Hype?

March 17, 2009Musings, , , , , ,

I’m going to switch gears tonight and talk about two recent wineries who have won their respective states Governor’s Cup for best overall wine. The 2008 award went to Black Ankle Vineyards for their 2006 Bordeaux blend, Crumbling Rock. Black Ankle Vineyards is a new, up and coming winery located in Mt. Airy, Maryland. The second, Keswick Vineyards, is the 2009 Virginia Governor’s Cup winner for their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Keswick is located on the Monticello Wine Trail, outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Interestingly, these wines have something more in common than just the Governor’s Cup. The Crumbling Rock comes in at $40, while the Keswick Cab topples that at $60! Yes, that’s SIXTY DOLLARS! Don’t get me wrong, I love the other 46 states and do my best in spreading the word, but these latest prices are out of control. I have a hard time believing these wines can stand alongside some great Napa Valley Cabernets, for example Sequoia Grove, Honig, and Whitehall Lane. All of these wines retail in the $30 price range and offer great value each vintage.

Before I get inundated with emails, I must disclose I have not tried either wines and this is solely my opinion. Both wines are out of my price range, although I would welcome the opportunity to sample each. I continually read complaints about the high price tags on wines from the other 46 states, and unfortunately, these wines definitely don’t help matters. But then again, these two wines could be outstanding, and ultimately compete for their spot in the global wine marketplace.

Or, this could all be hype…

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Comments

Gary

Amen, brother. I can’t believe some of the prices that Virginia wineries are charging. If they can get it sold, more power to ’em.

Katie

Hi Brian,
Just wanted to reach out and thank you for the support. We pride ourselves with our consistent quality and competitive price point.

Also I wanted to invite you to the winery the next time you head out to wine country. I would love to host a WLW fan and give you some VIP attention. Please feel free to contact me directly.

Thanks again for the support and I hope to be sharing more of the WLW story and a glass or two with you in the near future.

Cheers!

Brian

Thanks for the comment Gary. You said it best, if they can get it sold, more power to ’em! Who would have thought, Virginia cult wines! Screaming Eagle, Harlan, and Keswick;-)

Brian

Thank you for the great comments! I’ll definitely take you up on that offer!

Kat Schornberg

Hi Brian,
I just stumbled across this post and wanted to let you know that we are pouring the 2007 cabernet Sauvignon in the tasting room and would love for you to come try some and see what you think! We are almost sold out of it now though, so it’s not going to be around much longer.
We’d love the opportunity to go through the rest of our wines with you as well, and if you track Stephen down he would be happy to give you a sneak peak at what’s ahead as well!
Thanks for your support of Virginia wines!

Brian

Hi Kat,

Thank you for your readership! Ironically, I visited Keswick two weeks ago and just posted my review this evening. I was very impressed with the tasting, enjoying all 7 wines thoroughly. A mark of a great winery. I loved the stainless Viognier and of course, the Cab, and look very forward to returning. Keep up the great work! Cheers!

Kat Schornberg

Funny timing, I just saw your review on twitter (trying to learn all these social networking things- we are actually making a wine via facebook votes right now, fun stuff!).
I’m glad you were able to make it out and enjoyed the wines! I look forward to meeting you next time you are around 🙂

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