Wine Dogs Dig Up Gold at Ingleside

Ingleside Vineyards

Oak Grove, VA

The Virginia Wine Dogs are hot on the trail - the Gold Medal Wine Trail that is - sniffing out the 47 wineries, cideries and meaderies that racked up gold in the 2021 Governor's Cup Competition. First stop, Ingleside Vineyards in the Northern Neck of Virginia (the George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area - Washington's birthplace is just down the road).

Ingleside numbers itself among the pioneers of the modern Virginia wine industry - opening in 1980 with the first wave of post-prohibition wineries. Doug Flemer planted his grapes on the historic estate that had been in his family since 1890. Today, the winery's focal point is a European-style brick courtyard, surrounded by old farm buildings transformed to serve as the tasting room, winery, event space and museum (filled with antique wine bottles, Native American artifacts and Chesapeake waterfowl decoys). 

Ingleside is a three-time Governor's Cup winner (1983, 1984, and 1986) and claimed a spot in the 2017 Governor's Cup Case). The winery earned gold in this year's Governor's Cup Competition for two of its whites - the 2019 Albarino and the 2018 Chardonnay Reserve. The Albarino is available on the white tasting flight (which also includes the 2019 Pinot Grigio, 2019 Viognier, Coastal White, and 2019 Chardonnay Reserve). The 2018 is available only for purchase, so of course, we did.

Ecco was grateful the flight came with a proper tasting glass, allowing her to fully appreciate the peach on the nose of the Albarino and nectar on the palate. We've been hearing quite a bit of buzz about this Spanish grape's promise in Virginia lately (most recently on Frank Morgan's Open that Bottle of Virginia Wine Night). Ingleside's Albarino certainly impressed - Ecco gave it two paws up. 

Score another paw up for pet friendliness, Ecco was made to feel right at home throughout her visit and even met a new friend, Winnie, a three-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever (kind of a mini-Golden). Winnie is clearly a devoted wine dog - note the grape colored leash and harness.

There is a charming gift shop in Ingleside's tasting room, lovingly stocked by Nancy Flemer. As much as she enjoyed the wine, Ecco couldn't resist bellying up to the Doggie Tasting Bar. Suffice it to say, she loved her visit to Ingleside.

Ingleside's unique take on Virginia's LOVE sign.

Wine Dogs Count Down to the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup Reveal

Alexandria, VA

The Virginia Wine Dogs have been following the Governor's Cup for more than a decade. As we prepare for tonight's 2021 Governor's Cup Reveal, we look back at past postings on Virginia's Top Dog of Wine.

COUNTDOWN 2010: Open less than a year, Paradise Springs Winery may be just a pup in Virginia's growing kennel of top wineries but they're demonstrating show quality - claiming the Governor's Cup at Monticello on Wednesday night for their 2009 Reserve Chardonnay. This is the first time since 1991 that a Chardonnay has won the cup. Munchkin and Pomeroy extend their congrats to Jane Kincheloe and Kirk Wiles and all our friends in Paradise.

COUNTDOWN 2011: Munchkin and Pomeroy popped into Fox Meadow Winery on Sunday to give give their neighbors a personal "paws up" and pick up a bottle of the 2011 Governor's Cup winning Le Renard Rouge (2008) to taste for themselves. Grrrr-eat! Congratulations to our Blue Mountain neighbors, Dan and Cheryl Mortland. The award was announced at the Virginia Wine Expo on Friday Night. Sixty Virginia wineries submitted 196 entries in this year’s cup competition. This was the pups' first actual view of the Governor's Cup.

COUNTDOWN 2011 (Part 2): Munchkin and Pomeroy headed to New Kent Winery in October to congratulate the winery on winning the 2011 Governor's Cup for White Wines. The 2009 Reserve Chardonnay was judged best from among 162 wines entered from 52 wineries. Notice something different about the award? In 2011, the Governor's Cup competition was divided between Red Wines in the Spring and White Wines in the Fall.

COUNTDOWN 2012: Governor Bob McDonnell presented the Governor's Cup to a surprised Jeff White, owner and winemaker of Glen Manor Vineyards for the 2009 Hodder Hill, a Meritage blend which the Governor called "“a stunning representation of the best in Virginia wines." It was the first time Glen Manor entered the competition. More than 400 Virginia wines competed. This year introduced a significantly revamped competition led by Master of Wine Jay Yeomans, a requirement that all wines have 100% Virginia grapes, and the debut of the Governor's Cup Case (top 12 wines in Virginia).

 

COUNTDOWN 2013: The 2013 Governor's Cup winner was Barboursville Vineyards' 2009 Octagon, beating out 400 wines. It marked a record fourth time Barboursville has claimed the Governor's Cup. Luca Paschina, Winemaker and General Manager, called the 2009 Octagon "probably one of the best wines I every made in my life" -- adding that he has been making wine since he was 14.  The 2009 Octagon has also claimed a 90-point score from Wine Enthusiast, gold medals form the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and the Winemaker's Challenge and Critics Challenge in California, and the Platinum Medal of the Sommelier Challenge in California.

COUNTDOWN 2014: The 2014 Governor's Cup was awarded to Williamsburg Winery for the 2010 Adagio. The graceful blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot already has the wine world taking note - earning 94 points in the Beverage Testing Institute's International Wine Competition. It was produced by Matthew Meyer, who has been Williamsburg's winemaker since 2002. This year, 410 wines from 96 wineries competed.

COUNTDOWN 2015: Top Dog in the Virginia Wine World is Muse Vineyards, winner of the 2015 Governor's Cup. The prize went to the 2009 Clio, a Bordeaux blend and one of the first produced from the vineyard by Robert Muse and Sally Cowal. This year, 390 wines from 94 wineries were entered in the competition.

COUNTDOWN 2016: Paws up to our good friends at Keswick Vineyards, winner of the 2016 Governor's Cup for their 2014 Cabernet Franc! Accepting the cup, owner Al Schornberg said: "All we wanted to do was make a great red wine. Dreams come true in Virginia Wine country." Ecco was privileged to inspect the cup at her next visit to Keswick.

COUNTDOWN 2017: The barking news out of Richmond is that The Barns at Hamilton Station in Hamilton, VA, will be taking home the 2017 Governor's Cup. The award-winning wine is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, confirming once again that Virginia can produce a full-bodied Cab. The Barns opened in 2012, a post-government-service project of owners Andrew and Maryann Fialdini. Michael Shaps is the winemaker. A total of 494 wines were judged in this year's competition. York's photo in the Governor's Cup made the Richmond Times Dispatch!

COUNTDOWN 2018: Over 440 wines competed, but only one could be declared top dog in the Virginia Governor's Cup competition. This year's prize went to the King Family Vineyards for their elegant 2014 Meritage. This is the third time the King Family Vineyards has claimed this prestigious honor.

COUNTDOWN 2019: For the first time since the Virginia Governor's Cup Competition was revamped in 2012, a white wine has claimed Best in Show. Horton Vineyards' 2016 Petit Manseng bested over 500 wines from 102 wineries to earn the 2019 Governor's Cup. Horton Vineyards is one of the pioneers in the modern Virginia wine world, currently celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Founder Dennis Horton brought Petit Manseng to Virginia in the late 1990s (along with Viognier).

COUNTDOWN 2020: For the first time in 15 years, a dessert wine claimed the coveted Virginia Governor's Cup. At the 2020 Governor's Cup Celebration, 868 Estate Vineyards in Purcellville won "Best in Show" honors for the 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito, beating out more than 530 wines. And for the first time, Loudoun County can claim to be first in grapes. The award-winning wine is made from from 100 percent Loudoun County fruit. This would be the last event the Wine Dogs attended before the COVID lockdown . 

COUNTDOWN 2021: ?????