The Other 46

What do you get when you put forty plus wines together on a one page tasting sheet?  Overwhelmed!  My third stop along the Monticello Wine Trail was Horton Vineyards, located in Orange County, Virginia.  Visitors are greeted by a castle-like winery and rows of manicured vines.  Owner and winemaker Dennis Horton, dubbed the “Lone Rhone [...]

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 [...]

Not often do you see the new kid on the block make the splash Black Ankle Vineyards has in its inaugural year.  Winning Maryland’s top wine award two years in a row, the coveted Governor’s Cup for their Crumbling Rock Bordeaux blend, Black Ankle has won “best in show” in three of the last four [...]

After several visits to Virginia’s wine country, I decided it was finally time to cross the state line to experience Maryland and the growing wine industry for myself.  I’ve repeatedly had my sights set on a visit, but for whatever reasons, always ran out of time.  Thankfully, I followed through and jumped on the Frederick [...]

The next stop on the Monticello Wine Trail included a visit to Keswick Vineyards.  Located at the historic 400-acre Edgewood Estate in Keswick, Virginia, the winery was recently awarded the 2009 Virginia Governor’s Cup for their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (see my earlier post on the Governor’s Cup). Keswick offers two tastings, a regular ($5) and [...]

In celebration of Virginia Wine Month, I decided to begin October with a recap of my recent visit to Charlottesville, Virginia along the Monticello Wine Trail.  Located in the Monticello Viticultural Area (AVA), more than 20 wineries claim residence along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Our first stop included a visit to [...]

As anyone who knows me knows, I enjoy saving the best for last.  My case in point, Linden Vineyards.  The 5000 case winery and vineyard is located on the Blue Ridge in Linden, Virginia.  Owner and winemaker, Jim Law, is highly regarded in Virginia wine circles for producing world-class wines.  From the polished Hardscrabble Chardonnay [...]