Normally, I would never recommend visiting more than 3 wineries in a day, but when you live 3 states away, sometimes you make an exception. Case in point, my recent visit to Charlottesville and the Monticello Wine Trail. All in all, I visited 6 wineries out of the 22 on the trail, and enjoyed every minute! My only regret, making Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard my last stop.
Tucked into Carter’s Mountain on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia, Kluge is a gem of a winery. The tasting room is housed in a craftsman style bungalow, surrounded by picturesque trees and landscape, making it the perfect spot to spend a fall afternoon. Founded by Patricia Kluge and established in 1999, the wineries 2,000-acres are just miles from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Kluge offers two tastings, the Albemarle ($10) and the Kluge ($12) flight. I opted for the latter, which consisted of 6 wines (3 sparklings, 2 reds, and 1 cocktail). Up first was the ’05 Blanc de Blanc, retail $28. A brut produced from 100% Chardonnay in the Méthode Champenoise tradition, the sparkling wine exhibited beautiful apple, pear, toast, and vanilla on the nose and palate. Up next and also my favorite of the sparklings included the ’05 Blanc de Noir. Produced from 100% Pinot Noir, the sparkling wine retails for $45. The last of the sparkling wines included the ’05 Reserve, and once more, was focused and complex.
Up next were the 2 reds; the Kluge Estate New World Red ’02 and ’04 vintage, both classic blends of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Retailing for $30 and $21 respectively, both vintages exhibited great fruit and complexity. Last and certainly not least, was the Cru Royal. A delicious cocktail of the Blanc de Blanc and Cru Aperitif, garnished with a zest of orange!
Get out and enjoy the fall weather and enjoy a taste of Kluge Estate and be sure to tell them TheOther46.com sent you. Cheers!
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As far as VA wine goes, Kluge is my favorite! I’ll have to schedule a trip over there sometime very soon.
What’s the deal with those tasting flight glasses? Never seen those before!
Cheers!
Thanks for the comment Randy. I was very impressed, although next time, I’ll ensure Kluge is the first visit:-) To be honest, the entire tasting process was strange. You order inside and they bring the flight to you. I wasn’t a big fan of the process and prefer the more casual tasting counter to discuss the wines, vineyard, and winery. And the tasting glasses, who knows!
I found this blog while searching for michigan wine country. Back On The Trail | The Other 46 is actually pretty interesting. If you like these areas, or types of activities, you should really put it on your list of places to see!