Virginia is for (Wine) Lovers

By Kaitlin Ohlinger

Virginia? It has wineries? Like, good ones?

These were my thoughts about three years ago. Perhaps I’d lived in the Southeast bubble too long, but I found it very hard to believe that there were wines of quality to be found just a 7-hour drive away.

I’m not wrong often. But when I am, I can admit it. I was wrong! I’ve now visited Virginia’s Loudon county on three occasions, and each time have come away with more and more respect for the Virginia wine industry. The industry itself is actually quite large, and it would be glib of me to try to encapsulate its entirety. What I can do is share a few fun facts and favorites from this past weekend’s Epicurience Virginia festival I attended in Leesburg, and highly recommend you plan a weekend getaway sometime this fall. Foliage! Wineries! Mountains! And roughly an hour from our Nation’s Capitol? Yougottabekiddinme.

So what should you be on the lookout for? Weird grapes. Virginia has a lot of ‘em. Norton. Fer Servadou. Chambourcin. Tannat.Once you get your head around the “unknown” factor of these grapes, you can open yourself up to some very compelling wines. Norton has an interesting history; it was first cultivated in the Richmond, VA area and is now considered to be the heart of the Missouri wine industry. Norton is inherently fruit-forward, deep in color and lively. Vineyards known for their Norton include Chrysalis, located in Middleburg, and Horton Cellars, a bit further south just outside Charlottesville. Fer Servadou is a funny little grape with lineage in Southwestern France. One of my favorite reds of the day was the Hillsboro “Bloodstone” Red, a blend of 94% Fer Servadou and a splash of Tannat. Wildly scented, perfumey and peppery, it hit a really nice note. Much as if a Syrah, Grenache and Gamay had a love child. Hillsboro is located in Loudon County in the town of Purcellville. Tannat seemed to be a very talked-about grape at the festival, and the ones I sampled were incredibly bold. Tannat is also a French grape, often blended with Malbec in the Cahors region. They’re a mouthful; it’s easy to see why they’re often blended. Loads of tannin, earthy, smoky, leathery. Notable producers are Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, and once again Horton Cellars.

Moving away from the unknown into the more familiar, by far the most consistent grapes I tasted over the weekend were, surprisingly (or not) Chardonnay and Viognier. Sunset Hills Vineyards had a downright delightful unoaked Chardonnay (which won a Gold award at the 2014 Virginia Wine Lover Classic); Stone Tower’s (a relative newcomer to the scene) was also fantastic. Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville is very well known for their Viognier, winning multiple awards from year to year. I was also quite smitten with their Sauvignon Blanc that I tasted at the winery on Sunday. Their “Equation” Blend- another multiple award-winner- is yet another home run. Another across the boards favorite of the day was the lineup from Early Mountain- located just outside Charlottesville, their Rosé of Merlot and Pinot Gris were extremely refined. I sensed an Oregon aura about their wines, and came to find out later that their winemaker interned at a winery in Oregon. Though I have yet to be able to find out which one.

So now that I’ve told you about all these wonderful wines, where can you get them? Well… Here’s the thing; something that I find respectable about the Virginia wine industry is that all but 3% of Virginia wine is consumed in Virginia (according to a 2013 statistic). Most wineries are small, and make enough wine to sell to their wine club members, and a few local retailers and restaurants. Only a handful distribute through national or regional companies. Currently in stock at Cellar on Greene is theBarboursville Cabernet Franc ($26), if you’re just itching to get your hands on some Virginia juice ASAP! Otherwise, my recommendation is to plan a trip up, visit a few, and join the wine club or email list of your favorite ones. You’ll be supporting them directly- and plus, it sounds cool to say you’re a member of a wine club. For a local write up of Epicurience, check out my friend and former Columbia resident Trevor Baratko’s article from this week in the Loudon Times-Mirror, which includes a few quotes from yours truly.

Cheers to new discoveries!

@CellarOnGreene