The University of Virginia opened their season against perennial powerhouse William & Mary. (in case you can’t tell, I’m being sarcastic). I was one of many that sat in dumbstruck awe at how poorly a football game could be played. It was boring, mistake filled and included an agonizing number of penalties. All and all, a terrible experience. Cheers to the Tribe of W & M. Jeers to the Cavs of UVA.
To wash the taste of that terrible Saturday out of our mouths, my wife and I decided to go wine tasting on Sunday. It was a slightly overcast, quiet, lazy day. We made two stops: Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery in Afton, VA (www.cardinalpointwinery.com) and King Family Vineyards in Crozet, VA (www.kingfamilyvineyards.com). There are plenty of beautiful drives in Western Albemarle County and it was a great day for wine tasting.
Cardinal Point is nestled not too far off 250 West. They have a rustic tasting room with some picnic tables set on a patio outside under umbrellas. It seemed like a good place to bring a lunch and try some wine. A peak into the vineyard behind the tasting room showed that they had been busy picking over the past week. The patch of vines in view had been stripped clean of their sweet bounty.
The winery itself was small and quaint. There was a long bar along one wall and plenty of wine related knickknacks to drop a few bucks on. I understand why tasting rooms have all this stuff and I have certainly seen people load up on it along with their wine, but I think it cheapens the experience. Five dollars pays for a taste of twelve wines and the glass.
There are 5 whites, 5 reds and a dessert wine to try. In general, I found the whites better than the reds though, truth be told, I am not crazy about either group. My favorite on the white side is the Quattro 2008. It is a blend of Riesling, Gewurtztaminer, Viognier and Traminette. It seemed to me one of the more ambitious whites I have found produced in Virginia given the array of unusual grapes from which it is composed. Of the reds, I did not have a favorite. None are undrinkable but none are to my taste.
I appreciate many things they are doing at Cardinal Point. They use all their own fruit that is grown in the vineyards surrounding the winery. They are trying different things. They are tasting a recently bottled Cabernet Franc/Viognier blend co-fermented (both juices fermented together in tank or barrel as opposed to each juice fermented separately then blended). Apparently the head winemaker is inspired by the great Cote Rotie of the Rhone in France. One can tell that they are feeling their way along trying to find what works best. The prices were also right as far as I am concerned. Nothing was more than $20. Unfortunately, the wine is not there yet. I found the reds flabby with short finishes and a big hole on the mid-palate and little tannic structure. The whites, although more interesting, lacked the bright, racy acid characteristics of many of the grapes they were trying to show. Despite all that, I enjoyed my visit there and am hopeful that they get things figured out.
If Cardinal Point features a rustic tasting room to catch some cellar door business, King Family Vineyards is the exact opposite. The winery and vineyard sit at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains. It has a gorgeous hardwood tasting room with a beautiful stag horn chandelier. There are couches to relax in and two bars from which to taste. They even offer a “pick your own” picnic fridge with cheese, sausage and French bread to go with your bottle of wine. To top off this bucolic scene replete with Petit Verdot vines outside the tasting room, an active polo field sits a short stroll beyond the wine operation. (we missed the polo match and were treated to the significantly less elegant and interesting game that followed…several dudes on Segways miming polo. Que gong.)
Aesthetically, King Family Vineyards is almost perfect. It looks like it’s been set up and is waiting for the film crew to shoot a Polo Ralph Lauren commercial for their Purple Label, but how is the wine? On this note too, they were spot on. Their 2008 Viognier($24) is very pleasant. It has honey, peach and some tropical fruit on the nose, and on the palate it features nice fruit with a touch of sweetness and enough acid to balance everything. It avoids the bitter mid-palate that plagues so many VA Viogniers. They also offer a Chardonnay/Viognier blend and a straight-up Chardonnay. Both were fine efforts yet not as interesting as the Viognier.
The reds are also good across the board. I left with a bottle of their 2006 Merlot($22). It shows nice, bright, red fruit upfront, smooth and clean featuring strawberry, cassis and a touch of chocolate covered earth. It is silky and smooth in the mouth ,as I prefer my Merlot, and there is plenty of red berry fruit to balance out the earth. A very pretty wine that works on more than one plane. They were also pouring a 2008 Cabernet Franc ($22) and a 2007 Meritage ($26). Both are reasonable efforts, nice but not particularly noteworthy. Finally, came the Seven 2007 ($30) that is not usually offered to taste. Made in the traditional Port style but aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, Seven is King Family’s foray into fortified wine. It was lighter than Port from Portugal. I prefer the stronger stuff but it would be a nice introduction to the Port genre for the uninitiated.
I enjoyed both wineries for different reasons. Cardinal Point is the underdog struggling to make it work. I really hope they continue to work, try new things and improve. King Family Vineyards is a beautiful, showpiece that encapsulates all the beauty and romance associated with wine and admirably follows through with their product.
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