Every December I make a pilgrimage for one of my favorite annual events – Linden’s library tastings.
Linden Vineyards opened in 1987, and owner Jim Law has been careful to hold back a portion of his vintages so he can see how they evolve over time. That’s allowed him to build an extensive wine library, some dating to nearly the founding of Linden. Jim opens up that library every December.
During the Friday I visited, Linden was doing side-by-side tastings of their Boisseau Chardonnay (2014 and 2019), Petit Verdot (2014 and 2016), and Avenius red (2015 and 2019).
Those were great, but the highlight of the day were the ‘bonus pours’ of their 1996 Chardonnay and 2004 Avenius red. Since library wines were for sale, I purchased a 2017 Avenius Chardonnay to share with my group.
Boisseau Chardonnay: Named after Linden’s warmest vineyard, just outside Front Royal. Both vintages were surprisingly fresh and high acid. I typically find Boisseau wines are more hedonistic compared to their higher-acidity cousins at Hardscrabble and Avenius, but the acidity was spot on here. Both wines were really outstanding.
2014 Boisseau. Ripe; lots of green apple, maybe pear? I was told the nose was reminiscent of chamomile tea nose, although I’ll have to take that on trust as I’m not a tea drinker.
2019 Boisseau. More tropical than outright ripe, maybe mango or even a hint of banana.
Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot is the only red wine Linden consistently labels as a full varietal (on rare occasions they’ll also make a Cabernet Franc). But technically, both of these PVs were blends, even if the vast majority of the juice was Petit Verdot.
These wines were also unique in that both had dashes of Carmenere, a variety that Jim experimented with but tore out because it was under-performing.
2014 Petit Verdot (88% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Carmenere). Fruit forward. The 12% blending soften it up a bit, so this isn’t a ‘slap you in the face with a blueberry’ PV. I had some sediment at the end.
2016 Petit Verdot (94% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 3% Carmenere). Another soft expression of PV, but for a different reason. While the 2014 was made in neutral oak barrels, this was made in steel to deemphasize the tannin. Jammy, with raspberry notes.
Avenius red. This is Linden’s highest and coolest site. Lately, Avenius wines have been my favorites in side-by-side comparisons, partially because they are more ‘serious’ than wines made from Boisseau (although that 2014 Boisseau was excellent) but can be enjoyed younger than Hardscrabble.
2015 Avenius. Lots of earth with very faint fruit. I have a bottle I should try soon-ish if I’m to find those fruit notes.
2019 Avenius. The primary was there, although it was starting to explore those tertiary notes. I had a bottle in March and my notes then mentioned black fruit and high acidity. I didn’t get as much fruit this time though.
“Bonus pours”
1996 Chardonnay. This was all Hardscrabble fruit, although this was before the time when Linden had separate vineyards. The nose was nutty, and reminded me of a petit manseng. Nutty, caramel palate; layered. I’m in awe that a white wine could last nearly 30 years; I love ‘old’ chardonnays, and would absolutely try this again.
2004 Avenius red. Tart cherry. I wouldn’t call it ‘fresh’ but it wasn’t nearly as faded as you’d expect from a wine that’s over 20 years old. One member of my group mentioned it had an almost balsamic quality to it.
2017 Avenius Chardonnay. I hadn’t had this wine in a long time! Very full, even a little bit tropical.
2025 was the year I began my deep dive into Oregon wine, specifically the Willamette Valley American Vinicultural Area (AVA). I knew Oregon is the 5th largest wine-producing state in the US, and this particular AVA is synonymous with pinot noir. Unfortunately, that was the extent of my knowledge.
I soon learned how terroir-specific Willamette wines can be. The larger Willamette Valley AVA alone has 11 smaller AVAs embedded within its borders, each with their own unique terroir (by comparison, Napa has 16 sub-AVAs, yet produces more than 10 x as much wine).
I also didn’t realize Oregon is an up-and-coming sparkling wine producer, with production more than doubling since 2022. To better promote this trend, in July 2025 Oregon producers banded together for the inaugural launch of “Method Oregon”, which featured over 50 sparkling wines made in the Méthode Traditionnelle.
One winery that showcases both of these revelations is Trisaetum Winery, located about an hour SW of Portland. Trisaetum also makes sparkling wine under its Pashey Wine portfolio.
While the winery is in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, Trisaetum also has vineyards in the Dundee Hills and Yamhill-Carton AVAs. They make both vineyard-specific wines and ones that combine all three sites, with pinot, riesling, and chardonnay planted at each (plus some gamay at Ribbon Ridge, and pinot meunier at their Yamhill-Carton site).
Founder James Frey must get a lot of inspiration from his family, since he named both labels after family members. “Trisaetum” is a merger of the names of his two children, Tristen and Tatum. “Pashey” is named after his grandmother, a Romani woman who accepted exile from her community so she could marry James’ grandfather (her photo is tagged to the cork).
My friends and I enjoyed two wines from Trisaetum; their 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and their 2021 Pashey Estate Cuvée sparkling.
2023 Willamette Valley Pinot
This bottle is one of Triseatum’s multi-AVA wine. We found it had a ripe-sweet nose with notes of cranberry or purple flower, perhaps accompanied by some black or red cherry, even candied plums.
I thought it had a light earthy palate with soft notes fruit, especially those candied plums again. Those fruit notes were backed by silky smooth tannins, a good mid palate, and some spice notes to accompany a long, persistent finish.
Wine critics note that Oregon pinot is reminiscent of Burgundy, but I think that’s both a compliment and a crutch. I think wines like this demonstrate Oregon doesn’t need the validation of being compared with Burgundy, no matter how high a praise that may be.
Winemaking details: 57% whole cluster press (for added tannin), aged 10 months in 17% new French oak, blended from fruit from all three estate vineyards.
Photo credit: Trisaetum Winery
2021 Pashey EstatesCuvée
This wine is red fruit driven, on the nose and palate. For me, raspberries were prominent on the initial ‘attack’, with a finish that was more mineral driven. My friends had additional notes of their own, with notes of chalk or allspice thrown in.
The winemaker was extremely restrained on the dosage. If you prefer very dry sparkling wines, this is a great choice (I later looked it up and was unsurprised it was only 3.0 grams per liter).
Winemaking details: 72% pinot noir, 14% chardonnay, 14% pinot meunier sourced from all three estate vineyards. It had 3.0 g/L, putting it in the Extra Brut range (translation: it’s pretty darn dry).
One downside of living in Virginia is small west coast producers don’t have a lot of local distribution, so your best bet is to purchase online.
Virginia is enjoying a sparkling wine renaissance, especially in NOVA. A sparkling wine house named Petit Domaine recently opened in Loudoun, Stinson Vineyards has recently introduced a sparkling label named Lido Deck, and Stone Tower now has an entire facility dedicated to producing bubbly. These are just a few data points on what looks to be a shift from lower-cost sparkling formats such as pet-nats and charmat-style wine to higher-end, more ‘champagne’-style sparkings.
“High end” may be a bold statement. Champagne is still the default setting for high-end sparkling wine, and Virginia’s terroir is radically different from the world’s most famous sparkling region.
Moreover, I still think many Virginia sparkling producers are still tweaking their game. With the exception of a few standouts (looking at you, Thibault-Janisson, Trump Winery, and Veritas), most Virginia sparkling producers have only recently joined the ‘méthode traditionnelle’ club.
Most of these higher-end bottles price around $60, with Early Mountain Vineyards and Trump Winery amongst the most notable producers in this price range. Consumers can also find good quality $35-40 bottles from Thibault-Janisson, King Family, and broader cast of wineries.
Tasting & Scoring Methodology
A group of friends & I blind tasted 8 wines in 4 flights. All the flights were bagged.
To make it even more challenging, we mixed the French and Virginia wines up. This meant our rounds included France vs Virginia, Virginia vs Virginia, or France vs France, all depending on luck of the draw. After the last pairing, we voted on a “Top 2” from these 8 to go into the finalist round (as a last-minute change I added the 3rd favorite to join these finalists).
This mixing had the unexpected benefit of preventing us from obsessing over “Which is Virginia?”. We ended up spending more time on the actual wine, and less worrying where it came from.
I didn’t use a fancy scoring system. I did ask which was the favorite per round, but the goal was always to choose the “Top 2” of the day.
When I created this event, I specified the French sparklings be in the ~$50 range (although one of them was in the ~$70 range) and the Virginia bottles in the ~$60 range. This meant the comparing French bottles were lower-end champagnes and one higher-end cremant. I gave Virginia a higher price-point to account for how these are more boutique operations.
I figured this price range would even the playing field, keeping out the higher-end Champagnes but still having some strong contenders.
I ultimately selected 12 Ridges, Early Mountain Vineyards, Eastwood Farm (using a sparkling made by Thibault-Janisson), and Ankida Ridge, since these haven’t been in my earlier blinds.
All the participating bottles made in the traditional method, although the blends often differed.
The Contenders
Crémant du Jura “Harmonie” by Domaine Pierre Richard (Jura; 100% Chardonnay; ~$30)
Bottle #1: Crémant du Jura “Harmonie” by Domaine Pierre Richard (0 votes)
Bottle #2: Ankida Ridge Brut (7 votes)
Our opening round was France vs Virginia. I wish the Ankida had gone up against a higher price point wine, but such is the nature of blind tastings that it randomly went up against the cheapest French wine in our group.
Bottle #1/Crémant du Jura “Harmonie“ by Domaine Pierre Richard: Lots of apple notes, including bruised apple, specifically yellow or green apple. Someone mentioned it was soft; maybe even tropical. Lower acidity. It was “pithy” and had a shorter finish.
Everything about this wine was on the up-front ‘attack’. If anything, it reminded me more of a sparkling cider than a sparkling wine.
Bottle #2/Ankida Ridge Brut: There was some funkiness on the nose initially, but that soon blew off. This wine had a longer finish, and presented as tart, with notes of toasty white bread, maybe back by some oak. We also found orchard and pear notes. Someone mentioned a hint of nutmeg.
#2 was higher in acidity than #1 but was not a tremendously high-acid wine. It was structured and ‘old world’ in nature. This also had a big initial ‘attack’, which isn’t the style some of us enjoyed. Comparatively speaking, we enjoyed this much more than #1.
I will say that while we *liked* this wine, we didn’t *love* it initially. We later discovered it needed time to open up, which made all the difference. When we re-tasted, especially with food, we liked this wine far more.
Bottle #4: Trouillard Brut Extra Selection (7 votes)
This round was a Champagne vs Champagne event. We enjoyed these two wines more than the previous round, at least on the first sips (although we later decided we enjoyed Ankida Ridge’s Brut more than the Gallimard).
#3 was a softer expression of sparkling wine; more like the kind of wine you bring to a party that everyone will likely enjoy it.
Bottle #3/Champagne Gallimard Quintessence: Blue cheese-like nose? This wine was YEASTY, almost pungent. Someone mentioned “antibiotics on steroids” on the palate. Another mentioned caramel corn or butter. Another said it had a bruised apple nose. Maybe notes of yellow apple on the palate.
On the flip side it had good balance, plus was fresh and clean. Everything was ‘up front’ for this wine.
Bottle #4/Trouillard Brut Extra Selection: Notes of ginger. Lots of positive notes including balanced, elegant, and layered. Flinty. Someone mentioned notes of strudel or pastry. Bright, maybe some honey on the nose. Another mentioned this was red fruit-driven.
This bottle also had more of the traditional autolytic characteristics you’d expect in Champagne, something we hadn’t seen thus far. We suspect it had a bit of age to it as well.
Flight #3
Bottle #5: Early Mountain Brut Sparkling (7 votes)
Bottle #6: Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Brut NV (0 votes)
The bubbles on both of these were FROTHY, especially #5. This was probably our highest-rated round of the day, although in this pairing we universally favored #5/Early Mountain.
Bottle #5/Early Mountain Brut Sparkling: Zingy; very bubbly and lively. Lemon-citrus notes; someone mentioned dragon fruit. Notes of citrus, but a ripe citrus. Good minerality and nice finish. Someone guessed it may have gone through a partial malolactic fermentation, but just a guess.
This was also a crowd pleaser of a wine, although it had lots of positive notes for wine snobs. One guest described this wine as ‘playful’, and I think that was the best description so far.
Bottle #6/Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Brut NV: Yeasty. Notes of pair; anise was also mentioned. High acidity and very bright. Notes of baking spice, even smoke, was mentioned. It seemed slightly on the higher alcohol side.
The flavor profile was very up front. Very rich; maybe backed by some oak? But overall, this wine was defined by its acidity. This was the most expensive Champagne of the day, so I’m glad it was compared to the EMV.
Flight #4
Bottle #7: Eastwood Blanc de Blancs (2 votes)
Bottle #8: 12 Ridges Brut (5 votes)
This round was Virginia vs Virginia. It also compared two very different wines; a moderately-priced Blanc de Blanc vs a higher price point from a unique vineyard situated at 3,300’ feet elevation.
Bottle #7/Eastwood Blanc de Blancs: Deep straw color. At least one guest mentioned a “fresh bread nose”. Several mentioned notes of spice, even turmeric. It was heavier bodied; maybe with a popcorn-quality to it. We suspected this might have been made in a warmer climate.
Initially we didn’t love this wine, but as it opened up we started to appreciate the richness of it more.
Bottle #8/12 Ridges Brut: Very clean and balanced, with a nice finish. Citrus palate. Good floral notes; reminded us of fresh flowers, even dried flowers.
One guest described it as a ‘baby champagne’, since it had all the notes you’d want in a champagne, but they were still learning to express themselves. Lots of potential here. Maybe it needs more time.
Finalist Round
Bottle #2: Ankida Ridge Brut (3rd place)
Bottle #4: Trouillard Brut Extra Selection (2nd place)
Bottle #5: Early Mountain Brut Sparkling (1st place; overall winner)
I asked my guests for their “Top 3” favorites. I used data to narrow it down to two finalists, which we would retry.
Top 3 going into the finalist (but not the actual final vote)
#4/Trouillard and #5/Early Mountain Vineyard were universally our top 2 picks. But picking a 3rd choice was difficult because these 3rd choices were a very distant preferences to the Top 2. I struggled to find a clear 3rd favorite myself.
Then I did something I’ve never done before. We put #4/Trouillard and #5/Early Mountain aside and started sipping the remainder of the wines. At that point, I realized #2/Ankida Ridge had totally changed.
At this point the Ankida was practically a different wine. So much so that if this was how it initially tasted, I may have selected this over one of my other picks. We liked it so much I put it into the finalist round, making it a trio of ‘finalists’.
After our food break we did a final tasting and voted. Here was the breakdown.
Finalist round (Listed as the judge’s Favorite, Second Favorite, and Third Favorite)
Several guests who initially voted for #4 switched to #5 (Early Mountain). I’m not sure if the Early Mountain got better or the Trouillard started dying off. But we just loved Early Mountain even more in the finalist round.
Early Mountain’s Brut was the event winner.
Lessons Learned
I admit it; I wasn’t sure how this would play out. Topping Champagne in the sparkling category is a tall order. I made sure to exclude super high-end Champagnes to even the playing field, but even Champagne’s $50-range should have been hard to beat.
So imagine my surprise when Virginia came in with the 2 of the top 3, including the winner.
I have to give credit where credit is due. Early Mountain Vineyards makes exceptional wine. While it’s not known as a sparkling house, good winemaking goes a long way, so I shouldn’t be *too* surprised.
Ankida Ridge is another exceptional producer, plus they also have a very unique terroir. That shined through here. I love that the Vroomans came in as our 3rd pick.
When it comes to good sparkling, I’m a believer that there is a measurable difference between what you get in the $50-range vs the $75-range. This event gives me confidence that Virginia can compete against these lower to mid-priced Champagnes.
Fall is one of the most popular times to visit Virginia wine country. While the season has everything from wine festivals, new vintage release parties, and harvest dinners, my favorite activity is to combine winery visits with a tour of Virginia’s fall foliage.
The two themes overlap perfectly. Vineyards are generally located at higher elevation sites, guaranteeing great photos of the surrounding countryside. Many are also near state or national parks. The addition of fall colors guarantees the slogan “Grapes don’t grow in ugly places” becomes doubly accurate.
For ‘leaf peepers’ who want to get the most out of fall foliage in Virginia wine country, here is a guide on where and when to go.
Mid to Late October: The Shenandoah Valley
Peak foliage season begins in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia’s oldest wine region. The valley’s relatively cool and dry climate create ideal conditions for viticulture, and the mountains that frame the area become a canvas for the season’s changing colors.
While the Shenandoah Valley is home to a dozen wineries, two that particularly stand out for their fall colors are Muse Vineyards and Star in the Valley.
Muse Vineyards (Woodstock). Muse issnuggled between the contours of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, Seven Bends State Park, and the western slope of the Massanutten Mountains. While the best views are likely to be found from their deck, more adventurous wine drinkers should visit the elevated foot bridge that crosses the river.
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Make sure to try their Erato white blend, winner of the 2024 Shenandoah Wine Cup.
Star in the Valley (Strasburg). Star is located along the edge of the valley’s northern entrance, hugging the contours of Devil’s Backbone State Forest. At 1,000-feet it’s also one of the higher elevation vineyards in the area, guaranteeing great views.
This elevation is one of the reasons Star founded the “Peak Shenandoah” wine trail, which includes a half-dozen wineries likewise situated around Shenandoah Park. While my favorite wine is their cabernet franc, visitors should also join one of Star’s periodic star-gazing events.
Late October to early November: Northern Virginia
Peak foliage will reach Northern Virginia in late October. While Shenandoah National Park is arguably the region’s most popular fall destination, smart travelers can avoid these crowds by visiting any combination of wineries and smaller parks in the surrounding area.
Barrel Oak Winery and Brewery (Delaplane). “BOW” isn’t just the winery’s initials; it’s also a reference to how it’s one of the most dog friendly venues in the state. BOW’s location near Sky Meadows State Park gives foliage travelers extra incentive to visit here in the fall.
Those who haven’t visited recently will be wowed by their revamped wine list. Start with their 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, which a panel of judges at the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle decreed as one of the best wines at the event.
Breaux Vineyards (Loudoun Valley). Breaux’s location between Catoctin Mountain and the Blue Ridge isn’t just scenic, it creates a microclimate that facilitates viticulture. This is one of the reasons nebbiolo, a grape commonly associated with Italy’s Piedmont region, can thrive here.
Visitors looking for additional foliage pictures can visit historic Harper’s Ferry or Sweet Run State Park, both a short drive away.
Twin Oaks Tavern Winery (Bluemont). Twin Oaks already boasts one of the best views in Virginia, with or without fall foliage. Its proximity to Bear’s Den Scenic Lookout makes it packed with extra opportunities for leaf peeping.
The winery’s name comes from its history as a mountain retreat for Washingtonians looking to beat the summer heat. The opening of the Little Acorn Cottage Airbnb on the property allows travelers to continue this tradition.
Beginning of November: Amherst and the Shenandoah Foothills
The start of November is typically the pinnacle of fall foliage season, so save the best for last. Two exceptional locations to see these colors are Ankida Ridge and DuCard Vineyards.
Ankida Ridge Vineyards (Amherst). Ankida’s perch at 1,800 ft makes it one of the highest elevation vineyards in Virginia. This unique microclimate allows them to grow pinot noir, a grape so difficult to cultivate, it has acquired the nickname “The Heartbreak Grape”.
Owner Christine Vrooman’s hospitality may make it unlikely visitors would want to leave. If they do, be sure to visit Chimney Rock Mountain Overlook, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
DuCard Vineyards (Eltan). DuCard offers views of Shenandoah National Park without the need to fight for space on Skyline Drive. Its location near both Old Rag Mountain and White Oak Canyon, two of Virginia’s most famous hiking trails, makes it a guaranteed hotspot for fall foliage.
Visitors who don’t want to relax with DuCard’s award-winning 2024 Rosé can easily visit Shenandoah National Park via its Thorton Gap entrance, which is guaranteed to be less busy than the more famous gate at Front Royal.
Virginia Wine Month Insert:
October is when local wineries celebrate Virginia Wine Month. Here are a few favorite activities:
Milea Estate Vineyard is located not far from where I grew up. Ironically, I didn’t know much about it until I met owner Sang Milea at the 2024 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition award ceremony in DC, where she accepted a Best in Class award for her 2022 Vincenza Reserve BDX blend.
Sang extended an invitation to meet her and husband Barry Milea at their winery. During a sunny early September day, I was finally able to sit down and get the full story of how the winery was founded.
The story started decades ago, when Barry’s transportation company was hired by several Finger Lakes wineries. This then-new wine region was showcasing their wines in New York City and needed temperature-controlled trucks for the journey. Some of them gifted him bottles as a ‘thank you’.
Ironically, Barry wasn’t initially impressed with what he tasted. While famous today, back then the Finger Lakes wine region was still in its infancy, and the wines must have showed it. Barry wondered if he could do better.
One advantage he had was his proximity to New York City. Barry’s home in the Hudson Valley was just 80 miles from the biggest single wine market in the US. If the Finger Lakes could make wine, why couldn’t the Hudson Valley?
This interest led to several test plantings at Barry’s home. While he learned Riesling didn’t love his vineyard site, the overall results were promising enough that Barry purchased the neighboring farm, which became the site of his main vineyard and tasting room.
Now, Milea has 14 acres under vine, including Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch, Chardonnay, and several hybrid grapes
Barry discussed the relatively ‘virgin’ nature of viticulture in the Hudson Valley. While vineyards have long been found in the area (NY state’s oldest vineyard isn’t far from here), many of them were relatively small mom-and-pop operations that lacked the capital necessary to elevate their businesses.
He emphasized hiring top talent is necessary to attract wine drinkers who are normally spoiled by the NYC wine scene. To this end, Milea upped their game by hiring a chef from the nearby Culinary Institute of America and a Napa winemaker. They also purchased nearby Clinton winery, which Milea is currently turning into a sparkling wine house.
Sang was especially proud of the kitchen, which allows Milea to be a one-stop-shop for visitors. I especially loved the fig and burrata and couldn’t say ‘no’ when Sang was offering me more cookies.
I also was able to explore the wine list in depth. I started with an excellent a great sparkling, which had lots of toasty brioche notes and great acidity, and followed it with their “Queen Medow” a Chambourcin-heavy rosé made with a dash of Merlot.
Next up was a Grüner Veltliner and a pair of Chardonnays. The former had a spicy nose and notes of flint and minerality…maybe some apricot? The unoaked Chardonnay was very clean with apple notes. The Reserve Chard had a lot of texture and was probably my favorite non-sparkling wine of the day.
Then came the reds. The 2022 Cabernet Franc was really aromatic, with notes of raspberry and black cherry on the nose and dried fruit on the palate. No pyrazines here; this was more of a Loire-style wine.
We finished up with their ‘Sang’ Cabernet Franc, a Blau, and the 2022 Vincenza Bordeaux blend.
I loved my visit here. They spared no expense on hospitality and overall presentation, with a great mix of food and wine. Next time I’ll have to revisit the Cabernet Francs with the sliders.
Earlier this year I was gifted a half-case of the top-medaling wines from the 2024 Shenandoah Cup wine competition. I had planned on sampling them earlier, but life got in the way and it wasn’t until recently I had a tasting group come over to help me pop some corks.
If you follow my blog, you’d know that I believe the Shenandoah Valley is the best place for viticulture in Virginia. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the short answer comes down to a combination of the valley’s dry climate and limestone soils. These factors give Shenandoah vineyards great growing conditions, plus a bright acidity that’s hard to replicate elsewhere in the state.
Since 2019, the Shenandoah Wine Trail has held a competition to highlight wines made in the valley. The event winner is announced at a November gala, now held at The Yellow Barn at Shenandoah Caverns. The next event is November 14th; tickets are on sale now.
The 2024 Cup winner was Muse Vineyards’ “Erato” white blend. This aromatic white is something of a departure from the style of previous winners, but I think it was a very suitable pick as it highlights the region’s ability to create a diverse set of offerings.
Yes, you can find plenty of traditional Bordeaux-style reds, plus more Virginia-esque petit verdot and cabernet francs. But the Shenandoah Valley also offers excellent sparkling wines, next-generation hybrids, plus wines made from a growing number of varieties (pinot noir, refosco, grüner veltliner) that are hard to find in Virginia, if not the East Coast.
For my event, I had eight Shenandoah Valley wines that I shared with a group of friends. Six of these wines were in last year’s cup, plus I added a previous winner (Bluestone Vineyard’s Blue Ice) and a new pinot noir from Cave Ridge (which will likely be in this year’s Cup).
Bluestone Vineyards 2017 Blanc de Blancs. We kicked things off with a sparkling wine, made by Lee Hartman of Bluestone Vineyards.
On the nose we had notes of brioche, perhaps with notes of toast. Some noted notes of lemon cake or lemon icing, but they faded quickly. On the palate, we found notes of green apple, lemon, and Crème Brûlée.
Overall we felt this was a really outstanding sparkling. Rich palate, lingering finish, well balanced. Definitely a winner.
Brix & Columns 2021 Chardonnay. This chardonnay’s rich, almost orange color enthralled us even before we sampled it.
On the nose, my group found a plethora of differing notes ranging from caramel and toast, maybe some butterscotch or lemon peel. At least one of us found a little mustiness.
On the palate it had intense notes of lemon, maybe butterscotch. Butter rum finish. It felt ‘big’ but was actually only 12.4% alcohol.
I’m guessing that those who like oaky California-style Chardonnay lovers would love this wine, even if it actually isn’t buttery. If anything, it had a ‘hot toddy’ quality to it.
While that sounds like a lot of descriptors, this wine was very well balanced. It wasn’t necessarily the style of Chardonnay I would have asked for, but everyone at my table enjoyed it. And again – that color!
Muse Vineyards NV Erato. Winner of the 2024 Shenandoah Cup. At $21 it’s also a great value for your money.
This white blend of 82% vidal, 7% picpoul, 4% muscat, and dashes of albarino, marsanne, and roussanne is something of an outlier from my usual go-to styles of white wines. That said, it was so interesting I found myself sampling it over and over.
We all LOVED the nose on this wine; perfumy and complex. The 4% muscat went a long way.
My group was all over the place when describing the nose, ranging from jasmine flower, fresh lemon juice, grapefruit, or white peach.
On the palate it was bright, vibrant, presenting higher acid initially but then the white peach notes came out.
I don’t know whether to describe Erato as a porch wine, or a starter to a meal. But I can definitely say it was a really well-crafted wine, with a great mid palate.
Cave Ridge 2023 Pinot Noir. This wine wasn’t part of the 2024 Shenandoah Case, but since it fit with the “Shenandoah Wine” theme I decided to add it in anyway. Cave Ridge planted pinot 5 years ago and is now one of a handful of pinot growers in the state.
This pinot has gorgeous color. Red fruit, cedar and smoke on the nose. Very clean and varietally correct. The complexity makes you want to keep drinking.
This wine was all about the front palate, with good acidity and earthiness. Maybe more fruit on the nose than palate. Very impressive for Cave Ridge’s first pinot noir ever.
Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail “540”. Named after the local area code, this collaboration between Bluestone Vineyard, Wolf Gap Vineyard, and Kindred Pointe is blend of 2/3rds petit verdot and 1/3rd cab sauv. It’s also a non-vintage wine, using fruit from 2021 and 2022.
I felt it had a vegetal nose, perhaps some pyrazines, but it was by no means ‘green’. It was soft on the palate, with notes of mocha, coffee and smoke. We also found dark fruit notes, but that seemed in the background.
This wine didn’t have the markers of a PV, which I found surprising given its blend. It was easy-drinking enough you could bring this to an event and everyone could enjoy it.
Barren Ridge 2021 Petit Verdot. I tasted and later wrote on Facebook, “This is one of the most PV PVs that has ever PVed. It’s seriously everything you want in a Virginia Petit Verdot.”
I stand by that assessment. On the nose it was a combination of violets, cedar, and black fruit – especially blueberries. There was no mistaking what variety was in this bottle.
The acidity was there, but it wasn’t as prominent as I’ve seen in other PVs. This particular wine was rather fruit forward with tart, ripe fruit, especially blackberry and plum.
Bluestone Vineyard “No Such Things as Normal” appassimento-style dessert wine. This is part of winemaker Lee Hartman’s ‘Vinyard Designated Series’, made with traminette, petit manseng, and golden muscat.
From the description online, I get the idea this wine wasn’t necessarily planned out in advance. Typically Lee makes ice-style wines, but the year this was made no freezer was available so instead he dried the fruit in a tobacco barn. The result was a barrel-fermented wine with lower sugar and higher alcohol.
The “NSTAN” was very perfume-y, with notes of honey, lime, jasmine flowers, and maybe even a ‘7-Up’ spiff to it. Those notes largely continued on the palate, maybe heavier on the honey and some additional nuttiness. It was sweet, but it wasn’t cloying sweet.
Winemakers love making dessert wines, as such beverages are known for their complexity and ability to be paired with a variety of dishes. But all too often, fancy dessert wines are a hard sell for consumers. That’s a shame because we really enjoyed this one.
Bluestone Vineyard 2017 Blue Ice. This is the style of dessert wine Bluestone is known for, made with traminette. If “NSTAN” is their appassimento-style, this is Bluestone’s equivalent of a German Eiswein.
This wine came off as concentrated honey, with an intoxicating nose. Sweet, but not cloying sweet because the acidity is so high.
The 2025 Shenandoah Cup is only weeks away as I write this…I wonder what’s in the next case! I’m hoping it will include the Cave Ridge Pinot Noir, but we’ll see.
As a native of the Hudson Valley, you can imagine how pleased I am at the proliferation of vineyards in the area. When Fjord opened along Route 9 at a site not far from the Hudson River, I marked it as a must-visit, even if it took me a while.
Fjord Vineyards is owned by Matt Spaccarelli, part of the same family that owns nearby Benmarl Winery. Matt was already making Benmarl’s wines but wanted to branch out. He founded Fjord in 2013 as a 2nd label, giving him the flexibility to be a little more experimental.
Now, Matt makes wine for both locations. Fjord’s wines are made with their 42 acres of estate grapes, which include 3 acres of Albariño (the largest planting of this variety in New York State).
At first, I thought the name was a homage to a cool piece of Norwegian topography, but it’s more than that.
It turns out a nearby section of the Hudson River might properly be called a fjord, defined by wiki as a “long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier”. This waterway helps remove cold air from the vineyard, allowing them to produce varieties that otherwise wouldn’t survive elsewhere.
My server gave me the low-down on their wines; $20 for 4 samples, out of a total of 6 options including Riesling, Albariño, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a red blend, and a rosé. They also had other beverage options, including wine cocktails, beer (outsourced), and a Blanc de Blanc.
At this point I did a double take. Wait…what did you say? An Albariño? In New York?!?
It turns out this variety is one of those ‘experimental’ varies my server was referring to, and one they were especially proud of. Albariño is typically a warm weather grape found in Spain and Portugal, hence an unusual choice for cool-weather New York. But it was doing well enough to warrant keeping it.
It’s lucky they did. About a month after my visit, this Albariño won “Best white” at the Hudson Valley Wine Competition (and Fjord earned “Best Winery”). So I guess I’m not the only one who liked it.
Wines I tried:
Albariño: Heavy on the minerality, with stone fruit on the side. Not as much citrus as I would have expected. Very aromatic, with notes of lemon added in.
Chardonnay: Bright, lots of stone fruit, especially apricot. I also detected some vanilla notes, perhaps from the barrel. But it definitely wasn’t over oaked; just enough to be detectable.
Rosé: Red fruit; maybe notes of pepper or spice
Riesling: Very bright, leaning off-dry
Pinot Noir: A winner! And tough to grow in this area. Some earth and cherry notes (more the later than the former); very traditional flavors for this variety.
“Double Fall Line” red blend: Notes of earth and red currant. Very smooth.
Definitely visit on a sunny day so you can enjoy the view!
Between my guests and I were covered all six options (doubling up on the Albariño).
If wine competitions gave awards for witty comebacks, Walsh Family Wine’s “What Will The Women Drink?” would win hands-down.
During a 4-wine vertical of previous vintages of WWTWD, Walsh Family Wine co-owners Nate and Sarah Walsh shared the event that inspired this wine.
The story started not long after they got married; at the time, Sarah was working as a wine importer and Nate as the winemaker for Sunset Hills. Around 2013, they started discussing the possibility of a passion project, where she could learn his side of the business and he could learn hers.
Fast forward a number of years, this ‘passion project’ became a full-on winery – Walsh Family Wine, which opened in 2019.
During their opening day, Sarah was confronted by a patron who asked her, “Excuse me, but are you the owner? I have some advice I’d like to give you”… and he proceeded to explain to Sarah how she should run her business, not letting Sarah get in a word.
Eventually this guy looks around and asks, “Exactly where will you be putting your wine slushy machine?”. Sarah tried to laugh it off, insisting they would never get one. Then the man looked at her, and with zero irony asks, “But what will the women drink?”.
This comment would be bad enough if it was an isolated incident…but it’s not. Sarah has heard versions of this story for her entire professional career selling high-end wine. During many of her visits to places like Napa, winemakers almost always cater to a male demographic. Rarely are big, bold reds marketed to women.
Later recounting the story to her family, she told them, “I want to make this big, bold, dark red blend, and I’m going to call it “What Will The Women Drink?”.
Her family was like “Yeah! That’s a great idea!” (she doesn’t think they believed her).
Then Sarah followed up with, “And I’m going to charge men more!” and they’re like….”Well…maybe not this part, but we love the idea of a What Will The Women Drink? wine!”.
WWTWD is not only marketed towards women, but it also supports women in need. Part of the wage gap of every dollar spent on WWTWD goes to a women’s rights group. This year, Walsh is supporting Women Giving Back, a local non-profit.
5 Vintage WWTWD Vertical
Walsh shared 4 vintages of WWTWD. I made it a 5-vintage tasting, as I brought a 2017 of my own.
2017 WWTWD (40% Petit Verdot, 40% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon): This wine needed time to open up. But once it did, oh boy! The 2017 was hitting that ‘old world’ phase, with notes of forest floor, mushroom, and or/earth the palate. Rich nose.
2019 WWTWD (55% Petit Verdot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tannat): A bit higher in alcohol, with more red fruit on the plate.
2020 WWTWD (45% Petit Verdot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tannat): The nose was more muted compared to the 2019. More black currant on the palate. It was very approachable, probably because of it was relatively lighter year for reds.
2021 WWTWD (45% Petit Verdot, 40% Tannat, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon): More bramble fruit on the nose, black fruit on the palate. Notes of graphite and purple flower. Very graceful; my favorite of the evening.
2022 WWTWD (67% Petit Verdot, 21% Tannat, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc): This seemed a little young and still tight. This was my least favorite, although my neighbors absolutely loved it.
My rankings (from most to least favorite) were 2021 (because of its approachability), 2017 (because of its old world qualities), 2020, 2019, and 2022.
We also tried some younger wines; a 2024 Bethany Ridge Merlot, 2024 Cab Franc, and a 2024 Tannat. All are potential components of the 2024 WWTWD blend.
Women Giving Back
We also heard from a representative of “Women Giving Back”, a non-profit based in Sterling that provides clothing and other accessories to women in crisis, many of which are survivors of domestic abuse. It was a powerful speech.
Speaking right to the audience, co-chair Dave Baer rhetorically asked, “How do they get their lives restarted? What’s the basic thing to give yourself a little self-respect and dignity?
Where are they going to get their clothing when they are leaving their homes in the middle of the night, being escorted by a police officer?
Women Give Back started by doing clothing drives throughout the DMV, donating gently used clothing to women vetted by social service organizations. These women can come in and shop at no cost to them and pick up anywhere from 50-75 clothing items, ranging from children’s items to professional attire.”
Women Giving Back has recently expanded their footprint, not only servicing abused men but also partnering with Loudoun Hunger Relief and LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services. This allows this grouping to provide a comprehensive approach to which now includes clothing, emergency groceries, and counseling.
The event also included an auction, which included a Salmanazer of WWTWD (the equivalent of 12 bottles), a 4-wine WWTWD vertical, a magnum of donated from Early Mountain Vineyard, several WWTWD magnums with limited-edition labels, and other gifts provided for the auction.
To top it off, all WWTWD profits from this evening were donated to Women Give Back, including the proceeds from the auction. The event resulted in $4K in donations.
Last weekend a group of friends and I went on what amounts to a pilgrimage to one of our favorite wineries in the state – Linden Vineyards.
I say ‘pilgrimage’ only half-jokingly. While I’ve seen owner/winegrower Jim Law described as the ‘high priest of Virginia terroir winemaking’, he actually dislikes lavish praise. Jim’s favorite title by far is ‘winegrower’, and he’s modest enough to still bus tables at his own winery.
Moreover, this wasn’t my standard visit. This event marked the return of Linden’s cellar tastings, an event that disappeared when COVID hit.
Linden’s cellar tastings include either a vertical (same vineyard different years) or horizontal (same vintage year but different vineyards). This particular event included verticals of Hardscrabble chardonnay (2015, 2019, 2020), and Avenius red (2015, 2019, 2020), plus a barrel sample of their 2024 Petit Verdot.
Weather-wise, we lucked out with a warm but not overly hot afternoon. I didn’t get a chance to chat with Jim, but I did catch up with his daughter Samantha, who was running tastings at the bar.
I did learn that despite the rain, things were looking OK in the vineyard. It also looks like this will be their last vintage of their Wabi Sabi white blend, which I’m not entirely sad about. Jim did spray earlier than usual to address the Spotted Lanternfly issue, which is unavoidable now given their prevalence in the state.
Once the last person arrived, we headed down to the cellar with McKenzie, a new addition to Team Linden. I didn’t get her full background, but she did have experience working the DC restaurant scene prior to moving to Culpepper. Hopefully we’ll see more of her.
I believe nearly everyone who attended this event was familiar with Linden’s wines, so we didn’t need to spend too much time on Jim’s low-intervention winemaking philosophy. That said, McKenzie was very extroverted host who loved telling us about the 6 wines before us.
We kicked off with our Hardscrabble Chardonnay flight (made from the estate vineyard). I’ve had all of these before, but except for the 2019s not recently. I was especially excited by the 2015 Chardonnay, which Jim once said was one of the favorite wines he’s ever made.
2015 Hardscrabble Chardonnay: Very ‘full’ as white wines go. While it was starting to turn nutty, it still doesn’t present itself as a decade-old wine. Except for ‘age’ on the nose, it was still pretty vibrant and a tribute to the ageability of Jim’s wines. That said, Jim once told me this wine was probably at its peak, so it wouldn’t get any better than it was now.
2019 Hardscrabble Chardonnay: Very different from the other two. Much more stone fruit, plus very ‘bright’ due to being the product of a very warm year. I did detect a tad bit of newer oak on it. I think this wine will only get better.
2020 Hardscrabble Chardonnay: Stylistically similar to 2015, but riper. Good acidity; Kenny Bumbaco said it was ‘Chablis-y’. It was better than I remembered, although not quite in the same league as the other two. Still, it was a good wine from a vintage that isn’t well regarded in Virginia wine.
Next up was the Avenius red blend flight, grown just down the road at Shari Avenius’ vineyard. Shari has retired from the tasting room so I haven’t seen her in a long time, but it seems she is still tending her vineyard.
2015 Avenius (46% Cab Sauv, 46% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot): Earthy nose. Not a lot of fruit but doesn’t need any, as it was an overall amazing wine. I have ‘persistent and chewy’ in my notes. I’m very glad I have a bottle of this in my cellar, although I probably should drink it sooner than later.
2019 Avenius (50% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot): Mix of fruit and earth on the nose. Good fruit on palate. You could likewise tell this was the product of a hot year, due to its ripeness.
2020 Avenius (57% Cab Sauv, 47% Merlot): OK; admittedly not my favorite. Brett on the nose and some on the palate, which gave it that barnyard/funk quality. I think you have to appreciate a little bit of brett to enjoy this, although it did give this wine an extra oomph of complexity and earthiness.
With the cellar tasting complete we adjourned upstairs for their regular tasting. Linden only recently switched over to a ‘summer’ tasting, now comprised of the 2023 Avenius Sauv Blanc, the 2023 Hardscrabble Sauv Blanc, the new 2022 Claret, and a full-varietal Cabernet Franc. And oh yeah – that 2024 Petit Verdot sample!
2024 Petit Verdot: Fruitier and lower in tannin than I expected. While different from what I usually expect, I definitely liked it. I believe it was made in steel, which is likewise unusual for PVs.
2023 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc: Something a return to form, as this wine had a dash of Sémillon. Layered. In a way, it was like a riper version of a white Bordeaux.
2023 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc: Notes of boxwood…which is sometimes referred to as ‘cat pee’ (I hate that term, BTW). It was higher in alcohol, which meant the acidity wasn’t as prominent as it usually is.
2022 Cabernet Franc: This was the first full Cab Franc I’ve ever seen from Linden; certainly the first since 2010. All Hardscrabble vineyard fruit. It had a slight hint of the pyrazine notes that Cab Franc is known for, but they didn’t lean into that direction at all.
2022 Claret: I don’t have any notes for this one!
Afterwards we adjourned for snacks on their patio on a perfect summer day, ordering a 2015 Hardscrabble Chardonnay for the table and eating charcuterie. Then it was off to Barrel Oak, which has been upping its game of late (click this link for Dan’s blog on Barrel Oak; he loves more hits!).
Few Virginia wineries have what are sometimes called ‘old vines’. Those that do will most likely happily let you know about them, with the implication that “old vines = better wines”.
But what does the term ‘old vines’ actually mean, and why are they important?
There is no legal definition for what constitutes a wine made with ‘old vines,’ although private organizations have their own criteria.
In 2024, the International Organization of Vine and Wine defined an “old vine” as a plant that is documented to be 35 years or older. Plots where 85% of such vines meet this criterion may be considered ‘old vineyards.’ Several other organizations, including the South African Old Vine Project and the Old Vine Registry, use these definitions.
The Historic Vineyard Society has a different set of criteria, only certifying California vineyards with vines that are a minimum of 50 years old and when at least 1/3rd of producing vines can be traced to the original planting.
Few old vines exist in Virginia. Prohibition wiped out Virginia’s wine industry, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that it started making a comeback. Even Virginia’s oldest wineries seldom have anything left of their original vineyards.
Fortunately, a number of older vineyard plots do survive. Such vines are living time capsules, representing the kind of wines Virginia’s viticultural trail blazers thought would perform best.
Many of these surviving vines are Burgundy or Bordeaux varieties that remain popular today. Chardonnay is still produced at Virginia’s two oldest commercial vineyards, Meriwether Vineyard and Montdomaine Vineyard. Founded in 1976 and located at Pearmund Cellars, Meriwether is recognized by the Old Vine Registry as Virginia’s oldest vineyard. Montdomaine was founded in 1978 and is located just below Michael Shaps Winery.
Founded in 1976, Meriwether Vineyard is Virginia’s oldest vineyard (Photo credit: Pearmund Cellars)
Older vineyards are also the home of varieties that were once more prevalent in the state. Cool-climate vines often struggle in Virginia, a fact only appreciated after decades of trial-and-error. While many wineries have since torn out their riesling, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Shenandoah Vineyards, and a handful of others still tend to their plots.
Virginia’s first vineyards also widely utilized French American hybrid grapes, such as chambourcin and seyval blanc. These vines are relatively easier to maintain; an important consideration in a then-young industry with little institutional knowledge of how to handle more finicky vinifera.
Why Winemakers Prize Older Vines
A well-tended grape vine can last 50 years or more, which makes ‘old vine’ status obtainable. The “Mother Vine” in Roanoke, considered the oldest grapevine in North America, was first recorded in 1584.
While younger vines are more productive, older ones are often thought to produce higher quality fruit. The reasons for this are complex, but much of the credit goes to how older vines have deeper root systems.
Deep roots allow older vines to more easily access water and nutrients that are inaccessible to younger vines, which is especially beneficial during periods of drought. This more balanced intake allows them to create more complex, intensely flavored fruit.
Older vines have an additional advantage in wet regions, such as Virginia.
The roots of younger vines are more likely to become saturated during periods of heavy rainfall, diluting their fruit’s flavor profile.
Older vines are less likely to encounter this problem. The soil above them acts like a shield, preventing water from penetrating to the roots far below. This allows their fruit to maintain good chemistry, despite pre-harvest deluges.
Linden Vineyards winegrower Jim Law has observed older blocks have additional benefits beyond deep roots.
“Older vines sometimes ripen up to 10 days later. This helps keep them in the sweet spot of late September/early October when nights are cool; a big advantage in our warmer climate. They are also more homogenous, which leads to more synchronistic ripening. This is important for quality,” he wrote over email.
Jim Law, owner and winegrower of Linden Vineyards
Even so, it’s overly simplistic to assume old vines are superior to younger ones, according to winegrower David Lambert. David manages the winegrowing at both Shenandoah Vineyards and Stoney Creek Vineyards, two of the oldest in the state.
In answering a question about the quality of ‘old vine’ wine, David opined, “The answer is not as simple as old vines vs. young vines. Newer clones are superior to the older clones with questionable genetics. In particular, the 2018 riesling plantings at Shenandoah Vineyards ripen fruit sooner, have clusters that are looser, and are less prone to bunch rots, allowing them to produce wine superior to our 1981 riesling plants.”
Finding “Old Vine” Wine In Virginia
There are opportunities to sample wine from Virginia’s oldest vines, if you know where to look.
Pearmund Cellars is one of the few wineries in Virginia that makes wine exclusively from ‘old vine’ blocks. Next year Pearmund will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Meriwether Vineyard with a special labeling of its “Old Vine” chardonnay, vinified from these blocks.
Gray Ghost Vineyards produces a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that is only made from its 1988 block. Fruit from these vines have been consistent award winners, most recently earning a Best in Class award from the 2024 East Meets West Challenge at Santa Rosa, California.
Linden Vineyards uses fruit from its 1985 and 1988 blocks (as well as its 2010 block) for its Hardscrabble Chardonnay, although the proportions differ every year.
Shenandoah Vineyards’ 2019 Riesling, made with vines planted in 1981, won Gold at the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup.
If you ever find yourself at a vineyard with old, gnarly trunks – ask about them! There’s likely a story behind how they’ve persevered.
Wine Trails and Wanderlust 