Seriously, do you need more than one? I certainly don’t! I noticed a video on NBC 29 in Charlottesville about horseback tours of vineyards and I wanted to share this information with all of you horse-wine-outdoor- photographer-romantic types. Check out the video below and the read why you should set aside some time for a visit to Pollak:
Horseback Vineyard Tours at Pollak, King Family & Glass House Wineries
#1 Reason to visit Pollak Vineyards The Wine! The wines are fabulous and you really need to try some of the award-winners like the 2012 Rose which won a Double Gold Medal .
#2 It’s harvest time and the scenery couldn’t be more beautiful in Central Virginia – except during peak Fall foliage 🙂 With a Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop and a picture postcard lake just below the winery, Pollak is one of my favorite patios to soak up the views.
#3 The weather is glorious-ask anyone today and I bet they’re outside, except for me and I’m heading out in a couple of minutes!
#4 You can horseback ride through vineyards? Awesome! Indian Summer Guide Service offers these tours at Pollak, King Family or Glass House for a real down to earth experience, then stop in and sample a Virginia Viognier. The Pollak 2012 Viognier won Gold, Best of Category at the Atlantic Seaboard International
and Gold in the Monticello Cup!
#5 Buy Local, Drink Local! See you at the Vineyard!
Cool breezes, crisp mountain air, Peach trees and Redbuds blooming, Dogwoods lacing the fringe of new Spring growth and we’re too busy to pause in the moment! One of the perks of living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is reveling in the natural beauty that surrounds us, unique to each season. We have celebrations and festivals competing for our time. So much to offer but our schedules demand our attention.
Last weekend, we made an appointment for ourselves…with each other! Bob and I headed out to take a peek at the most recent winery opening on the Appellation Trail, Grace Estate Winery, neighboring already established Stinson Vineyards and White Hall and just down the road apiece from Mountfair and Glass House wineries. If you judge someone by the company they keep, we have another winner in Western Albemarle County. Jake Busching, formerly known for bringing attention and awards to Pollak Vineyards, has taken Mount Juliet Farm and Grace Estate to a new height (be sure to check out the silo, speaking of height). His experience in farming and wine making goes back to Jefferson Vineyards, as well as Keswick and Horton. The fruit at Mount Juliet will be kept for local use in wine making, thus remaining true to the terroir (still have a hard time saying that word!).
For years, local Crozet and White Hall residents have driven past the mature vineyards at Mount Juliet Farm and now, we have access to enter the property and admire the vines up close. White varietals are Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vidal; red varietals are Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Personally, I’m looking forward to Pinot Gris which are planned for the future! All of the wines are made from Grace Estate grapes and Jake plans on keeping it that way.
Grace Estate Winery Mount Juliet Farm 5273 Mount Juliet Farm Crozet, VA 22932 tel & fax: 434-823-5014 web: http://www.graceestatewinery.com
With one toe still wedged in the doorway between 2012 and 2013, I reluctantly find it is time to take down our beautiful Christmas tree (after all it is Valentine’s Day) and start a new year of wine blogging. My own mini-vacation, a touch of procrastination, added to an already busy early Spring real estate market; the days speed ahead and we approach March! I find drinking wine easy, hanging out at a winery listening to music with friends certainly no rough task, but describing it in print requires a little effort from the grey matter that is already tinted a touch purple.
Last Saturday turned out to be an unseasonably warm day in Central Virginia,but the Christmas spirit was alive and flourishing at the Early Mountain Vineyards' Holiday Open House. The tree was decked with gilded angels and grapes, beautifully appointed to greet guests.
Local vendors in the grand were set up for shoppers to purchase gifts and treats while sipping on some Early Mountain wines. Richard Leahy was signing his book, Beyond Jefferson's Vines, and if you're looking for a great gift for a Virginia wine lover, this is perfect.
Hot Chili and cornbread, vegetarian bouillabaisse with crostini were available to pair with your wine selection. We had a bowl of each and the veggies in the bouillabaisse were scrumptious and the crostini was buttery and crisp, suffice it to say, I didn't share any of my soup.
Santa made an appearance for the children and music was provided by Greene County Ensemble, Antioch Baptist Church, Uno Baptist Church and Madison Bel Canto. Unfortunately, we arrived just a touch late for the music but seeing the children rolling down the hills and sitting by the outdoor fireplace made for a lovely holiday afternoon.
One of the highlights was Margaret Prior sharing her German friend, Irene's hot mulled wine recipe! There is a secret ingredient and the Cabernet France is priced so well that you could use it for this recipe :) Thanks for sharing!
Recently I had the opportunity to join a live wine tasting called The Riesling Hour, via Twitter and blogging. Unfortunately, the timing coincided with our daughter’s last-minute, down to the wire, wedding preparations. I did the tasting and am just now getting around to sharing the results. I participated in the same event last Fall, however that wine shipment was accompanied by an insert describing the wines and wineries. I really did appreciate the added information as I am not familiar with that region or their wines. This year I have to wing it!
At Thanksgiving many families are pairing their meals with the more versatile Pinot Noir wines, but perhaps a nice dry Riesling would be just as enjoyable, especially for guests who prefer a white or more fruity wine. I imagine many families in New York will be including a Riesling in their wine selections to pair with appetizers at least.
The Finger Lakes region of New York was selected by Trip Advisor as the #4 Wine Travel Destination in the U.S.
Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York is a great weekend getaway destination conveniently located within a five-hour drive of most major metropolitan cities in the Northeast.
The region is made up of three major lakes including Cayuga Lake the eastern most lake of the three major Finger Lakes. Stretching almost 40 miles in length, it is the longest of the lakes. I had no idea that the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is the oldest wine trail in America, celebrating 25 years in 2008.
The Keuka Lake Wine Trail is home to some of the oldest vineyard and most historic wineries in the region. Interesting note, Keuka Lake is the only lake in the United States to flow both north and south.
Seneca Lake is the second longest of all the Finger Lakes at 38 miles long. with a mean depth of 291 feet and a maximum depth of 618 feet, It is the deepest of all the lakes! Seneca Lake is home to the largest wine trail in the Finger Lakes region and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail has 36 member wineries.
I’m not sure why I selected this one first, but perhaps the name or label made me think I’d like this one the least. After all, what does Montezuma have to do with New York? This winery actually started out as a Honey Farm and Meadery, later branching out to wines and now, a distillery of Vodka and Brandies. This wine was actually a surprise, with a refreshing dry, citrusy taste and hints of peach, it turned out to be my second favorite wine of the evening. As it turns out, this wine garnered double gold medals in The New York Wine & Food Classic 2011. So much for first impressions!
This dry Riesling was pale straw in color with some green apple notes. For some reason it didn’t bowl me over. Would have to give it another try. Possibly looking for something with a bit more body to it or fruitiness. It would be interesting to try all of the Four Degrees Rieslings. They produce four Rieslings beginning with zero as the driest and working up to the Three as the sweetest.
I’m not a big fan of screw-tops, for no other reason than I love the ritual of pulling out the cork screw and the little pop sound when the cork comes out. I found this screw-top bottle Riesling very appealing. As far as I know it hasn’t won any medals, but perhaps, it hasn’t been entered in any competitions? Apple and peach aromas, more fruity than the previous Riesling, but still dry with stone fruit flavors and minerality, it had a nice crisp finish.
Hint for Christmas shopping at Wagner Vineyards: Vixen is a Semi Dry Riesling and Blitzen is a red blend. Cute bottles with reindeer on them! Would make a nice “His & Hers” gift.
This was the lightest of the Rieslings, in my humble opinion, peach aroma with a delicate almost citrusy flavor. Possibly pair this with ham for those of you who avoid the traditional Thanksgiving gobbler.
A bit of history, the Fulkerson farm has been in the same family since 1805, black raspberries were the main crop and grapes were planted in the 1830’s. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the vineyards were expanded, with more concentration now on wine production.
* I certainly enjoyed participating in this tasting event again this year and feel like I’ve learned a little more about our American Riesling wines. Thanks for including me!
I
If you haven’t subscribed to Virginia Wine Lover Magazine, the holidays are a great time to sign up for this publication. It offers wine news, gift ideas, events and information about local wineries to share with your holiday guests.
According to Virginia Wine Lover , the results are in from the September poll asking readers to vote for their Favorite Virginia Winery Tasting Room. Some 3,000 responses accounted for the top 25 winners selected from Virginia’s 220 wineries with tasting rooms. Selections were made on the basis of Friendliness of Staff (39%), Attractiveness of Location (37%), Staff’s Knowledge of Wine (19%), Proximity (3%) and Price of Tasting (2%). Several of the wineries that are local to our Charlottesville area made the list.
Cooper Vineyards in Louisa County, midway between C-ville and Richmond, took top honors as favorite tasting room. Perfect! Planning our first trip there this weekend which also coincides with their Holiday Open House ( free tastings Sat. & Sun. 1-5). Many of you may already be familiar with Cooper Vineyards.They were selected for the Cooper staff friendliness, the architectural design of the tasting room and for their fine wines. Cooper Vineyards recently earned the coveted LEED Platinum certification( the highest standard) for excellence in “Green” building technology. They have one many awards already and their Noche dessert wine is extremely popular. Made with Norton grapes and infused with chocolate, Noche is a versatile wine. According to Cooper Vineyards, it has hints of black cherry and raspberry complement rich aromas of cocoa with a chocolate ganache finish. Great for sipping, drizzled as a chocolate sauce over ice cream or combined with nutella for a chocolate fondue. This wine is definitely on my shopping list for Thanksgiving. These recipes can be found on their website or on VWL’s site. 
2nd place honors for best tasting room went to Early Mountain Vineyards. Agreed! This winery is a very popular spot, augmented with a most hospitable tasting room staff, offering select wines from the Commonwealth and an attention to detail to create a most enjoyable wine tasting experience. Located in southern Madison County, EMV has already established themselves as a TGIF spot and situated conveniently between NoVA and Charlottesville, a premier wine tasting destination. The event facility rivals Pippin Hill for country elegance and an exquisite wedding venue.
Prince Michel nabbed the 4th favorite tasting room for its Madison County location. Prince Michel was chosen as the exclusive winery to produce the official 250thanniversary commemorative wine for this year-long celebration. The two wines chosen to pay tribute to this historic occasion are Prince Michel’s award winning Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines are made from grapes grown in the Monticello appellation of Virginia. Embellished with the custom designed commemorative label, these wines will be available in over 200 locations around the area. They will also be available April 21 for tasting and purchase at the First Annual Monticello Wine Festival at the pavilion on Charlottesville’s downtown mall. Prince Michel also has a tasting room on Carter’s Mountain with beautiful vistas over Charlottesville extending down to Nelson County.
Barboursville Vineyards, Glass House Winery, Keswick Vineyards, Horton Vineyards, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and Pollak Vineyards made the top 20 tasting rooms in Virginia. Each winery is unique in its own right offering a little something different from the others. Barboursville for its history, longevity, and 5 star restaurant, Palladio, serving award-winning wines like Octagon and Nebbiolo. Glass House lends an atmosphere of the tropics with its glass conservatory and warm welcoming tasting room staff. Top that off with Michelle Sanders’ gourmet chocolates and you could wrap up Christmas gifts right there. Keswick Vineyards is a cozy tasting room in the heart of hunt country with a beautiful backdrop of historic plantations. With this many delightful wineries to choose from, it’s no wonder Charlottesville has become such a great weekend destination. I think you’ll need more than a couple of weekends to get a real taste of Thomas Jefferson’s wine country.
As a real estate agent, I’m finding more and more people choosing the Charlottesville area as their home. Parents who have adult children graduating from the University of Virginia are building homes here after becoming acquainted with all Central Virginia has to offer. The wine industry, education, the arts, temperate climate, health care and more are inspiring weekend visitors to purchase second homes within driving distance from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. If you’re interested in viewing homes for sale in the area, please call or email to schedule a visit. We’d love to welcome you to Charlottesville!
It’s been two years now since I decided to start a blog. My first post was a sentimental post on the anniversary of my fathers passing. Now I’ve reached that point in time for reflection, analysis and renewal. The most frequent question that I get from people is Why? Why do you blog? And what really IS a blog? I started blogging as a creative outlet, a place to post pictures and to be perfectly honest, as a real estate agent, it was highly recommended for Search Engine Optimization. Oh…and of course, because it was an excuse to drink good wine =). Which I have certainly done. So, after two years, why do I continue to blog? I think it can be summed up in one word, Discovery.
Reflect and Write it Down
Basically, a blog is a computerized journal published to share with others. Many friends over the years have told me that they “journal”. I really didn’t understand why. Now I do. It is a release, an opportunity to be introspective and it also, as a bonus, enhances lazy verbal skills. I think one of the greatest benefits is the ability to read back what you have written and see the growth and progression in your life. Where you were, where you are and where you are headed. In Conclusion, this is a good venue for personal growth and I believe anyone can derive satisfaction from this type of effort. Discover yourself.
Find Your Passion!
Start with something you love doing and through it you’ll find your passion. I love wine, luscious grapes in any color, grapevines, clean air and being outdoors (unless I’m indoors by the crackling fire). But through visiting wineries and vineyards, I discovered a passion for photography. Now I want to develop that skill and learn everything I can about that!
Change up your Environment!
“Oh, the places you’ll go!” (Quote from my fav M.D., Dr. Seuss). We’ve had opportunities to visit some breathtaking vistas that we never would have seen sitting home watching NFL football on a Sunday afternoon. We’ve visited beautifully appointed tasting rooms, rusticly elegant wineries and sipped wine with friends on fabulous decks, patios and conservatories. So, I encourage you to get up, get moving, charge up your camera and discover this beautiful world we live in! It’s right there outside your front door.
The People You’ll Meet!
And when you finally set out to explore, discover, and find your passion; you’ll meet many interesting people that you never would have encountered. People with similar passions, different personalities, unique individuals from all walks of life. You’ve now broadened yourself and gifted yourself with new friends. A double discovery! And guess what? You continue to grow.
Final Lesson, It is the People that Matter the Most!
This year, it’s been six years since my father passed away. What have I discovered? That the faces in the pictures are more important than the most scenic landscape, waterfall or sunset. When you flip through a photo album, what to do you seek? The faces of loved ones. I’ve now come full circle because my father’s passions were people, travel and photography. Hmmm, I think know where it comes from and blogging helped me realize that….and that is why I continue to blog.
I love you Dad!
September 26, 1932 – September 14, 2006
Tricia
Charlottesville UnCorked 
