Cabernet Franc – Charlottesville UnCorked

A “Vine” Afternoon at Barboursville Vineyards

Published on April 6, 2011April 7, 2011 by Tricia Traugott6 Comments

Did you ever think you could live in a place too long? Too long from the perspective of taking for granted a beautiful purple Phlox covered countryside with vineyards, mountains and history just a short drive down the road from… Super Walmart? Thanks to my friend and social networking mentor, Lewis Nelson, blog writer of Family of Five, he arranged an afternoon outing with Fernando Franco, viticulturist at Barboursville Vineyards. It was a reminder and welcome opportunity to stop and appreciate the beginnings of Spring in Central Virginia.

Fernando

Lewis, his lovely wife Holly and precious daughter Gwen introduced me to their friend , Fernando who is not only a highly esteemed viticulturist but a salsa dancer and V.P. of the Charlottesville Salsa Club. With a resume of 30 years of growing grapes and a disarming knowledge of Agronomy, we had a real expert to explain the intricacies of wine making. Originally from El Salvador, Fernando spent over a decade at Prince Michel and in Napa as a vintner and viticulturist before taking over the vineyards at Barboursville thirteen years ago. Fernando opened up the conversation by hospitably pouring us a glass of Sauvignon Blanc followed by a delicious Viognier. Most of my experience has been with Barboursville red wines and their dessert wines, Phileo and Malvaxia, but I would have purchased either one of the whites we tasted.

The Tour

Our tour started in the large tasting room, a double-sided fireplace separating it from the gift shop. Souvenir shopping is fun here with lots of wine related novelty items that are easy to pack in a small carry-on suitcase. The Octagon room has Octagon wine barrels on the floor and a photo history and memorabilia on the surrounding walls. At the center of the room is a table set with a floral display flanked by bottles of their signature award-winning Octagon wine, a meritage of the winery’s finest Bordeaux varietals.

Octagon represents the eight sided architectural style used in the central hall designed by Thomas Jefferson for James Barbour’s plantation house. Unfortunately the home burned in Christmas 1884 and we are left with the ruins to contemplate a bygone era in Virginia history.

We then passed into a long hall of stainless steel vats. Immense vats, especially in comparison to our smaller boutique wineries in the Charlottesville area. This is definitely the granddaddy of vat rooms in our area! We tasted some red blends straight from the vat including a Cabernet Franc that was excellent!

Afterwards, Fernando offered us a ride to the newest area being cultivated at Barboursville, the Goodlow Mountain vineyard. Hopping into his vehicle, we drove off the property and back on to the south end, passing by some of their oldest vines.

36,000 New Vines

The 2011 plans for the vineyards call for 24 acres with 36,000 new vines to be planted which will increase the total planted acreage by 20 percent! 3 acres will be devoted to their newest varietal, planting 4,600 vines of Petite Syrah. The conditions of Goodlow Mountain vineyard are similar to those found in the northern Rhone Valley of France where the Petite Syrah thrives. Fernando knows his vines and feels “this site maybe the most perfect site developed so far.”

Completing our tour and my friends off in their own directions, I was left to wander the grounds on my own, exploring rooms and ruins on a sunny afternoon. The following are some of my favorite photographs. If you are in need of a classic backdrop for a photo shoot, this is definitely the location! Brides, pay attention!

Clouds Billowing from a Fireplace in Ruins

Look for a future post about Palladio, the Five Star Restaurant at Barboursville!

Good Bye Barboursville, We’ll be Back! Hopefully, you will be too!

Loudoun, DC’s Wine Country: Clusters of Divine Wine and Dine!

Published on February 11, 2011 by Tricia Traugott3 Comments

Charlottesville UnCorked is taking a detour to the North!

I was recently invited to a most elegant and delightful dining experience hosted by Visit Loudoun! I have been enticed to venture back to Virginia’s horse country, drive the Snickersville Turnpike and revisit the charming historic town of Middleburg. Emerging as a weekend destination for tourists and Virginians, Loudon County, trademarked as DC’s Wine Country, is only 25 miles from Washington, D.C. and actively promoting their culinary and historic assets. The wine trail in Loudoun is divided into five geographic “clusters” for scenic and strategic driving experiences to clusters of wineries and vineyards.

It was my good fortune to be included at a dinner at the historic Bolling Haxall House in downtown Richmond for an evening of fine dining paired with some of Loudoun’s finest wines! The focus of the event was to garnish interest in Loudoun County for weddings, conferences and tourism by highlighting some of their award-winning cuisine and wines offered in the heart of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area.

I was greeted by Jeremy Harvey, VP of Destination Marketing, Visit Loudoun and Jacqueline Toppings, Director of Public and Industry Relations. They immediately made me feel welcome and introduced me around while delicious hand crafted hors d’oeuvres were circulated and Chrysalis Winery, Boxwood Winery and Breaux Vineyards wines were served. Heavenly! Jennifer Ritter, Director of Sales invited me to dine at their table and the combination of personalities with her hostess skills transformed it into the best table in the room! The renowned French Chef William Walden of the Goodstone Inn and Estate was introduced and subsequently presented a fabulous meal of fresh,artistic, locally sourced cuisine.

Enter to Win Follow Your Heart to Virginia Sweepstakes and a stay at the Goodstone Inn & Estate!

Each course was described in detail by Chef Walden followed by a “Bon appetit!” and toast as the plates were served. The menu’s first course was an ever so velvety braised leek, garden potato with sherry vichyssoise served with petite homemade rolls; it paired very well with the Chrysalis 2009 Viognier. The Viognier had melon and cantaloupe flavors, and aged in neutral oak barrels for a creamy texture. The winter greens salad of roasted beets, spiced pecans and champagne vinaigrette had been delicately enhanced with edible flowers, a delicious work of art. The salad was so exquisite that it unfortunately overshadowed the Chrysalis 2009 Albarino. When I get a chance I will have to try it again.

The third course actually elicited an “Oh my Gosh!” from more than one of us. How anything so small can have that much flavor was an accomplishment in itself. Home grown raspberries from the Goodstone Estate were used in the Raspberry Sorbet with Chambord served in a chilled porcelain cup.

The Domestic Rack of Lamb, an award winning specialty of Chef Walden followed and was absolutely mouth watering and beautifully plated. The Boxwood Winery 2008 Topiary, selected to accompany the main course was not only perfect, but my favorite wine selection of the evening! A garnet red blend of Cabernet Franc with Merlot and Malbec grapes.

I would definitely buy this wine!

The fifth and final course was a feathery light chocolate souffle served with an individual pitcher of warm chocolate sauce. This confection capped off a perfectly grand evening. I wish I had taken more photographs, but honestly, if you were served this meal, wouldn’t you just want to enjoy it? Well, I certainly DID!

I think whether you live in Charlottesville, our own tourist destination, or other areas of Virginia, Loudoun County has a wealth of wining, dining and historic spots worthy of a weekend getaway and more! As they say in Loudoun County, Take It In!

Thank You Loudoun County Tourism for a sample of what Loudoun has to offer!

I plan on another post about additional features and links if you are planning a trip to DC’s Wine Country, look for it in the future..

Glass House Winery: A Confection of Chocolate, Wine and the Tropics

Published on January 23, 2011January 23, 2011 by Tricia Traugott4 Comments

Have you ever taken a vacation to a remote destination on a tropical island and returned wanting to tell all your friends, but really thinking it better to keep the secret to yourself? Our experience at Glass House Winery was just that, a treat to savor and enhanced only by the prospect of sharing it with others. Glass House Winery in Free Union, Virginia was only opened a few months ago and word is rapidly spreading.

The winery is strategically sited, embraced by rows of grapevines overlooking a small, geese populated lake with a backdrop of Buck Mountain. The structure of the winery is striking, an eclectic juncture of a copper clad tasting room and a soaring tropical greenhouse, thus the name Glass House. Jeff and Michelle Sanders spent substantial time (five years) on the island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras and recreated some of that lush tropical atmosphere in their greenhouse. The greenhouse serves as a conservatory for Kumquats, Banana Trees producing ice cream flavored bananas, a highly prized Royal Hawaiian Pineapple and tables graced by tiny Sago Palms.

21st Meritage — Applauding the 21st Amendment

The floor is a Brazilian wood similar to teak and the climate is carefully controlled with a vented roof and mechanical sun screen. A perfectly delightful spot for a light picnic (self provided) complemented by a bottle of artisan wine. The greenhouse can accommodate 88 guests seated for weddings or events! Invite me, please!

Attention to detail begins in the mosaic studded retaining wall in the parking lot and proceeds to the doorway where, Vina, the wine goddess greets you, grapes in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Several other clever whimsical touches including a giraffe create a fun and light hearted foyer.

Accents of pineapples adorn niches and shelves, carrying on the logo of Glass House and reinforcing the symbol of Virginia hospitality. The winery puppy, Dogbert, eagerly approached us with a wagging tail, and then stretched out for a nap in the warm sun by the patio door.

Michelle Sanders, owner and Chocolatier Extraordinaire, offered us glasses for tasting and a history of the young winery. We started with a 2009 Pinot Gris followed by a 2009 Viognier. The Pinot Gris was unremarkable and light, but the Viognier had more character and with a creamy texture and nice bouquet. The third wine was the Cvillian, a red blend of Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes grown on the property and on nearby vineyards. We purchased the next wine, the Twenty First, a Meritage blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes and named after the 21^st amendment. Can you recall the significance of that amendment? It also had the most fruit and was quite good.

On our visit to DuCard Winery, in Madison, we were tipped off to the dessert wine. Marty Mitchell, the tasting room manager at DuCard was so delighted with it that she actually is credited with naming the wine, Meglio Del Sesso, her initial observation. In Italian it translates to “Better than …” use your imagination! We sipped this along with a sampling of Michelle’s own hand crafted chocolate Red Wine Cream – a ganache made from Norton wine and dark chocolate, hand enrobed in 72% dark chocolate. An exquisite combination! The chocolates are artistically packaged and sold only at the winery. The gourmet chocolates are Early Grey, Salted Caramel and Espresso and sold by the dozen. A perfect Valentines gift for your sweetheart!

Music is provided in the evening on Fridays. Look for special events at their website or Facebook page! The winery is open Fridays noon-8pm
Saturdays noon-6pm
and Sundays and holiday Mondays noon-5pm