Wine Dogs Go Spelunking at Cave Ridge

Cave Ridge Vineyard
Mount Jackson, VA

The Wine Dogs continued their exploration of Shenadoah Valley wineries with a trip to Cave Ridge Vineyard. Cave Ridge is an estate winery, meaning they grow all the grapes used in their wines right there.

Owner and winemaker Randy Phillips planted the grapes in 2000, and opened the winery in 2006. Cave Ridge produces about 2,000 cases a year, and wants to stay small and focused. Randy's wines are dry in style, and all straight varietals (one kind of grape), except the Rambling Rose' (a blend of Traminette, Chamourcin, and Cab Franc).

Randy's wife, Karen, welcomed the Wine Dogs with open arms. Munchkin, Pomeroy, and Izzy made themselves at home in the comfortable tasting room. The low ceilings provided a cozy, cave-like feel, while the paneling and fireplace offered welcome warmth on a still chilly February afternoon. The winery is nestled between the Alleghenies and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the big glass windows offer an excellent view. Munchkin went of to explore the kitchen, where resident wine dog Boomer, a Black Lab hangs out.

Marcie served as hostess, toasting the Wine Dogs' visit with Cave Ridge's Sparkling Traminette for starters. The bubbly was great on its own, and we're told it makes a great Mimosa for Sunday brunch (hint: use passion fruit juice instead of orange juice). Izzy likes the regular 2005 Traminette, which had a cinnamin finish that reminded her of apple butter.

The regular tasting features 10 wines, some with food pairings including a coffee-infused key lime chocolate with the Rose (none for the pups). There were two semi-vertical pairings (different vintages of the same wine for comparison). The first was the Viogner, actually two separate bottlings of the same vintage, but with fermentation stopped two days earlier on the first, leaving 2% residual sugar. Roy and Izzy approved, giving it two Poms up. Munchkin held out for the reds, which featured both an 05 and 06 Chambourcin. The o5 was the paws down favorite, with an intense flavor and juicy mouth feel.

All the reserve wines were standouts. We started with the 05 Viognier, Marcie's favorite among Cave Ridge's whites; the 05 Cab Franc has won lots of medals with a good nose and lots of legs; Munchkin was very enthusiastic about the fruit-forward 05 Petit Verdot (Karen's favorite) and thought she'd found her wine... until she tasted the 05 Syrah, recently judged best wine in its category in the Eastern United States.

But the best was yet to come. The Wine Dogs got to experience the release of the 06 Red Silk Barrel Select Cabernet Franc. The smooth (and yes, silky) sultry red had Munchkin begging for more, but just as she said "yes, yes, yes" tail wagging hard, the word came down "You can't buy it." This wine was only availble to Fossil Hill Wine Club members. The Wine Dogs will be back.

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Thanks for mentioning your visit to Cave Ridge. Sorry I missed meeting you and the canine oenophiles. Hope to have you visit again soon.

Randy Phillips

Front Royal's Got a Wine Shop in It

Vino e Formaggio

Front Royal, VA

There's a new Wine Shop in town...

and it's going to the Dogs.

Over President's Day weekend, Munchkin and Pomeroy took a trip into town (Front Royal) and discovered a wonderful new wine shop on Main Street -- Vino e Formaggio.

Top dog at the store is Christian Failmezger, a wine enthusiast who is eager to spread the love of the grape. The shop features wines in the $10-$20 range to encourage new winedrinkers to experiment and find the wines that set their tails a waggin'. The Virginia Wine Dogs were pleased to find a strong selection of Virginia wines (for those times when visiting the winery just isn't practical).

Vino e Formaggio offers weekend wine tastings (beer on Sundays) as part of their education campaign. They are "always fun and always free."

Munchkin was back the next weekend (February 20-22) for the special Vino e Formaggio Dog Benefit for the Warren County Humane Society, the Service Dogs of Virginia, the Saint Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundation (dedicated to raising and training service dogs for assisting individuals with disabilities), and the San Francisco SPCA.

There was a special selection of dog-oriented wines, and on Saturday, local author, Hal Creel, was on hand to sign his book, Do Old Dogs Dream? Munchkin is not going to reveal her age, but listening to her contented sighs as she sleeps will give you a clue.

The book is a beautiful collection of photographs and poetry in loving tribute to Chester and other dogs of a certain age. And the author is donating all profits from the sale of this book to the rescue and care of old dogs.

For Munchkin, the top dog among the wines was the Liberty, a red blend from Château Morrisette here in Virginia. Check out the winery's website at www.thedogs.com (gotta love it). Chateau Morrissette donates a portion of the proceeds from Liberty and its sister white, Independence to Service Dogs of Virginia and the Saint Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundation. Dan, Virginia. If you can't get out to Floyd, you can pick up a bottle at Vino et Formaggio.

Wine Dogs Head South (to North Mountain)

North Mountain Vineyard and Winery
Maurertown, VA

Among their New Year's resolutions, Munchkin and Pomeroy pledged to branch out beyond their familiar Blue Ridge/Fauquier County wineries. Having met owner and winemaker John Jackson at the Shenandoah Balloon Festival and been impressed with his 2005 Chambourcin, the Wine Dogs put North Mountain at the top of their list for 2009.

North Mountain sits on 960 acres in Shenandoah County, one of the driest areas in the Eastern United States (good for letting the grapes get ripe and juicy on the vine). Most of the grapes are grown on the estate, with the vines tended by John’s stepfather, Brad Foster. The soil’s high limestone content gives the wines a distinctive taste. A good example is the Vidal Blanc, a unique expression of the wine that is dry, but not overpowering.

As they entered the tasting room, the Wine Dogs were greeted by John and Wolfie, a 4-month-old Belgian Sheep Dog, one of two new canine members of the North Mountain family. The other is Susie Q, a rescue beagle (Go Beagle!).

The lovely Lee led the Wine Dogs through a regular tasting of seven wines, followed by a sampling of seven limited production wines. When they were done, Lee remarked on Roy’s tongue hanging from his mouth, commenting “I don’t know if he’s had a lot of wine.”

The Wine Dogs found the 2006 Cabernet Franc Reserve had an especially nice finish. Lee told us the Mountain Midnight, a Port-style wine but softer and less sweet, made her “want to sing and dance,” but it was the 2005 Chambourcin that got Munchkin up on her hind legs. Not usually much for fruit, Munchkin couldn’t resist the Mountain Sunset Apple Blush, and the Spiced Holiday Wine, warmed in the microwave, was a great antidote to the winter chill.

After tasting the '07 Claret (100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon), which John said will mature nicely if you set it down a year, the Wine Dogs chose a bottle of the '06 to enjoy. The indoor facilities were comfortable, with fireplace and large windows overlooking the still domant vines.

As a special treat, John took the Wine Dogs down to the intimate Barrel Room, where congressmen and other VIPs are entertained. There they got to check out the 07 Cabernet Franc as well as Late Vidal, which was still suffering from bottle shock but showed excellent promise.

The Wine Dogs are planning a return visit to North Mountain on February 28 for the annual Chili Cook-Off, where Roy’s dad will compete for top chili dog.

INTRODUCING IZZY: No, you’re not seeing double. The third Wine Dog (in the middle) is Isabella. Like Roy, Izzy is a Pomeranian. Although new to winetasting, she is quickly developing a taste for the grape.

Munchkin Enjoys a Most Civilized Wine Tasting

Vintage Ridge Vineyards

Rectorstown, VA

The Wine Dogs are in full agreement with Ernst Hemmingway, who observed "Wine is the most civilized thing in the world." At Vintage Ridge, they know how to make wine tasting an extremely civilized experience as well, with unique food pairings that are part of every tasting.

Vintage Ridge is one of the new Fauquier County wineries, opening its tasting room in September 2007. Although Pomeroy was unable to make the trip, a full squad was on hand... er, on paw... to greet Munchkin when she arrived on a mid-November afternoon.

The winery dogs include a pointer hound, an Austrailian shepherd, a chow and a spaniel. They led her to a warmly decorated tasting room, filled with tables and chairs, colorful murals, and a roomful of guests clearly enjoying the experience. Steel tanks, where the next vintage was fermenting, lined the room.

Enthusiastic host Bill Edmands, who started the winery with his wife Vicki in 2000 when they planted their first vines, warmly welcomed Munchkin and her party. He explained that along with the wines, they would enjoy an array of cheeses, sauces, chutneys, and meats intended to heighten the appreciation of the wine offerings.

The wines included both the 2006 and 2007 Maiden Voyage, a citrusy white wine beautifully enhanced by the appetizers. Other wines on the tasting list included a 2005 Cabernet Franc, 2006 Syrah, and the Summer Night 2007 and 2006 Late Harvest Vidal, described as "a dessert in itself."

Realizing that he had a true red wine connoisseur in house, Bill brought out his '04 Cab Franc, which was smooth and spicey. He followed up with the Petit Verdot, which Munchkin decided was top dog.

After enjoying a bottle and the rest of the appetizers, Munchkin was ready to join the Vintage Ridge pack.

Mom insisted she go home, but she looks forward to returning with Pomeroy to enjoy the view from the patio in April with Vintage Ridge reopens for the spring.