Virginia Wine Showcase Roundup
Visited the Virginia Wine Showcase on Sunday and had a great time. It was like going on a winery tour but without managing driving and paying tasting room fees everywhere. $25 ticket price got you access to 30-40 wineries and a bunch of other tables selling perfumes, jewelry, olive oil, and cheese. The cheeses, actually, were consistently good.
The wines weren’t bad. There was plenty of wine that wasn’t up to par, but there was a lot that was and even a few that got everyone excited. The Highlights:
Breaux Vineyards – The most crowded booth in the whole show but they were well staffed so that meant short wait times. I got excited when I saw a sign saying their 2001 Nebbiolo was 35%, but that discount only brought it down to the indulgent price of $50. Still a pass at that number. Breaux was the consensus favorite among our group.
Kluge Estate – A solid, consistent tasting flight. I was the happiest here until they poured the sweet wines. Sweet wines just aren’t my thing.
Chrysalis Vineyards – Strong whites. The Viognier is heralded and an award winner, but at $30 it still induces a bit of sticker shock. The Wife and I both preferred their Chardonnay.
Chateau Morrisette – The best flight top to bottom. They were the most consistent in terms of pleasing wines and decent prices across the board.
I tasted a few Sangioveses (from Three Fox Vineyards and Rockbridge Vineyards, among others) and all were solid wines. I’m a sucker for Italian varietals.
The Expo was well run and well worth the money. I’ve heard they are planning a second one for August so if you missed this one, make your plans to attend the summer event.
There are a few pictures on the Vinotrip Flickr. Over the next few days I’ll talk about my favorite wines from the event and the hype that people are drumming up for the 2007 vintage in Virginia.
