Upcoming Regional Wine and Beer Festivals

[jparrott]

So I woke up this morning (after being a good little citizen and not poisoning myself too much at a magnum party last night), and WTOP was blaring about how the Virginia Wine Festival, the annual overheated, debauched ridiculousness that, amazingly, provides the VA wine industry with a significant portion of their yearly revenue.

I thought to myself, I hadn't given my palate a workout in awhile. I do occasionally have to taste 100-150 wines in a day for somewhat "professional" reasons, so it helps to be in practice. And I had nothing else to do. So I went and paid my twenty-two bucks, and soldiered through.

Guys, I think it's not too self-serving for me to say, honestly, most of this stuff doesn't move the needle. Sure, the wines are cleaner than they used to be (though an alarmingly high number of them still are not). But there's no there there. No real differentiation in terroir, no interesting aromatics that allow you to remember the wine fondly, etc., etc. The best wines of most of the producers are just vapid fruit. And as too many of you have heard me pontificate, fruit is overrated.

But there are a couple of new farms doing some strikingly good work. Delfosse Vineyards, a brand-new operation (first vintage 2004) owned by a family straight out of Joe Dressner's book, is making the absolute most out of a plot about 20 miles south of Charlottesville. The 2004 Chardonnay (20% viognier) is strikingly floral (not a shock), with integrated wood and fresh, fine-grained acidity. It was the best wooded chardonnay I tasted all day, and one of the best wines, even for this wood-hater. The Cuvee Laurent (60% Chambourcin, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot) is the best Chambourcin-based wine I've ever had. Sweet fruit, sure, but an underlying, honest, um, well, balance, complexity, and structure. Not just a curiosity. And the 2004 Cabernet Franc could very well be straight out of Joe Dressner's world. A dead ringer for good-vintage village Bourgueil. The kind of wine for which the tasting note is a check mark. Lovely.

Hillsborough Vineyard, in Purcellville, VA, is making blended red wines that show a judiciousness rarely seen in our local vineyards. The 2003 Garnet, a roughly equal blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, is fleshy and bright, with fresh fruit acidity that says "sure, I'm from the New World, but you should care." Tannins are velvety, but not from a wooden sheen, but from some real class. The 2003 Ruby, a blend of Tannat, Touriga Nacional, and Petite Verdot, is not as strappingly tannic, nor as cloyingly black-fruited as its raw materials suggest. Again, judiciousness is the watch-word, and the acidity is stimulating and refreshing. The young, engaging winemaker, Kerem Baki, is earnest and understanding of what he can do to make his wines distinctive, but still natural.

Neither of these farms have normal distribution channels, at least yet. But both are well worth visiting, tasting, and purchasing, at least a little bit. Two families, both taking the right view of their soils and terroirs and letting the business come to them. There's no higher form of vigneron, and when they get it right like these guys, they deserve to be supported.

Crap show. Few crachoirs--it was a wonder I never accidentally hit someone's white pants whilst I found a bare spot on the ground to spit. Lots of crap wine. Don't go unless you've got nothing to do. That's what you have me for.

[CrescentFresh]

Hillsborough Vineyard, in Purcellville, VA, is making blended red wines that show a judiciousness rarely seen in our local vineyards.  The 2003 Garnet, a roughly equal blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, is fleshy and bright, with fresh fruit acidity that says "sure, I'm from the New World, but you should care."  Tannins are velvety, but not from a wooden sheen, but from some real class.  The 2003 Ruby, a blend of Tannat, Touriga Nacional, and Petite Verdot, is not as strappingly tannic, nor as cloyingly black-fruited as its raw materials suggest.  Again, judiciousness is the watch-word, and the acidity is stimulating and refreshing.  The young, engaging winemaker, Kerem Baki, is earnest and understanding of what he can do to make his wines distinctive, but still natural.

I haven't been to the wine festival in years because you're absolutely right, too much crap. The one VA winery that I truly believe does good things, Linden, doesn't even bother going to the festival. In fact, I've preferred going to Linden on VA Wine Festval day because it keeps Linden relatively quiet!

Hillsborough, if I recall correctly, is still relatively new with relatively new vines and there is no estate wine being produced there. Is that your understanding? About 5 minutes drive from Hillsborough is Breaux vineyards, which has a beautiful setting for picnics and does some relatively good stuff with chardonnay and viognier.

Edited August 22, 2005 by CrescentFresh

[jparrott]

I haven't been to the wine festival in years because you're absolutely right, too much crap.  The one VA winery that I truly believe does good things, Linden, doesn't even bother going to the festival.  In fact, I've preferred going to Linden on VA Wine Festval day because it keeps Linden relatively quiet!

Hillsborough, if I recall correctly, is still relatively new with relatively new vines and there is no estate wine being produced there.  Is that your understanding?  About 5 minutes drive from Hillsborough is Breaux vineyards, which has a beautiful setting for picnics and does some relatively good stuff with chardonnay and viognier.

Not sure. May very well be the case. Whatever they're using, they're doing quite well with it.

[JPW]

Thanks for the report Jake.

Delfosse is a short detour from my route to Lynchburg.

I think some wine tasting will provide the perfect armor for my next visit with the in-laws.

[Venerable Bede]

I haven't been to the wine festival in years because you're absolutely right, too much crap.  The one VA winery that I truly believe does good things, Linden, doesn't even bother going to the festival.  In fact, I've preferred going to Linden on VA Wine Festval day because it keeps Linden relatively quiet!

last year for my birthday, i was treated to an afternoon of tasting at linden. personally, i wasn't that impressed with what i was given. the rest of my group enjoyed it, but i thought their reds showed too much alcohol, and their whites were a overoaked a tad. that being said, the winery is beautiful- we sat on their deck eating cheese plate after cheese plate. and of course, i'm always willing to give wineries another shot.

[mr food]

Hey Jake,

what a guy you are! At least it wasn't too hot. Was Veritas there? I liked their wines when I visted a couple of years ago.

[jparrott]

Veritas was there and I think I tasted some whites, but my notes aren't with me so I can't say how I felt. I do know that I didn't taste reds at most of the places where I didn't particularly like the whites, so there's an indication.

It was a bloody scorcher. But (yay!) there was plentiful, free water.

[Josh Radigan]

Ahh, the virginia wine festival and its glory of trying hard to impress the GENERAL public in believing that their wine is actually on par with Calironia, Oregon, France and other well known wine destination throughtout the globe. But, and I say this with hesitation because of my early beginnings dealing with the Virginia wine industry, that they have made great strides over the last 13 years. Of course on a national scale they fall behind 4 other states, including New York, but at one point even New York was considered 'country' wine. It will take more time, but I have full confidence that wine-makers will realize that grapes of not well known names such as Seyval will thrive and flourish, and that reds can not be cabernet, but cab Franc. At least we can be grateful enough to enjoy having an industry that tries, maybe not listens, but will continue to grow.

[jparrott]

I think they can stop making Riesling now, though. I tasted 10-15 and none of them were interesting at all.

Traminette, OTOH....?!

[Venerable Bede]

It will take more time, but I have full confidence that wine-makers will realize that grapes of not well known names such as Seyval will thrive and flourish, and that reds can not be cabernet, but cab Franc.

i couldn't agree more. course, they'll have to convince people to drink varietals they've never heard of.

(i was gonna post a link to the wash. post's results of their reader's choice for best italian, but i just can't bring myself to do it.)

[jparrott]

Washington, DC International Wine and Food Festival -Not at the Convention Center this year!

This weekend at the Omni Shoreham. I will be presenting wines for two seminars on Sunday--the Wine Spectator Cabernet seminar and the South Africa wine seminar. Do come, y'all!

Click!

Remember, there are trade hours both days from 11am-1pm!

[treznor]

I won Jason's tickets that he was giving away on DCFoodies.com so I'll be there on Sunday. Heard about it last year and was considering going already, but $122 (can't really go anywhere without the +1 :-) ) is a bit steep for an event that I didn't really have any first or second hand experience for... But psyched to be going this year.

Silly question, I'm guessing the trade hours are only for those in the trade? I'm guessing my purchasing of 5-6 cases a year doesn't quite qualify me as being in the trade :-)

Having not been to one of these before, the website isn't incredibly detailed as to what exactly goes on. I've been to Vintage Virginia a couple times now, is this along the same lines, i.e. you get a glass on your way in and the wineries are setup to give free samples of the wines they brought? I'm pretty well acquanted with all the Virginian wineries for the most part so I can weed out some of the wineries, only try certain wines from each winery, etc. when we go to Vintage Virginia. How does one go about that at one of these things with 60 some odd wineries, most of which I know little/nothing about? Just trying to get the most out of the event to minimize the running around like a chicken with my head cut off :-)

[jparrott]

Come at the open, take a quick jaunt around the room, then dive in. Taste whites for awhile, then reds, then maybe go back to whites, but in any case, it's tough to taste seriously when you're constantly alternating. Make sure to hit all the Alain Junguenet tables (if past years are any indication, he'll have a bunch). There'll usually be a few other smaller importers there (like us!). Then if you have time, hit the blended-and-branded California crap with the buxom booth babes.

[Pool Boy]

I went to this event twice. The first time was not bad, but the 2nd digressed in to 'let's get plastered' event. Way too many people. And most of them just socializing and getting sloshed all the while.

For me, I think it's not worth the effort.

[Joe H]

An event like this is literally what you make of it and what your purpose is. If I was single (I am not) this would be a fantastic place to meet a girl. If I just wanted to drink as much wine as I could, regardless of the extent of inebriation, this would also be perfect. But, for me-today-if I wanted to taste 150-200 or more reds because I am serious about wine and want to find several bottles that I can buy multiple cases of for the coming year-this is Nirvana. Similar to the Spanish wine event (on a much smaller scale) at the Madison two weeks ago this is an opportunity to taste a great many wines, spitting out (yes, spitting out!) what is tasted and moving on to the next table. The goal is to narrow the several hundred plus tastes down to a dozen or so and then narrow these down to 5 or six with the intention of buying a case or more of each of these for the coming year.

That's me.

There will also be sommeliers, restaurant owners and managers, reporters, and indiscriminate winos (some of whom take notes) doing their best to taste and sample as much as they can in a relatively short period of time. In the third or fourth hour of each day I would suggest that almost half of the people in the hall will be "ready" to meet a stranger. Or, at the least, open to any reasonable suggestion.

Of course, I am suggesting that this does not apply to those who are serious about wine and view this as a true tasting event. But, for the several thousand others who have a different perspective, this is quite a different kind of pursuit....

Today, at my age, beyond wine this is an event that provides a unique vicarious indulgence which harkens back to the days when wine was not the priority that it is today. For that, this is an unparalleled event and I applaud those who appropriately partake....

[CrescentFresh]

In the third or fourth hour of each day I would suggest that almost half of the people in the hall will be "ready" to meet a stranger. Or, at the least, open to any reasonable suggestion.

I just knew there was a reason why they moved it to a hotel this year!

[Pool Boy]

JoeH...I am impressed at your perseverence to wade through the event. I find it tedious, bothersome and tiring to try to get pours at all the places I want to try. There are quite a few places that have loiterers hanging out at the table seemingly endlessly and they logjam the whole proces. Between those loiterers and the boozers, I just find it a waste of time.

[winecompass]

Yea, these events can get tiresome, but the best approach is to select a certain type of wine or wines from a specific area. That keeps you moving and may introduce yourself to something new i.e. South African wines. We will be covering the event on our Compass Tours section at wine-compass.com. We plan on focusing on the wines of New York in preparation for the Finger Lakes Wine Festival, as well as wines from Georgia, Crotia, Mexico, and of course South Africa. If you want something completely different try the tropical fruit wines from Miami Winery or the wines from Brotherhood Winery, America's oldest continually operating winery.

[Demetrius]

My wife and I are driving down to Staunton, Virginia for the weekend to visit family, and have been invited to join some friends at a wine festival.

To my knowledge, the wineries participating are: Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Morrisette, Davis Valley Winery & Vineyard, Delfosse Vineyards & Winery, Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery, North Mountain Vineyard & Wine, Peaks of Otter Winery, Queen City Brewery, Rebec Vineyards, Rockbridge Vineyard, Tomahawk Enterprises, Veritas Vineyards & Winery, Virginia Mountain Vineyard, Wintergreen Winery

http://www.augustachamber.org/daylily_events.html

Does anyone have any knowledge of their wines, and any suggestions of specific bottles to seek out?

Thank you.

[jparrott]

Delfosse's chambourcin blend and cab franc are nice. They have bottled some reserves, but I haven't tasted them.

[LaShanta]

Virginia Wine Festival 2006

I will definitely be there, but it is my very first wine festival so I have no idea what to expect. Anyone have any tips I can use to make the experience more pleasurable?

If there will be some other Rockwellians there, I would love to meet up. My boyfriend and I are going on Saturday and then staying at the Lansdowne Resort that night so that we don't have to drive after drinking so much wine. Let me know....

Peace & Many Blessings,

LaShanta

[treznor]

I will definitely be there, but it is my very first wine festival so I have no idea what to expect. Anyone have any tips I can use to make the experience more pleasurable?

If there will be some other Rockwellians there, I would love to meet up. My boyfriend and I are going on Saturday and then staying at the Lansdowne Resort that night so that we don't have to drive after drinking so much wine. Let me know....

Peace & Many Blessings,

LaShanta

Not sure if this will reach you in time or not... I've been to a couple of the Virginia wine festivals, including this one I believe. We're thinking of going down today, but I have a football game in the morning so we wouldn't be able to get down there until early afternoon so I'm not certain if we're going or not.

You'll more than likely be in a large field with tent after tent of wineries. Depending on the size of the winery, each tent will hold 1 (for the places like Holden) to 4 wineries. You'll basically get a glass on the way in and you go to every (or as many as you want) winery and taste their wines. Later in the day on Sunday places may start running out of some of their wines, but on Saturday you'll be fine. If you like something you can buy a bottle, or a couple bottles, or whatever at the tent. If you're going to be around for a while you can have them hold it for you at the wine pickup area, which means you'll only have to pick up your wine at one place and won't have to carry it around. They'll ask for your name and it'll be all grouped up when you go to pick it up. Alternatively you can get it straight from the tent and carry it around if you think you're going to drink it there or leaving soon or whatever.

Usually there's some decent food and there's always some people selling wine related stuff (or more than likely wine festival related stuff like cup holders, etc.).

Enjoy the day, they can be quite fun!

[jparrott]

You'll likely have to find a place on the ground to spit. And please, spit.

Does anyone find it odd that the VWF does not extend any kind of courtesy to the trade? After all, almost every vinifera producer in VA is there. You'd think they'd want to sell to the trade, no?

[dmwine]

You'll likely have to find a place on the ground to spit. And please, spit.

Does anyone find it odd that the VWF does not extend any kind of courtesy to the trade? After all, almost every vinifera producer in VA is there. You'd think they'd want to sell to the trade, no?

There was time set aside on Sunday for trade to enter early.

Did anyone go? The format and organization this year were different; I'd be interested in any impressions. Unfortunately I was unable to check it out myself.

[jparrott]

There was time set aside on Sunday for trade to enter early.

Thanks for telling us.

[Not you, after the fact. The organizers.]

[Joe Riley]

Attention Rockwellians,

We've just received some promotional vouchers for this event.

If you purchase tickets online at www.dcwinefestival.com, I'd be grateful if you could please enter the promo code ACE to identify our establishment as the place where you "received" this voucher.

Just to give you some idea of what to expect at this year's festival:

- Sample over 1,100 wines from 280 vintners.

- Watch master chefs in action including Chef Todd Gray of Equinox Restaurant

- Attend guided tastings and seminars with leading wine experts.

- Taste gourmet foods.

Questions? Call 1-800-343-1174.

[jparrott]

Sadly, I will not be showing TWG wines this year. I will be working a booth with my friend Jeremy Borg (Kumkani wines), so come on by the SA pavilion anyway .

[RaisaB]

Saturday is sold out! Can anyone help me get tickets? PM me please.

[ol_ironstomach]

Gotta run in a minute, so these notes will be brief.

Good: later this year, Wine Enthusiast will be announcing their own line of stand-alone climate control systems for built-in wine rooms, priced at about half to two-thirds of what a comparable Breezaire or Whisperkool sells for. They're aiming for the lower end, and all units will include digital controls. The logic behind this is simply that the self-contained compressor units are largely unserviceable except by return-to-depot, and have a working life of 7-10 years anyway, so the basic chillers are largely commoditized anyway...you don't gain much serviceability when you spend more. No idea if they also plan to offer cabinets/caves.

Unusual: Indian wine. A new outfit out of Arlington called Sansara Wines has begun importing wines from India, which has begun cultivating vines in the past 20 years not far from Bangalore. They're growing mainstream European varietals, and most of their wines are designed to follow typical norms, but a few of them have been wildly modified to better suit Indian tastes. Particularly odd: an almost pungent Viognier, which reminds me strangely of asafoetida, but which cries out for a dish of curry to go with. Not available at retail yet, but to be appearing on the wine lists of NoVa Indian restaurants in another month or two.

Unfortunate: Korean pomegranate wine. All it's missing is a plastic dose measuring cap and a big "Vicks" logo.

[crackers]

St. Michaels Food and Wine Festival - April 26-29, 2007

This event just gets bigger and more organized every year. The festival's website lists all the wineries, distilleries, chefs and other exhibitors that will be on site, as well as the schedule of events.

[ScotteeM]

Anyone going to Vintage Virginia this weekend? We're going to try to go tomorrow, early, to beat the thunderstorms. Click