Washington Post Magazine Articles on Virginia Wine

[Joe H]

"Vineyards That Are Putting Virginia On The Fine Wine Map"

 

There are a total of three articles with Dana Milbank's the lengthy feature.  On the Post website there are over 20 photographs including several truly artistic shots of Delaplane Cellars and RDV.

 

Fantastic article!!!!  Long, long overdue national exposure for Delaplane, RDV and Glen Manor which are featured.

 

Congratulations!

 

What wasn't sold out before will be sold out after this...

 

I bought more than a dozen cases of VA wine this year.  I should have bought more.

[lperry]

I got the magazine in the paper this morning.  Gorgeous photos and great promotion right before Christmas. 

[Joe H]

It is the cover story of the Sunday Washington Post Magazine including the cover photo and the two page fold inside. Title is "World-class vineyards in Virginia. Really." 13 pages total with an additional ten photographs. This is the major feature that Virginia wine needs to take them on the national stage.

[Jessica Strelitz]

As someone who frequently writes about VA wine, and has been for the last 5-6 years, I often cringe when I see these headlines because it's nearly always a rehash of information everyone around the region already knows -- with all the usual suspects. Not with this piece. Though Dana didn't step too far outside of the well known "elite" wineries in NoVa, she brought a ton of great research to the table and is a great story teller -- the photos were icing. Glad I bought all that Hodder Hill when I did!

[LauraB]

Though Dana didn't step too far outside of the well known "elite" wineries in NoVa, she brought a ton of great research to the table and is a great story teller --

FYI, Dana Milbank is a 'he' not a 'she.'

[Rieux]

As someone who frequently writes about VA wine, and has been for the last 5-6 years, I often cringe when I see these headlines because it's nearly always a rehash of information everyone around the region already knows -- with all the usual suspects. Not with this piece. Though Dana didn't step too far outside of the well known "elite" wineries in NoVa, she brought a ton of great research to the table and is a great story teller -- the photos were icing. Glad I bought all that Hodder Hill when I did!

Just FYI - Dana Milbank is a man.

[Jessica Strelitz]

Noted.

[ChiantiandFava]

Milbank's definitely right to point out the bottleneck of supply/demand the top Virginia producers are encountering. It's not that the top producers aren't worth what they're asking, it's that the wines won't find their way into the hands of the casual consumers or millennials (or simply the price conscious) at these price points. This may become exacerbated by another supply issue-- a Charlottesville winemaker was telling me how the growing problem is that many newcomers want to build wineries but few want to plant vineyards. 

[Joe H]

Milbank's definitely right to point out the bottleneck of supply/demand the top Virginia producers are encountering. It's not that the top producers aren't worth what they're asking, it's that the wines won't find their way into the hands of the casual consumers or millennials (or simply the price conscious) at these price points. This may become exacerbated by another supply issue-- a Charlottesville winemaker was telling me how the growing problem is that many newcomers want to build wineries but few want to plant vineyards. 

Of the 235 Va winemakers there are a handful that are legitimately making the wine which Dana Milbank notes-the very same wine that I've noted in numerous threads on here over the past several years.  And that Dave MacIntyre has tirelessly promoted in Washington Post articles.

1.  There is a common percpetion that VA wine is "not worth" a certain price point.  Feeding that perception are the countless visitors to wineries who only do tastings and rarely if ever, buy a $40 or 50  bottle to find out how good some wine can be.

2.  Wine festivals generally celebrate cheaper, mass produced wines.

3.  Selling better VA wine is an actual sale in most D. C. restaurants because of so little support it receives (at least until the Post article).

4.  I am guessing that distributors such as Country Vintners, who have almost a monopoly on D. C. distribution, do not actively promote better VA wines.  As noted above, until the fanfare of the Post article, Va wine is a "sale" and requires effort.  To the restaurant and to the customer.

$30 or $40 or even $50 for a bottle of CA and now Washington state wine is not questioned. There is French wine that has credibility because a number of words on the label are French and the bottle is imported.  Virginia is questioned.  I have written numerous posts, even essays on here and other forums promoting red VA wine at the level Dana mentioned.  At some point people will seek out these wines, seek out these wineries and react when they taste them-they were not what they expected.  They were not "good Virginia wines."  They were good, even damn good wines wherever they were from!

I think some reading this are going to be surprised when they (finally) start trying to track several of these bottles down:  others know about them.  And have for a while.  Many, if not most every better red mentioned, above WILL BE SOLD OUT IF YOU DON'T MOVE SOON TO BUY ONE.  You may have to go to the winery to do this.  (I.e. as popular as Breaux wine is, Breaux ONLY SELLS IT'S NEBBIOLO AT ITS WINERY).  You're not going to find many, if any, of these at a store nearby. Wegman's doesn't carry a single wine that Dana mentioned in his article.  No Glen Manor, no RDV, no Delaplane Cellars.  Not even a Linden.  What you will find, excepting a Barboursville Octagon, is a lot of $10-20 Va wine on Wegman's shelves.  I've stood there and looked at it and shook my head.  I've also talked to the wine shop managers in Sterling and Fairfax.

For the moment the best VA red needs to be "sold."  And, shelf space is valuable.

When you go to Delaplane or Linden or Glen Manor or RDV you will be shocked that this may be America's most beautiful wine country.  I'll add Hillsborough to this and note they  are in breathtakingly beautiful locations.  Paris, Virginia has a lot going for it.

In D. C. I know of two restaurants that sell VA wine:  Roberto Donna's Al Dente on Foxhall Road who carry most of the ones mentioned including Delaplane, Linden, RDV and Glen Manor and Red Hen which carries RDV and Linden Sauvignon Blanc. The Ashby Inn in Paris, VA has the best VA wine list of any restaurant I know of.

Another topic here is the VA wine board and its marketing arm who have historically promoted the Charlottesville area while giving little attention to Fauquier and Loudoun counties and Front Royal.  I am making the argument that there is very good wine in Charlottesville (i.e. Barboursville Octagon, Veritas Petit Verdot along with a 17% port like blend and King Family Vineyards , Michael Shaps and Keswick (cab reserve).  BUT, I believe the BEST wine in VA are at the wineries I mentioned above, up here, which service Northern VA and Washington. One hour from the beltway.  Or less.  I'd like to see Terry MacAuliffe host a dinner at Delaplane Cellars or RDV or the Ashby Inn in the coming years.

Maryland has a very good producer, too:  Black Ankle which is well worth pursuing.  As I mentioned the Ashby Inn above, there is a Maryland restaurant which has an excellent wine list including both Maryland and Virginia wineries:  Woodbury Kitchen in Baltimore.  Linden Hardscrabble Red '08 is on this list and it is drinking beautifully right now.  Black Ankle has several wines along with their Maryland Governor's Cup winner.

If the best Virginia wine (and the best Maryland) need to be "sold" then the Washington Post has taken a huge step in that presentation.  The next is for a few reading this to have a proper taste.

[Keithstg]

Joe: In DC, Plume has been an early and enthusiastic proponent of RDV. I believe that Michael has a handful of other VA reds on the list as well.

[ChiantiandFava]

I realize any mention of price point triggers a rant from Joe H., I agree with basically everything he says--but I rarely buy wine over the $20-25 range. If I do, it's for a special occasion or to cellar. In that range you have Glen Manor's Sav Blanc and... For a point of comparison you can get dozens of delicious wines from the Finger Lakes for under $20. I know, apples and oranges.

That's why I brought up the supply issue. Estate wineries are fantastic, you don't have to worry about growers not implementing your vision--you have total control. But in the great wine growing areas there are tons of vineyards, without wineries, that help the region thrive. These vineyards also help keep prices reasonable and provide cushions for estate wineries if there's a major weather event (hail, frost, hurricane). I'm just worried that VA is a little top heavy right now.

[Joe H]

I am sipping a glass of '09 Linden Harscrabble Red.  It is delicious.  I mentioned it in another thread and felt that a wine this good deserves a bit of attention.

I must also note that we visited Chester Gap on Friday.  Chester Gap, RDV, Delaplane and Glen Manor are all related to efforts of Jim Law at Linden.  He may have had more influence on the evolution of a good bottle of red in Va than anyone.

'09 Hardscrabble is a good bottle of red.  A really good bottle of red.