The Other 46 » Chambourcin http://theother46.com The Internet's top source for local wine news, commentary and reviews from the other 46 states. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:04:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Watts Roost Vineyard 2008 Chambourcin Reserve http://theother46.com/2011/03/14/watts-roost-vineyard-2008-chambourcin-reserve/ http://theother46.com/2011/03/14/watts-roost-vineyard-2008-chambourcin-reserve/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:29:32 +0000 Brian Kirby http://theother46.com/?p=5497

Watts Roost Vineyard 2008 Chambourcin Reserve

Watts Roost Vineyard 2008 Chambourcin Reserve

Watts Roost Vineyard is the retirement dream turned into reality for owners Frank & Barbara Tuckwiller. Established in 1998 at the foot of Muddy Creek Mountain near Lewisburg, West Virginia, Watts Roost Vineyard is an estate winery and vineyard with 9 acres of vines.  In June of 2010, operations moved from their garage into a 3600 square foot winery with production facility and tasting room.  Primarily growing hybrids and fruit wines, Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin, Léon Millot and Noiret are just a few of the varieties grown.

Purchased from the West Virginia Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival in historic Harpers Ferry (for my Northern Virginia readers, a great opportunity to taste several WV wines), the Watts Roost Vineyard 2008 Chambourcin Reserve retails for $15.  Ripe cherry, spice and vanilla on the nose.  A medium-bodied, dry wine with abundant berry flavors.  On the label, the recommended food pairing is venison.  I couldn’t agree more.  A simple, easy drinking wine, and a great introduction to West Virginia wine.  Cheers!

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]]> http://theother46.com/2011/03/14/watts-roost-vineyard-2008-chambourcin-reserve/feed/ 1 Bourbon, Derby, and Wine! http://theother46.com/2010/03/21/bourbon-derby-and-wine/ http://theother46.com/2010/03/21/bourbon-derby-and-wine/#comments Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:30:02 +0000 Brian Kirby http://theother46.com/?p=3886 Truth be told, wine is not one of the first things that come to mind when someone mentions Kentucky.  Renowned for Bourbon and horses, grapes and wine were an important part of the state’s history from the start.  America’s commercial wine industry was born in Kentucky in 1798 when the Marquis de Lafayette’s winemaker, Jean-Jacques Dufour, set out into the new nation to find suitable land for growing grapes.  Dufour formed the Kentucky Vineyard Society and bought 600 acres on the Kentucky River, in what’s now Jessamine County.  Dufour planted what he called the “First Vineyard” and, in 1803, his first vintage went to an appreciative Thomas Jefferson.

Fast forward 200 plus years, Kentucky is once again reclaiming its proud heritage.  In just 5 years, the number of Kentucky wineries have grown from 15 to more than 50, with grapevine acreage experiencing similar growth.  Kentucky’s geography, climate and soil make it suitable for growing a wide variety of grapes, although French-American hybrids lead the way, especially the popular Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc.

This week TheOther46.com will taste some of Kentucky’s best and hopefully persuade you to pour a Kentucky wine for this years Derby.  Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U36dqS0UQE4

* The above video is from the video web series, “Vintage Kentucky Tastings” produced by KentuckyWine.com.

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]]> http://theother46.com/2010/03/21/bourbon-derby-and-wine/feed/ 0 Keswick Vineyards http://theother46.com/2009/10/06/keswick-vineyards/ http://theother46.com/2009/10/06/keswick-vineyards/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:16:38 +0000 Brian Kirby http://theother46.com/?p=2613 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 select ($8 and includes the glass).  I opted for the select tasting which included 7 wines, three whites and four reds.  The whites were solid, with my top scores going to the Chardonnay and the Les Vents d’Anges, both from the 2008 vintage.  A textbook Chardonnay retailing for $18.95, was fermented and aged in a combination of French and American Oak.  The Les Vents d’Anges ($17.95 retail) is a stainless steel Viognier that was simply delicious.  Beautiful citrus on the nose, followed by good acidity on the palate.

Keswick Vineyards

Keswick Vineyards

As advertised, the reds were impressive and scored highest on my tasting sheet.  I enjoyed all four, with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Touriga taking the top spots.  A fruit bomb, the Touriga retails for $19.95 and is blended with Chambourcin, a hybrid grape that is doing very well in Virginia.  Last, but certainly not least, is the Governor’s Cup winner.  Although not worth the price tag of $59.95, the Cab is a solid effort that shows the potential of the variety in Virginia.

I’m excited to visit Keswick in the future and recommend my readers do so as well.  Pack a picnic or enjoy a cheese ball with a bottle of their award-winning wines.  Cheers!

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]]> http://theother46.com/2009/10/06/keswick-vineyards/feed/ 0 Château Morrisette Black Dog http://theother46.com/2009/07/19/chateau-morrisette-black-dog/ http://theother46.com/2009/07/19/chateau-morrisette-black-dog/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:15:45 +0000 Brian Kirby http://theother46.com/?p=2052 Château Morrisette The Black Dog Red Table Wine

Château Morrisette The Black Dog Red Table Wine

Tonight’s pour comes to us from Château Morrisette, located in Floyd County, Virginia off the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.  During our trip to Virginia, I sampled the Château Morrisette Black Dog alongside a nice cheese platter, after our marathon flight.  My Southwest flight was delayed in Orlando, and unfortunately, I sat on the tarmac for 2 hours.  Needless to say, I was more than ready for a glass of wine.

A semi-dry red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chambourcin, the nonvintage wine retails for $9.99.  Overall, an easy drinking, medium bodied wine, with good fruit and spice.  A surprisingly good quality to price ratio wine that is widely available.

Remember to drink local and be sure to click here to vote TheOther46.com as your favorite wine blog!

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