I’ve come to realize, that life does suck some times.
Even though I preach, “Life Is Good!”, we all encounter challenges that make us dread getting up in the morning. Recently, I have gotten frustrated with the job search but I know that I will find something that will be more beneficial in the long run.
The thought of retiring has crossed my mind. But, I’m not the type to go hang out at the local McD’s and enjoy my senior cup of coffee with the rest of the local old farts.
Then, a few old friends got me to thinking…
Write!
The!
Book!
Although they think it should be about Virginia wine, I’m considering going a different direction.
I started one 10 years ago, my ramblings were of trips and tales that I encountered in the ’80s.
Oh, those tales are GREAT and I’m still going with that. With my extra time, I will start rewriting the original score.
But in the meantime, I’m going to meet my goal of 100 Virginia vineyards before I return to the workforce.
I kept looking at the VinoWine app and trying to figure out which direction to go. I asked Tish to pick either south or south east. After telling her which ones I was considering visiting she told me to head to the S.E.
The ride down 231 was nice, temperatures were cool and I had the music turned up (Temple of The Dog) and I was on my way toward Orange county.
The first stop of the day had me heading down to the Keswick area to visit…Keswick Vineyards.
Stop by for a visit.
These wines stood out:
’14 V2, a blend of Verdejo and Viognier. Melon and apricots dominate the bouquet. Refreshing tropical fruits on the palate with a touch of honeysuckle on the finish. Broiled salmon with roasted veggies would go well with this white.
’13 Trevillian, a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. An earthy nose with petrichor, vibrant acids fill your palate. Crisp and honeysuckle round out the finish. The only downfall is there are only a few cases of this wine left. A roasted chicken with lemon and thyme would help soften the acids.
A nice stop and if you’re doing wine tours, I would put this on your list to visit.
Next up was Horton Cellars. The last time I visited was in ’05 after the Rolling Stones concert in Charlottesville. Back in the day, you could pay $5 and taste ALL the wines. Of course, you wouldn’t be walking after making it through the list of 20+ wines.
I like this wine too!
So, I had to pick 10 for $5 and these were the ones I preferred:
’14 Albarino Private Reserve, a crisp floral nose of limes that transcends to apples on the palate. The fruity finish makes this the perfect deck sitting wine and would be great with a Wahoo loin with some intense spices.
’14 Nebbiolo Rose Private Reserve, a citrus nose of grapefruit with rose pedals on the palate. A refreshing finish with a touch of effervescence. A plate of cheese with a warm baguette would be a good choice for an evening of relaxing.
’13 Tannat, a dry medium bodied red. A nose of red fruit, with cocoa and butter on the palate. Very fruit forward and jammy flavors on the finish. This is the carnivores dinner wine. Steak, brisket with nice rub will balance this wine well.
’12 Petit Verdot Private Reserve, a deep ruby color wine. Dried fruit on the nose with plum and smoky flavors on the palate and notes of coffee on the finish. Pasta with a rich red sauce.
Just down the road was my next stop, Barboursville Vineyards.
My last visit left a bad taste in my mouth and it wasn’t from the wine.
The high volume of traffic on the weekends has the staff in the tasting room treating your visit like a festival. Sample and step back. How can you learn about what you are drinking by not asking questions and just keeping the glass full?
Oh well, this visit wasn’t a repeat.
My favorites were:
’14 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, off dry white with earth grass notes on the nose. A citrus palate of grapefruit with low acids on the finish. Lobster ravioli would be wonderful with this bottle.
’14 Sangiovese Reserve, this Tuscan varietal had a gentle smoky nose. Well balanced cherry flavors on the palate with a plum lingering finish. I would enjoy this with a pulled pork sandwich with herb roasted potatoes.
’13 Cabernet Franc Reserve, aged in French oak for 12 months. A complex red with floral notes of currants and white pepper. Ripe berries on the palate that finish with a touch of smoke and bold tannins. This is my pizza wine.ff
At this point, this was my favorite stop…I had one more to visit.
About 10 miles to the north on 29, would be my last stop of the day…Early Mountain Vineyards.
Gorgeous facility and the wines weren’t bad either.
My flight at Early Mountain
’14 Pinot Gris, a refreshing wine. Tropical fruit on the nose with melon on the palate with a wonderful low acid finish. Pasta with basil pesto would be a nice pairing.
’13 Foothills, a full bodied Cab Franc & Merlot blend. Cherry and earthy aromatics, fruit forward with smoke and leather flavors in the mouth. A lingering low tannin finish.
With these 4 it brings my total for the year to 81!
I’m almost done y’all!
crazynvirginia 