View from the Punt — Part 2 — Perspectives on TasteCamp and a few Lessons Learned

View from the Punt — Part II — Winemakers Share Their Perspectives on TasteCamp and a few Lessons Learned

As a follow up to last week’s TasteCamp recap post — View from the Punt Part I, Winemaker Perspectives on TasteCamp — I’m concluding the TasteCamp series with perspectives from a few more winemakers that participated in TasteCamp 2012.  And, As one of the organizers for this year’s TasteCamp, I have a few opinions of my own to share, which are noted at the bottom of this post.

I thought it was great to be able to get our wine in front of some new faces and it was nice to see some familiar faces too. Although the tasting lasted 1 1/2 hours, I don’t feel that I got the chance to chat with everyone.  Perhaps a little more time would have been useful in getting the chance to meet everyone.

I like the focused, small group tasting environment, and it was nice to have just 3 wines to pour and talk about. I do agree that it would have been good to give the attendees some background info on each of the wineries, but I understand that it takes time and effort to compile all of this info.   Overall it was a positive experience, and I hope to read lots of comments and blog posts from attendees about Virginia wine.   ~ Kirsty Harmon, Blenheim Vineyards

Blenheim Vineyards Team – Kirsty Harmon, winemaker, and Greg Hirson, assistant winemaker.

To make the most of TasteCamper’s time in Virginia and to introduce them to as many wineries and wines of the region as possible, the TasteCamp agenda is packed by design.  However, I agree with Kirsty and the other wineries that noted more time would be helpful for engaging more with attendees.  It’s important to remember that learning is a two-way street at these events — winemakers want to learn as much from ‘us‘ as we do from them.

I personally was excited and honored to be among a community of diverse backgrounds and efforts of this industry!  It was wonderful to put names to faces as well as to hear feedback from other areas of the country.  Since a lot of the wines/wineries were from the northern viticulture region of Virginia, I was honored to represent the southeastern/northern neck area of Virginia where a lot of great wines are being produced.  I do think it would be an added value to have more wineries from the other regions so as to have a more diverse sampling from all wine regions.  There are wineries venturing in to new viticulture and are producing some exciting wines that most are not aware can be produced here.  Virginia is definitely on its way to becoming more popular in the wine community/industry and although this event may have been small in attendees, the voice coming out of it is huge!

Coming from a small, low production winery that hardly anyone in the state of Virginia has heard about, let alone outside the state, it was a wonderful opportunity to not only get our name out to local bloggers/writers, but to also highlight a different area.

I was most impressed by how open minded and passionate everyone was about the wines.  It was nice to find everyone to be as sponges trying to soak up details and opinions without bias.  I felt very proud to be part of a diverse group, where although we each, as an individual entity, had visions of wowing the crowd with our wine; we also had pride in simply showcasing what Virginia can produce.

I am thrilled to hear comments and feedback about Viognier from our state!  I love hearing that our <Virginia> Viognier can rival those found in France! ~ Terri Hyde, General’s Ridge Vineyards

When I was approached to recap my thoughts on this spring’s TasteCamp I thought it would be an easy write up. Upon reflection, I found it very difficult to describe why I want to be in front of wine bloggers, some of whom I know and others I do not.  It’s about marketing, personal and regional branding, it’s about pride and ego, and it’s about camaraderie.

I think the marketing is a rather obvious point about getting your wines/brand out there. Pride and ego accompanied by humility require a little explanation. My cup of optimism runs over after pouring and discussing wines with passionate and seasoned writers of wine. I like to hear the honest remarks and enjoy the high regard from the evaluators. I’m further excited to know that I stand behind the table with winemakers sharing a philosophy and commitment to thrust Virginia into the world’s limelight. All of the writers/bloggers are excited by the breadth and quality of wines. There’s an exuberant camaraderie amongst winemakers and the writers/bloggers. Everyone here wants to be on board this new rising star called Virginia Wines. The excitement and enthusiasm is contagious and stands out during these events in a way that I’ve not experienced in any other venue.  Ultimately, this is why I attend.  ~ Derek Pross, Gadino Cellars

Derek Pross from Gadino Cellars, and Jeff from Glass House Winery.

I appreciate the passion and enthusiasm Derek and all the winemakers shared during TasteCamp, and have heard similar comments from winemakers about a certain excitement when pouring for wine savvy writers/bloggers like the TasteCamp group.

First of all, wine bloggers are consumers – so at the heart of it, there is reason to engage bloggers for all of the very same reasons you would engage any other consumer, and it’s important not to lose sight of that. An opportunity to pour your wine for a consumer is an opportunity to sell your wine to a consumer.

So when a “consumer” is also a “blogger,” how does that impact an event like this from the winery perspective – how is it different than attending to the hordes at a drunk-fest?

Well the way I see it, it’s worthwhile to first note that a “content creator” is not by default a “social influencer.” Put another way: two people can go start a blog and write about wine; in one year, blog “a” can have 1,000 daily readers, and blog “b” might only have 20 – or even be defunct. This is important because:

• Negative content posted by minimally influential creators is largely irrelevant to wineries’ overall branding efforts.
• The value of linkbacks in association with desirable keywords (“Virginia, Wine”) cannot be overstated, and while proportionate to the posters’ social influence (traffic) – the facts of the matter stand: “any press is good press.”

So when it comes to an event that offers me the opportunity to put my wines in front of the blogger-consumer, here’s how I feel:

1. Good or bad, any resulting posts provide linkbacks out of the deal, which boosts my “Digital Street Cred” …an investment in SEO efforts.
2. If my wines garner positive posts, the benefits are self-evident.
3. If my wines garner negative posts, I have the opportunity to learn from valuable consumer feedback. And heck, maybe people start following me on twitter or Facebook just to see how bad – and if I can’t turn a few free followers into new fans just because one person said something mean, I better stop making wine and get back to drinking it.

Of course, there’s another factor to all of this… it’s not all sunshine and glory. The benefits of promoting my wines to so many bloggers with minimal effort must be carefully weighed against the circumstances: pouring wine for bloggers who’ve just been swooned by another producers’ intimate barrel tasting, or who’s palates have just been rocked by hours of food and drink, are far less desirable conditions than standing beside other producers on an equal stage, with balanced chances of pouring for a “fresh” palate (needless to say, WBC11 was a fiasco of an arrangement). Have you ever noticed how blog posts are dominated by mentions of those producers and activities that received the invitation/opportunity to really drive home the “wow” factor for the bloggers?  It’s incredibly difficult to compete for any serious attention amid 20 other wineries when only 3 of them have been selected to provide the group with dedicated face-time in a unique setting (read: guaranteed “tasting room” or “cellar” bias).  

Finally, regardless of the conditions, every winery must consider participation in events such as these from a “defensive” perspective. For example, when the 12 gold medal winners of the Governors’ cup are announced, more than appreciation for those twelve wines crosses a consumer’s mind: it also (fairly or unfairly) invalidates the quality of wines not mentioned. In similar fashion, when a blogger steps up to an event like this, if exposure to participating brands helps to affirm said brands as “established” in the blogger’s mind, then so too are other brands somewhat discredited by their absence.

At the end of the day, this is an opportunity to engage consumers, and carries with it all the same pros/cons of attending something like a generic wine festival. But unlike a general wine festival, there are some additional opportunities to extend the ROI, which are inherent in a “blogger festival,” ranging from SEO improvements to potentially viral brand mentions.

All of this considered, outside of unrelated hardships (staffing or scheduling issues, inhibiting costs of attendance/wine/travel, etc.,) – unless the organization of the event so egregiously devalues the opportunity for your winery, my opinion is that any winery confident in their wines should absolutely attend these events. And while the format might not immediately feel ideal for your business model or wine style, refusing to attend severely inhibits your ability to do anything about it. So any winery saying “I would go if…” should consider establishing a relationship with the community before pressuring said community to change. In a nutshell: if you don’t like how bloggers and blogging works, either zip it and quit it, or put your big boy pants on and get your brand in the game. Because unless your brand carries so much weight that you can dictate the terms, you’re probably looking to build that weight – and refusing to attend these kinds of events doesn’t speed the process. Meh, and I don’t know – if your business model doesn’t call for having any serious “weight” in the industry in the first place, why do you even care about your brand? Enjoy your hobby, and hopefully, it doesn’t cost you the farm.  ~ Allan Delmare, Rappahannock Cellars

Allan makes a number of notable points and I appreciate his insights and candor about wine writer/blogger events and especially his sensible view of potential negative reviews.  Each of us — winemakers and the blogger crowd — can learn from less than sun shinny feedback.   ’In a nutshell: if you don’t like how bloggers and blogging works, either zip it and quit it, or put your big boy pants on and get your brand in the game.’ Hat tip Allan.

Allan Delmare from Rappahannock Cellars.

Visit Loudoun was thrilled that Loudoun County, Virginia was selected as the host destination for Taste Camp 2012! Our goal is to increase exposure for Loudoun as a destination, and working with wine bloggers facilitates the relationship to help build awareness about the quality of wine and travel experiences emerging from Loudoun as a wine travel destination. We hope that all ‘campers’ will remember the authentic experiences had with the winemakers, winery owners, and fellow wine bloggers, and that they will pass along these great experiences in their blogs and with family and friends. Thank you to all the bloggers who enjoyed the visit to DC’s Wine Country. We are continually growing, and with four new wineries scheduled to open this summer alone, there’s always something new and exciting to write about. We hope to see everyone again soon!  ~ Stacey Sheetz, Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association (Visit Loudoun)

Thank you Stacey and to the entire team at Visit Loudoun for all of your help with planning TasteCamp.  I would like to also thank the Marketing Office of the Virginia Wine Board for sponsoring the TasteCamp lunch with Pizzeria Moto on Saturday afternoon — very much appreciated (and the pizza was great)!  Much thanks also goes to each winery that shared their wines with the TasteCamp group.

As I noted in my previous post, helping organize TasteCamp allowed me to cross one more profession — event planning — off my potential future career choice list.  In the spirit of improvement, I’ve recorded a few lessons learned on how I might improve planning for future wine events, and I present them here for consideration for TasteCamp 2013 in Quebec.

• Start early.  Though I could make a many (irrelevant) excuses, I did not begin my part of the planning soon enough, and this procrastination resulted in unneeded confusion leading up to the event.  Next year, I believe Lesley Trites, author of the Girl on Wine blog, and Remy Charest, author of Wine Case blog, will serve as local hosts.  I recommend that TC2013 planning begin today. 
• Retail Sales.  While we’re on the subject of early planning, I recommend that consideration be given to finding a way to allow wineries that pour at the grand tastings to sell their wines to attendees.  Here in Virginia, this was not possible due to the labyrinth of licensing and ABC regulations.  Well, it may have been possible had I planned far enough in advance for off-site sales.
• Less compressed schedule. For many attendees, TasteCamp is a once-a-year chance to catch up with friends so the party tends to go late in to the night (and wee hours of Saturday) after the Friday evening dinner.  Perhaps a 10am on Saturday morning, and one less vineyard walk on Saturday would be more reasonable and allow more time at the Saturday grand tasting.
• Invite local winemakers/winery folk to participate in the evening dinners (at a minimum, the BYOB Saturday dinner).  Having winemakers participate in dinner may provide attendees a better/another opportunity to interact with local winemakers and learn more about the region.  Trying to learn about a particular wine or winery in a few minutes at one of the grand tastings isn’t ideal.  I believe having more time to interact with winemakers without them having to pour wine and manage a tasting table would be beneficial for attendees.
• Provide each winery a copy of attendee list along with blog site and Twitter names prior to the event and encourage them to connect before TasteCamp.
• Provide each TasteCamp attendee with a list of participating wineries along with Twitter handles and encourage them to connect before the event.
• Provide phone numbers for local Taxi or shuttle service to each attendee in case the bus leaves them.  Ok, kidding, sort of.  I would recommend that in future events, consider assigning everyone a bus buddy (I recommend Marie Payton ) or count attendees when getting off and back on the bus before leaving a vineyard.  This year we left two behind — my bad ya’ll.  (although, a head count would not have been helpful as two attendees who took the bus to dinner actually rode back to hotel with someone else)
• The Friday and Saturday evening dinners at wineries, vice a local restaurant, seemed to work very well.  Keep this format of dinners at the wineries.   (I believe from past attendees that the lunches were always held at wineries?)

If you attended TasteCamp this year or in prior years and have other suggestions on content and/or schedule improvements, leave a note in the comments section.

For more perspectives on TasteCamp 2012 Virginia, please check out these posts from fellow TasteCampers (if I’ve missed linking your post here, please let me know):

• Boxwood Winery Hosts TasteCamp 2012 by Cat on the Boxwood Winery blog (another must read Virginia winery blog).
• Notes on (Taste)Camp, with apologies to Susan Sontag by Annefield Vineyards owner Stephen Ballard, on the Annefield Vineyards blog (a must read winery blog).
• Surprised by “Little Burgundy” at TasteCamp: Ankida Ridge by Julia, posted at New York Cork Report.
• TasteCamp 2012, The Wine Stand Outs, Part 1 by Shannon at Grape Occasions.
• An Enologist’s Perspective on the Virginia Wine Industry by Keith at Wine ORL.
• TasteCamp East 2012 — To Each Their Own! by John at Anything Wine.
• Scenes from TasteCamp 2012 Virginia by Lenn at New York Cork Report.
• TasteCamp 2012 Visit to Linden by Todd at Virginia Wine TV.
• TasteCamp 2012 in Virginia, USA – A Tour d’Horizont by Christian at Schiller-Wine.
• TasteCamp Day Three by Paul and Warren at Virginia Wine Time.
• TasteCamp Day 1 Reception and Dinner at Breaux by Kurt and Carol at Wine About Virginia.
• Day 1 at TasteCamp: Welcome,  Lunch and Grand Tasting by Kurt and Carol at Wine About Virginia.
• My first post on TasteCamp 2012, View From The Punt – Perspectives on TasteCamp from the Other Side of the Bottle – Part I.
• Taste Camp: Ruminations of a Taste Camp Rookie Part 1 by Hagan at LocoWino.
• Taste Camp: Ruminations of a Taste Camp Rookie Part 2 by Hagan at LocoWino.
• TasteCamp 2012: Day One by Anthony at Virginia Pour House.
• TasteCamp Recap by VWD and GEG at Swirl, Sip, Snark.
• A Taste of TasteCamp 2012 at Breaux Vineyards by Kirsten at Cellar Blog.
• TasteCamp 2012 in Virginia: First Impressions by Remy at Wine Case.

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

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The Chicken, The Egg, and the Winery – Trade Relationship (and what’s missing?)

The Chicken, The Egg, and the Winery – Trade Relationship (and what’s missing?)  — Or — Why Don’t More Winery Websites Show Some Love to the Trade

Last month, Stephen Ballard, co-founder of Annefield Vineyards, authored an excellent piece entitled ‘Where Are the Trade?‘ about the lack of trade attendance at the Virginia Wine Expo.  Given the wine consuming masses that crowd the isles of the Expo, I’m not surprised the trade didn’t show — trade being defined as wine shop owners, restaurant folks, Sommeliers, distributors, sales reps and the like.   Stephen does a great job of highlighting the need for a serious Virginia wine-trade-only event similar to massive trade-only ProWein event in Germany.

Stephen’s blog post also touches on the interesting relationship between Virginia wineries and the trade.  From my perspective — that of an avid Virginia wine consumer and author of a few blog and print musings on Virginia over the last three and one-half years — Virginia wineries and the trade appear to get on quite well.

Winemakers seem to be in a constant state of hosting tastings at local wine shops (though not too many here in the Tidewater area), many wine shops throughout the Commonwealth carry a reasonable local selection, and the trade is regularly invited on media trips to Virginia wineries with Virginia’s First Lady, Maureen McDonnell.  In fact, I’m not sure there is another Governor, First Lady and Secretary of Agriculture so engaged in promoting and brining wineries and trade together than Virginia’s state leaders (much credit goes to the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office for their tireless work in making all this happen).

Though a healthy winery-trade relationship exists here, there is clearly some room for improvement based on recent conversations with winery owners, vintners, local wine shop owners, Somms and a few other random industry folk — restaurants and retails shops need to promote and sell more Virginia wine according to a couple of winemakers I spoke to… and, conversely, a wine shop owner and Sommelier told me that wineries need to produce more wine and work on competitive pricing structures in order to create demand.  Sounds like the ol chicken and the egg circular argument.

I’m not sure of the best approach to bridge the small divide between Virginia wineries and members of the trade — will leave that to the experts — but I do have a general observation about how wineries present/showcase their products to the trade.

Yesterday I visited over 50 Virginia winery and cidery websites and was absolutely shocked to find that only a very few — Breaux Vineyards, Barboursville Vineyards, Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery, Delfosse Vineyards — have a Trade section on their website (no doubt I missed a few winery websites with trade info).  In the spirit of Drink Local inclusion, I also visited about 15 Maryland winery websites, a dozen Colorado winery websites and a few from Texas as well.  Only one winery from these states included a ‘trade’ link — Canyon Wind Cellars in Colorado.

Wha-whaaaat?  You gotta be kidding me!  Of all the Virginia winery and other state’s websites I visited (about 90 in total) only five included a link (or section) for the trade to access information like shelf-talkers, sell sheets, bottle photos, detailed technical information on each wine (including past vintages), sales/trade contact information, formats available (375ml, 750ml, Mag, etc.), UPC, and any other tidbit that a retailer, Sommelier, distributor or sales person might need to make an informed buying decision.

I should note that nearly all of the winery websites I visited did include the standard, obligatory links to their Facebook page, online ordering info, exhaustive listings of wine competition medals won, tasting notes, directions, a listing of events and festivals, and some even included an itemized accounting of restaurants and retailers that carry their wine along with a lot of other consumer-centric information (which is also great info too).

Contrast this with the first dozen California and Oregon winery websites I visited, all of which included a link from their winery main web page to a specific trade section.  If I were doling out awards, Duckhorn Wine Company in California would win the Awesome Trade Section of a Winery Website Award for their informative and comprehensive, yet simple to navigate site for trade professionals (hat tip Meg Houston Maker for the lead on Duckhorn’s trade site):

Why don’t more Virginia, Maryland, Colorado, and Texas wineries/cideries have a comparable trade section on their websites?  Maybe these wine industries are smaller and distribution is more limited than larger regions like California and Oregon so informing the trade is not as necessary? Or maybe and all the sales folks already know all the winery folks and their wines so wineries do not yet need to make such information available to the trade?

Obviously, having a link for members of the trade is not a prerequisite to sell wine — many small wineries (fewer and fewer as competition increases?) sell much of their production directly from their tasting room and do not need to leverage traditional restaurant or retail sales channels.  Since tasting room sales are generally the most profitable for a winery, I’m sure there are some that have no plans to leverage the trade for wine sales, and thus one would not expect to see a trade link.

For those wineries that do leverage retail and/or restaurant sales (or would like to), having a trade site seems to make a lot of common business sense.  I could be wrong about this so I’m really interested in hearing from wineries that have made a conscious decision not to have such a valuable resource for the trade.  By the way, this is no way intended as a dig at any winery or their website, but a sincere desire to learn about the reasons for wineries not specifically focusing on the trade.

Though I may not be a member of the group commonly referred to as the trade, if I were, I would expect wineries to have a ‘trade‘ section on their website that contained information like sell sheets, shelf-talkers (not that I would personally need them , technical fact sheets, bottle images, sales point of contact, UPC, etc.

I submit this question to those Virginia, Colorado, Texas and Maryland wineries interested in moving their wine via traditional trade channels — Why don’t you have a specific area of your winery web site dedicated to providing much valuable information to the trade.

Members of the trade: Would a trade section of every winery website — complete with shelf-talkers, wine technical factoids, bottle/winery photos, winery stats, clear contact information, etc. — be helpful to you?

Editorial Note:  If you haven’t already, take a moment now to read Stephen Ballard’s ‘Where Are the Trade?‘ I encourage readers to visit the Annefield Winery blog regularly as it’s one of the best winery blogs in the blogosphere and no doubt will be a nominee for the Best Winery Blog category in the 2012Wine Blog Awards.

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

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The Thibaut Effect and Results of 2nd Annual Virginia Sparkling Wine Blind Tasting

2012 Sparkling Wine Tasting Recap

Webster defines consultant as one who gives professional advice or services.  Though Webster does not provide a definition of winemaking consultant (or viticulture consultant), a generally accepted definition is a person — presumably with an above average working knowledge of all things viticulture — that provides counsel and/or hands on instruction in winegrowing/making (though the lines between winery/vineyard/winemaking consultant seem quite blurry these days).

Though Consultants are sometimes painted in a less than flattering light — just read ‘House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You The Time‘ — Virginia is fortunate to be home to a number of outstanding winemaking consultants that have brought skills, experience and techniques partly responsible for raising the quality bar of Virginia wine (along with many, many others of course).

It is one of these notable winemaking consultants — fifth-generation French winemaker Claude Thibaut — that brought global experience and domain expertise to help create the Virginia sparkling wine segment we know today.  Thibaut came to Virginia in 2003 — one of the most climatologically challenging vintages on record here in the Commonwealth — to consult on a new project to make world-class sparkling wine at the winery formerly known as Kluge Estates.

Though he has provided expertise and guidance in the production of many of the state’s sparkling wines since 2003, Thibaut is perhaps best known for his own Virginia sparkling wine label, Thibaut-Janisson, that he started in 2005 with fellow Frenchman Manuel Janisson (of Champagne house Janisson & Fils).  More than any other vintner in the state, Claude has influenced — either directly through consulting/winemaking or indirectly from his expertise shared with the industry — most sparkling wine production here in Virginia.

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to experience the Thibaut Effect and taste several of Claude’s sparkling wines as part of a sparkling wine blind tasting at Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville, VA.

The event was hosted by Jefferson winemaker and General Manager Andy Reagan and attended by nine of my other Virginia wine friends — Paul & Warren of Virginia Wine Time, VWD and GEG from Swirl Sip Snark, Anthony from Virginia Pour House blog, Megan Headley who writes for CVille Weekly,  Allan from Cellar Blog, Pia Mara Finkell from The BuzzBin, and Melissa from Uncork Virginia blog.

Last Sunday marked the second year for our Virginia sparkling wine blind tasting. The inaugural event held at Keswick Vineyards in February 2011.   Aside from getting a little smarter on sparkling wine by tasting most of the sparkling wines produced in Virginia in a comparative setting, this annual event provides a great opportunity to catch up with friends who I see too little of.

Of the approximately 205 farm wineries in Virginia only 14 produce a sparkling wine, and nine of these wineries were represented in this year’s sparkling wine tasting.  Both Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and Thibaut-Janisson produce two different sparkling wines bringing the total number of sparkling wines produced in Virginia to about 16 (there are likely a couple more not included in this count).

I recently caught up with the sage of Virginia sparkling wine, Claude Thibaut, for an interview for an upcoming print piece and asked him why so few Virginia wineries produce sparkling wine.  Claude noted that ‘the process is very complex and costly. The Champagne equipment is also very expensive. There are many steps from the pressing of the fruit to the disgorging of the sparkling wines that takes a lot of experience and skills to perform and one single mistake can be detrimental to the quality of the final product.’

Claude also noted that the consumption (demand) of Virginia sparkling wine is low, which keeps the production low. This certainly makes sense considering many US wine consumers tend to reserve consumption of sparkling wines for special occasions.

For this year’s blind tasting, our line up included ten different Virginia sparkling wines from nine producers, four of which were made by Claude Thibaut.  We also decided to include sparkling Viogniers this year.  There are currently only three sparkling Viogniers produced in Virginia, not enough for a separate flight, so we included the two sparkling Viogniers in with the others for one overall flight (we did not have the Cuvee Julia from Rogers Ford Farm Winery, a Viognier-Chardonnay sparkling wine blend).  I was a little worried that the sweetness of the sparkling Viogniers would overwhelm the other wines, however, when tasted beside the Chardonnay dominant sparklers, the Viogniers were easy to identify but certainly not peachy-sweet or overpowering.

Since Viognier was recently designated as Virginia’s State Signature Grape, one might expect to see more sparkling Viognier being produced.  I asked Claude his thoughts on Viognier’s versatility to make sparkling wine compared to Chardonnay (Note: Your correspondent feels it’s versatile enough, but knows nothing about winemaking so there is a slight possibility that I’m wrong about this); ‘If the goal is to produce a sparkling wine in the same style as in Champagne, I think that the Chardonnay has probably the best flavor profile and also keeps good sugar/acid ratio at Harvest. It is important to use a variety that can maintain a good acid level under our growing conditions. Chenin Blanc could also be a good option. On the other hand, you can make a more aromatic style of sparkling using Viognier or Pinot Blanc but you need to find a very cool site in order to preserve some of the natural acidity.

I have had requests for sparkling Viognier on a small scale but the price of the grape is definitely too high. I think that the aromas of a sparkling Viognier are very attractive but I have a feeling that the wine must be drunk young.’

Since there are just 185 acres planted to Viognier (as of 2010) compared to 443 acres of Chardonnay, I doubt we’ll see too many Virginia sparkling Viogniers in the near term.

As the most planted varietal in Virginia, Chardonnay remains the workhorse of the wine industry and was the predominant varietal in this year’s sparkling wines:

• Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, NV ($27)
• Thibaut Virginia FIZZ, NV ($21)
• Veritas Vineyards Scintilla, NV ($30)
• Paradise Springs Apres, Sparkling Viognier, NV ($43)
• Horton Vineyards Sparkling Viognier, NV ($25)
• Old House Vineyards Petillante, NV ($35)
• Prince Michel Winery, NV ($40)
• Barboursville Vineyards Brut, NV ($20)
• Kluge (Trump) SP Blanc de Blanc, 2008 ($28)
• Afton Mountain Vineyards, 2008 Tete De Cuvee ($30)
• Gruet Brut, NV.  ($16) New Mexico, USA.  Like last year, we added a sparkling wine from another region.
• * NOTE: The prices above represent the price we paid for each wine.  No samples were accepted for the tasting this year.

The purpose of the tasting was not to determine the ‘best‘ Virginia sparkling wine – that would be impossible even if we wanted to.  Instead, the real purpose was to taste Virginia sparkling wines in a blind comparative setting that we may not have otherwise tasted at one time.

Consistent with our process last year to keep the tasting moving and the scoring/ranking simple, we opted for a ranking system wherein each taster ranked the wines from 1 to 11 — #1 being their favorite, down to their least favorite, #11.  This ‘rack and stack’ system allows everyone to use his or her preferred scoring system (I used the UC Davis 20 point scale), while keeping the overall final ranking simple.

Admittedly this favorite-to-least-favorite scoring system coupled with the mixing of vintages and varietals is not a true technically correct comparative tasting, but ranking system does provide a reasonably accurate accounting of opinions.

After much sniffing, sipping, slurping, and spitting, the eleven wines were racked and stacked.

Racking & Stacking -- no more counting on my fingers.

The top five sparkling wines based on aggregated rankings from all eleven tasters:

1. Gruet Brut
2. Veritas Scintilla
3. Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay
4. Thibaut-Janisson Virginia FIZZ * (last year’s winner!)
5. TIE:  Horton Sparkling Viognier and Kluge 2008 Blanc de Blanc

As a passionate advocate for Virginia wine, I feel it’s total lame sauce to have the only out-of-state entry win top honors this year. However, as a fan of value wines, in particular value sparkling wines, having one of the best value sparkling wines in the US finish atop the rankings is great.  (I had the chance to visit Gruet last year to taste their entire lineup of excellent QPR wines.)

The positive takeaway from the individual rankings is that the Veritas Scintilla received the most #1 (most favorite) votes with six tasters ranking this wine as their favorite.  For the five tasters that did not rank Veritas as their #1 favorite, their scores tended to be near the least favorite side of the ranking scale, which really weighed down the overall ranking.

Interestingly, only one taster ranked the Gruet as their favorite (with a #1 ranking), but four tasters ranked the Gruet as their 2nd favorite and three tasters ranked as their #3 favorite, which resulted in the best overall ranking.

In the spirit of the statistics cliché that goes something like, ‘facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable,’ I unilaterally award the Veritas Scintilla the Taster’s Favorite Award, and award the Gruet the Most Consistent Performer Award.

Though we can debate the top two or three ranked wines, the least favorite of the tasting was clear.  The Old House Vineyards Petillante received eight #11 (least favorite) rankings and two #10 (next-to-least-favorite) rankings.  As a believer in giving the benefit of the doubt, I’m sure this was an off bottle as I’m sure this wine was not supposed to smell/taste like a block of cheddar cheese that’s been rubbed in armpit funk.

The top five wines on my scoring/ranking sheet were (along with my tasting notes):

1. Veritas Scintilla.  A brut sparkling wine made in the traditional method, 100% Chardonnay. Really good. Frothy mousse, lively bubbles, potent green apple and pear with yeasty components.  Very fresh.
2. Thibaut-Janisson Virginia FIZZ.  Made from 100% Chardonnay. Bright in color and aromatics, with lively bubbles.  Hints of sweet apple and lime throughout.  Like Honest Tea, just a tad sweet. For anyone that has had FIZZ a few times, this one was easily identifiable in the blind lineup. Dollar for dollar, I feel this is the best value sparkling wine produced in Virginia.
3. Gruet Brut.  Pungent green apple and lemon/lime aromas with hints of toast.
4. Kluge 2008 Blanc de Blanc.  Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes.  I’ve never had a pear muffin, but if there is such a thing I imagine this is what it smells like while baking – strong aromas of pear, dough with lemon spritz.  Long lemon/lime finish.
5. Afton Mountain 2008 Tete De Cuvee.  A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  This bottle finished #10 in the overall rankings.  Perhaps more than other bottle in the line up, scores for this wine were all over the ranking map and was the most debated in terms of questioning whether this was a bad bottle.  I didn’t think so.  The aromatics were definitely different than the other wines, but not in an ‘off‘ way.   Gold in color, this wine showed a big mousse, lively bubbles and red apple skin on the nose and palate.  Also picked up aromas of canned fruit, chalk and sweetarts on the finish.  Slightly richer than the other sparkling wines.

Most of the wines in the tasting were Brut style, which is a term used to define extra-dry to dry sparkling wine/Champagne, typically with less than 1.5% sugar.  For a quick refresher on the definition of other sparkling wine styles, see ‘What Does Brut Mean?‘)

I wish more Virginia wineries (hint hint… Ankida Ridge, Annefield, Jefferson, Keswick…) would produce sparkling wine, but given the still wobbly economy I doubt we’ll see too many wineries making the capital investment necessary to produce sparkling wine in the near term.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this tasting, and to Virginia Wine Diva at Swirl Sip Snark for picking up most of the wines for the event.  A big thanks to Andy Reagan at Jefferson Vineyards for allowing us to use the Jefferson Vineyards tasting room, stemware, the food afterwards and for the hospitality!

Tinker, Tailor, Winemaker, Pourer...

 For additional perspective please be sure to check out each of these recaps of the tastings:

• Swirl Sip Snark
• Virginia Wine Time
• Uncork Virginia

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

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Major Changes to the Virginia Governor’s Cup – An Interview with New Head Judge Jay Youmans

Major Changes to the Virginia Governor’s Cup – An Interview with New Head Judge Jay Youmans

In my non-wine, 9-to-5 world I am well known by colleagues for my aversion to social events and the great lengths I go to avoid them.  Though I’m not a fan of the standard ‘how about this crazy weather‘ corporate grip-and-grin events, I’ve come to appreciate, and even look forward to social events in the wine world.

In late October I attended one such wine event in Washington, D.C. hosted by the Virginia Tourism office and the Virginia Wine Marketing Office to celebrate Virginia Wine Month and to highlight Virginia’s wine travel experiences.  The event featured wines from five of Virginia’s top wineries and was attended by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore, along with a host of other industry professionals and media. (Paul and Warren of Virginia Wine Time have a great recap of the event posted here.)

Not only did the reception provide an opportunity taste some nice wines and catch up with friends that I see too little of, the event also provided a great forum to pick up a few nuggets of inside information as well.

While waiting for the event to begin, I happened to meet up with Dave McIntyre and Jay Youmans, Washington DC’s only Master of Wine.  During our conversation Jay mentioned his proposal to the State to revamp the Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition.  Having more than a passing interest and curiosity in stories related to the Virginia wine industry, I kept this item on my radar.  I heard last week that an announcement was imminent…

And today, Governor McDonnell officially announced revamped and enhanced Governor’s Cup Competition, lead by new head judge Jay Youmans.  To reestablish credibility of the Governor’s Cup competition, this is a much-needed change.

Jay Youmans (photo credit: Capital Wine School)

As an adjunct to the official announcement from the Governor’s office, I asked Jay Youmans to share his thoughts about his role as new head judge of the revamped Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.

DWYL:  According to Governor McDonnell’s press release, only Virginia wines made from 100% Virginia fruit will be eligible for the Governor’s Cup. This is a significant change in entry criteria for the competition.  What were your reasons for adding the 100% Virginia fruit requirement?    

To be fair, this change had been proposed before I became involved. It was an agreement reached between the  Virginia Wineries Association (VWA), Virginia Vineyard Association (VVA), and the Virginia Wine Board (VWB). Governor McDonnell and Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore felt strongly that this competition should showcase wines produced from 100% Virginia grapes. Wine quality starts with the grapes and our job as judges is to assess the quality of grapes and the winemaking in Virginia.

Do you see the demographic of wineries entering the competition changing as a result?

The demographic of wineries will change slightly, however, I believe the total number of wines entered will remain the same. While some wines will no longer eligible for the competition, there will be some new entries. A number of wineries that have not participated in the past will submit wines in support of the new changes.

Editorial Note:  Aside from bringing an overall rejuvenated tone to what is supposed to be Virginia’s flagship wine competition, raising the bar to accept only wines made from 100% Virginia grown grapes is the single most significant improvement to the Governor’s Cup.  Requiring a 100% Virginia fruit commitment is a big deal and I applaud all of the decision makers!

DWYL:  In years past, some of Virginia’s most notable wineries have not entered the Governor’s Cup Competition — do you expect the revised format to bring some of these wineries back to the competition?

In the past, some wineries felt they had nothing to gain by participating. I would argue that they now have everything to gain by submitting their wines. With the changes in the Methodology, and the talent that has been assembled to judge, each wine will be carefully assessed. In addition, the main objective of Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition will be to recognize the 12 best wines rather than just singling out one wine. The top 12 scoring wines will comprise the “Governor’s case”. These wines will be sent to publications, writers, educators, and other wine competitions around the country. These wines will be presented as Virginia’s best. Any wine wishing to compete commercially on a national or international level will benefit greatly from this exposure.

Editorial Note:  Based on conversations I’ve had with several winemakers about the enhancements to the Governor’s Cup, it’s clear these changes are viewed as the beginning of a new era of credibility for this competition. I believe we will see several notable wineries enter that competition that have, in years past, avoided the Cup.

DWYL: Virginia ciders will also have their own category in the new Governor’s Cup format. As the number of Virginia cideries grows, this will become an important category important in future years.  Can you tell us about the driver behind including ciders in the Governor’s Cup?

This is new. Ciders are a rapidly growing segment of the Beverage Industry today and Virginia has a long history of producing apples. We expect the number of entries to soar in the coming years.

DWYL:  The educational component of the new format is an excellent idea — can you expand on what you hope this adds to the Governor’s Cup?

The educational component is intended to give critical feedback to the wineries. Each winery will receive tasting notes and a score on the wines they submit (based on the 100 point rating system). These notes will detail how the judges determined their scores.

There will be four regional forums where we will taste the top 12 Virginia wines. We will refer to these wines as the “Governor’s case”. These forums are intended to identify the characteristics and qualities that set the wines apart. It will help to establish benchmarks for the industry.

DWYL:   For the past several years, the Governor’s Cup has been conducted in two separate competitions — one for reds and one for whites.  Under the new format, you’ve made this ‘one’ competition again.  What are your reasons for making this a single event?

The principal reason behind two separate competition’s was to show the white wines at their peak. The problem with this approach is it diluted the promotional impact of the competition. It also makes it more challenging to attract judges. Consolidating the whites and reds will simply make the competition more meaningful.

The Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition “will become the benchmark with which all other wine shows will be measured, not simply because of the quality of the judges, or the rigorous selection process, but because of the critical feedback given to each participating winery.  The competition will serve notice to the industry that Virginia is serious about producing high quality wines.”  ~ Jay Youmans

Thank you Jay for your time and for sharing your insights in to the future direction of the Virginia Governor’s Cup.  These are exciting times for Virginia wine, and for the Virginia Governor’s Cup.

About our guest:  Jay Youmans has been tasting wine professionally for nearly 30 years. He is the Educational Director and owner of the Capital Wine School, and the owner of Rock Creek Wine Merchants, a sales and marketing consultancy. Jay is an Advanced Level Sommelier, a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and Washington, DC’s only Master of Wine (MW).  Bio excerpted from Capital Wine School.

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

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