A Well-Manored Wine Dog

Glen Manor Vineyards
Front Royal, Virginia

A pawsome 39 wineries scored gold in the 2018 Virginia Governor's Cup competition. We will find out February 27 who wins the cup and who makes the Governor's Case.

Several winemakers earned multiple golds this year, among them Jeff White, who mined gold for a vertical trio of his Hodder Hill (a Bordeaux blend). Glen Manor claimed the Governor's Cup in 2012 for the 2009 Hodder Hill. This year, the 2013, 2014, and 2015 are in the spotlight.

Ecco was intrigued, and led the pack to Glen Manor Vineyards on a chilly January afternoon.

The winery and tasting room were little changed from when Virginia Wine Dogs Munchkin and Pomeroy made their first visit in 2009 (read more). All the money has been going back into the vineyards, including a recent planting of Nebiolo (all Glen Manor wines use estate-grown grapes).

And the vineyards are producing awesome wines. Carol was pouring seven wines on the day of the Wine Dog visit, and Ecco didn't find a dog in the bunch. The one white was a 2016 Sauvignon Blanc - perfect for her friend Reagan. Ecco was partial to the Morales Rose, a saignee' bleed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (the latter two from blocks grown specifically for the Rose).

Hard to say which was the pick of the litter among the reds. Jeff says the 2014 is his favorite year for Cabernet Franc since he opened the winery. Elegant and restrained, the wine was exceptionally smooth with a very nice nose.

A newer partner to the Hodder Hill is the "right bank" ST. Ruth, named for the first two generations, Susan and Stephen who purchased the farm in 1901, and their daughter, Ruth. Late Harvest Petit Mansent is named Raepheus, honoring Jeff's parents, Anna Rae and Alpheus. Jeff's niece Ashleigh and nephew Jack recently committed four years to the winery as they decide if they will be the next generation.

The Wine Dogs have little doubt Glen Manor will be a strong player in the Virginia wine scene for years to come. A peak ahead: With very dry weather in the area at exactly the right time, the Wine Dogs were told Jeff expects the 2017 wines to be history-making for the area.

Ecco wraps up her visit to Glen Manor with a hug from owner Kelly White.

Only service dogs are allowed in the winery at Glen Manor. On winery grounds, dogs must remain leashed to their owner at all times.

It's a Cider Day in Virginia with News from Foggy Ridge

Virginia Cider Week draws to a close on a sad note today, as the Wine Dogs learned that Foggy Ridge Cider - the one that started it all - has fermented its last batch of apples.

Back in 2013, when the Wine Dogs decided to take a break from their usual weekend wining and check out Virginia's booming hard cider industry, they naturally started with Virginia's first modern cidery - Foggy Ridge Cider. Check out the In-Cider Scoop on Foggy Ridge Cider from the Wine Dogs.

There were eight operating cideries in Virginia at the time; today, that number has grown to 22 according to the Governor's proclamation declaring the first full week before Thanksgiving (November 10-19th) as "Virginia Cider Week."

You can catch the tail end of the cider celebration this weekend, including the Annual Cider Smackdown at Albemarle Ciderworks and the Alexandria Cider Festival at historic Lloyds House. Or drop by Foggy Ridge on Saturday to learn about growing heirloom apples from the First Lady of Cider herself, Dianne Flynt. Click here to find an event near you.

Remembering Pomeroy

July 20, 2017
Alexandria, VA

One year ago today at the age of 18, Pomeroy, one of the original Virginia Wine Dogs, ran out of time and crossed over to his next life.

We didn't post anything then as it was simply too hard to find the words. Now, as we remember Pomeroy a year later, we share one of the last pictures taken of him.

The vet estimated he was 7 years old when we rescued him from a puppy mill and he had his forever home for 11 more years. We still miss his smiling face every day.

A few favorites:

Halloween at Kewsick (a prize winner as the Cowardly Lion)

Overseeing the Cardinal Point Oyster Festival

International fame

At Lost Creek... always wanting to join the band

Playing peek-a-boo among the barrels

Windblown atop the Three Fox hill

A satisfied customer at Rappahannock

Checking out the bouquet of the wine he made at Three Fox

Planting his first vine at Gadino

Making the cover of NoVaDog Magazine

And his own Hallmark Card

Wine Dogs Destination: Hamilton Station

"Enjoy! It's a barn and we're just as unpretentious as it can get."

The Barns at Hamilton Station
Hamilton, Virginia

The Governor's Cup proudly displayed
among The Barns award-winning wines.

When Ecco decided to take the northern route (Route 7) out to Virginia Wine country, the destination was obvious. It was time for the Wine Dogs to explore The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, winner of the 2017 Governor’s Cup (read The Governor's Cup Finds a New Home).

Past time, actually. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon sold out in March, about three weeks after the award was announced, which not surprisingly, created at big rush to the winery. (link to post) “It got crazy for a while,” says owner Andrew Fialdini. “Things are just starting to settle back.”

A 1910 dairy barn creates the setting for a comfortable and inviting tasting room. Andrew and his wife, Maryanne purchased the property around 2010 with a winery in mind. After a career in intelligence, Andrew, who grew up working his uncle’s ranch in Idaho was ready for a change. Call it the Green Acres syndrome. “I’d just love to get on a tractor,” he decided. 

A small tasting room in the cellar (where the dairy cows used to reside) serves as a venue for larger groups visiting The Barns. 

It opens out to a patio and expansive lawn ending with a retention pond (new vines will be going in behind the pond in the future).

Upstairs where tractors and farm equipment were once housed is the main tasting room, abuzz with activity.

The old barn structure offers unique architectural perspectives and a treasure-trove of antique farm pieces. 

Be sure to check out the wine glass rack, created from old rakes.

The Fialdinis put their life savings into the enterprise, and Andrew feared he had lost it all when the 2011 harvest came in (it was a challenging year across Virginia). But business has been building progressively since opening thanks to some smart business decisions.

Grapes come from 80 acres of vineyards spread across the state, offering insurance against Virginia’s unpredictable grape-growing climate. This year, he two acres of vines on the property (Petit Verdot and Viognier) were green and lush, basking in the July sun.

  

The wines at The Barns are top-notch, thanks to a partnership with acclaimed Virginia winemaker Michael Shaps. Through the 10-wine “Extensive Tasting," there wasn’t a dog in the bunch. Ecco was particular to Bliss (a white blend designed for weddings; a max of 25 are hosted on the property each year). She also gave two paws up to the 2014 Merlot and the 2014 Malbec (the winemaker used a unique approach, fermenting the grapes first in tank and then aging in neutral oak).

The Barns is a boutique winery, producing about 3,800 cases per year, and Andrew intends to keep it that way. Wines are sold exclusively through the tasting room and on-line purchases, with the Case Club forming the base of the business.

And yes, The Barns at Hamilton Station welcomes dogs across the property – as long as they are on a leash attached to a human.

As Andrew says: “Enjoy! It’s a barn and we’re as unpretentious as it can get.”