission and judging process.

For the first time, wineries were limited to a maximum of six entries. This increased the quality of the field by forcing wineries to be more selective in what they submitted.

This change wasn’t popular in all quarters. One owner confided he worried this limitation would undermine the event by encouraging wineries to only send wines with proven track records, rather than take risks with lesser-known varieties. Fewer entries also meant wineries could miss potential marketing opportunities.

The format under which wines are judged was also revamped. Director of Judging Frank Morgan wrote an extensive article outlining changes he instituted when he took over the role two years ago. The most notable change was having more judges in the preliminary round, mitigating the risk that palate fatigue would impact scoring.

As the stature of the event grows, Frank has correspondingly expanded its network of judges. “This year, we had four judges who hold the Master of Wine designation (the most ever), one Master Sommelier, and renowned wine writers. I now have a list of over 100 wine professionals from around the U.S. who have contacted me to express interest in serving as a judge,” Frank explained.

The final medal count demonstrates this combination of fewer entries and additional judges meant more nuanced wines showed better. In 2024, the event had 752 entries, 138 of which earned gold (18.4%). In 2025, the competition had 626 entries, 155 of which earned gold (24.8%).

Additional changes may be in the pipeline. The current Governor’s Cup format is somewhat inaccessible for micro-producers, or winemakers who make experimental styles that don’t show well with traditional judges. Frank hopes to eventually showcase these wines as well.

Meet the Winemakers: Barrel Oak and Vint Hill

Posted on by
Reply

This January, Barrel Oak and Vint Hill wineries won big in two of North America’s largest wine competitions, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) and San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC).

Barrel Oak winemaker Jeremy Ligon took home a Best in Class for his 2023 Sauvignon Blanc and a Double Gold for a rosé at the SFCWC. Vint Hill’s Mark Ward earned a total of 5 Double Golds, including the “Best White Wine in Show” at the SFIWC for his 2023 “Madison” Petit Manseng.

These were just a few of the 182 medals won by Virginia wineries at these events. Many Best in Class and Double Golds were won by Virginia in categories where California wine traditionally dominates.

This is especially impressive given the boutique nature of the Virginia wine industry. California produces 81% of American wine, according to recent industry statistics. By comparison, Virginia only produces 0.3% of this total.

This over-performance hasn’t gone unnoticed by the international wine community. SFCWC wine judge Mike Dunne wrote on the event website, “Each year, some wine region of North America seems to gain recognition for a disproportionate share of high awards at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. In 2025, it was Virginia…”

While not all wineries enter major competitions, they nevertheless provide an important metric on how Virginia wine fares on the international stage.

Pearmund Cellars owner Chris Pearmund has long advocated Virginia wineries showcase their work in settings beyond state-level competitions. “National competitions bring Virginia to the national stage,’ he wrote on Facebook. “The wine industry needs consistent, top-quality producers to participate in national competitions to sustain and grow our industry.”

While Barrel Oak and Vint Hill have been part of the Virginia wine industry for decades, their winemakers tend to stay out of the limelight. Jeremy and Mark have been making wine for over a decade, and this recent acclaim will only raise their profile.

I caught up with both winemakers to talk more about their career paths, as well as the importance major awards have on highlighting Virginia wine as a whole.

Barrel Oak Sauv Blanc (left) and Vint Hill “Madison” Petit Manseng (right)

Jeremy Ligon, Barrel Oak Winery

Jeremy grew up in southern Virginia on a winery owned by his parents, but some of his best career advice came from none other than Bruce Zoecklein. Wine geeks may recognize that name, as Bruce was the Professor of Enology at Virginia Tech.

On Bruce’s advice, Jeremy applied to the wine program at Fresno State. After graduating, he found his way back to Virginia, bouncing around several wineries before accepting the winemaker job at Barrel Oak in 2021.

A year after his arrival, Barrel Oak was purchased by Kavelle and Ken Bajaj, IT entrepreneurs with a love of wine. The Bajajs not only brought with them a wealth of managerial experience, they were willing to invest in Barrel Oak’s success.

Those investments have translated into visible upgrades to the tasting room and kitchen, but what really excites Jeremy is the new equipment in the cellar.

“We brought in new red wine tanks which help us with the processing, plus new pumps and a new sorting table. The table has already paid for itself in the first harvest; it’s just smoother and more efficient.

Ken keeps insisting we make the best wine possible, so I suggested we invest in some new barrels. When I asked him how many we should get, Ken said, ‘Let’s get 10 of them!’”

Part of elevating their tasting experience is to make the wine list more manageable. Jeremy started at Barrel Oak making 32 different wines, but is aiming to streamline his roster to around 15. Fortunately, this hasn’t prevented Ken from exploring new options, such as adding a sparkling wine program.

Another part of raising the bar is to get feedback from world-class judges, like those at the SFCWC and SFIWC. Such exposure helps Barrel Oak push for greater distribution.

“I think it’s important to get out there and get that feedback,” Jeremy exclaimed. “Those judges are serious! We want to be judged by our peers.”

Mark Ward, Winemaker for Vint Hill, Effingham Manor, and Pearmund Cellars

Mark started his winemaking career the way many of his Virginia peers did – by first working in a field completely unrelated to viticulture.

His first job was in IT consulting where he was often on the road. After 25 years of this, Mark was open to a career change, he explained during a chat at Vint Hill.

“I got to thinking; I grew up on a farm. I was interested in wine. How can I combine all of these things that I’m interested in?

So I went back to school in Washington State for their Enology and then Viticulture programs. That led to my first internship in Oregon in 2013.”

Mark’s family encouraged him to consider Virginia, and his school put him in touch with Chris Pearmund, the managing partner of Vint Hill, Effingham Manor, and Pearmund Cellars. These wineries form a trifecta, sharing the same staff and winemaking facilities.

By 2015, Mark was the Assistant Winemaker for this trio, and rose to the Head Winemaker position in 2020. Since then, Mark (and his team, he’s quick to note) has racked up a series of awards.

Mark explained deciding what wines to submit to major competitions is often complicated, but these events play an important role in elevating Virginia’s profile.

“If you look at the national competitions in San Francisco, we’re always sending the kind of wine Virginia is known for. For a more regional competition like the Atlantic Seaboard, we’ll send a broader sample.

I think the rest of the world is starting to understand what Virginia wine drinkers have always known; there are talented growers and winemakers in the state.

Not only are we getting awards for things we’ve traditionally done well – cabernet franc, petit manseng, petit verdot – places like Barrel Oak and Veritas are doing great things with sauvignon blanc. Outsiders don’t always think Virginia can compete across the board, but when they see a wine like our Effingham ‘Kings Ransom’ Bordeaux blend get 97 Points/Double Gold, they start to appreciate we can win against the best in the world.”

Virginia Pinot-Palooza

Posted on by
3

I was recently the emcee for a Virginia Pinot Noir event that I nicknamed “Pinot Palooza”. A considerable portion of Virginia’s community of Pinot growers gathered to share one another’s wines and discuss their vineyards. It was probably the single most diverse tasting of Virginia Pinot Noir that has ever occurred.

Wines we sampled

  1. 12 Ridges 2021 Pinot Noir (VA)
  2. 12 Ridges 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  3. Savigny-lès-Beaune “Vieilles Vignes” 2018 (Burgundy)
  4. Ankida Ridge 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  5. Cave Ridge 2023 Pinot Noir (not released) (VA)
  6. Cave Ridge 2024 Pinot Noir (barrel sample) (VA)
  7. Ox Eye 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  8. Hazy Mountain 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  9. DuMOL Pinot Noir (CA, Russian River Valley)
  10. Cross Keys 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  11. JBR Vineyard 2021 Country Gentleman Red (Pinot) (VA)
  12. JBR Vineyards 2021 Springdale (Pinot) (VA)
  13. Trump Vineyards 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
  14. Antiquum Farm Pinot (Oregon)
  15. Bluestone 2023 Pinot Meunier (VA) (the only non-Pinot Noir of the day)

While this sounds like it would be a big gathering, in reality we only shared 11 Pinot Noirs from 8 separate Virginia wineries, in a state that possesses around 15 growers. Of these, only a handful typically make a full Pinot Noir every year (the remaining focus on sparkling or rosé).

It’s difficult to say which Virginia winery first planted Pinot Noir, although several including Barboursville and Swedenburg tried in the 1990s and early 2000s. These viticultural pioneers didn’t yet realize Virginia’s warm summers would cause these sites to struggle. Dennis Horton, a man famous for introducing multiple varieties to Virginia, reportedly once said: “I don’t think Jesus Christ could grow Pinot Noir in Virginia. You can do it, but it doesn’t taste like Pinot should.”

The data shows not many have tried. Side by side metrics from Virginia’s 2008 and 2023 Commercial Wine Grape reports demonstrate that Pinot remains a niche grape in the state.

  • In 2008, there were 28 acres of Pinot Noir (25 bearing, 3 non-bearing) out of a total of 2,500 acres of grape vines in Virginia (barely over 1% of the total)
  • In 2023, there were 41 acres of Pinot Noir (30 bearing, 11 non-bearing) out of 4,318 acres of vines in the state (just under 1%).

Yet these metrics only tell part of the story.

According to conversations with various winegrowers, it appears much of the Pinot that existed when the 2008 report was written has since been torn out, as these growers couldn’t bring their grapes to full ripeness. Most of the vines that were planted from 2008 onward were planted in the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains.

The key change from the wines that Dennis Horton tried was these newer vineyards focused on higher-elevation sites, often 1,600 feet and above. Such elevation ensures a constant flow of cool air and moderate temperature swings, which protect Pinot’s tightly-bunched clusters from damage and allow them to evenly ripen.

Membership in this ‘high elevation club’ is very select. Ankida Ridge planted their first vines in 2008, while Ox Eye Vineyards planted in 2009 based on advice from Finger Lakes grower Hermann Wiemer. Hazy Mountain started growing Pinot at its Swoope vineyard in 2016, and 12 Ridges Vineyard founded their site in 2019. Around the state, even more wineries followed.

Our tasting included a broad mix of vineyards, planted anywhere between 850 to 3,300 feet elevation. We asked ourselves; did this elevation make a difference, and what other factors influenced the wine in our glass?

Virginia Pinot Noir Growers

*Note: The Shenandoah Valley has around half of all Pinot Noir grown in Virginia, with smaller plantings at various locations along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Trump Winery has the largest single planting of Pinot Noir in Virginia, but in most years, it’s exclusively used for sparkling wine.

The Tastings

We sampled 15 different Pinots in flights of 3. I ensured nearly every flight had a non-Virginia Pinot for comparison purposes. My apologies for having better notes on some wines that others; at times I couldn’t write fast enough.

Flight 1:

  • 12 Ridges 2021: Lighter on nose and harmonious on the palate. Good complexity of aroma, tannins, and finish. One of the most ‘delicate’ wines of the day, and one of the favorites.
  • 12 Ridges 2022: Bolder, more fragrant than the 2021 vintage.
  • Savigny-lès-Beaune “Vieilles Vignes” 2018: Fleshier, more concentrated than anything else I tried that day.

Flight 2:

  • Ankida Ridge 2022: Floral nose. Notes of earth, specifically wet dirt. The wine had some heft to it but was well balanced. It also had just the right amount of oak, tannin, and structure.
  • Cave Ridge 2023: Not yet released! Clean, flawless, fruity, but needs some bottle age. Notes of red plumb and cherries. Less earthy than the Ankida. Owner Randy Philips explained he was going to only make a sparkling wine, but his daughter Megan loved the 2023 so much they decided to make it as a still wine. This was the first time he’d made a regular Pinot, which makes it all the more impressive.
  • Cave Ridge 2024 (barrel sample): This was so young it was hard to judge, but we had fun sampling it. Some attendees actually thought the 2024 was better than the 2023, or would be in time.

Flight 3:

  • Hazy Mountain 2022: Lighter in color, fresh mouthfeel. It had some earthiness to it and nice tannin.
  • Ox Eye 2022: Very charming and approachable. At $27, this was one of the best values of the entire event. Owner/winemaker John Kiers doesn’t make a still Pinot every year, but his $35 Blanc de Noir is a great alternative.
  • DuMOL Pinot Noir (CA, Russian River Valley): One of the fullest wines of the day. The ripeness made it stand out as a California wine.

Flight 4:

  • JBR 2021 “Country Gentleman Red”: Light and fruity, lots of strawberry notes. Unfiltered? At $15, this was made for a crowd looking for something that’s easy drinking.
  • JBR 2021 “Springdale”: More intense than the “Country Gentleman”, and closer to the traditional Pinots we are accustomed to.
  • Trump Winery 2022: Good body and structure, but at the expense of the fruit. Trump only infrequently makes a Pinot Noir, but you can usually find these grapes as a Blanc de Noir.

Flight 5:

  • Antiquum Farm Pinot (Oregon): No notes, but good!
  • CrossKeys 2022: CrossKeys only infrequently makes a still wine, but their Blanc de Noir is excellent. Barnyard note to it, maybe a little brett.
  • Bluestone 2023 Pinot Meunier (from Verona Farm Vineyard): Our only non-Pinot of the day. One guest referred to this as a ‘starter red for white drinkers’, because it’s so easy drinking.

I should also mention the amazing food that Cave Ridge arranged for us, courtesy of Woodstock-based Flour & Water.

I polled the 9 guests who didn’t present a wine they made, and the top three Virginia wines were the 2022 Ankida Ridge, 2021 12 Ridges Vineyard, and the 2023 Cave Ridge (which narrowly beat the 2022 Ox Eye).

Ankida was the overall favorite by a fair margin, but the 2021 12 Ridges wine had many compliments as well. Notably, these two were specifically designed as ‘high elevation’ vineyards, with Pinot being some of the first grapes they planted.

Lessons learned

“High elevation Pinot is in its infancy. I am excited for its future,” wrote Christine Vrooman of Ankida Ridge. “The bar has been raised from 20 years ago,” said another guest after completing the tasting.

Here are a few of my take-aways from the day’s discussions:

1. Winemaking is more important than elevation to make good wine. Site selection is important to tease out Pinot’s best expressions, but good winemaking is still crucial to make a good wine. Likewise, a winemaker can make a good wine made with Pinot grapes, even if it doesn’t express the ‘typical’ Pinot characteristics consumers are accustomed to. We saw both sides of this coin at this event.

2. Elevation is important – but so are other factors. While much of the discussion focused on the importance of elevation as a key criterion to bring out Pinot’s best qualities, that’s just one part of the equation. Soil type, vine density, relative altitude, and good vine material are also important to get healthy fruit.

My observation of the day’s conversations is while Pinot does love elevation, it takes more than elevation to make a good Pinot vineyard.

3. Blanc de Noir is a great alternative. Many Pinot growers readily admit how difficult it is to achieve full ripeness. This means sparkling wine is usually the best use of their fruit. These wineries (including but not limited to Afton Mountain, CrossKeys, Rockbridge, and Trump) may only offer a Pinot Noir in better growing years.