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The 1st Taste of Monticello Wine Trail Festival

Apr16

Oh, no! A conflict (unless it rains of course!) between spending time in beautiful Nelson County at the Blue Ridge Oyster Festival or heading to our own Charlottesville nTelos Pavillion for the first ever Taste of Monticello Wine Trail Festival. Two totally different experiences and I guess one could attend both but the idea of relaxing and being in the moment as compared to rushing to make both events leads me back to selecting only one. Sunday is the rain-date for the Blue Ridge Oyster Festival in case you want to gamble on rain.

On Saturday April 21st, the Taste of Monticello Wine Trail Wine Festival – Presented by Brown Mercedes-Benz, will take place at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall from 2-6 p.m. Special early VIP entry from 1pm – 2pm.
Attendees will be able to sample from over 90 wines from 24 Trail members.

For $75 Special VIP packages include parking, early access, exclusive catered lunch provided by C&O Restaurant, opportunity to sample select wines not available to general public and a chance to mingle with wine-makers. For $25 VIP Designated Driver tickets are available.

The wine education classes offered in 30 minute segments by Wine Made Simple look very interesting! Wine Made Simple specializes in unique wines less than $20, wine education classes and special events.  The shop opened last year and is located at the Townside Center on Ivy Road in Charlottesville.  

Reading a Wine Label  - 2:30 

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but there’s no better place to start. The graphic designs, photography and illustrations on a wine label are the first thing to catch your eye, but they are the least important. The important stuff is all there on the label and you’ll learn how to discern the information that you will need to make an informed decision and find a wine that suits your palette.

Tasting and Describing Wine – 3:15

You don’t have to be a wine expert in order to taste and evaluate wine properly. We all have out personal tastes, but objective standards for determining the quality and character of wine are helpful. Learn the seven key characteristics of wine, and improve your tasting skills and descriptive vocabulary.

Old World vs. New World Winemaking – 4:00

The “Wine World” can be divided in two important poles: Old World Wines and New World Wines. Tradition and terroir in each style produces very different wines. For instance, New World vineyards are generally in hotter climates and the grapes tend to be riper, more alcoholic and full-bodied.

Pairing Wine with Food – 4:45

 You need not always heed traditional advice, i.e., white wine goes with white meat and vice versa. Wine and food from the same region are meant to be enjoyed together, remember….what grows together, goes together. Discover the general rules that will help you make the best pairings and impress your guests.

The Relevance of Price When Selecting Wine – 5:30

The selling price of a bottle of wine is not necessarily an indication of its quality or of its potential to be enjoyed. Understand the economic and marketing issues that underscore the prices we pay for the wine we drink, and the many sensibly priced and affordable wine options available.

Author Richard Leahy

I think this is really cool! Richard Leahy will be selling and autographing newly published copies of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, a hardback book with over 200 pages detailing the history of Virginia wine since 1619 but focuses on the last decade, with visits to wineries statewide. I met Richard at the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference just prior to the book going to print. Hmmm, Mother’s Day Gift idea? Wink!

Proceeds will benefit Jeffersonian Wine Grape Grower’s Society.  Event sponsors: Brown Mercedes-Benz – NewsRadio 1070 WINA – C&O Restaurant – redstar Merchandise – Monticello Wine Trail.

TICKET PRICES:

$29 – Advance  $35 – Day of Event

$75 – VIP $25 – VIP Designated Driver ticket

$10 – Designated Driver ticket

$10 – Ages 13-20 Kids 12 and under FREE

Participating Wineries/Vineyards:

2nd Annual Blue Ridge Oyster Festival

Mar29

Press Release!

The Blue Ridge Oyster Festival is very proud that the food, wine and beer all come from Virginia and one of the many ways we celebrate this is to debut two wines from 2 vineyards, from 2 counties. This year, Blenheim Vineyards will debut their House Red at the Oyster Festival and Cardinal Point Vineyards will debut their Chardonnay. This year the festival will be held on April 21st with a rain date of the 22nd.

From Cardinal Point –Nelson County

2011 Chardonnay: Featured Release – clean,round, nice vanilla and cream, but not heavy. Our chardonnay escaped  any ill effects of the 2011 harvest rains. Aged in 100% American oak, mostly fromPennsylvania.

2011 Rockfish Red: 100% Cab Franc, aged for four months in French oak. The steady rains during the 2011 harvest account for its lighter than usual color, but the great ripening weather before the rains account for the great flavor. This wine has great berry fruit aromas and flavors, which have a nice dry and crisp finish. A perfect warm-weather red wine!

From Blenheim Vineyards –Albemarle County

2011 Red Table Wine – Featured release

The latest version of red table wine is fruit forward and packed full of juicy berry flavors.

Butterscotch and caramel notes that come from some barrel aging support the ripe plum and red cherry. 50% aged in French and American oak for 5 months. 352 cases produced. 46% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot,18% Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 White Table Wine

A crisp and refreshing warm weather white, perfect for pairing with oysters and picnic fare. 100% stainless steel fermented and aged, 33% Viognier, 66% Chardonnay. 331 cases produced.

2011 Rosé

A delightfully fruity but dry rosé made fromMourvedre, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Extended skin contact helped create a vibrant and flavorful wine that pairs well with a variety of seafood dishes as well as grilled chicken and vegetable dishes. 280 cases produced.

Featured beer will includes:

Devil’s Backbone Brewery

Starr Hill Brewery

ViennaLager StarrPils (German Style Pilsner)

EightPoint IPA NorthernLights (IPA

Reilly’sRed Ale

BelgianCongo Pale Ale

WintergreenWeiss

Flying Fox Vineyard

Sep6

Finally getting a chance to sit down and reflect on the winery trips offered at the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference.

One of the most anticipated events planned by Zephyr Adventures  in conjunction with  The Virginia Wine Board, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau was the side trips to our local wineries.  Adding to the fun and suspense was not knowing our destination until everyone was seated on the bus and the doors had closed!

 The exuberant presence of Maureen Kelley, Director of Economic Development & Tourism for Nelson County was a huge tip off for me! Kneeling on the bus seat facing the rear with a mischeivous twinkle, she reminded me of the kid you wanted to sit with on the way home from school!  Proud of her county and it’s “fruits”, Maureen  brought a crate overflowing with white and yellow peaches from Saunders Brothers Orchard in Nelson County.   Secretly, I had been hoping to get on the bus to Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards because I knew the food was going to be over the top, but after meeting Maureen and tour co-host, Danielle Emerson,  Public Relations Specialist for Virginia Tourism Corporation, I  knew it was going to be a blast! We stopped at Flying Fox, moved on to Cardinal Point and finished with lunch at Afton Mountain Vineyards.

 Flying Fox

First stop after driving out 250 and down 151 towards Wintergreen was the quaint tasting room for Flying Fox!  My husband and I  had previously visited Flying Fox Winery on a stormy summer evening where a local artist was having a wine & cheese party showcasing her work!  I was distracted by pleasant company, wine tasting and art and unfortunately never sat down and wrote about the experience.

 Lynn Davis and husband Rich Evans  named their winery after the running fox weather vane perched on top of the main building at their vineyard.   After a hard day working on the vines and a glass of wine, he looks like he is flying above the vineyard!  Lynn and Rich are personable and devoted to making your visit a memorable one.  Hospitality abounds and you won’t be sorry you popped in on your travels through Nelson County.  I really enjoyed their 2009 Viognier which won a Gold medal at the 2010 Virginia State fair.  The 2010 Rose is excellent chilled on humid Summer day in Virginia and the 2008 Trio was well received by fellow wine bloggers.It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.    I picked up a bottle of the Rose for my daughter in law to enjoy at a later date….and  if  Bed and Breakfasts are your cup of tea, an overnight at Le Bleu Ridge B & B next door is perfect. Stroll over to the tasting room for a glass of wine by the fireplace.