I truly love sharing wine and wineries I enjoy with people. That may be the best thing about organizing some of these events – I get to greet folks and they always ask “What’s a good wine here?” or something like that, and I share what I enjoy but also highlight a few things on their overall list. I’m practicing for my future retirement gig working a tasting bar – keep me in mind industry peeps (if you read this). Good wine, good people, it really doesn’t get better than that, does it?
And so it was yesterday as the Out and About group descended on Mountain and Vine. It was my third trip here, (first visit and 2023 barrel tasting) and every time I come I really enjoy it. In hindsight, this was a tough weekend to plan this event – it was UVA graduation weekend which snarls the town in traffic, fills every restaurant, and it feel like it ties up at least half the residents of the area since they are affiliated with the University in some way. This is a total exaggeration, but still… On top of it all, it rained a lot starting in the middle of the night and was cool and gloomy. Nonetheless, I was determined to share good wine with a few folks willing to brave the elements and the journey.
I’d been chatting with Tasting Room Manager Liz for a while via email about setting this up, and she was so great to work with. When I saw the forecast she quickly moved us from the lawn to the event hall, which is a beautiful space.
And so despite all the convergence of possible negative factors, it was an incredible day. After I set up some of our stuff, I grabbed a bottle of my favorite, the Grinning Fox (75% Petit Verdot, 25% Malbec) and poured myself a glass while watching for hubby with a jeep full of food and snacks for the crew. People began to arrive and the fun began. Early on, winemaker Stephen Barnard did a swing through to check on us and see what we were drinking. Because he is amazing, he brought us some recently bottled 2023 Pinot Gris and Rosé of Cabernet Franc to check out. One couple had purchased a bottle of the 2021 Rosé to enjoy, and check out the difference:
Stephen noted that this block of Cabernet Franc for the 2023 was much higher in acidity and when they began picking they felt this block was better for a Rosé than a single varietal Cabernet Franc. From a taste perspective it is sharp – strong acids but that leads to a very refreshing hot afternoon drink, which is why Rosé exists, in my humble opinion. The consensus among the group was that the 2023 Rosé was winner in show between the two, and a number of folks said they were taking a bottle home. I did.
At our high point we had 24 attendees, not filling the gorgeous event hall, but definitely making it lively. Liz let attendees open a tab at the bar and go back and forth, and came through to check on us from time to time to see if we needed anything and bring it back. Stephen came back through, this time with some 2023 Chardonnay and 2023 Sauvignon Blanc for us to try – I had the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc at the barrel tasting in the winter, and it’s coming along beautifully. The Chardonnay was very light – it’s one I’d want to try again in several months, as it ages it will show a lot more character. I enjoy lighter Chardonnays however, and tend to frown on the typical grocery store/ California butter and toast style.
Stephen was busy enough with the wines getting ready to bottle so it was really nice of him to make some visits to our group and talk with us about the wines. Some of the crew knew his work from Keswick Vineyards and loved talking to him. This is the thing about Mountain and Vine Winery – the team really makes your visit wonderful. The main tasting room had a great fire going and was so welcoming. Liz had set up a bluetooth speaker for us to have music, a water station, and made sure the room was welcoming. They were attentive and responsive, and the wine was so great.
I especially enjoyed the chance to see so much of the 2023 hitting the tasting bar – the white wines and Rosé are showing really well. Stephen is showing his influence on the winemaking, and the direction is fantastic (not that the wine wasn’t good before – but what he has done with these four wines I tried this day was quite spectacular).
Mountain and Vine is not far from the city – a little over 30 minutes south. While the road to get there is windy and narrow, and you’re not quite sure you’re heading in the right direction, this is a trek well worth making. If you have not been, you’re really missing out on a great space to relax and some great wine to enjoy. On sunny days they have the fountain going and you can relax outside looking at the pond and take it all in. Make your plan to get there.
Today (Sunday, May 19) is the last day for batch orders of our Pride Month T-shirt – they will be made and shipped at the end of the month. Once it changes to on-demand ordering, the prices go up (I can’t control that and I set profit as low as it lets me – about $1). You should get yours now! The shirts themselves are great quality material, and the design is just fun – if you order now you should have it in time for our June winery visit!
My NoVa Wine Blog 