Shenandoah & Nelson

It was hot! Almost too hot to taste wine…did I just type that? The heat is affecting my better judgement, this is just wrong!

With the sweltering heat, I stayed pretty close to home and went to the south of the county. Luckily, the first two on my list were within 3 miles of each other. I pulled into the driveway at Cave Ridge Vineyard, and was amazed at how lush the vines look at already this season. The cool tasting room was welcomed and now it was time to see how the wines were pouring. ’13 Reisling, lemongrass aromas with a bit of effervescence on the palate that releases a subtle sweetness on the finish. ’11 Chambourcin, leather and smoke on the nose, this red has nice fruit on the front of the palate that finishes up with a touch of white pepper. ’11 Fossil Hill Reserve, a blend of Cab. Franc, Petit Verdot and Chamborcin creates a nose of red fruits and coats your mouth with a spicy finish. ’10 Fandago Blanco, their white port-style made with Viognier. Peaches and apricot on the nose with a sweetness coating your palate that rounds out to a smooth finish. An Ashton VSG would pair well with this wine. Not a bad start to the day.

My second stop of the day.

Wolf Gap Vineyard is just down the road. At least at this stop I wasn’t the only bird dog tasting. A couple from Alabama were visiting family and decided to see what all the fuss was about with Virginia wine. ’11 Cab. Franc, a light-bodied red with a blackberry nose, soft tannins coats your palate with a spicy finish. ’11 Cab. Sauv., earthy and mineral bouquet, fruity with a warm finish. Then there is the Blueberry wine, 2% residual sugar it’s like a dessert in a bottle.

This is a cool mom & pops store out in the country.

I drove down Back Road and decided at the last minute to go over the mountain into Zepp. A small community with a church, post office and surprisingly a damn good vineyard! Cedar Creek Winery only makes two varietals; Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Of the two Chardonnays poured, this was my favorite: ’12 Chardonnay, soft oak on the nose, crisp apples and citrus coat the mouth with a creamy finish. A vertical tasting of 4 Cab Franc’s, these were my choices. ’12 Cab. Franc, earthy blackberry nose, toasted oak with a softness of spice on the finish. ’10 Cab. Franc, elegant blackberry, cherry nose, nice fruit, rich balanced with heavy tannins and dark chocolate on the finish. Everyone should make an effort to visit this vineyard.

Vance’s Cove off in the distance. A nice view from the deck at Cedar Creek Winery.

On Saturday, Tish and I headed to Nelson County to meet up with Big D. & B. We met them at Big D.’s property for a picnic and a little wine. We got updated on everyone’s life and then it was time to visit a few spots before we headed back north.

One of Tish’s favorite stops in Nelson County.

We all agreed upon Bold Rock Cider to taste. Since they have around 6 ciders to choose from we all wanted the Vat 1 that was part of the free tasting. We grabbed a bottle and enjoyed the libations. Big D., suggested we visit Veritas Winery. I was up for adding to my list, the girls had another plan…of course they did!

Both wanted more of the cider, so Big D. and I went to taste wine and girls got more cider and proceeded to get righteous!

It has been 6 years since my last visit. I’m glad Big D. suggested this!!! ’14 Saddleback Chardonnay, a hint of petrachor on the nose. Buttery & oak flavors coat your palate with a creamy/mild finish. ’14 Viognier…WOW! Floral of peaches that make your mouth water. Apricots on the front of the mouth and a citrus finish with low acid. ’14 Cab Franc, aromas of cherry and raspberry. This burgundy colored wine was very fruit forward with soft tannins and a sharp finish. This is a young wine that will age well over the next few years. ’12 Othello, their port-style had a nose of plum and strong brandy essences. Caramel and vanilla hints on the palate gave this a well-rounded finish.

After meeting the girls halfway, we headed to our last stop of the day, Pollak Vineyards. ’14 Pinot Gris, fruity nose of orange peel and lime. Crisp in the mouth with a creamy finish – perfect for a hot day. ’12 Meritage, this red blend had a barnyard funk aroma that gave way to wonderful sweetness on the front of the palate that transitioned into a firm, hot finish. ’10 Mille Fleurs a port-style made from Viognier (what are the chances of tasting two Viognier ports in the same weekend?) had sweet apricots on the nose with honey and nutty flavors on the palate. Sweetness rounded out the finish.

So the weekend was fun and entertaining (oh yeah, we saw Gavin DeGraw on Thurs. night too.) With my five visits this week, it brings my total to 63 with 37 to go.

And 4 days until unemployment…fun, fun, fun!

Next week will be interesting and a bit emotional for me. I may need a lot of wine after Friday!