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My Case for Virginia Wines Enough with the same old choices! I’m going local. Pour me some Virginia wine. Virginians are broadening their wine-tasting experiences beyond national brands produced with the “noble grapes” – Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. They are exploring new and come-back grape varieties growing in popularity and recognition: Muscat, Norton, Cabernet Franc, Viongier, Meritage, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer. Since moving to Richmond from Europe 20 months ago, and since wine is both my passion and business, I’ve studied Virginia wines. There are 87 wineries and more than 25 grape varieties grown here, giving us many choices that span the sweet, dry and semi styles. My Virginia “blue chips”: Cabernet Franc and Viognier. Both stand as notable to Virginia as is Zinfandel to California, Chanin Blanc to South Africa, Pinot Noir to Burgundy, France. And Williamsburg Winery’s unrecognized new style of blackberry or raspberry-blended merlot dessert wine merits a blue chip. Still, some Virginians seen hesitant to “go local,” asking, “Why try Virginia wine when I can purchase Californian or French wine for the same price or less?” Here’s my answer. A well-known brand is not necessarily the best wine. Increasingly, less prominent wines are scoring as fabulous finds. International Wine Consumer Report cites enthusiasts favoring smaller-production, unrecognized grape varieties including Cabernet Franc and Viongier – both viewed as the best wines Virginia produces. My comparing these two wines involved tasting three Virginia brands against three California brands, all priced between $15-25. I was amazed how some of our Cabernet Francs were more balanced and intense than their California counterparts, and how the Virginia Viogniers had more pronounced crispiness while remaining mild to the palate. My favorite Virginia Viogniers include Chrysalis, Keswick and Horton Cellars, which pair wondrously with Halibut sautéed with curry sauce, served with fused truffle-oil and Dutch potatoes. As for Cabernet Francs, cheers to Barboursville, King Family and AmRheim – all in perfect harmony with cooked ham with Demi-glace sauce garnished with mashed potatoes. Here’s another example in making my case for Virginia wines. Take the Moet et Chandon brand of Champagne, either vintage or non-vintage. Although produced in the French region of Champagne using the traditional Champanoise Methode, this sparkling wine still might fall below average if the vintage year is bad. In contrast, local Kluge Estates’sparkling wine –also made the traditional way – applies newer wine-making techniques that produce, year-to-year, a more consistent product. I recently purchased locally 2001 Moet et Chandon ($45) and 2001 Kluge Estate SP sparkling wine ($38). I paired each with gratin half-shell oysters with orange-zest sabayon sauce. Scrumptious. The Moet was dry and crisp; its fizziness complemented the acidity of the oysters and the rich, buttery sabayon. But, voila! The Kluge was magnificent, a decidely perfect match. Forget the clichés and hype about imports. Oft-times you can get equal or better satisfaction for less money from Virginia brands. Case closed. You like wine. We know wine. Cheers. |
