Loudoun County Virginia – Charlottesville UnCorked

2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville!

Published on June 14, 2011 by Tricia Traugott4 Comments

In a little over a month, Charlottesville, Virginia will be hosting The North America Wine Bloggers Conference! They are expecting as many as 325 participants, actually limiting it to that number! This is quite a coup for Virginia and the efforts of many in the Commonwealth including Governor Bob McDonnel . With the recent opening of Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards and this week Stinson Vineyards, there is a lot of excitement in the air around Charlottesville’s wine country!

This is my first time to participate and I’m excited to be learning more about wines from enthusiasts world wide! I will be joining wine bloggers, new media innovators, and wine industry leaders on July 22-24, 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia for the fourth annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference! Best of all, I feel proud to be a local wine blogger and have the opportunity to show off the beauty of our wine country and some of our superb wineries!

There is also a Pre-Conference Excursion to Loudoun County. Loudoun County is located just outside Washington DC and is one of Virginia’s premier wine areas, with 28 area wineries. I really wanted to join this group as well but can’t take that much time away from real estate in the summer! Other than visits to local wineries and Monticello, all meetings will be held at the Omni Hotel, located near the end of our charming downtown pedestrian mall.

I’ve never “Live-Wine Blogged” before, hopefully I’ll get some pointers before the event! The agenda is amazing including Dave McIntyre, wine writer for the Washington Post and founding member of DrinkLocalWine.com; Lenn Thompson, founder of New York Cork Report; and Rémy Charest, blogger at The Wine Case in Canada. This panel will be moderated by wine blogger, Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like. It will also be a great chance to meet wine tweeps in person!

New York Times wine critic and blogger Eric Asimovwill be providing the keynote speech for the conference. I also noticed my friend Kat Schornberg Barnard of Keswick Vineyards will be attending! I’ll know one person!

Look out C-ville, Here come the winos 🙂

Get an “Official” Taste of Spring on The Appellation Trail

Published on April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 by Tricia Traugott5 Comments

Albemarle County is catching on fast! I try to arrange self-guided wine tours for friends and clients with location and proximity in mind. Now, the newly formed Appellation Trail has done just that! By organizing a mapped tour of four ( soon to be five wineries ) a logical sequence of wine tastings is simplified for tourists and locals. Loudoun County has a similar set up for 27 wineries broken down into “clusters” for easy touring. Wikipedia describes an appellation as a legally defined and protected geographic indication used to identify where grapes are grown. It is also defined as a geographical name (as of a region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Playing off of the name of the nearby Appalachian Trail, the “AT” is a unique wine route that connects five artisanal wineries in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains: White Hall Vineyards, Mountfair Vineyards, Glass House Winery, Stinson Vineyards & Moss Vineyards (opening 2012).

This Saturday April 16th is the celebration of the” official opening” of The Appellation Trail!

Appellation Trail Grand Opening Winery Events on April 16th:

White Hall Vineyards:

Vertical tasting of 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 Petit Verdot, paired with cheese (12:00 to 3:00pm)

Mountfair Vineyards:

Pre-Release Tasting of the 2009 Engagement Blend with live music!

Be sure to stop by & join them on the patio for a delicious glass of wine while taking in the beautiful views & the sweet tunes of THE LOST SOULS!

Glass House Winery:

Tank tasting of 2010 Viognier with Live music — The Stoned Masons (3:15 to 5:45pm)

Stinson Vineyards

Winery Preview Opening featuring Gryffon’s Aerie meats & mini-burgers. Preview four of their seven wines! The 2010 Sugar Hollow White, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and Sugar Hollow Red will all be available to taste and purchase. Additionally, they will be featuring Gryffon’s Aerie meat and miniburgers – stock up on pasture-raised, heritage beef, pork, and sausage!

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..