Virginia Wine, Cider Craftsmen Semifinalists for James Beard Award

The Dog House

Linden, VA

A Wine Dogs paws up to two distinguished members of Virginia's wine and cider community. Diane Flynt of Foggy Ridge Cider and Jim Law of Linden Vineyards are semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional. The category recognizes a beer, wine, or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.

Semifinalists were selected from a list of over 24,000 online entries. The finalists will be announced March 15. A full list of this year’s full semifinalist list is available online at
jamesbeard.org/awards.

VA Wineries Strike Gold in San Francisco

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
San Francisco, CA

Virginia wineries brought home a treasure trove of medals from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, including two Best-in-Class and seven double gold medals (three for Petit Verdots).

The competition, hailed as the largest competition of American wines in the world, drew 7,000 entries from 28 states.

Ecco and Pomeroy visit Lost Creek, maker of the 2015 Best of Class Chardonnay

Best of class honors went to:

• Lost Creek Winery, 2015 Chardonnay (Chardonnay, $26.00 - $29.99) 
• Narmada Winery, 2014 Yash-Vir (Bordeaux Blends, $35.00 - $44.99)

Double Gold winners (awarded when all five judges rate wine as gold):

• Afton Mountain Vineyards, 2012 Petit Verdot (Petit Verdot)
• Delaplane Cellars, 2014 Duet (Bordeaux Blends, $35.00 - $44.99)
• Greenhill Winery and Vineyards, 2015 Chardonnay (Chardonnay, $34.00 - $37.99)
• Jefferson Vineyards, 2015 Viognier (Viognier - $25.00 and above)
• Pearmund, 2014 Petit Verdot (Petit Verdot)
• Trump Winery, 2009 Brut Reserve (Brut)
• Veritas, 2013 Petit Verdot (Petit Verdot)

In all, 23 Virginia wineries claimed 65 medals. Among them, Effingham Manor Winery, which has been in a holding pattern on opening since October but continue to rack up awards.

Ecco visits Pearmund Cellars, one of Virginia's three Double Gold winners for Petit Verdot. 

October is Virginia Wine Month: Wine Dogs Share 5 Pawsome Ways to Celebrate!

Each October, Virginia celebrates our grapeful heritage with Virginia Wine Month. Ecco offers her suggestions for joining the fun.

1. Visit a local winery. Virginia boasts 283 wineries making some of the best wines in the world. With the harvest complete or wrapping up and the fall leaves beginning to turn, October is a perfect time for a visit.

Ecco and Uncle Jeff enjoy the view at Rappahannock Cellars.

Linda Claynier welcomes Ecco back to Desert Rose Ranch & Winery.

Worried about drinking and driving? Take Uber and receive discounts on tastings, merchandise and wine at participating wineries near Leesburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville. . 

2. Attend a festival. A twist on winery hopping, festivals allow you to sample several different wineries all in one convenient location. This weekend was the Fall Festival and Sunset Wine Tasting at Mount Vernon - always a sold-out event. Coming up is Loudoun County's Epicurience. Check here for more listings. NOTE: Not all festivals are pet friendly; best to ask in advance.

Pouring wine for Philip Carter at the Mount Vernon Wine Festival.

 

3. Wine and Dine at a local restaurant. With the locavore movement taking hold, more restaurants are featuring Virginia on their wine lists (what better to pair with locally-sourced food?). VirginiaWine.org allows you to sniff out restaurants in your area. Some, like L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls are hosting special events in celebration of Virginia Wine Month, including a wine tasting on October 1 and a dinner on October 19. 

Claude Thibuat (Thibaut-Janisson) and Toni Kilyk (Granite Heights)
share their award-winning wines at L'Auberge Chez Francois.

4. Host a Virginia Wine-Tasting Party. Invite your friends and show off  your favorite Virginia wine. Or have everyone bring a bottle to share - with so many delicious wines to choose from, you are bound to discover a new crush.

Guests to the sunset wine tasting on Blue Mountain in Linden brought wines from nearby Fox Meadow as well as Corcoranm, Rappahannock Cellars, and Miracle Valley.

5. Stock up Virginia Wine at your local ABC. In honor of Virginia Wine Month, Virginia ABCs are offering a 10 percent discount on all Virginia Wine and spirits. Ecco picked up bottles from Barboursville, Trump, and Williamsburg on a recent visit.

How will you celebrate?

Finger Lakes Wine Region: Wine Dog Preview and First Impressions

From left to right or right to left, Ecco agrees!

WBC15
Corning, New York

Prosecco is making her debut at the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC15), held this year in the Finger Lakes region of New York. This is the third conference for the Wine Dogs.

And guess what Virignia fans? Corning, the Southern gateway to the Finger Lakes, is a reasonable five-hour drive from Northern Virginia - closer than some wine regions in the Old Dominion.

Brudder tells the Wine Dogs all about the Finger Lakes

Ecco and Pomeroy got a preview of the region when they met up with the region's famous chef , Brud "Brudder" Holland, while visiting Marterella Winery in November. Note to Wine Dog friend KK - Corning is known as a Foodie Town and Brudder is considered the "Mad Scientist" of the Finger Lakes culinary scene.

Brudder told the Wine Dogs that there are more wineries in the Finger Lakes than they will have time to see. Indeed, the region has over 300 wineries (compared to just over 250 spread across Virginia). He highlighted several stars - many of whom had their wines on display at the WBC15 opening reception.

Meghan makes it 4 generations at
the winery her great-grandfather started

Dr. Konstantin Frank, an immigrant from the Ukraine, is considered the godfather of the Finger Lakes wine region. Like Virginia's Gianni Zonin of Barboursville Vineyards, Frank was one of the first believers that vino vinifera (European wine grapes) could be grown successfully in the Eastern United States.

The old vines are producing excellent fruit today for the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. Dr. Frank's great-granddaughter, Meghan, proudly poured the storied wines for the bloggers. Ecco enjoyed the dry Riesling from 1957 vines and gave paws up to the Pinot Noir from 1958 vines - the second oldest planting of Pinot in the country. She also enjoyed a very soft Gruner Veltliner - an Austrian varietal also grown at North Mountain in Virginia.

Carolyn introduces Ecco to Ravines wines.

Riesling is the region's signature grape, and a variety were on display at the opening reception. The 2013 Dry Riesling from Ravines Wine Cellars is a standout, and earned a top 100 spot from Wine Enthusiast. 

Len Wiltberger of Keuka Spring.

Len Wiltberger and his wife, Judy, started Keuka Spring Vineyards in the 1980s, at the beginning of the region's renaissance. He poured a refreshingly crisp and dry Rose from a blend of Cabernet Franc and Lemberger grapes. Ecco also enjoyed the Gewurtztraminer - a Finger Lakes staple whose name, literally, means "spicey grape from the town of Traminer."

Another staple of the Finger Lakes wine scene is Heron Hill, which dates back 37 year. Tasting Room Manager Tambi Schweitzer gave Ecco her first taste of Blaufrankish as a varietal (Lemberger by another name). She also discovered that Cabernet Franc is the number one selling red in the Finger Lakes (and we thought it was a Virginia phenomenon).

Nikki &Adam Folts recently opened
Vineyard View.

A new kid on the block, Vineyard View Winery opened only a year and a half ago. But the Folts family has been growing grapes in their vineyard for more than 100 years. Only a small part of the 125 acres go into their own wines - and some of their grapes even make their way to Virginia, where demand for fruit is outstripping supply. Again, Ecco was impressed with the Blaufrankish and enjoyed the Pinot and dry Riesling.

Ecco was surprised to learn that our Northern neighbors can produce grapes that have difficulty ripening in Virginia. The deep lakes have a tempering effect on the climate.

Overall, Virginia's little Wine Dog is getting a great introduction to the Finger Lakes at WBC15. She loves discovering the region's varietals, which draw heavily from Germany and Russia, and looks forward to her first taste of Saperavi.

The Finger Lakes' stars were out for the opening reception at WBC15.