How do Virginia wines hold up against their counterparts around the world? The Out and About crew went to Charlottesville’s Wine Guild to hear directly from Will Curley about exactly that. We compared four Virginia wines to similar wines from outside the US. We had an amazing time learning about the wines and enjoying great vibes at the Wine Guild.
I’d been working with Will for some time to set this up. The Wine Guild has a great social media presence and is well loved on the Virginia Wine scene in Charlottesville. Some of my favorite producers have hosted tastings of their wines there. I think Will and I have a similar approach to thinking about Virginia wine and its distinctive nature (though he clearly has a more sophisticated palate and is better at sussing out aromas, flavors, etc).
Our first pairing was a 2021 Pollak Pinot Gris against a New Zealand Pinot Gris from producer Ned. Will talked us through the difference between Pinot Grigio (crispy lemon water) and Pinot Gris (Textural version of Pinot Grigio). We enjoyed sampling both and found the base pear flavor to be similar and a very similar textural nature. I found the Ned to have a cleaner and crisper feel with a tiny hint of smokiness in the Pollak – and that creamy or smoky sensation is how my palette understands texture in white wines. The group split between which was their favorite – with some buying a bottle of the Pollak and some buying Ned. I’d say I enjoyed both equally, and I had just finished a Pollak 2021 Sauvignon Blanc the previous day too!
Our second comparison was really fun. We had Daring Wine Company‘s Appalachian Fizz (a sparkling Chambourcin made in a prosecco style) and a Lambrusco called Lambrusca. These are fun sparkling wines and the chill on them makes them great porch pounders on a hot day. I had not sampled any of Daring’s wines but had been hearing about them. When Will announced we were having a sparkling Chambourcin, there were some who voiced their general dislike of Chambourcin and one comment about New Jersey Wine. While I don’t often find Chambourcin I enjoy, I do note that it has gotten better in recent years. Will noted that for many growers and makers, Chambourcin grows easily and brings forth heavy cropload. Growers sometimes take advantage of this to plant it on sub-par sites and make huge amounts of wine to ensure profitability. But when you farm and treat Chambourcin properly, the same way you’d treat Merlot or Cabernet Franc, you produce a higher quality grape and therefore wine with better flavors. This is similar to what Jason Murray discussed related to Norton. Better quality grapes showed up in Daring’s Appalachian Fizz too – this was a really fun wine – the characteristic cherry tanginess I always get from Chambourcin was present, but not overwhelming as I sometimes find it. I think this would be easy to polish off in the shade on a hot summer afternoon. The Lambrusca was likewise refreshing but not as crisp nor as fun as Daring’s wine. At least one person bought a bottle of the Appalachian Fizz to take home, and it’s one that hubby enjoyed too!
The third pairing was one I was anticipating, with a local favorite going up against a French Cabernet Franc. Jake Busching Wines 2021 Cabernet Franc (not his newest one I sampled a few weekends ago) showed up with gorgeous earthiness. There were nice plum flavors in this wine, and given that 2021 was a hotter, dryer season in general, this wine packs a good bit of punch. It was extremely popular with our group (at least two bottles went home with people). The French comparison was Mary Taylor Wines Anjou Rouge. This was a softer, simpler wine – it didn’t show as much depth as Jake’s Cab Franc did, but it was super-drinkable. While both wines were great, the group overwhelmingly preferred Jake’s Cabernet Franc. In my opinion, Jake’s was a contemplative, thinking person’s Cab Franc, and the Mary Taylor version was a nice drinking wine.
Will opened our final comparison with references to the move Sideways, which I always find hysterical. Since we were comparing Virginia Merlot to French Merlot, he pointed out the damage Sideways did to public perception of Merlot, a grape which Virginia generally does well. We had Rosemont’s 2021 Merlot compared to Les Promesses de Rocher Corbin’s 2017 Montagne-Saint-Emilion. While the Saint Emilion wins on the label contest, the taste contest was won by Rosemont. The Rosemont wine presented with aromas of clay and leather, and flavors of tobacco and smoke. Lots of dark earth showed themselves in this wine, whereas the French counterpart presented more fruit forward flavor. Will said he’d love to see what this wine tasted like the following day. This contest was a tough call in some ways for me, since I tend to prefer the purer fruit sensation with some dark earthy minerality to my red wines, but Rosemont edged out a win. Will noted that Rosemont’s vineyard site, formerly a tobacco field, was strongly showing up in this wine’s flavor.
With the formal tasting now complete, I took the opportunity to showcase Mount Alto‘s 2020 Manteo-Nason, which the Wine Guild had on their shelves.
Even with only a brief decant, this wine opened up fast and had silky, velvety notes with a full, balanced mouthfeel. We passed the decanter around the table and the group simply loved this wine. We sipped and reflected on the tasting. I’ve written several times about Mount Alto’s wines, and you will hear from me about them again, don’t worry! But as expected, the depth of flavor in this wine impressed. Several commented that they couldn’t believe that it was Virginia wine! Dear reader, we know better, and know that Virginia wine is amazing, and has arrived on the scene. As the tasting was winding down, Will took some time with two in our group to talk about wines similar to ones they tasted that they would also enjoy, and folks bought several bottles of what we had enjoyed that afternoon.
The Wine Guild is a great spot – cozy, convenient, and well-stocked. They provided a really nice charcuterie board for us with ample crackers. Will led an excellent discussion with plenty of interaction with the group, and the rainy day outside was full of fun and flavor inside. I strongly recommend the Wine Guild for tastings, or for an event for your group. Or, just swing by and check out what they have – wine, tinned fish, and all kinds of stuff.
Virginia wines are really showing up strong when compared to worldwide counterparts. Our soils lend unique qualities, and our winemakers have learned how to bring the best in the fruit to us as they listen to what the fruit tells them. We are maturing into a region that holds its own and presents something unique and fun, with nearly 50 years of learning about the land we’re farming. Comparisons like this are a fun way to educate your palate and discover what you really appreciate.
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