Most people officially mark the beginning of the Summer season with the Memorial Day holiday. I, on the other hand, wait the onslaught of outdoor festivals to commence.
My first one ??? The 28th Annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, which took place from May 30-31, at Bull Run Park in Centreville, Virginia. Held annually at Bull Run Regional Park Special Event's Center in Centreville, Vintage, Virginia is every wine lover's rite of passage into summer. Started nearly three decades ago by the Virginia Wineries Association as a showcase for the burgeoning wine industry, the event now hosts more than 50 of Virginia's finest wineries, pouring from over 300 select vintages and has become one of the most anticipated opportunities to taste and collect.
Do I consider myself a wine enthusiast ??? Absolutely :-). A wine expert ??? That I am not (lol). However, I know what I like, the differences between reds and whites, light bodied wines vs. full bodied wines, all of which made the experience worthwhile. I also figured that this was the perfect opportunity to diversify my wine collection.
The crew and I decided to start off with whites, choosing to sample wines for those with sweeter palettes. Our first sampling was a dessert wine called Phileo, winner of the San Francisco Gold Medal for Moscato, the Monticello Cup, and placements on the finest wine lists. A product of Barboursville Vineyards, this tasty dessert wine goes great with vanilla bean ice cream, strawberries, creme brulee (http://barboursvillewine.net/b/content/view/70/135/).
While the crew ventured off for vittles, I opted to conduct a search for a great full bodied white wine. My search led me to the James River Cellars Winery stand, where they had samples of a classic chardonnay, tropical blanc mix, and Gerewurztraminer. I settled for a mixture called Chardonel, an interesting combination of flavors from each parent grape variety. This vintage is fruity and off-dry, with a provocative spicy banana aroma. Suggested pairings include pizza or Asian cuisine (http://www.jamesrivercellars.com/white_wines.html).
My red wine partner in crime, Kareem and I decided to move on to reds, something that was dry and fuller bodied. We stumbled upon the Rockbridge Vineyard stand and tried a blend called Meritage, rich medium-bodied Cabernet blend (Bordeaux-style), with blackberry and licorice aromas. Meritage blends are made principally from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, with lesser proportions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Ideal food pairings includes steak, lamb, and game (http://www.rockbridgevineyard.com/).
Finally, the creme de la creme of our Vintage Virginia experience came from Cooper Vineyards. A delightful young lady at the apple cider stand informed us of a red dessert wine that tasted like chocolate. Of course, we had no choice but to investigate......and the results were outstanding ! Noche, voted “Best in Show” at Town Point 2008 and awarded Gold at the 2009 Virgina Governor's Cup, is their famous CHOCOLATE dessert wine. Virginia Norton infused with essence of chocolate (http://www.coopervineyards.com/).
All of the above referenced wines are available for purchase on their respective websites and are highly recommended by yours truly :-).
Rita's Grade: A+
For my first outdoor wine festival, I was thoroughly impressed. A variety of wines to choose from that will satisfy all palettes, good food, great people, great venue, great venue for networking.
Ivory, Rita, and Kareem at the 28th Annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival.
