The DrinkLocalWine.com conference festivities kicked off with an informal gathering of wine writers at Lansdowne Resort to enjoy a tasting of wines from the other 47 states. Hosted by Dezel Quillen at On The Potomac, we each brought an assortment of wines from New York, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, Hawaii, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia, the focus of the weekend. An impressive lineup of 25 plus wines were poured throughout the night paired alongside an assortment of local cheeses and charcuterie including house-made Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras and Chorizo Sausage and Creamy Polenta.
There were 4 standouts on my tasting sheet amongst a solid lineup. Highlights included the Lenz 2001 Estate Merlot with its earthiness, leather, and black cherry notes, followed by the herbaceous, varietal correct Windham 2004 Cabernet Franc (winery is now named Doukénie Winery). The New York Cork Report White Wine of the Year, the Billsboro 2008 Riesling impressed all, while the Glen Manor 2008 Sauvignon Blanc displayed the potential of the variety in the state. Honorable mentions included the Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, Brennan Vineyards Viognier, and the Benmarl Baco Noir. New York and Virginia definitely represented!
The tasting proved to be a great start to the conference and helped promote the other 47 states. I also had the privilege to meet a few other great wine bloggers including DrinkLocalWine.com co-founder Jeff Siegel (The Wine Curmudgeon), Allan Liska (CellarBlog), Sean Sullivan (Washington Wine Report), Tammy Colson (Southern Wine Trails), and Raelinn Schmitt (Wine Ophelia). An evening to remember…
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Where’s the debauchery? Clearly you’re the organized forward thinking blogger from this event… Still wish I’d been there, but I’m glad VA showed well.
Brian,
I think you phrased it perfectly – “An evening to remember.” That was a wonderful evening and the most “Other 47” wines I had tasted at one time. Meeting and talking wine w/ everyone was cool too. I’m with you on the top picks, however, Jeff White of Glen Manor has an awesome site for SB; not sure others can pull that off. The 08 was very nice! Good post. Have a great week bro.
Dezel
You guys should check out the sauv blanc from Veritas – Emily is doing some really nice work with it (although I’ve yet to try the just released ’09).
Dezel,
Great times for sure! I never gave much thought to Virginia Sauvignon Blanc, but I’ve had several great bottles of late. In fact, if memory serves me correct, Breaux produces a great Sauv Blanc as does Barboursville. And of course, the Linden Avenius is another great example. Perhaps there is a future for the variety in Northern Virginia.
VA Wine Diva,
Thanks for the recommendation! Dave McIntyre has recommended the Veritas Sauv Blanc in the past, I just haven’t had the opportunity to visit and taste. I will definitely include in the itinerary for my next visit. Cheers!