The Other 46

I’m fortunate to try some of the best local wines produced each year.  I’m well aware, at least in most cases, several of the wines I feature are near impossible to purchase.  Blame it on shipping laws, limited production or small marketing budgets, at the end of the day, most of the wines I write about [...]

If I had the patience to cellar wines, this post would be focused on a vertical of the best Chardonnay in Virginia, rather than a single wine review.  Unfortunately, I have little willpower when it comes to Jim Law’s wines, and especially his Hardscrabble Chardonnay.  Instead, I feature his 2008, and urge you to read [...]

I was a skeptic when Virginia announced Viognier as the states signature grape last spring. Signature grapes are great for marketing purposes, but personally, I feel winemakers are still experimenting with different varieties making it difficult to declare a winner.  Nonetheless, Virginia Viognier is a personal favorite and one I drink often. Barboursville Vineyards, a winery with [...]

One of the iconic wineries on the East Coast, Chaddsford Winery has been producing award-winning wines since their first release in 1983. Heralded winemaker Eric Miller is largely credited with launching a wine industry in Pennsylvania that now boasts more than 100 wineries and counting. Having achieved national acclaim and recognition, Eric’s wines have been featured in [...]

A 2010 Jefferson Cup award winner and voted one of the top 20 wines in the country in the white non-vinifera white wine category, the Somerset Ridge Traminette Oktoberfest is a prime example of the ever-changing wine world.  Made from the Traminette grape, a Gewürztraminer hybrid, the grape has found a permanent home in the Kansas soils [...]

Founded in 1989 by Whitie and Margaret Hubert, Tarara Winery is a 475 acre farm that stretches along the Potomac River in Leesburg, Virginia.  A veteran on the Virginia wine scene, Tarara sources from several of the states best vineyards, including their estate vineyard Nevaeh.  I haven’t visited since Jordan Harris joined the team as winemaker, but [...]

Originated in Southern Québec, ice cider (or cidre de glace in French) is a dessert wine made from apples and concentrated by natural winter cold.  There are two approaches to producing ice wine according to Wikipedia: cryoconcentration and cryoextraction. “Cryoconcentration involves harvesting the fruits late in season and leaving them in fresh storage until late December, when they are [...]