Flipping through my wine journal (a birthday present given to me in 2004), I stumbled across several Virginia wine entries revealing interesting trends.
• Petit Verdots and Cabernet Francs were clear winners. Especially those by Horton Vineyards and Pearmund Cellars (just down the road from my childhood home).
• Petit Verdots/Cabernet Francs outside of Virginia did not rate as high as Virginia.
• I consumed various Latours, German Auslese, even tried pinning down a Chardonnay – Burnley Vineyards' Virginia Barrel Select Chardonnay was on top. It kept coming back to Virginia.
• The Williamsburg Winery's 2009 Hening's Statute Virginia Barrel-Aged Claret rated the same as it's 2004 Barrel Aged Virginia Claret. 7 out of 10.
• As a primarily red drinker, I was pleasantly surprised at the Williamsburg Winery's 2011 Virginia Traminette. We discovered the Traminette on a tasting at the Winery. Rarely do I ever find a new favorite during a winery tasting. We left with a case.
• Maybe a little Lisa Vanderpump rubbed off on me this year, but I'm really enjoying exploring rosés. I'm sipping on a new favorite as I write this – the Williamsburg Winery's 2011 Virginia Dry Rosé. Very elegant and great alternative to the mediocre Plantation Blush.
We vacationed over 5 times in the Williamsburg area in 2013. We might even squeeze in another before the year is out. I am a huge fan of the Williamsburg Winery and even stayed as a guest of the Duffeler family.
I look to 2014 as being a year of enjoying new vintages not just from the Williamsburg Winery but from the new wineries that seem to pop up every time I venture into Virginia.
Happy Holidays!
