Chardonnay – Charlottesville UnCorked

Everyday is a Good day for Virginia Bubbly

Published on February 17, 2015February 17, 2015 by Tricia TraugottLeave a comment

While the Champagne region of France claims the name, other countries including the United States of America are establishing their own reputation using traditional Chardonnay grapes as well as Pinot Noir to make sparkling wine. The average bottle of Champagne contains enough carbon dioxide to potentially produce 49 million bubbles, some say even more. Watching the bubbles shoot upward is quite mesmerizing, recalling childhood memories of bubble lights on Christmas trees. This has sparked a new tradition in our family of opening gifts with a chilled bottle of Champagne or a Brut Rosé from Soter in the Willamette Valley of Oregon (very welcome gift from my sister).

Virginia has now placed itself on the sparkling wine map courtesy of Claude Thibaut and his Thibaut Janisson sparkling wines. Originally from Champagne, Claude has traversed the globe popping coks, perfecting his dosage and selecting only the best grapes and juice for his wines. He brought his expertise in the “methode champenoise” to Kendall-Jackson, Jordan and Iron Horse wineries in California as well as Champagne Veuve Devaux, Bar sur seine, France and Yarra Bank, Victoria Australia, where his wines were voted “Best of the Best” in the 1995 Australia and New Zealand Wine Guide. He partners with Manuel Janisson of Janisson et Fils, a well know family of Champagne makers in Verzenay, France. Claude originally was enticed to Charlottesville by Patricia Kluge of Kluge Estate Winery and is now owned and operated by Donald and Eric Trump. I am particularly fond of Claude’s latest T-J Extra Brut!

We were recently gifted with a bottle of Barboursville Cuvee 1814 Brut wine which was excellent. Side note: after pouring the wine there seemed to be very few bubbles and within a short period of time an explosion of bubbles occurred. The wine was well received by all! I look forward to serving it again.

Following traditional holidays like Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, Champagne drinking may hit a slump but any time is good for serving sparkling wine. It’s like the slogan, Orange Juice, It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore! Watch these three wineries (Trump definitely included) as well as other Virginia wineries for future vintages!

Pairing Oysters and Virginia Wines, A Winning Combination

Published on September 20, 2012 by Tricia TraugottLeave a comment

Great minds drink alike!

My husband and I recently had the pleasure of being invited to a mid-week patio dinner party. Hosted by Bill and Joyce Sykes, to christen their new stone patio and inspired by the quadrifecta (a term coined by Bill) of fabulous food, wine, friends and weather. We were accompanied by our camera buff and fellow oenophile friend, Paulette Musselman and joined by the Sykes’ award winning architect Fred Oesch, new friends Henry & Laverne Chandler and Two J’s Smokehouse’s, Joshua and Megan Ball. The common denominator was a fondness for excellent wine, bubbly, and support of the Wildlife Center of Virginia…oh, yes…and dining al fresco!

The wine that received a startling reaction was Chatham Vineyards Church Creek Chardonnay causing a simultaneous applause for best choice to kick off the evening. I’ve written about this wine before, having enjoyed it at least four different times at Early Mountain Vineyards. Apparently each of us had experienced this wine separately and unanimously found this Chardonnay to be the exception to most Chardonnays, having been fermented in steel tanks and resulting in a slightly creamy but crisp refreshing wine. Described as below by Chatham Vineyards:

100% Dijon clone 95/96 Chardonnay fermented and aged in stainless steel. With delicate hints of pear and green melon, crisp acidity and mineral elements, this unoaked Chardonnay, at a sensible 12.5% alcohol, recalls Burgundy more than Napa. This is a pure expression of the varietal and Eastern Shore terroir.

Excellent with oysters, clams, and seafood pairings. (Agreed!!)

The highlight on the menu was the magnum of Janisson & Fils Champagne brought back from a recent trip to France by the Sykes. I believe we all were a little greedy about refills 🙂 We missed Claude Thibaut and wife Pamela Margaux at the party but savored the Thibaut-Janisson sparkling Cuvee’ d’ Etat Blanc de Blanc. Heavenly!

We’ve reached that “delicious” time of year in Virginia for pulling on a warm sweater, early leaf changes, football and fire pits. Why not grill some seafood and toast Autumn with a Virginia wine?

Live Wine Blogging!!

Published on July 23, 2011July 24, 2011 by Tricia Traugott2 Comments

These were the wines we tasted, I was able to taste the majority but had to jet out to pick up the bus to Monticello for dinner. Notice MY laptop with the house from Kennebunkport desktop!!! Richard Leahy is on my right!

Tabarrini from Italy 100% Trebbiano Spoletono retails for $17-22/btl. golden color, moderate acidity, crisp and fresh, creamy w/lemon/citrus -liked it!

Michael Shaps Viognier 2008 aged in stainless, Nice texture, winner of the Drink Local awards, bright acidity $32/btl. delicious!

Richard Leahy has a book coming out soon, to be named Jefferson’s Vines, about Virginia’s wines. A pleasure sitting next to him!

Sivas-Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc from California originally the Sebastiani family 2010 vintage Russian River Valley 38% 62% Sonoma Valley lemony w, believe it or not asparagus! Smooth and mellow, kind of grassy and very rounded. Complex!

2008 Maycas Del Limari Chardonnay no malolactic fermentation, french oak this is not a Housewives of Orange County wine! $20/bottle Excellent!!

Keswick Vineyards 2010 Verdejo refreshing, crisp and dry w/green apple, a great summer wine especially for days like today!

Aerobics for the winemakers, they are running their legs off and talking fast!

Tarara Winery 2009 Nevaeh White Smoooth! Buttery, totally opposite the last selection! Not as complex!

Williamsburg Winery 2009 Chardonnay Decanter Wine Magazine has had this wine on their top 400 list for the last 5 years!! Matthew Meyer, the winemaker, calls this is the “Can’t we all get along” wine.

Cornerstone Cellars from Napa Valley Stepping Stone Corralina 2010 another excellent choice for a Summer wine, beautifully bright and complex! Salmon pink in color, lovely!

Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2009 10% Viognier and 90% Chardonnay, Nova Cadamatre is the winemaker and this was my favorite Chardonnay so far at a great price 0f $17+ 🙂

Try CalNaturale for tetra pak organic Chardonnay, 100% organic

Offf to Monticello!!!

A “Belated” Trip to Mountfair

Published on November 14, 2010November 15, 2010 by Tricia Traugott3 Comments

Can it possibly be any prettier than it was this weekend in Charlottesville?

Everyone has been commenting on the recent surge of red, orange and gold leaves so late in the season. Usually by this time in November the majority of leaves have fallen, backpack blowers are roaring and the wind is blowing. Not this year! Only a hint of a breeze and blue sky made ideal conditions for a perfect hot air balloon flight over the Rivanna Reservoir and rolling acres of spent vineyards.

Chores finished, Saturday afternoon we set off for a country drive to two more wineries (and a promise of homemade chili and live music). Mountfair Winery hosted a special event to announce the release of their 2008 Belated – a velvety smooth blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cab Franc,and 10% Petit Verdot. They also just completed the tasting room after a few years under construction. The Barrel Room is a rustic 1400 square foot multi purpose event space with a raised stage for live music supported by soaring pine timbers and accented by 100 stacked wine barrels.

The view from the patio overlooks a gravel road, but just beyond it, rows of grapevines underscore a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I was sadly disappointed to find out that my quest for the 2008 Wooloomooloo made with 60% Petit Verdot was for naught! Only 150 cases were produced and between wine club members and a live wine tasting via Twitter it was gone! I’ll know next time. The 2008 Belated was very good with a true jammy taste and only I wish we could have stayed until the chili was ready and the music began. For those who have never ventured further north on Browns Gap Turnpike (810) , it is a scenic drive but turning right on Fox Mountain Road lacks curb appeal and one wonders if they might have made a wrong turn. You haven’t, just keep driving up the road and you’ll find the new tasting room on your right. This is definitely a winery and vintner to keep in mind for the future!

Returning toward Free Union, we took a hard right onto Breakheart Road and encountered a picturesque landscape of vineyards and horse farms. When we first moved to Virginia, White Hall had a fantastic Chardonnay and was soon our favorite winery. One of my fondest memories was a picnic that we shared with my Mom and Dad, my Dad loved Soliterre! Charlottesville.

: Spectacular November at White Hall

The White Hall Winery tasting bar was completely surrounded with visitors, and considering how gorgeous the day was, we decided to head home to our firepit in the backyard and have a private wine tasting! White Hall will be there for us to return to another weekend, that’s one of the great advantages to living here in Charlottesville!