MEET

KELLY MAGYARICs

n a forward-thinking area rich with his- nists couldn’t establish a industry. George torical importance, where ingenuity and Washington tried and failed to start a innovation have coexisted with longstand- at Mount Vernon. Most famously (and perhaps ing traditions and deep-seated beliefs, most discouraging), Francophile and enophile successI eluded would-be vintners for centuries. Thomas Jefferson cultivated European Despite a requirement that every male settler at for more than 30 years without

plant and tend at least 10 vines, Jamestown colo- producing a single bottle of wine. Photos by Kelly Magyarics (left), Kenneth Garrett (right)

82 October 31, 2010 MEET VIRGINIA

Kelly Magyarics is a Flash forward 400 years. Today, the state of Political distinctions wine-and-spirits writer Virginia boasts 160 wineries, compared to only and wine educator based 46 in 1995. Wine sales for the year ending June Considering the entire state as one wine- in northern Virginia. 30 were up nearly 13% over the previous year. making region would be as inaccurate as mak- She can be reached and are emerging as ing broad generalizations about California through her website, the state’s stars; Bordeaux blends, spar- wine. “Virginia as a whole is a huge area to be www.kellymagyarics. kling , and a quirky indigenous also assumed as one viticultural region,” explains com, or at www.twitter. attract their share of attention. If you haven’t al- Jordan Harris, winemaker and general man- com/kmagyarics. ready made her acquaintance, meet Virginia— ager for Tarara Winery in Leesburg. Indeed, six and her wines. of the 187 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are found in the state: Eastern Shore, Monti-

Potomac cello, Northern Neck

Winchester Waterford � � george Washington AVA I81 Leesburg� Middleburg I66 � Birthplace, North Fork The Plains � � Arlington� Washington, D.C. h Front Royal � of Roanoke, Rocky Alexandria

ShenandoaMonticello AVA Knob, and Shenan- I95 Harrisonburg � � Culpeper Northern Neck George doah Valley (which � Washington Birthplace AVA Barboursville Fredericksburg Staunton � Eastern Shore AVA extends into West Vir- �Gordonsville � Crozet Chincoteague � Keswick Waynesboro�� � � Island ginia). Harris points Afton Charlottesville � Clifton � Forge I64 Tappahannock out that as wineries I64 Lexington Ja � � me s � Blue Ridge North Fork of Roanoke AVA Covington are built closer to one Mountains Richmond I64 another, establishing � Appomattox Hopewell Lynchburg � � Chesapeake Bay �Roanoke Farmville� wine trails and mar- I77 Blacksburg � �Williamsburg Tazewell � Petersburg Newport News keting initiatives, they � Pulaski Virginia � � Roanok Norfolk � � n � Rocky Mount e � Virginia Beach lsto Wytheville Ho I81 I77 � w I95 �Chesapeake Rocky Knob AVA South Boston � Ne � Barboursville � Danville � Suffolk Martinsville � A85 Emporia tasting room (left); Box- wood Winery estate in The Plains (top).

Sommelier Journal 83 Jordan Harris (left), wine- maker for Tarara Winery in Leesburg (right). are boosting interest in by attract- and the Shenandoah Valley have only a 160- ing both repeat visitors and new enthusiasts. day growing season; in northern Virginia, east The state government also plays a vital role of the , it’s closer to 200 in promoting the Virginia wine industry. The days. According to Harris, who operates in the Department of Agriculture funds both a state northern area, “Our wines tend to be leaner, viticulturist and the enology department at with great balance, moderate alcohol level, and Virginia Tech University. “Our governor [Bob great complexity when compared to some other McDonnell] and secretary of agriculture [Todd New World regions.” Haymore] are huge supporters of the wine in- dustry and provide all the assistance we require,” says Jim Corcoran, proprietor of Corcoran Vine- Grape varieties yards in Waterford. The state wine-marketing Although a wide range of North American office provides free services to vintners, and the and vinifera are planted, an aromatic Virginia Wine Distribution Company, of which white and two Bordeaux reds are emerging as Corcoran is a board member, gives producers in the Old Dominion’s key varieties. Beguiling Virginia the ability to self-distribute—a huge and sensual Viognier, with its aromas of hon- plus for operations that are too small to attract eysuckle, peach, and orange blossom, is a major distributors. success story. After a trip to the Rhône Valley As in any winegrowing area, climate dra- in the early 1980s, Dennis Horton of Horton matically influences the final product. Five dis- Vineyards decided to plant the grape, whose tinct regions—Tidewater, Piedmont, northern thick skin and loose clusters are well suited to Virginia, western mountain, and southwest- the humidity of Virginia summers. Today, Hor- ern mountain—provide the moderate climates ton produces award-winning and immensely needed for international and indigenous grape popular Monticello in both still and Corcoran Vineyards tast- varieties to thrive. The mountainous southwest sparkling styles. ing room (left) and winery (right) in Waterford. Photos by Becki Culley Kelly (top), Magyarics (bottom left), Melanie Corcoran (bottom right)

84 October 31, 2010 meet virginia

Jake Busching, general manager and winemaker for Pollak Vineyards (far left); Pollak Petit Manseng vines (left); Kluge Estate retail shop (middle top), harvest (middle bottom), and vineyard in Charlottes- ville (bottom right); Kluge CEO and co-owner Wil- liam Moses (bottom left).

The emerging style for Virginia Viognier is dry or off-dry, without the use of new oak or malolactic conversion. Winemaker Matthieu Finot of Monticello’s King Family Vineyards, who worked for a time in Nuits-Saint- Georges, contrasts the minerality of Condrieu with the fruit-forwardness found in bottlings here. Crisp and inviting, Virginia Viognier is a perfect match for crab cakes, simply grilled fish, or spicy Asian cuisine. Jake Busching of Pollak Vineyards near Charlottesville, a 5,000-case- per-year operation on 28 acres that planted its first vines in 2003, calls Viognier the “red-wine drinker’s white wine” because of its body and verve. Although other producers in the state use neutral oak to round it out, he prefers stainless steel to retain its freshness, fruit, and acidity. At nearby Veritas Winery, also in the Monticello AVA, winemaker Emily Pelton strives to take the grape directly from the vine to the glass, aiming for the purest expression of fruit. Relatively high alcohol (14.5%) is seam- lessly integrated. is still one of the most widely planted grapes in the state, ranging in style from unoaked, with crisp apple and pear flavors, to full- bodied, oaky, buttery, and viscous. Finot is quick to point out that Vir- ginia’s weather is quite different from California’s, so that even a Virginia Chardonnay with 100% oak aging and malolactic conversion retains an inviting level of fresh acidity. Not surprisingly, the success of Chardonnay has led to the produc- tion of sparkling wines. “We grow great Chardonnay because our multi- seasonal climate generates great nat- ural fruit,” explains William Moses, CEO and co-owner of Kluge Estate in Charlottesville, which produces 10,000 cases a year of méthode tra- ditionelle blancs des blancs and spar- kling rosés. Kluge’s sparklers are

Photos by Kelly Magyarics Keith (top), Lanpher (middle, bottom right) currently aged in stainless steel, but

Sommelier Journal 85 the winery is transitioning to some thrives in the red-clay soils that are prevalent barrel aging. Its new, state-of-the- here, although Finot notes that it takes on more art sparkling-wine facility will open of an Old World profile than a New World one. in early 2011. Rachel Martin, executive vice president of Mid- Claude Thibaut, calling on dleburg’s Boxwood Winery in northern Virginia, more than 25 years of experience in says her goal is “to produce a premium red wine his native France as well as in Aus- in the Bordeaux tradition reflecting the Virginia tralia and California, has consulted terroir.” To that end, she makes a duo of blends with Kluge Estate on its sparkling from estate-grown fruit—the Left Bank-style winemaking. In 2005, Thibaut Boxwood and the Right Bank-style Topiary— partnered with Manuel Janisson with Bordeaux’s famed Stéphane Derenoncourt to form Thibaut-Janisson winery, acting as consultant. Three satellite tasting which bottles a Blanc de Chardon- rooms (with another opening in 2011) supple- nay made from the Monticello AVA. ment sales of the 5,000-case-per-year winery. Its latest offering, called Virginia “Virginia has the soil and climate to grow Fizz, is a crisp, peachy Crémant- outstanding Bordeaux varietals,” claims Mo- style wine, also marketed to bar- ses. Kluge Estate’s 2,500 annual cases of New tenders as a versatile mixer. World Red, which is 40% , are sourced In the red-wine category, thin- from the highest-quality blocks on the estate af- skinned, early-ripening Cabernet ter 30-50% of the fruit has been dropped. Using Franc has shown great promise. In general, 100% French oak from a variety of coopers adds Cabernet Franc is fruitier, more herbal, and concentration. In addition, the winery turns out lower in acidity than its genetic sister Caber- some 7,500 cases a year of Albemarle Simply net Sauvignon, which vintners admit does not Red, making it Kluge’s highest-volume product. fare well in the Monticello area. Keswick Vine- This wine contains a higher percentage of Caber- yards winemaker Stephen Barnard notes that net Franc and comes in at a lower price point for the green-pepper aromas often encountered in several reasons, including a shorter aging time. Virginia Cabernet Francs are caused by under- In Busching’s view, Virginia lacks what he ripe grapes, not by any fault of the variety. Adds calls a “cult wine scene,” with impossible-to-get Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, bottlings that generate buzz. He concedes that “When I compare ours to the Loire Valley, I the potential exists, perhaps nowhere more than feel we are starting to create a new at Charlottesville’s in benchmark.” His winemaking phi- the Monticello AVA. The Barboursville Octa- losophy involves maintaining the gon, named after Jefferson’s eight-sided archi- acid structure needed to help his tectural design for the estate’s original man- wines partner well with food. sion, is always at least 75% Merlot, blended with Merlot has done better than Cabernet Franc, , and Petit Cabernet Sauvignon in the state. Verdot. Aged 12-14 months in French oak, it is According to Busching, Merlot laid down for another six months before release.

Claude Thibaut of Thibaut-Janisson (top); Stephen Barnard (below left), winemaker for Keswick Vineyards in Keswick (below right). Photo byPhoto David Rehor (top)

86 October 31, 2010 meet virginia In the words of Barboursville wine- maker Luca Paschina, “Octagon represents the best level of quality and craftsmanship that we have matured over the past 32 years. It is the wine that is defining Virginia as a true wine region.” Speaking of a cult following, the rustic, powerful Norton grape continues to earn loyal fans. First cultivated in the early 1800s by Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton of Rich- mond, this oldest indigenous North American variety gained notoriety at the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, where it was named “best red wine of all nations.” Today, a smattering of Virginia wineries work with Nor- ton, which tends to make deeply col- ored, earthy wines with spicy-fruit, bitter-coffee, and chocolate notes. Chrysalis Vineyards, with 69 acres in northern Virginia, owns the larg- est single Norton planting in the the addition of more state distributorships, retail world. Proprietor Jennifer McCloud is a tireless and on-premise accounts, and international cus- champion of the grape, including it in both her Luca Paschina, winemaker tomers, especially in Asia. Twenty-five percent of flagship Locksley Reserve and her semi-sweet for Barboursville Vineyards Boxwood’s production is sold outside Virginia or (top left); Doug Fabbioli of patio sipper, Sarah’s Patio Red. Although it may on the Internet, and a portion of Barboursville’s Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg not become a signature variety for Virginia, Nor- (top right); Jennifer Mc- 35,000 annual cases is distributed in 10 other ton has carved out a definite niche. Cloud (below), proprietor states. Other wines, of Chrysalis Vineyards in including those from Middleburg (bottom right). Cost effectiveness Horton and Williams- The bottom line is always a pressing con- burg, travel beyond the sideration for restaurants seeking wines that state’s borders as well. are difficult to procure due to volume or avail- Fabbioli concedes ability. Considering the cost of making wine in that a few bad choices Virginia, Harris maintains that Virginia’s qual- can turn off an out-of- ity-to-price ratio is high. If a top Viognier from state buyer. But he also Condrieu costs $60, for example, and those touts the rising stars from California and Australia about $50, an out- standing Virginia Viognier can be had for less than $30—often less than $20. Likewise, Vir- ginia red blends patterned after respected red Bordeaux are available for less than $50. Although he encourages tasting and experi- mentation, Harris considers it the job of Virgin- ia winemakers to promote their own products, without waiting for a wine director or sommelier to happen upon them. The majority of Virginia wine continues to be sold in tasting rooms, to wine-club members, and in retail stores and res- taurants across the region, including Washing- ton, D.C. One exception is Kluge, which distrib- utes 35% of its 25,000 annual cases of wine to 18

Photos by Kelly Magyarics (top left), Jennifer McCloud (bottom) states outside Virginia. Expansion plans include

Sommelier Journal 87 outstanding recent releases

Kluge Estate Blanc de Blanc 2007 $28 Rich and creamy, with bright acidity, this wine balances minerality with a fl oral nose of lemon custard and pear. It fi nishes with crisp citrus notes and subtle hints of pastries and almonds. Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay Virginia Sparkling Wine N.V. $26 Lemon-colored, with a refi ned nose. This elegant, under- stated sparkler is racy and mineral-driven, displaying fl avors of melon and well-integrated oak. Horton Viognier 2009 $20 Exotic honey and tropical-fruit aromas lead to a full- bodied, viscous mouthfeel. Subtle oak nuances from barrel fermentation appear on the midpalate. Tarara Chardonnay 2008 $30 Lush, juicy fruit is balanced with smoky oak in this medium-bodied Chardonnay. A soft mouthfeel with rich Boxwood Winery cellar. citrus fl avors is followed by a long, clean fi nish. Veritas Saddleback Chardonnay 2009 $18 key producers Modeled after Chablis, this wine displays clean aromas of Barboursville (703) 771-1197 Pollak Vineyards ripe apple, honeydew melon, and quince. The medium- fabbioliwines.com 330 Newton Road bodied palate is layered with tree fruits, soft toast, and Vineyards Greenwood, VA 22943 spice from oak aging. Minerality and balanced acidity 17655 Winery Road Barboursville, VA 22923 (540) 456-8844 distinguish the fi nish. 6399 Spotswood Trail (540) 832-3824 www.pollakvineyards.com Barboursville Vineyards Octagon 2006 $45 Gordonsville, VA 22942 barboursvillewine.net Dark, rich garnet color, with an intense aroma of plum, (800) 829-4633 Tarara Winery cassis, coffee, and berries. The full, silky palate is set off Boxwood Winery hortonwine.com 13648 Tarara Lane by graceful tannins. Leesburg, VA 20176 2042 Burrland Lane Keswick Vineyards Boxwood Topiary 2009 $25 The Plains, VA 20198 (703) 771-7100 1575 Keswick Winery Drive A blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and (540) 687-8778 www.tarara.com Keswick, VA 22947 16% , this wine is intense purple in color, www.boxwoodwinery.com with an abundant nose of dark fruits, sweet tobacco, and (888) 244-3341 Thibaut-Janisson graphite. Blackberry fl avors emerge on the long, concen- Chrysalis Vineyards www.keswickvineyards.com 1413 Dairy Road trated palate, well structured with ripe tannins. Charlottesville, VA 22903 23876 Champe Ford Road King Family Chrysalis Norton Locksley Reserve 2005 $35 Middleburg, VA 20117 (434) 996-3307 Vineyards Chrysalis Vineyards’ fl agship wine is deeply colored, ro- (540) 687-8222 www.tjwinery.com bust, and full-bodied. Rustic and spicy, it can easily stand www.chrysaliswine.com 6550 Roseland Farm up to meats and full-fl avored dishes. Crozet, VA 22932 Veritas Winery Corcoran Vineyards (434) 823-7800 151 Veritas Lane Fabbioli Cellars Cabernet Franc 2008 $19 14635 Corkys Farm Lane www.kingfamilyvineyards. Afton, VA 22920 A young and constantly changing wine full of bright, Waterford, VA 20197 com (540) 456-8000 intense fruit, dominated by raspberry jam. The barrel- (540) 882-9073 www.veritaswines.com infl uenced palate features a mild pepper taste with an www.corcoranvineyards.com Kluge Estate acidic tang. 100 Grand Cru Drive Williamsburg Winery Kluge Estate New World Red 2005 $25 Fabbioli Cellars Charlottesville, VA 22902 5800 Wessex Hundred A blend of 53% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 18% 15669 Limestone (434) 977-3895 Williamsburg, VA 23185 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% , this wine is round School Road www.klugeestate.com (757) 258-0899 and silky, showing mature and well-balanced fruit. Full- Leesburg, VA 20176 www.williamsburgwinery.com bodied, with a spicy, toasted-oak character, it has notes of currant and black cherry, reminiscent of a Bordeaux cru classé or Pomerol. Pollak Merlot 2008 $20 in the state’s young industry: “Finding them is half the fun. Virginia is Dark-cherry and oak aromas lead to a fruit-forward palate the up-and-coming region producing winning wines that deserve a place with rich chocolate fl avor and a hint of oaky sweetness. Great structure, sweet tannins, and an enticing, velvety on the table. What a difference the past 10 years has made!” fi nish. Students of history, take note. In Virginia, careful attention to the Prices are current estimated retail. challenges of the past is allowing a deliciously spirited wine future to take shape.

88 October 31, 2010