Why Don’t More Wineries Enter The Governor’s Cup?

Virginia Governor’s Cup – The Back-Story  (Or, Why Didn’t Your Winery Enter?)

In the weeks leading up to Virginia Wine Week, the big news in Virginia wine was the 2011 Governor’s Cup red winner – Fox Meadow Winery 2008 Le Renard Rouge.

Prior to the announcement of the Governor’s Cup winner, I attended a media tasting featuring the six 2011 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal reds that were in contention for the coveted Governor’s Cup:

Afton Mountain Vineyards 2009 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($25.00)
Barboursville 2008 Petit Verdot ($25)
Cooper Vineyards 2008 Norton ($22)
Hiddencroft Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc ($23)
Keswick Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($21.95)
Fox Meadow Winery 2008 Le Renard Rouge ($29)

Governor's Cup Gold Medalists. Photo credit: VirginiaWine.org

As I moved from table to table, chatting with the winemakers, congratulating them on their gold medals, and asking the obligatory ‘tell me about this wine’ questions that one should ask in such a setting, I wondered about the process that got them to this point.

To get the back-story, I caught up with Yogi Barrett – head judge of the Virginia Governor’s Cup – to ask a few questions about the setup of the ‘Cup.

The Basics:
Sponsored by the Virginia Wineries Association (VWA), the Governor’s Cup is a yearly competition that has been held since 1982 and is open to wines that use 95% or greater fruit grown in Virginia.   For the 2011 Governor’s Cup, there will be two separate competitions – red wines were judged in January, and the white wine competition will be held in August and the results will be released in conjunction with Virginia Wine Month in October.  Twenty-nine judges participated in the red wine competition held in January.

DWYL:  What are the entry criteria?
YB:   Each wine entered must be made from Virginia grapes as governed by the VWA; a minimum of 40 cases inventory available in order to be judged; and a minimum of 100 cases available in inventory to qualify for the Governor’s Cup round if the wine receives a Gold medal in the first round.

DWYL:  How many entries did you receive this year?
YB:   For the 2011 Governor’s Cup we received 196 red wine entries.

Editorial Note:  Out of 196 entries this year, there were six Gold medals awarded for red wines compared to 17 gold medals awarded to red wines at the 2009 Governor’s Cup, and 15 gold medals awarded at the 2010 competition.  You can view a complete list of all 2011 medal winners here.

DWYL:  What scoring system do the Governor’s Cup judges use for the competition?
YB:  The UC Davis 20 point scoring system is used for Governor’s Cup judging.  I’ve used the UC Davis for 23 years and feel it provides the most straightforward and easiest method for rating a multitude of wines in a day.

DWYL:  I presume all wines are tasted blind. What is the setup of the tasting?  What, if any, information is provided to the judges?
YB:  All wines are judged blind with each judge provided a scorecard for each.  Wines are poured for the judges and they are given the number of the wine, the vintage, the variety/category of the wine and the residual sugar level (all on their scorecard).  We do not have any flights larger than three wines.  Preferably, we try to keep it to single or two-wine flights.  All wines are judged in the morning round to determine if they receive a medal.  All those receiving a Gold medal advance to the afternoon round to be judged for the governor’s cup.

(Editorial Note:  Responses were abridged.)

On Participation, Or Lack There Of:
There are just over 190 wineries in Virginia, most of which produce at least one red wine, but only 60 wineries entered their wines in the Governor’s Cup.   Why?  What’s up with those other 130 wineries?  I realize the number of competitions is growing and can be overwhelming and it’s impossible to enter all of them, but the Governor’s Cup is one of the most notable wine competitions for Virginia wine.  I would expect more involvement from the home team in the home teams primary event.   I was also disappointed to learn that several of my favorite wineries did not submit wines for the Governor’s Cup.  Would be curious to hear from a few wineries as to why they do not enter the Governor’s Cup, or other competitions.

 

Bob Mortland of Fox Meadow giving acceptance speech. Cheryl Mortland and First Lady of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell in the background.

For more detailed recaps of this years Governor’s Cup, check out the following posts:
Virginia Wine In My Pocket
Good Wine Guru

Congratulations to each of the Gold medal winners and to the entire Fox Meadow team for winning the Governor’s Cup.  Thank you Yogi Barrett for fielding my calls and email.s

If you missed the Virginia Wine Expo this year, I highly encourage you to make plans to attend next year – especially the Friday evening Grand Tasting where the crowds are much smaller.

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Questions, Comments, Complaints, Random Observations? Contact Me Here

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Blogger Favorites For Virginia Wine Week

My Virginia Winery Favorites for Virginia Wine Week

Two weeks ago a group of us Virginia wine blogging folk got together to share our favorite Virginia wines in what the group called our Top 20 Virginia Wine lists.  Even more so than the aggregated data which revealed several notable wine data points, I found others personal wine preferences interesting.

Soon after posting our Top 20 Virginia Wine lists, Allan Liska, writer of CellarBlog, contacted the group to suggest that we post a winery-specific list during Virginia Wine Week.  Each of the group members provided suggestions to Allan, and he organized and trimmed down the list.

As with all ranking systems, it’s nearly impossible to name the ‘top’ of any particular category, but below are my two or three favorite wineries in each category:

Most Dog-Friendly:
This is not one I can answer from a lot of personal experience since I’ve only taken our pups (mini dachshunds – Nathan and Lucy) to a few wineries – Chatham Vineyards, Chyrsalis Vineyards, and Swedenburg Vineyard.  Both Chatham and Chrysalis were very welcoming and doggie friendly.  Although I’ve never taken our pups to Keswick Vineyards, I have been there on a quick visit during their ‘Yappy Hours’ events – a chance for pooches and wine enthusiasts to relax and make new friends – that takes place every Sunday in May through October.

Most Family-Friendly:
With a baby due in May, we’re about to start exploring this option much more.  In my opinion, I have always found most Virginia wineries to be family friendly.  It seems the wineries with the most open space to for kids to run around and tire out are the best for families with small children.  In this category I’m going with Breaux Vineyards and Doukenie, with an honorable mention going to Gadino Cellars (those bocce ball courts make a difference).

Best Winery to Take a Date:
I’ve never taken a ‘date‘ date to a winery, but my wife and I have been to many of wineries on quasi-dates.  For a romantic time, I would say a tasting and then dinner at Barboursville‘s Palladio Restaurant.  King Family Vineyards offers Polo matches on weekends throughout the summer months that would make a neat place to take a date.

Best Winery to Hear Music:
I’ve only been to music events at a couple of wineries, and I would have to say that Notaviva seemed best suited for music.

Best Winery to Bump Into Owner/Winemaker:
Since many Virginia wineries are small, the chances of bumping in to an owner or the winemaker are good.   Each time I’ve been to Chatham Vineyards I’ve run in to owners Jon or Mils Wehner, and have also seen Fritz Repich on each of my visits to Mountfair.

Best winery for Someone New to Virginia Wine:
Jefferson Vineyards, which is so close to so much history, offers a nice range of wines for someone new to Virginia and ‘location’ makes for a cool experience.  I would also say that Ingleside Plantation Vineyards with their large selection is sure to have something for all palates.

Best Views:
Like most other categories, there is no shortage of amazing views from tasting rooms throughout Virginia.  There are a few dozen wineries that could be listed here.  The decks at Bluemont Vineyard offers amazing views, as does the back patio at Chester Gap.

Best Place to Visit With a Big Group:
Linden Vineyards – The bigger the bus the better the treatment.  I hear groups over 20 are allowed exclusive use of the deck on the backside of the tasting rom.  ;)  I kid.  For those literal types, I should note that Linden, like a growing number of Virginia wineries, does not accept buses or groups over 6 (which is the way I like it).  For big groups rolling in a tour bus, I would say that Prince Michel seems really well suited for the really large groups.  For groups of six to ten, Breaux Vineyards is really well suited, and on a nice day Hillsborough Vineyards has nice outside seating (get there early to get one of those spots though).

Best je ne sais quoi/indefinable quality that makes it special:
With all the buzz right now, it seems to be RdV Vineyards.

Best Winery to Laze Away the Afternoon:
There are a large number of wineries that provide a great opportunity for lazing an afternoon away.  In the winter months, Afton Mountain and Veritas provide a cozy environment for lazing away an afternoon with good friends and a glass of wine.  In the warmer months, the Adirondack chairs adjacent to the Glen Manor tasting room make a nice place for a book and a glass of wine.

BONUS Category – Wineries I Have Yet To Visit But Plan To Soon:
Annefield Vineyards
Foggy Ridge Cidery

I look forward to reading other’s lists – especially my friends at Virginia Wine Time, Swirl Sip Snark and Virginia Wine In My Pocket who have each visited well over 100 Virginia wineries.  Thanks Allan for suggesting this idea and pulling this together!

Virginia’s Northern Neck – Many Stories To Be Told and Plenty of Elbow Room

Virginia’s Northern Neck – Many Stories To Be Told and Plenty of Elbow Room

Kick-off to Virginia Wine Week post…

“Charming area with lots of history, great escape from the crowded tasting rooms of Charlottesville and Loudoun areas, but a very long drive and far removed from everything.”

This is the reply I received from a wine friend who spends a lot of time on the Virginia wine trail when I asked him about the wineries of Virginia’s Northern Neck. My perception that the Northern Neck was ‘far removed from everything’ may have been the primary reason I haven’t visited the area sooner.   Although I am a fan of historical areas, especially if they happen to include wineries, I’m not so fond of long drives to remote places if there are other historical regions closer with more wineries.

My friend (and you know who you are   ) is sometimes known for less-than-good advice and was only partially correct about Virginia’s Northern Neck – the area is charming with lots of history and is an escape from over-crowded tasting rooms, but it’s not a long drive or far removed.  (Editorial Note:  Although tasting rooms in the larger areas tend to be more crowded during prime Saturday and Sunday hours, I like the ‘energy’ of a busy tasting room.)

Last weekend my wife and I finally had the chance to visit the wineries of Virginia’s Northern Neck.  Also called George Washington’s Birthday AVA, the Northern Neck is home to nine wineries.   If it wasn’t for an email exchange and subsequent invitation from Maria Swain, Cellar Master at Ingleside Vineyards, the Northern Neck would likely still be on my ‘to visit’ list.

After meeting Maria at a wine festival, and then trading a number of emails about a visit to the area, Maria graciously offered to plan our visit including a tour of Ingleside’s property, a wine lunch & tasting at Ingleside, scheduled visits to other Northern Neck wineries, and dinner.   An offer no wine enthusiast could refuse.

We departed our home early Saturday morning, and arrived at Ingleside about 2 1/2 hours later.  Upon arriving at Ingleside on that cool Saturday morning, we were warmly greeted by winemaker Bill Swain and his wife Maria.  After a tour of the tasting room and museum, we then toured the property (over 3,000 acres in total) with Ingleside owner Doug Flemer.   This property has been in the Flemer family since 1890, and the vineyards were planted in the late 1970′s. Ingleside Plantation Vineyards is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest wineries.

What I found most notable about the Flemer’s property were the homes dating to the mid 1700′s and 1800′s.  After the tour, we enjoyed lunch provided by Maria from the Tides Inn Market paired with Ingleside’s Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sangiovese Rose, and the 2007 Cabernet Franc.   Of this group, the Cab Franc was my favorite – one of a growing number of more concentrated, fruit-forward Virginia Cab Francs that still offer (hints) trademark vegetal components.

To cap off a great lunch tasting, Bill, Maria, and Doug pulled out a major awesomeness finale – a five vintage Petit Verdot vertical.   Included in the vertical were 2001 through 2006 Ingleside Petit Verdots (sans ’03), plus the 2005 Reserve.  Due to Hurricane Isabel, the 2003 growing season was very difficult throughout Virginia so Ingleside, like many wineries, did not produce a Petit Verdot that year.

 

Ingleside Vineyards Petit Verdot Vertical.

I’m not sure there are many other Virginia wineries that could offer a Petit Verdot vertical like this one.  Of the group, my favorites were 2001 and the 2005 Reserve.  Both were excellent with pure dark fruits, solid tannins, and well balanced.  The Ingleside 2006 Petit Verdot, also good, just won a Silver Medal at the 2011 Governor’s Cup. I’m surprised it didn’t win a Gold.  From the research I’ve done, I believe that Ingleside is the first winery in Virginia to bottle Petit Verdot commercially (if anyone knows otherwise, please let me know).

 

Tasting after lunch with Maria Swain, me, Bill Swain, and Doug Flemer.

Ingleside produces around 18 wines each year under three labels – Reserve, Premium, and Chesapeake series.  Their wine lineup ranges from Rose to whites like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay to a number of reds like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and of course Petit Verdot.  Although I did not taste through Ingleside’s entire lineup (will do that next trip), I feel their standout wine is Petit Verdot.  Would be curious as to what other Virginia Petit Verdot fans think about about the range of other Petit Verdots available throughout Virginia, but I’ve had a lot of them and the Ingleside is one of the best.

After the tour, great lunch, excellent wines and conversation, Maria, Bill, my wife and I set out to Vault Field Vineyards.  Our greeter was Vault Fields’ winery dog, but he seemed indifferent to our visit.

 

Vault Field Vineyards winery dog - not sure if he's saying 'feed me' or 'go away so I can get back to napping.'

Named for a vault dating back to the 1800′s thought to be located/hidden somewhere on the property, our second stop was Vault Field Vineyards in Kinsale, VA.   One of the more interesting ‘how I got started‘ stories belongs to Vault Field Vineyards owner and winemaker, Keith Meenan. It all started in 2002 with a trip to K-Mart – in addition to the normal stuff one would buy at K-Mart they happened to have potted grape vines.  Seems a natural evolution – from potted K-Mart Concord grape vines for home wine experimentation, to a six-acre vineyard on the Northern Neck.  Keith’s experience is a great example of a hobby gone really wild (I’m thinking this sort of behavior would lead to the end of marital bliss at the Morgan’s).

 

Enjoying the wines of Vault Field - Keith pouring, Maria Swain in the foreground.

Three years after purchasing those few experimental vines from K-Mart, Keith broke ground at Vault Field vineyards with an initial planting of 4,000 vines in 2005, followed by 4,000 more vines in 2006.  As part of working his way through the learning curve of grape growing and winemaking, Keith and Dan spent time volunteering at one of our state’s most notable wineries, Linden Vineyards.  Linden founder and winemaker, Jim Law, no doubt provides an excellent training ground for budding winemakers.  I asked Keith his primary takeaways from his time volunteering at Linden – he noted, learning to evaluate fruit ripeness based on taste, skin and seeds, and he also learned the importance of grape sorting.  Like many winemakers, Keith also relied on the expertise of many others, including Tony Wolf of Virginia Tech, consultant Lucie Morton, and Jason Murray, vineyard manager at Chateau O’Brien.

Vault Field produces a Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, a white blend, a Rose, a Merlot/Cab Sauvignon/Chambourcin blend, and a Bordeaux blend.   My favorite of the tasting was the Vault Field 2007 Reserve Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot.

I suspect at some point Keith will eventually start digging around the property to locate that vault, so maybe this will serve as a subtle hint that I am a big fan of operating heavy digging machinery.  I will be following Vault Field to see how the wines evolve as the vines mature, and to see if Keith ever finds that hidden vault.

Our third and final winery stop of the afternoon was just down the street to The Hague in Hague, VA.  In 2004, Stephen and Cynthia Madey planted Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Muscat and Chardonel on their farm with the assistance of vineyard consultant Lucie Morton (beginning to see a trend of leveraging Lucie’s expertise throughout Virginia).   Stephen leverages the expertise of Michael Shaps of Virginia Wine Works for winemaking, and that expert touch shows in The Hague wines.

Call me old fashioned, or one dimensional, but I typically prefer the ‘classic’ vitis vinifera and am not a fan of hybrids and rarely find one that I enjoy.  I find many hybrids off putting because of the contrived aromas and flavors.  However, The Hague Chardonel – a cross between Chardonnay and the hybrid Sevyal developed in 1953 at Cornell University – has opened my eyes to the potential of this particular hybrid.  I found the Chardonel bright, crisp, with white flowers throughout.  At $14.95/bottle this is a nice wine, and is going to go great this summer with fresh Eastern Shore seafood.

I found Stephen to be interestingly interesting, and he strikes me as a guy with a number of great sea stories.   Stephen and Cynthia joined Maria, Bill, Doug, my wife and I for drinks at the Swain’s home and dinner at Good Eats Cafe housed in a refurbished 1930′s gas station. To pair with the excellent, well made dinner, was an ample supply of wine from The Hauge and Ingleside.

To cap the off the evening, we stayed at The Point at Liberty Farm guest house – a rental home on the edge the Rappahannock River, and just a couple miles from Ingleside.   I spent Sunday morning on the deck; reading, enjoying the quiet, and watching hawks search for their breakfast swimming below in the Rappahannock.  I look forward to returning in the summer when the surrounding foliage is green.

View of The Point from the Rappahanock River. Photo credit: Ingleside Vineyards

 

View of the Rappahanock from the top deck (imagine this view in the Spring and Summer)

For the ‘rest and relaxation’ seekers, I highly recommend this home as a great weekend getaway for rest, wine, and even some history.  Like much of Virginia, the Northern Neck is rich with history including George Washington’s birthplace, to Robert E. Lee’s birthplace Stratford Hall (great place to rent a cabin as well), historic homes dating back to the mid-1700′s and 1800′s are spread throughout the area.

 

Inside view of The Pointe.

View from inside The Pointe living room with view of Rappahanock.

Thank you to Bill, Maria, Doug and everyone on the Northern Neck for your hospitality and sharing your wines with us!

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Questions, Comments, Complaints, Random Observations? Contact Me Here

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Wine Blogging Wednesday 71 – Viognier, Where Rhone Meets Virginia

Wine Blogging Wednesday 71 – Viognier, Where Rhone Meets Virginia – Showcasing The Potential of Virginia Wine

Today marks the second month of the Wine Blogging Wednesday comeback – the 71st monthly installment.   Our host for Wine Blogging Wednesday 71 is Tim Elliot of Wine Cast, and our theme this month is Rhones Not From The Rhone.  More specifically, we were charged with picking ‘any wine made from a variety best known in The Rhône but not made in that famous French region. It doesn’t matter if the wine is white, pink or red; still, sparkling or fortified. Whatever you choose, just needs to be made from primarily a Rhone grape and come from a region not in France.

Oh ouais! A great excuse to pop the cork on one of my favorite Viognier’s from my home state – which is producing amazing examples of this beauty from the Rhone – the Jefferson Vineyards 2009 Viognier.

Viognier is ‘the’ grape of the Condrieu region, located in the northern Rhone.   Many serious wine enthusiasts know Condrieu as home to the AOC within the AOC, Chateau-Grillet – that famous 9 acres single winery sanctuary to Chateau-Grillet, one of the more notable Viognier producers in the world.  By most accounts, Condrieu is considered the epicenter of Viognier, and I do tend to agree in terms of long-term age worthiness, but ~3,700 miles away, my home state of Virginia is also producing excellent examples of this varietal.  The Condrieu AOC has roughly 330 acres under Viognier vine, and Virginia currently has 149 acres under Viognier vine (according to 2008 Commercial Grape Report).

One winery in particular that is producing a great example of Virginia Viognier is Jefferson Vineyards.  Unlike it’s peers from Condrieu, Virginia Viognier (for the most part) isn’t jacked up on heavy oak, so more of the white flowers, honeysuckle, peach, and apricot components shine.

The Jefferson Vineyards property, located in Charlottesville, VA, spans 650 acres, 25 of which are under vine.  Jefferson Vineyard’s is located right smack dab in the middle of Virginia and Revolutionary history, located just one mile south of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and near James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highlands.   Two hundred years ago, the land currently occupied by Jefferson Vineyards was home to vineyards planted by Jefferson wine friend, Philip Mazzei.  Although the vines Mazzei planted (some say for Jefferson) resulted in no commercial success, the land is rich with history.

Sign outside Jefferson Vineyards entrance - Colle, Philip Mazzei's estate adjacent to Jefferson's Monticello.

Of particular note about Jefferson Vineyards is a valuable piece of intellectual property – the signature that adorns this bottle, ‘Th. Jefferson.’  Jefferson Vineyards is the only winery in the world that is able to use Thomas Jefferson’s signature on their bottles.  (Shameless self-promotion:  Read more about Thomas Jefferson’s wine experiences in a previous series, ’30 Days of Thomas Jefferson On Wine‘)

“We grow grapes and we make wine.  That’s all we do, and we do it very well.” ~ Jefferson Vineyards

Jefferson 2009 Viognier, $24 – Like WBW70, I am on the road again for this month’s WBW, so I was ended up pairing the star of tonight’s WBW with room service – a bland salad with shrimp.  Gold colored in the glass, this wine is like a floral, apricot, and mineral threesome with the mineral relegated mainly to watching.  The apricot is overwhelming and dominates the wine, in a good way, with hints of peach Sweetarts in the mouth.   Weighty texture with light apricot syrup on the finish.  Interesting to note about this wine, in looking back at my tasting notes for this wine, every bottle of this wine that I’ve made notes on I’ve picked up a pronounced nutmeg component in the glass after when emptied.

A big ol virtual hat tip to Tim at Wine Cast for hosting this month – excellent topic!  For those attending Wine Bloggers Conference 2011 in Charlottesville, you’ll no doubt taste a lot of Viognier during your time in Virginia!

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Questions, Comments, Complaints, Random Observations? Contact Me Here

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