Dining With Erin Nuccio of Evesham Wood

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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

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 3^rd 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 May 22, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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 18^th 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.

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.

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 April 30, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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.

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.

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.

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 2^ndhighest 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 April 22, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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:

Walsh Family Wine 2019 Tannat (Virginia) (90% Tannat/10% Cab Sauv)
“1750” Uvairenda 2018 Tannat (Bolivia)
Maggie Malick 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (95% Tannat/5% Merlot?)
Amat 2015 Tannat (Uruguay)
Stinson 2017 Tannat (Virginia) (100% Tannat)
Batovi “T1” 2016 Tannat (Uruguay) (100% Tannat)
Garzon 2022 Tannat (Uruguay)
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:

Dan: Voted for #1
Frank: Voted for #1.
Jeremy: Voted for #1
Kendell: Voted for #2.
Matt C: Voted for #1.
Matt F: Voted for #2.
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:

Dan: Voted for #3; felt it was Virginia.
Frank: Voted for #4; felt it was South America.
Jeremy: Voted for #3; felt it was Virginia.
Kendell: Voted for #3, felt it was Virginia.
Matt C: Voted #4, felt it was from South America.
Matt F: Voted for #4; felt it was South America
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:

Dan: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
Frank: Voted for #5; felt it was South America.
Jeremy: Voted for #6.
Kendell: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
Matt C: Voted for #5; felt it was Virginia.
Matt F: Voted for #6; felt it was South America.
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:

Dan: Voted #7
Frank: Voted #7
Jeremy: Voted #8
Kendell: Voted #7, thought it was Virginia
Matt C: Voted #7; thought it was Virginia.
Matt F: Voted #8; thought it was South America
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 2^nd 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!

Dan: Voted #6/Batovi
Frank: Voted #5/Stinson
Jeremy: Voted #5/Stinson
Kendell: Voted #5/Stinson
Matt C: Voted #6/Batovi
Matt F: Voted #5/Stinson
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 March 20, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

On March 13^th, 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

Barboursville Vineyards, 2023 Vermentino (Cup Winner)
50 West Vineyards, 2021 Aldie Heights Cuvée
Barboursville Vineyards, 2017 Octagon
DuCard Vineyards, 2023 Cabernet Franc Vintners Reserve
King Family Vineyards, 2021 Mountain Plains Red
Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2023 Chardonnay
Paradise Springs Winery, 2023 Cabernet Franc, Brown Bear Vineyards
Potomac Point Winery, 2023 Albariño
Trump Winery, 2018 Sparkling Rosé
Valley Road Vineyards, 2023 Petit Manseng
Veritas Winery, 2023 Monticello White
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 March 7, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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 March 5, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

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

12 Ridges 2021 Pinot Noir (VA)
12 Ridges 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
Savigny-lès-Beaune “Vieilles Vignes” 2018 (Burgundy)
Ankida Ridge 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
Cave Ridge 2023 Pinot Noir (not released) (VA)
Cave Ridge 2024 Pinot Noir (barrel sample) (VA)
Ox Eye 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
Hazy Mountain 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
DuMOL Pinot Noir (CA, Russian River Valley)
Cross Keys 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
JBR Vineyard 2021 Country Gentleman Red (Pinot) (VA)
JBR Vineyards 2021 Springdale (Pinot) (VA)
Trump Vineyards 2022 Pinot Noir (VA)
Antiquum Farm Pinot (Oregon)
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.

Linden Three Vineyard Vertical Comparison

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

Few Virginia wineries are as terroir-driven as Linden Vineyards. Probably the best proof behind this statement is how many of Linden’s wines are named after the vineyards they come from; namely Avenius, Boisseau, and Hardscrabble.

These vineyards are the only places Linden uses for fruit, and their varying soil types and elevation means each provide a different tasting profile. While not every wine Linden produces is vineyard-specific (they also make a multi-vineyard Chardonnay called “Village” and red-blend named “Claret”), owner/winegrower Jim Law prefers to let the vineyards speak for themselves.

Avenius Vineyard (5 acres, 1,300-1,400 feet elevation). Linden’s highest and coolest site. Named for and farmed by Shari Avenius. Located less than a mile from the winery, but on a very different soil profile.
Boisseau Vineyard (4 acres, 600 feet). This is Linden’s lowest and warmest site. Named for and farmed by Richard Boisseau. As the smallest vineyard, it’s not uncommon for a vintage to lack a vineyard-specific Boisseau wine as the fruit was blended into Claret or Village.
Hardscrabble Vineyard (~20 acres, 1,100-1,400 feet elevation). This is Linden’s largest, oldest, and most diverse vineyard, located at the winery. The best blocks go into Hardscrabble (red or white), while the younger ones go into Claret & Village. Some vines date back to 1985.

Picking a favorite Linden vineyard is something of a parlor game for Virginia wine nerds. Hardscrabble arguably produces Linden’s most famous wines, but don’t discount the other two. “Acid-heads” love Avenius’ higher-elevation fruit, while Boisseau produces some of Linden’s easiest-drinking, more fruit-forward wines.

Nevertheless, I wanted to try all three side-by-side, and it wasn’t difficult to find helpers for this task. Most had tried Linden wine before, although only a few of them had been exposed to this kind of multi-vineyard, multi-vintage experience.

My tasting was both a vertical in that the reds came from two different years (2017 and 2019), and a horizontal in we had all three vineyards represented. 2017 and 2019 were also two of the better growing years in recent Virginia history.

Our Chardonnay flight (only 2019 vintage)

2019 Avenius
2019 Boisseau
2019 Hardscrabble

Our Bordeaux blend flights (2017 and 2019 vintages)

2017 Avenius (54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon)
2017 Boisseau (40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc)
2017 Hardscrabble (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot)
2019 Avenius (50% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot)
2019 Boisseau (61% Cab Franc, 19% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 3% Cab Sauv)
2019 Hardscrabble (65% Cab Sauv, 19% Cab Franc, 16% Merlot)

At the end of every round, I did a poll to determine our favorite from the flight. But in reality, “Best” was entirely subjective. Even the wine that was the ‘least’ favorite was something we’d have happily enjoyed.

All reds were decanted for 1.5-2 hours prior to the event. Jim has exceptionally detailed notes describing the vintage years and individual wines, so follow the embedded links more information on the Linden website.

2019 Chardonnay Round

Linden vineyards exist in no small part because Jim Law was inspired by Chablis. While most winemakers tend to advertise red blends as their ‘flagship’ wines, Chardonnay is of such importance that I’d argue Linden’s ‘flagship’ is its Hardscrabble Chardonnay.

These three Chardonnays had distinct personalities, but we usually saw more similarities than differences. Avenius and Hardscrabble are definitely ‘cousins’, while Boisseau was more of an outlier. Yet there was still a common thread of fruit and minerality to all three.

Linden 2019 Avenius Chardonnay. You could tell this was ‘mountain’ fruit because its acidity was more pronounced, plus it showcased minerality and structure. Very *bright*. Several of us detected notes of citrus, specifically lemon. Kathy mentioned chalk. Daniel mentioned ‘apple tart’.

Linden 2019 Boisseau Chardonnay. Lots of fruit notes. Tropical nose, notes of banana. Daniel mentioned maybe an herbal note. I heard someone mention tarragon and kiwi. Another guest mentioned a bitter note.

Linden 2019 Hardcrabble Chardonnay: This wine just felt ‘big’ on the palate. Apple and butterscotch notes. Also notes of orange peel, citrus, specifically a sweeter orange. The acidity is there, but you sometimes had to wait a moment for it to hit you. One person mentioned it had almost a certain waxiness to it.

When I did my poll, 7 out of 8 of us preferred Avenius. We almost universally felt the 2019 Avenius was very clean and ready to drink.

Hardscrabble was the runner up. It also had acidity, just not to the degree of Avenius. That said, we felt HS would only get better and better. Boisseau was definitely well enjoyed, but it was just a different animal than the other two.

Favorites:

Alex: 2/1/3. The outlier of my group!
Daniel: 1/3/2. By technical standards, he felt #3/Hardscrabble was the ‘best’ wine of the lineup, but felt Avenius was drinking great now. While both still had years to go, the Hardscrabble hadn’t yet peaked.
Kathy: 1/3/2.
Lieven: 1/3/2. Felt the Avenius was ‘ready to drink’ right now.
Matt: 1/3/2
Mark: 1/2/3
Todd: 1/3/2
Vanessa: 1/3/2. Felt the Avenius had the most lift and was clean, even waxy.

2017 Red blend round

2017 was one of Linden’s best vintages in years, for both reds and whites. These wines are likely to last for many, many years to come.

I was surprised that a vintage 8 years old tasted so fresh. As Virginia’s weather becomes increasingly erratic we are seeing more instances of ‘hot years’ that causes local fruit to become disjointed, or ‘rainy years’ which results in underripe fruit. But 2017 was a goldilocks year where the pieces fit almost perfectly.

Linden 2017 Avenius red: 54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon. Refined tannin but a shorter finish. We detected newer oak but it’s so integrated you don’t mind at all. It also leaned heavily on the fruit, with notes of blackberry and boysenberry. Someone mentioned notes of pine, eucalyptus, and it was ‘forest-y’. This wine also evolved the most in the glass.

Linden 2017 Boisseau red: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Fruit notes, especially dark cherry. Some felt it was almost too fruity, and they struggled to find notes beyond it. Others noted a root beer quality to it, plus notes of pyrazines and pepper. While the general consensus was while this wine had more fruit than we preferred, it was “nice” fruit; not jammy at all. It also had a good structure to it.

Linden 2017 Hardscrabble red: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot. Balanced; medium/medium plus acidity. Ripe fruit, especially plumb. But there were also notes of minerality, including graphite. Notes of cassis were mentioned, while another guest said it was “meaty” and had a cigar box quality to it. This was also the most food-centric wine of the trio.

By a unanimous vote, the 2017 Hardscrabble red was our favorite. Avenius came in 2^nd and Boisseau 3^rd, also with unanimous votes by all eight attendees.

I’m absolutely not surprised that the 2017 Hardscrabble red was the favorite wine here. I’ve blind tasted it numerous times, and it’s nearly always my favorite in a contest of other championship-level wines.

Note to self; I should decant it more the next time I pop a bottle, since I felt the 2017 HS initially presented more earthy notes than I personally prefer, but the complexity popped out once swirled in the glass.

Favorites:

Alex: 3/1/2. Thought of steak when drinking the Hardscrabble, but felt the Avenius could be enjoyed on its own
Daniel: 3/1/2. The Hardscrabble was “balanced and complex”. The Avenius shared many of its qualities, just less so.
Kathy: 3/1/2
Lieven: 3/1/2. Felt the Hardscrabble was “elegant and elevated”
Matt: 3/1/2
Mark: 3/1/2
Todd: 3/1/2
Vanessa: 3/1/2. Said “The Avenius has structure, but the Hardscrabble has everything”

2019 Red blend round

While this vintage was two years younger than the 2017 round, the 2019 reds actually presented as being older and smoother than the 2017s. I attribute that to 2017 being such a great year that balance was easy to achieve, while 2019 was a hotter, riper year.

Linden 2019 Avenius red: 50% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. The barrel notes were well integrated. Notes of black cherry and raspberry were mentioned. Tart. Higher acidity than the other wines in this flight.

Linden 2019 Boisseau red: 61% Cab Franc, 19% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 3% Cab Sauv. Our notes were all over, but my favorite descriptor was “Hedonistic”. Long list of fruit and/or earthy notes, with some tasters leaning one way or the other. Many mentioned notes of black cherry, perhaps with a compote/sweet fruit note to it. A few mentioned liquorish. Others said it was ‘grippy’ and chewy. Still others felt it had more earthy characteristics, maybe a little mushroom, even ‘spice box’.

Linden 2019 Hardscrabble red: 65% Cab Sauv, 19% Cab Franc, 16% Merlot. Balanced. Notes of bramble fruit, baking spices, maybe a little brett. Cigar box and leather was mentioned. The tannin was chewy bur refined. Not a lot of fruit notes, though.

By another 8-person unanimous vote, the 2019 Boisseau red was decreed the favorite of our 3^rd round. When he first tried it, I believe Daniel said something to the effect of, “That’s what I’m talking about!”. Avenius was almost universally the runner-up, and Hardscrabble was 3rd.

My best guess was the warmer year accentuated the fruit qualities of the Boisseau. It was also an outlier in this was our only red that was Cabernet Franc heavy, and people seemed to gravitate towards some of the spice notes that better Cab Francs have.

Favorites:

Alex: 2/3/1. Felt the #3/Hardscrabble needed more time
Daniel: 2/1/3. Likewise felt the Hardscrabble needed more time
Kathy: 2/1/3
Lieven: 2/1/3
Matt: 2/1/3
Mark: 2/1/3
Todd: 2/1/3. Felt #2 was the most open and balanced
Vanessa: 2/1/3. Said that #2/ was “great right now”

The results

In summary, here were the favorites per round:

2019 Avenius Chardonnay (7 out 8 votes)
2017 Hardscrabble red (8 out of 8 votes)
2019 Boisseau red (8 out of 8 votes)

I love that every round picked a different vineyard as their favorite. The qualities of each vineyard definitely shined through, influenced by the year the wine was made.

That said, I’m positive that had we tried this event either a year earlier or later, we easily could have come up with different results. Certain wines we tried this day were just ‘in their prime’, while others (especially Hardscrabble) arguably needed another year to reach their peak.

I admit I was somewhat surprised how unanimous we tended to be, given my group was rather diverse. 3 of us had been visiting Linden for years. Another 3 were DC-based wine experts who had experienced Linden, although not necessarily older vintages. The last 2 guests had until recently been living in Sonoma and were just starting their Virginia wine journey. Yet this group was extremely consistent in how we rated all 3 flights.

I did one last poll regarding favorite vineyard…and the overall favorite vineyard was Avenius. Guests seemed split whether they preferred the Avenius red or white. Again; ask us on another day, or with a different variety, we may have selected otherwise.

But today; Avenius Vineyard was our favorite.

Virginia Wine Wins Big in San Francisco

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

The Governor’s Cup may be Virginia wine’s best-known event, but the wine world is full of wine competitions large and small. Two of the most prestigious are held annually in San Francisco nearly back-to-back.

The most recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) and San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC) collectively reviewed well over 7,000 wines from 20 countries. Some of the best judges in the industry sampled everything from classic chardonnays and red blends, esoteric hybrids, to fruit wines and vermouths.

30 Virginia wineries and cideries entered these events, earning a total of 182 medals. Of these, 22 were Double Gold and 38 were Gold.

A number of these Double Golds earned top honors in their respective categories. The SFIWC awarded Vint Hill’s Covert Wineworks “Madison” 2023 Story Petit Manseng “Best White Wine in Show”, as well as “Best Other White Varietal”. The SFCWC gave “Best in Class” awards to 6 of Virginia wines.

One of the judges at the SFCWC summarized his view of Virginia’s impact with this statement:

“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” SFCWC wine judge Mike Dunne, on Virginia’s entries

While not all wineries enter major competitions, they nevertheless provide an important metric on how Virginia wine fares on the international stage. These competitions also provide increased visibility, marketing value, and bragging rights to those who do well.

I asked Mark and Maggie Malick, former owners of Maggie Malick Wine Caves, their view of these events. Maggie once earned Best in Class/Double Gold at the 2021 SFCWC for her 2017 Tannat, and Double Gold for her 2014 Tannat at the 2017 SFIWC.

According to Maggie, “They’re both big hitters. Judging is pretty strict in both. If you enter a Virginia wine and beat another country, you’re doing good.”

Biggest Winners at San Francisco

Winning Gold is a major kudo at either the SFCWC or SFIWC, but Virginia’s haul of 22 Double Golds and numerous “Best of” awards is especially impressive for a wine region that makes less than 0.3% of the nation’s wine production.

It’s too much to describe every one of these Double Gold winners. But if I were to narrow it down to a handful of the Virginia’s ‘biggest winners’ by winemaker, winery, or as a category that deserves highlighting, these are my picks:

Mark Ward, Winemaker for Effingham, Pearmund, and Vint Hill. Mark took home 5 Double Gold and 5 Golds between the SFC and SFI events. His Vint Hill 2023 Petit Manseng also earned “Best White Wine in Show” at the SFIWC. He’s been the head winemaker for the “Pearmund trifecta” since 2020.

Jeremy Ligon, Barrel Oak Winery. Jeremy was awarded a Best In Class/Double Gold for his Sauvignon Blanc (in the $35 and over category), Double Gold and runner-up for Best of Class for this dry Rosé, Double Gold at the SFI for his sparkling Norton, and three Golds.

Philip Carter Winery. PCW earned two SFCWC Best in Class awards, for its Nomini Hall Cabernet Franc ($35.00 – $49.99), and Chardonnay ($38.00 – $42.99). Matthieu Finot is their winemaker.

Veritas Vineyard. Emily Hodson of Veritas earned SFCWC Best in Class awards for her 2023 Sauvignon Blanc ($30.00 – $34.99) and 2023 Monticello White ($31.00 and over White blend), plus four Golds.

The 2023 Vintage. 2023 is the kind of high-quality vintage that is often only seen once a decade. Virginia wine lovers already knew this, but now the rest of the world does too.

It’s notable that 28 of the 59 Virginia wines (discounting one that used fruit from the west coast) that earned either Gold or Double Gold came from this magical juice. So far, most of what’s been released were white wines. That means our recently bottled reds are going to be making incredible waves on the competition circuit, once they are unleashed.
Virginia Sauvignon Blanc. I admit, I didn’t see this one coming. Yet it’s important enough to warrant its own mention, because the respective winemakers deserve it.

Virginia earned two SFCWC “Best in Class” awards for Sauvignon Blanc; Barrel Oak ($35 and over) and Veritas ($30.00 – $34.99). Endhardt earned a Double Gold and was runner-up to Veritas for its Upper Block Sauvignon Blanc.

This is a massive win for a category that is usually dominated by California. If we kicked-ass in Sauv Blanc, think of what the rest of the 2023 vintage is going to do.

The SFCWC website had this to say on these Sauv Blancs:

“At the 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, two of the five best-of-class Sauvignon Blancs were from Virginia, an unprecedented showing. (In all, 198 Sauvignon Blancs were in the competition.)”

“The Barrel Oak the richer, riper, and rounder of the two, its fruit fleshy and saturating,” while saying of the Veritas, “The wine is frank, lithe, dry, citric and astonishingly persistent for a Sauvignon Blanc. Its perky acidity makes it a perfect match for raw oysters.”

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) and San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC) combined roster

Winery	Wine	Award	Competition
Barrel Oak Winery	2023 Sauvignon Blanc	Best of Class/DG ($35 & over)	2025 SF Chronicle
Barrel Oak Winery	2023 “Paradox” sparkling Norton	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Barrel Oak Winery	2023 Rosé	Double Gold (Dry Rosé: 0 RS, $30 & over)	2025 SF Chronicle
Eastwood Farm and Winery	2022 Cabernet Franc	Double Gold (Up to $34.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Eastwood Farm and Winery	2022 Petit Verdot	Double Gold (Up to $45.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Effingham Manor Winery	2021 “King’s Ransom” red blend	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Endhardt Vineyards	2023 Upper Block Sauvignon Blanc	Double Gold ($30-$34.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard	2021 “Rock Ridge” red blend	Double Gold (Red Blend: Petit Verdot leading)	2025 SF Chronicle
Greenhill Winery & Vineyards	2022 “Eternity” Cabernet Franc	Double Gold (Cab Franc $50 & over)	2025 SF Chronicle
Ingleside Vineyards	NV “October Harvest” dessert wine	Double Gold (White Dessert/Late Harvest – RS >3.5)	2025 SF Chronicle
Jefferson Vineyards	2023 Viognier	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Pearmund Cellars	2022 Cabernet Franc	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Pearmund Cellars	2023 Petit Manseng	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Philip Carter Winery	2023 “Nomini Hall” Cabernet Franc	Best of Class/DG ($35-$49.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Philip Carter Winery	2023 “Shirley” Chardonnay	Best of Class/DG ($38-$42.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Slater Run Vineyards	Rosé of Merlot	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Trump Winery	2022 Reserve Chardonnay	Best of Class/DG ($30-$34.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Trump Winery	2018 Estate Blanc de Blanc	Double Gold	2024 SF International
Veritas Vineyards	2023 Sauvignon Blanc	Best of Class/DG ($30-$34.99)	2025 SF Chronicle
Veritas Vineyards	2023 Monticello White	Best of Class/DG (White blend: $31 & over)	2025 SF Chronicle
Vint Hill	2023 “Madison” Petit Manseng	Best White in Show / Double Gold	2024 SF International
Vint Hill	2023 “Vivian” Viognier	Double Gold	2024 SF International

Background On The 2025 SFC and 2024 SFI Wine Competitions

Virgina SF International and-Chronicle Medals 2021 2025 v4 Download

The 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (2025 SFCWC) reviewed 5,500 wines submitted from over 910 wineries throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, making it the largest wine competition in North America. 4,991 medals were awarded.

There are often multiple awards for the same variety or style for different price brackets. The “Best in Class” award goes to the highest-scoring bottle within that price bracket. It additionally has a “Sweepstakes” award to identify the top wine from among the “Bests” in different categories (no Virginia wine won this category this year).

The wines were judged in mid-January, and the results were released on 17 January 2025.

The 2024 San Francisco International Wine Competition (2024 SFIWC) reviewed wine submitted from 20 countries. 1590 medals were awarded to 476 wineries.

The wines were judged in mid-December, and the results were released on 13 January 2025.

Note on the Virginia medal winners: The La Grange Winery Syrah that earned Gold in the 2025 SFC used non-Virginia fruit. The other 59 Golds/Double Golds all used Virginia fruit. The ‘182’ medals includes 16 wines made using non-Virginia fruit. I include these numbers here only for the sake of being complete.

Exploring Local Sake With Charlottesville’s North American Sake Brewery

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Matt Fitzsimmons

Several years ago while visiting wineries around Charlottesville, I encountered a curious sight. In the city that is the epicenter of Virginia wine was…a sake brewery.

What? Sake??? In Virginia?

Yet thinking about it, my surprise was misplaced. Sake exports from Japan have more than doubled from 2012 to 2022, according to figures provided by the Japanese Sake & Shochu Makers Association. Not only is the US the world’s top sake importer, there’s a growing local sake industry as well.

Charlottesville based North American Sake Brewery is one of only 20 or so sake breweries in the US, and the first (and only) in Virginia. Founder and head brewer Andrew Centofante gave me a lesson on sake brewing and a tour of his facility.

“Sake is such a fascinating and historic beverage. It’s a pretty niche market, but it’s one of the fastest growing beverages there is,” Andrew said during our interview. “As people explore Japanese cuisine, they are finding sake is a key part of it.

About 15 years ago, I went to an “izakaya” (casual drinking establishment) in Japan,” he continued. “The bartender walked me through different styles, regions, and profiles of sake, and it hit me that sake was similar to the craft beer movement. A few years later, I started making sake at home, and that led me to go back to Japan to work at a 200-year old brewery outside Osaka to learn the craft.

We’ve been open since 2018, making very traditionally handcrafted sake as well as some experimental styles.”

Defining Sake: Beer? Rice Wine? Or Something Unique?

The four basic ingredients for sake are rice, koji, water, and yeast. Of these, koji is likely the ingredient least-understood by American audiences.

Koji is a mold, cultured in hot, humid conditions to promote propagation. It’s an integral part of many of Japan’s most famous drinks and dishes, including sake, miso, and soy sauce.

Brewers apply the mold to rice, ensuring it’s thoroughly spread over every grain. When the brewing starts in the tank, the mold provides the enzymes to convert the rice starch into sugar. This sugar is then devoured by the yeast, which turns it into alcohol.

This process is called “multiple parallel fermentation,” and it’s what makes sake brewing unique.

While sake is usually referred to as ‘rice wine,’ that definition is a misnomer. Sake is its own category of alcoholic beverage, despite often being classified as either a wine or beer in the western world.

Andrew gets the question of, “Is sake a rice wine?” all the time. “Like wine, you can sip it, savor it, pair it with food. Sake is the same way. It has nuance of character, but the process is grain based, so it’s much closer to brewing than winemaking.

While they use similar processes, sake and beer come out at very different strengths. Since sake usually has around 15% alcohol and is sipped like wine, it’s often classified as rice wine.”

Balancing Creativity With Tradition

Unlike wine, which is ‘terroir’ driven, sake is more brewer-driven, according to Andrew.

“We talk a lot about the concept of intent in sake making. That’s what makes sake a difficult beverage to understand.”

The brewer’s treatment of their rice greatly influences the end product, a process called milling.

“Milling is where we remove fats and other proteins to get to the grain’s “shimpaku,” or starchy core, and it helps delimitate the style of sake you create,” Andrew explained while showing a handful of rice grains. “The more milled the rice is, the fruitier and more aromatic the end product is. The less it’s milled, the more earthy and savory notes you’ll get.

“Daiginjo” (50% milled) sake rice on the left, and sushi-grade rice on the right

The kind of rice you use is important, but think of it like a white canvas. It’s the brewing that helps bring out the nuanced flavor and aroma.

We get our rice from Arkansas. The farm we use has been making sake-specific rice for years. Sake rice is a short-grained style, usually with a great shimpaku that’s easy to mill and melts well in the tank.”

Japanese sake already comes in many different styles, based on the ingredients and production methods used. Local producers like North American Sake aren’t afraid to get even more creative to appeal to American consumers.

Andrew pondered my question regarding how far local sake diverges from what’s found in Japan before answering.

“It’s an interesting question. The sake industry in North America is so young, there aren’t defined styles of sake in terms of regionality. Being in the US, we have this huge opportunity to break out of traditional sake conventions.

We play on the edge of what sake is, and make everything from super-premium to fun, table sakes. There are people who are casual drinkers who just want something fun, or something gluten free.

For this crowd we make fruited styles using regional fruits or herbs, we make sparkling sake, and we’ve done collaborations with different brewers to make hopped sake.

But we also have customers who are looking for great sake. Since we’re in the game of making sake, we have to be as good or better than any Japanese sake out there.”