Cunningham Creek is another winery very close to home, and since they got 2 gold and 2 silver medals this week, I decided it was time to check it out. Plus, it’s now my first check-in for the 2025 Gold Medal Trail, which is really fun. Maybe I’ll remember to check in enough to get some swag this year!
Cozy and quaint are the best descriptors for this winery. You are greeted when you walk in and head over to the tasting bar. They had several read bottles open and all of their white wines open today, and I got to choose a tasting flight of five. It was pretty easy to select the two gold medal winners. A few that Kenny had recommended to me weren’t available today (really wanted to try the Cabernet Sauvignon and Rivanna Red, but alas, not meant to be today). I selected the gold medal 2023 Viognier, 2022 Merlot, 2021 First Crush, 2021 Meritage (also a gold medal winner) and the 2022 Estate Petit Verdot. They were quickly put together for me.
There was one other party at the winery, but I got there early, Live music was starting at 2, and a library tasting was being conducted by reservation. A few more parties trickled in and visited the food truck (they have one every Saturday!) while I went through my flight.
I will say that the 2023 Viognier surprised me. For someone who typically dislikes Viognier, this was a shocker. Maybe because it was 2023, maybe it’s just a more interesting site? There was no new oak used in aging this wine, so no wooden tastes came through. It was sharper but not crisp, and it had the most subtle floral aspect come through at the end of the taste. I enjoyed it, and all in all, I see why it would earn a gold medal. I thought this was a really nice example of Viognier, and very different from what I typically dislike.
Next up was the 2022 Merlot. This wine is 100% Merlot grapes, and aged in 50% new oak. That level of new oak typically scares me some, but it did have nice fruit flavor come through, albeit somewhat lighter because of the oak influence. The oak was not as heavy as the description made me think it may be, and this wine was pleasant.
My third wine was the 2021 First Crush. This is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in 20% new oak, and as such it was light and pleasant, but the flavors felt a bit muted to me. I enjoyed my taste, but stylistically, this red blend didn’t pack the punch that I seek out.
My fourth wine was the gold medalist 2021 Meritage. This blend was 28% Merlot, 28% Petit Verdot, 28% Cabernet Franc, and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. (I’m guessing we can throw some decimals on there and get to 100%.). This wine was stellar. It was paired with Fleetwood Mac and Ambrosia on the speakers and it was great to sit there and enjoy the empty tasting room while savoring this wine. Cherry and vanilla came through pretty clearly, and despite being made in 30% new oak, I didn’t pick up too much of the oak (aside from the vanilla, which wasn’t overpowering at all, it was pleasant with the cherry). I enjoyed this so much I grabbed a bottle to take home. I debated having a glass there but knew laundry and yardwork were awaiting my return, so, alas….. This was a good wine, and very worthy of its gold medal.
My final wine was the 2022 Estate Petit Verdot. This was 85% PV and then 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, made in 30% new oak. The oak imparted vanilla that softened that tart flavors and matched nicely with my beloved Petit Verdot plum flavor and I think the blending components softened the earthy, tannic grounding I’m used to in Petit Verdot. I enjoyed this, and I think if given more time to open up, the tartness would dissipate. This was a contender for “bottle to take home,” but the Meritage won out.
I returned to the Viognier after finishing my reds, and to my surprise it had become much more floral while waiting. Kenny’s sense is that as it warmed towards room temperature, that opened it up, which makes sense. The flavor wasn’t overwhelming and it remained pleasant, but it was surprising to me that it changed that way in a relatively short time.
I checked out and grabbed my to-go bottle. While I was there a man was walking around talking about the artwork on the walls (his, I was led to believe) and then his party sat down with some wine. I feel like this is a relaxing kind of place to spend an afternoon. I suspect the music would have been playing close to where I was sitting, so I’m pretty glad I left when I did, because that would overwhelm me. There is plenty of outdoor seating though, which as we get into warmer spring days in the 60s and 70s will be fantastic.
So here is another nice spot, pretty close to home. I’m thrilled to know they’ve got good stuff, and if there are beer lovers that want to hang out, they have beers on tap too. As I left, a crew was out doing some spring pruning to get the vines ready (very different methods than what I learned last week, but there must be many approaches based on the winemaking philosophy of the site). I encourage you to check out Cunningham Creek and see if the vibe matches what you want. There is a wide range of wines, with some sweet wines also available if that’s your jam. Definitely check out their 2023 Viognier and 2021 Meritage so you can see why they got medals! Maybe I’ll see you there!
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