50…Halfway!

I found out this week, there are 43 vineyards in Loudoun County. Hell at that rate, I won’t need to venture very far from the northern part of the state. 
Since there is only a few open on Thursday’s, I better take full advantage while I can. Oh Yeah, did I mention that I’m going to kicked out of my job in June? Oh well, I’ve been out of work before and I sure as hell can find work somewhere.
In the meantime, I’m going to mark vineyards off my list until that day. Hopefully I’ll be well past the halfway mark.

My travels this week weren’t looking too good. I had a game plan and my first stop turned out to be a dud. Their website said they were open and so did virginiawine.org. So much for that plan.
There was one near the northern part of the county I wanted to visit. So, I made my way up Berlin Turnpike to my first stop. But after that I had no game plan. Maybe I’ll head over toward the north part of Rt.9 or head down and hit the ones close to Purcellville. I decided on the latter. Nom I’m ready to enjoy my day and extended holiday weekend.
Hiddencroft Vineyards was one of the hidden gems (no pun intended) we found by accident. We have taken multiply people for a visit of this place. It is that good.

As always, I was the lone person in the tasting room but I was cool with that.
Two different styles of Traminette, first one was a dry and the second was a semi-sweet. Both had similar tasting notes a rose bud nose with a sweet, spicy finish. Only the semi-sweet had a lingering sweetness in the back of the palette which is because of the 1.5% residual sugar.
’09 Cab. Franc had a rich cherry nose and a smoky finish. The burgundy color of the ’12 Petit Verdot had the wonderful tannins and a jammy blueberry finish. This was a wonderful wine. And of course, I got a bonus pour! ’10 Tranquility, This is a collaboration of three Loudoun County vineyards (8 Chains, Tarara and Hiddencroft) An intense blend of Cab. Sauv. and Tannat. A well rounded blend that would pair with a nice steak.

I’m hearing rumors of a port-style made from Petit Verdot to be released next year…Oh Hell Yes!

About 10 miles away was the second stop of the day, Otium Cellars. Not far from Purcellville, I had visited this vineyard in ’12. As I made the turn into the driveway, I had a welcoming committee, 4 buzzard sitting on fence posts to the entrance. A bit unnerving.

10 wines on the list, 3 white and 7 reds. ’13 Chardonnay had a soft nose with a little buttery notes on the front of the palette, citrus at the midpoint before finishing with essence of vanilla. ’13 Pinot Noir, yes I said Pinot Noir! Black cherries and old leather aromatics A subtle spiciness with very mild tannins and a peppery finish. ’13 Blaufrankisch Reserve a very fruit forward, jammy wine. 

Overall, the wines were nice and I’ll visit again soon.

I tried to avoid Rt. 7 at all cost since it was the holiday weekend and everybody and their damn sister were on the road.
So I knew there was a side road to get to this vineyard. A 15 minute ride to go to Bluemont Vineyard located on the side of the mountain. An overcast day didn’t allow for a good view but by the time I was ready to leave the sun had popped out and provided me with a spectacular view.

 

An amazing view from this spot.

 
Another damn Limo! Do people even work anymore? I know what you’re thinking, “you’re visit a vineyard during the week!” Don’t judge!

Luckily, I got to go upstairs where there were just a few folks and two cats. They just mill around the tasting room looking for attention, you know I’m talking about the cats right?

’14 Vidal Blanc “The Cow” was a slightly sweeter white with crisp notes of apricot and refreshing finish that would be perfect for a deck on a hot day. Farm Table Red a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab. Sauv. and a splash of Chamborcin. Fruit forward bold red with a coffee, pepper finish. Of course I’m going to ask about those wines that aren’t on the list. I inquired about the ’12 Meritage a medium body blend of Merlot, Cab. Sauv and Petit Verdot with crunchy tannins. The wines have improved and with that view, I could enjoy a glass on their deck.
I ended up having to get on 7, it wasn’t bad and since the last stop of the day was only a 5 mile ride, I wasn’t going to sweat the traffic.

Veramar Vineyard, I believe, is Clark Counties first vineyard and they are still making good wine. 

’12 Chardonnay a light amber color wine with an herbaceous nose and a citrus finish with light acidity. Riesling/Vidal you have acid and sweet with this white blend. Floral nose of minerals with a buttery finish. ’13 Cab. Franc a rich nose on this one. Currants, blackberries and I detected nutmeg. Soft tannins for a Cab. Franc which will probably get tighter with time. So, the wines are consistent.  

My totals after this short tour brings me to 51 out of 100 for the year. Little did I know, I would get to add an extra one on Saturday. 

Tish had to finish her publication and so she spent the day in the office. I finished cleaning the bathroom and then went to visit Momma & Pappy. As I traveled the back road to my house, I decided it was too nice to be stuck indoors. After putting my groceries away, I traveled 8 miles to Star Tannery to visit Russ & Randall at Wicked Oak Winery.
  
No one was here, as nice as it was outside, not a soul sitting out looking at the mountains and taking in the gorgeous day. Slackers!

’12 Seyval, apple and pear on the nose, crisp and refreshing with a touch of honey sweetness on the finish. I like this! ’13 Rose made with Syrah had an earthy nose with a fruity palette with a surprising cherry finish. Then came the heavy hitter…’13 Cab Franc, a rich dark plum colored wine. Fruit forward, pepper on the nose with a spicy hot finish. Although this is a young wine, it is pouring great now and will only get better with time. I got myself a glass of the Cab. Franc and took up real estate on the grounds. A very peaceful setting.

After I left, I stopped to snaps some photos from the area. I remembered a few things about the area, especially The Star Market. Back in the day, we could come out an purchase a few bottles of Boones Farm and cruise the the back roads. We were so bad in the ’80s!
 

I’m sure my Strasburg family is familiar with this combination..

 
I have to say again, the wines are improving in Loudoun and what is being made in my neck of the woods are getting better. Get up! Don’t just sit there! Go and visit one of Virginia’s vineyards. If I can visit 52 thus far, you can at least venture out and tackle 10!?
Sunday, we met up with Don & Enid and we took in 3 vineyards near the Delaplane area. We enjoyed bottle at Three Fox (Cab Franc) and Arterra (Malbec). I had made some snacks to go with the wine and good times were had by all.

I’m beyond the halfway mark, 52 down 48 to go and 3 weeks until I’m looking for work!

I’ve Lost Count!

I’m trying to remember if this is my third or fourth tour of Loudoun County…getting old sucks!  

 Eight miles, that’s all the traveling I had to do this week once I left work. Rt. 15 north toward Brunswick or “Hills, Whores & Liquor Stores” is how a co-worker described the town to me. I turned well before the Maryland border onto Limestone School Rd. and I was at my first stop of the day, Fabbioli Cellars.
12 acres under vines and what I remember from my last visit about 6 years ago, the wines were some of the best Loudoun has to offer. And my memory was correct!

“Something White”, a blend of Viognier, Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay had a nice herbaceous nose with a tart finish. Tre Sorelle, a red blend of Merlot, Cab. Sauv., Petit Verdot and Cab. Franc had a deep, dark, ruby color with heavy tannins. Rosa Nera their port-style made with black raspberries was the star of this tasting. A glass of this burgundy nectar with a Cuban Montecristo #4 would be a great end to the day.

                                   

a pear port-style & yes there is a peach inside the bottle.

 
As I was leaving, I asked about any back roads to get me to my next stop. I was informed to stay on the gravel road and it would bring me to the road of my next watering hole, Hidden Brook Winery. A rustic cabin housed the tasting room. Six wines were poured and I preferred the ’10 Merlot, a light bodied, fruit forward wine with soft tannins and medium finish. ’11 Chamborcin was a full bodied, bold wine with spices on the nose and with a cranberry, leather finish. 

Not even a quarter of a mile away was The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek. I decided to do the reserve tasting and was able to sample one from their Classic tasting too. ’12 Vidal Blanc, a wonderful nose of pear and the effervescent danced in your mouth with a smooth finish. ’13 Serenity, another Vidal Blanc with 1.5% residual sugar that finished with just touch of sweetness. ’11 Genesis, had me dreading to even taste this due to the poor harvest season in Va., the aromatics of a barnyard but proved to be a wonderful wine with perfect tannins that reminded me of the killer years of ’09 & ’10. Tannat, Cab. Franc & Petit Verdot blend helped make this a well rounded wine. ’12 Cab. Sauv, a complex red with smokiness on the nose and a smooth finish. ’12 Provenance, left bank Bordeaux blend was just a wonderful wine. Good concentration and nice fruit. This stop was the surprise of the day.

My last stop was only 4 miles away, Tarara Winery. A mandarin nose on the ’12 Chardonnay with nice acidity. ’11 Boneyard Unrefined Red, again I was scared but they blended 7 grapes in order to get the medium-bodied, rich color and balanced tannins. ’12 #Social Secret Red aromas of raspberry and currants. I asked about the breakdown of grapes and was told if you were drinking this and tweeted the #socialsecret they would respond with the break down. However, I’ll give it to ya; Merlot, Cab. Sauv. & Tannat. And finally a bonus pour, ’12 Tranquility, a dark chocolate nose with a coffee, leathery finish made with a blend of Cab. Sauv. & Tannat. 

I would like to revisit all of these in a few months just to see how well these wines are pouring. 

Saturday, Tish and I went to the Wine & Craft Festival in Front Royal, Va. I was able to score free tickets and I like free stuff. We tasted almost all of the wineries and were impressed with what Hunt’s Vineyards were pouring. The ’14 Red, made with Chamborcin was done as a semi-sweet. Overall good wine that paired well with the crab cakes I shoved into my mouth. 

The evening was spent with friends at the Hotel Strasburg. Some folks I hadn’t seen in 30 years and one classmate who rarely returns to the valley made a surprise appearance. A lot of adult beverages, selfies and lies filled a great evening with friends. A few got a little righteous and out of control. But not the fat man, I was my usual reserved self and maintained control. Tish might have a different story.

                                     

  My quest to 100 has me at 47 and it’s only May!

Another Day, Another Vineyard…or 4!

Three days of marathon work were in the books. 

11 hours, 12, hours & 13.5 hour days only means one thing…a four day weekend.

Once I was home Wednesday evening, I didn’t last long. I fell asleep in my chair for a few hours before climbing the stairs and crawling into bed.

The chores were a must before I ventured out to play. Mowing was at the top of the list and I had that finished before 10:30.

I had decided to head back toward Marshall, Va. and finish up with those vineyards before coming back closer to home. 

Since I travel I-66 everyday, I decided to take Rt. 55 to my first stop of the day, Cobbler Mountain Cellars. My first visit and only visit was 3 years ago not long after their grand opening. Siri had me traveling on roads I’ve wondered about and if traffic heading in either direction is bad on Rt. 666, I now have an alternate route.

There were many cars in the parking lot. I strolled up on the deck and when I tried to enter the tasting room…denied!

I double checked to see if they were in fact open for tasting and their website as well as virginiawine.org confirmed their hours. A couple of kids asked what I needed and when I requested a tasting, I was going to have to wait a few minutes. It is peaceful out in the hills and I sure as hell wasn’t going to complain about having to listen to birds and enjoy the sun. 

A new nice view at Cobbler Mountain Cellars.

Once the door was unlocked, the tasting commenced. The young lady behind the counter explained they were bottling today and that’s why the parking lot was crowded.

This sign was on the tasting table. Yes, I laughed!

The ’12 Chardonnay was done in French oak. Pineapple and mineral on the nose, with a hot finish. ’12 Meritage, a floral red with aromatics of cloves & leather. This is a very fruit forward wine with jammy, cherry & pepper intense flavors on the palate. ’12 Petit Verdot, my favorite varietal, soft hints of nutmeg as well as minerals on the nose. A well rounded silky, cedar finish.

I was then given the opportunity to taste their newest project, cider. They only had two available a Dry Hop & a “Kicken” Cinnamon. Both were refreshing and I wanted more but the day was young and there were more vineyards calling my name.

My next stop took me to Leeds Manor Rd., Philip Carter Winery. This use to be the old Stillhouse Winery and I remember going to it back in the day. I have been to P.C.W. on a few occasions but never got served. Too many people not enough help. 
The ’13 Rosewell is a Rose´made from Merlot that had an herbaceous nose and a strawberry flavor coating my palate. ’13 Governor Faquier is an off-dry white made with Vidal Blanc. A citrus nose of pineapple and mango with a refreshing finish. The 2% residual sugar and the acidity help balance this wine. When it comes to desert wines, I’m partial to port-styles than the sweeter ones but the ’13 Sweet Danielle is a Late Havest Vidal Blanc with 5.5% residual sugar and a floral nose of citrus with a sweetness on the front of the wine and finish of balance.

Winding Road Cellars was next on the list and I could have walked to the vineyard. Not even a tenth of a mile away, this winery has only been open a few years. Tish and I stopped here in Dec. ’13 to taste.

The first one on the list, the ’10 Chardonnay. Aromas of pear and kiwi soft in the mouth with flavors of apricots and vanilla linger. ’08 Chambourcin is what Tish and i got on our first visit. Mild tannins with a dark chocolate finish or as the lady pouring put it: “pairs well with everything from Cheerios to ice cream.”
’07 Cab Franc, with this being a late vintage you would think the wine would have in your face tannins. They were extremely soft but this was a wine jammed with bold fruit. This one will age well. A bonus pour was the ’12 Tribute, Cab. Sauv & Cab. Franc, a nose of pepper with cherries and currants on the palate.

I have time and I’m going to head down Hume Rd. to my next stop, Desert Rose Ranch & Winery.

This is my first visit in about 2 years, so I’m interested to see if they have anything new to offer.

A ’41 Hudson, this is how you do a winery tour!

Unhitched Chardonnay is done in stainless steel. 80% Chardonnay with 20% Viognier. Hints of honeysuckle on the nose  and a crisp refreshing lean finish. R.E.D. Chamborcin had a nose of currants and smoke but he finish was the surprise as it was tart on the tongue. Then came what I remembered, Starboard Port-Style. Done with 100% Norton grape dark chocolate on the nose with wonderful legs and bold flavors to boot. Loving this one!

Damn, it’s still early. Should I try for a fifth stop? 

Of course I should!

Chester Gap Vineyards was just up the road on 522. However, since it was Thursday they weren’t open so I had to make a compromise. Made the necessary turn and drove up Browntown Rd. to Glen Manor Vineyards and enjoyed a glass of their Petit Manseng and took a bottle of the ’14 Morales Rose´home for dinner!

A great way to end a good day of wine tasting. 

Friday was spent with Pappy at the Fishersville flea market looking for junk. I did pick up a Willie Mays bat at a good price and introduced Pappy to the Tilted Kilt.

A great crowd for the beer festival!

Saturday was the 20th annual Of Ale & History Beer Festival at Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Va. One of my boys picked me up and we sampled some local craft beers and enjoyed cigars on a beautiful spring day. Dinner at the Hotel Strasburg rounded out the night and then it was time for this fat man to crash.

Hectic but fun times!

43 Vineyards Down with 57 to go!

Wine, Baklava & a Dive Bar!

Mandatory training kept me from leaving work early and enjoying a warm spring afternoon. When I saw it was only a 45 minute session, I was relieved and as long as I didn’t have any questions I could get on the road and back to the hills.

“Are there any questions?” 

That was my cue to hit the clock and start the weekend.

Just over 10 miles away was my first stop this week, Sunset Hills Vineyards. The gorgeous barn tasting room has only been around a few years and they are starting to produce some nice wines.

                      

 Waiting for my first pour of the day. 

 

Only a few people were out tasting today. I strolled in and was greeted by Janice and the fun began!

The $10 tasting list consisted of 6 wines (Rose´, 2 whites & 3 reds), I was able to get 2 bonus pours. The first bonus was the ’13 Dawn, a sparkling brut-style made with Chamborcin had a light ruby color with a subtly sweet/dry finish. Sunset White, a blend of Traminette and Vidal Blanc, has a floral nose with crisp flavors. 

’12 Merlot was the big red I was looking for. Fruit forward and surprisingly soft tannins. 

’13 Cab. Franc has similar characteristics to the Merlot but I believe it will gain some structure in the next 6 months. 

My final bonus pour was their port-style, Dusk. A high alcohol beverage (17.4% A.B.V.) made with 100% Chamborcin had rich dark cherry notes and would pair well with a mild cigar like an Ashton or Montecristo #4. 

Janice had a great quote regarding my tasting:

“You began your tasting with the Dawn and ended it with the Dusk.”

It was time to head a few miles up the road to Doukenie Winery. As soon as I pulled in and saw the limo I thought to myself…”DAMN!”

Lucky for me the 12 chicks were done tasting and migrating to the patio overlooking the pond to get their drink on.

Eight wines were available for tasting. ’14 Mandolin was a white blend that was refreshing and had notes of citrus. This would be a good deck sipping wine. ’14 Sauvignon Blanc with hints of pineapple and kiwi is still young and should round out in the next few months.

The one red that stood out was the ’12 Vintners Reserve a blend of Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc & Petit Verdot. A fruity nose with leather, cherry flavors on the finish. I could have enjoyed a bottle of this while sitting on the deck.

                  

 It is so good!

 

Of course you can’t leave Doukenie without getting a sample of “Hope’s Baklava” She is 90 years old and still makes her baklava from scratch. So damn good!

A shower of rain came through the area and it made for a messy ride to my last stop of the day, Twin Oak Tavern Winery. Situated on top of the mountain, this winery is located in what use to be an Inn back in the ’20s & ’30s. City folk would take the train from D.C. to Bluemont, then a horse and buggy ride to the Inn. 

            

 Some of the wines available at Twin Oak Tavern Winery.  

 
The wines are made from grapes from different parts of the country. White Nights is a Chardonnay & Riesling blend of grapes from Washington St. Citrus nose with a touch of honey and lime zest.

The Zinfindel uses grapes from Sonoma Valley, soft tannins and slight pepper finish.

A cool winery that has a wine for all and a view to boot. 

By this time, the tasting room was about the close and I inquired about food at the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant just down the road. 

When I heard home cooked meals I figure what the hell!
 

A few of the humorous signs hanging at the Hosreshoe 

 
This place has all the elements of a dive bar. A few good ole boys were enjoying their long-neck bottles and, I bellied up to the bar ordered a PBR. I glanced over the menu and this place is a greasy spoon. I choose a big juicy cheeseburger with their “Famous Fries”. 
When I asked why they were so “famous’, the response was classic.

“After the whole French feud we took the French out of fries.” 

God Bless America!

I would be interested in coming up and listening to some of the local musicians on the weekends. I’m sure the rednecks will be representing!

I encourage you to make a day trip and visit these vineyards and those from my past posts. Next week I’m still up in the air as to what direction I’m going to head in. Maybe south I haven’t decided.

39 down with 61 to go! 

Nothing but fun and debauchery y’all!