Secretary Haymore Awarded Wine Person of the Year by the VWA

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe tonight awarded the 2014 Virginia Wineries Association’s (VWA) Governor’s Cup to The Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio, a blended red wine.  The Governor’s Cup was awarded Thursday evening, February 27 at the VWA’s Governor’s Cup Gala at the John Marshall Hotel.

Speaking at the Governor’s Cup awards ceremony, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am honored to award the Governor’s Cup to The Williamsburg Winery, one of Virginia’s oldest and most prolific wineries.  It is no secret the Commonwealth’s wine industry has experienced tremendous growth both in quantity and quality in recent years.  Such growth has an enormous impact on Virginia in terms of economic development and job creation.  The Virginia Governor’s Cup, now recognized as one of the nation’s most stringent competitions, helps to raise awareness of the world class wines grown and blended right here in the Commonwealth.  My congratulations to The Williamsburg Winery for their long history of success and their most recent notable contribution to the Virginia wine industry.”

The Williamsburg Winery’s Adagio is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 28% Petit Verdot. Aged in French, American and Hungarian Oak, the ratio is  43% new oak, 14% one year old oak; 29% two year old oak; and 14% three year old oak. The winemaker’s tasting notes are as follows:  The 2010 Adagio is a very bold upfront wine with loads of jammy fruit.  The blackberries and blueberry notes are accentuated with some elegant mature darker fruit such as figs, dates and prunes.  There is a hint of spice (warm cinnamon) with molasses and soy.  The earthy notes come across with a touch of nuttiness.  The oak is very integrated into the weight of the wine and the tannins are smooth and graceful. The wine has a wonderful finish that lasts for quite awhile. 

            “It is very satisfying and very humbling to be with my peers and the others who have won the Governor’s Cup.  The 2010 Adagio was unbelievable, exceeding all expectations for quality, and it was nice for Adagio to get that recognition,” said Matthew Meyer, vice president and winemaker of The Williamsburg Winery.  “Adagio, from the Italian ad agio, or ‘at ease’, is a musical term indicating the tempo of a composition that is meant to be slow and stately, so named in honor of the extraordinary depth, elegance and grace of this wine.”

The 2014 Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition was conducted over three weeks of preliminary tastings, held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C.  The final round of tastings was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond in early February. The Governor’s Cup award winner was selected from the 2014 Governor’s Cup Case. The top 12 scoring wines of the competition, The Governor’s Cup Case, were selected from 410 entries of both red and white wines, from 96 wineries.

In addition to The Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio, the other 11 wines in the Governor’s Cup Case are: 

• Barboursville Vineyard – 2008 Malvaxia Passito
• Barboursville Vineyard – 2010 Nebbiolo Reserve
• Barboursville Vineyard – 2010 Octagon
• Barren Ridge Vineyard – 2009 Meritage
• Fabbioli Cellars – 2011 Tannat
• Horton Vineyards – 2010 Tannat
• King Family Vineyards – 2011 Meritage
• North Gate Vineyard – 2011 Meritage
• Rockbridge Vineyard – 2008 Meritage, DeChiel Reserve, unfiltered
• Sunset Hills Vineyard – 2010 Mosaic
• Two Twisted Post Winery – 2012 Chardonnay

The Governor’s Cup competition, revamped in 2011, is a result of a partnership among the gubernatorial-appointed Virginia Wine Board (VWB), the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA), and the VWA, which owns and manages the competition. Any wine made from 100%Virginia fruit was eligible for the competition, while ciders and fruit wines had their own category and medalists. All entries included an affidavit with a certification of 100% Virginia fruit and vineyard particulars, including grower names and location, as well as information on alcohol, acidity or basicity (pH), and residual sugar.

            Wine included in the Governor’s Cup Case will be used by the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office for marketing purposes in Virginia, across the country, and around the world.  A number of cases will be shipped to select wine media, promotingVirginia wines to a larger national and international audience.  The award winning wines will be used for education purposes at Virginia winemaker roundtable discussions to improve overall quality of Virginia wines.  Governor’s Cup Case wines will also be used by Governor McAuliffe on select domestic and international marketing missions and other events designed to promote Virginia wine and winery tourism.

            Jay Youmans, one of only of 31 Masters of Wine (MW) in the U.S., directed the competition. Youmans, who is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and the owner and educational director of the Capital Wine School in Washington, DC, recruited wine judges from the professional wine buying and wine media community. The judges were compensated for their time for a rigorous schedule of judging to ensure the competition maintained the highest level of professional evaluation. There were 30 judges in the preliminary round and 15 judges in the final round. A list of the judges along with their bios can be found at http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup

One of the most important aspects of the revised competition is the educational component of the judging. After the competition, regional forums for the winemakers will be held with the judging director. Notes with the judges’ blind comments will be shared with individual winemakers, so that they will get direct feedback on how their wines were received.

            The Williamsburg Winery is located on Wessex Hundred, a 300-acre farm located inVirginia’s Historic Triangle.  The winery has experienced continuous growth through an expanding portfolio of wines. The introduction of the 2007 Adagio was the culmination of a single-minded goal to produce the highest quality wines in the world. This is the second Governor’s Cup for Williamsburg Winery. The winery won in 1989 for its 1988 Chardonnay.

            “Winning the Governor’s Cup is a testament to Matthew’s talent and to the dedication of our entire team, whose focus is on excellence in wines made 100% fromVirginia grapes. Our goal is to grow as a leader in the industry, developing wines that reflect the character of our Commonwealth, neither Californian or European, but displaying elegance and interesting flavors,” said Patrick Duffeler, president and CEO, The Williamsburg Winery.

In addition to awarding Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio the 2014 Governor’s Cup, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore was named Wine Person of the Year for his contributions to this rapidly growing sector of the Commonwealth’s economy. 

As Secretary, Haymore works closely with the Governor, General Assembly, and key stakeholders on numerous legislative and budgetary initiatives to integrate agriculture and forestry fully into Virginia’s overall economic development and jobs creation platform. A dedicated proponent of the Virginia wine industry, Secretary Haymore has worked in partnership with Virginia’s wineries and vineyards to proudly showcase Virginia wines during domestic and international trade missions.  During his time as Secretary, Haymore has facilitated the first commercial shipment of Virginia Wine to China; helped to launch the Virginia Wine Summit, bringing national and international attention to Virginia wine; helped to almost triple the amount of funds placed in the Virginia Wine Promotion Fund for research, education and marketing; and worked with the General Assembly to establish a reimbursable tax credit program for the establishment or expansion of vineyards and wineries.  His strategic focus has led to new sales and opportunities for Virginia wineries that will continue the industry’s growth in the years to come.

Sales of Virginia wine reached a record high in fiscal year 2013 with more than 511,000 cases, or more than 6.1 million bottles, sold. Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with 250 wineries. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producing state. According to a recently released economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost $750 million to the Commonwealth’s economy on an annual basis.

For a complete list of previous Governor’s Cup winners and information about the Virginia wine industry, please visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Officehttp://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup/awards/ or call 804-344-8200.

LANCASTER, PA—The  3rd Annual Eastern Winery Exposition (EWE), which will take place March 3-6 at the Lancaster County Convention Center in downtown Lancaster, PA,  sold out 249 booth spaces with 179 exhibiting companies in its third year, six weeks ahead of the show. The trade show and conference is sponsored by Wines & Vines and supported by 18 other organizations and associations.

Already the largest wine industry trade show on the East Coast, this is the first time EWE has sold out its trade show even with the addition of  new booths. There are still two weeks before the show opens on Tuesday evening March 3rd.

Attendee Registration is also at a new high, at 630 two weeks before the show opens, 34% ahead of last year at this time.

EWE is an Eastern-focused wine industry trade show and conference designed to provide the Eastern U.S. and Canadian wineries and vineyards with an easily accessible, low-cost professional meeting with a large number of winery and vineyard suppliers, at the right time of year. A strong conference program featuring 22 sessions plus two half-day workshops on distillation and Direct to consumer are also part of the agenda.  Rounding out the program are social events including the 3rd Annual Industry celebration dinner and new this year the American Society for Enology and Viticulture-Eastern Section (ASEV-ES), in conjunction with EWE, will conduct a live auction as a scholarship fundraiser.

The Second Annual EWE had over 1000 attendees who came from 22 states and two provinces. As of January 22nd the pre-registration is 34% ahead of last year at the same time. 

For full complete details including a list of exhibitors, speakers, sponsors and conference sessions, visit www.easternwineryexposition.com.

Contact: Bob Mignarri, 401-885-8788

bob@easternwineryexposition.com

www.easternwineryexposition.com

In 50 or 100 years, we may see as many wines made from Italian varities in the Mid-Atlantic as from French varieties.

Wineries like Barboursville Vineyards near Charlottesville, Breaux Vineyards in northern Loudoun and Villa Appalaccia south of Roanoke have demonstrated that pinot grigio, barbera, nebbiolo, sangiovese and other Italian varieties can make classically typical wines in this region, and in some cases, world-class.

Raffaldini Vineyards in Ronda, NC, located in the Swan Creek sub-AVA of the Yadkin Valley, is branding itself with high-end, food-friendly classy wines based on Italian varieties (their motto is “Chianti in the Carolinas”). Established in 2001 by Jay Raffaldini, whose family goes back to 1348 in Lombardy, the winery has garnered some attention, including being listed as one of the top ten “hot brands” by Wine Business Monthly in 2010. Leading Italian varities include: pinot grigio, vermentino, sangiovese and montepulciano.

I recently had the opportunity to taste two excellent new releases from Raffaldini; the 2012 Vermentino riserva and the 2011 Montepulciano riserva, both labeled with the Swan Creek sub-AVA.

My impression from tasting vermentino at Barboursville Vineyards was that this was a dry aromatic Italian white grape, much like pinot grigio but with more aromatics and more palate weight. This impression was confirmed in tasting the Raffaldini 2012 vintage; this will be a first-class grape for the Mid-Atlantic region.

Raffaldini Vermentino Riserva 2012, Swan Creek AVA, NC

Nose: green apple and spicy (nutmeg) pear notes, v. aromatic w. herbal and focused mineral notes. On the palate, is surprisingly full-bodied with rich, round texture (8 months in 33% new French oak), acid a bit low but is a very versatile food wine (enjoyed with cheddar souffle), and has great potential for a range of styles and showcasing regional cuisine in a stylish way.

The Montepulciano was a rare treat. I had tasted Raffaldini’s first vintage done in a regular table wine style and it also showed impressive typicity and potential for this region.

The wine below was a surprise with the opaque color, the mostly closed but intriguing spicy nose, and the very full-bodied and high tannin palate. After tasting and then matching with food, I casually looked at the label and was amazed to realize the alcohol level was 15%; I read the back label and then it all made sense; this was made from grapes picked dried to 27 Brix, sorted 3 times, and fermented for 55 days on the skins in stainless steel tanks, then aged for 18 months in oak, mostly two year old.

Raffaldini Montepulciano Riserva 2011 (15% alc., appassimento) Swan Creek AVA, NC

Color: Impressively dark for the vintage; opaque ruby.
Nose: Cardamom and spicy black cherry notes (that take awhile to emerge); intriguing.
Palate: rich, dense and concentrated, high tannins but smooth, slight bitter finish with dark chocolate hints. Long clean finish. Classic passito style. Young, needs time but good for strong cheese, dark chocolate desserts, confit reduction. Impressively clean and concentrated for such a difficult vintage. Anyone who loves Amarone will want to try this but not for another 4 years or more.

John Hagarty, Virginia wine blogger, lays out some straight talk about Virginia wine economics on his blog, hagarty-on-wine.com (see below).

http://www.hagarty-on-wine.com/OnWineBlog/?p=7130

Jeff White, proprietor of Glen Manor Vineyards near Front Royal, was named “Grape Grower of the Year” by the Virginia Vineyards Association at their annual meeting at the Charlottesville Omni. VVA President Tom Kelly noted that White had worked with Virginia Tech viticulturist Tony Wolf and had apprenticed with leading winegrower Jim Law of Linden Vineyards before starting his own vineyard in 1995. In 2012, White won the Virginia Governor’s Cup with his 2009 Hodder Hill, a single vineyard red Bordeaux blend.

“Winning the Governor’s Cup was fantastic, but this award gets me at the heart,” remarked White. He thanked both Jim Law and Tony Wolf for their support, “without which I wouldn’t be here. I look forward to the day when some young person gets the award and says I helped them get there.”

The award was presented by VA Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore, who is staying on in his post under the new administration of Terry McAuliffe. “The new Governor has told me he plans to work with this industry very closely,” says Haymore.

VVA Treasurer Kay Thompson says that the registration for the annual meeting has reached a record this year, with 300 attendees and an overflow list of industry suppliers exhibiting.

Annette Boyd, head of the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, reported that in the four years from 2008-2012 the number of Virginia wineries grew by 70% while the number of cases sold grew by 28%. On a more somber note, VVA President Tom Kelly noted that new vineyard acreage is essentially flat, making the establishment of more winegrape acreage “the top priority” of the VVA.

On out-of-state marketing, Boyd explained that initiatives in South Carolina and New York City had brought “palpable” interest with the trade and media. One success story had to do with making an important impression with Chris Matthews of the Wine Spectator. Spanish celebrity Chef Jose Andres was asked to choose a wine to match one of his dishes, which was served to a public audience. Matthews chose another wine, and the public was asked to vote their preference on the wine matched to the food; Andres’ choice was the clear favorite, which was a red Bordeaux-style blend from RdV Vineyards in Delaplane.

“When Matthews saw the results, he made a note to himself that he needed to learn more about Virginia wine,” explained Boyd, and when he got back to his office, there was a case of the Governor’s Case [top 12 wines from the VA Governor's Cup Competition] waiting for him to taste and review.”

The Virginia Wine Expo will take place in a month at the Richmond Convention Center, kicked off by a gala tasting and presentation of the Governor’s Cup at the John Marshall Hotel on Feb. 27th. In the month of March, says Boyd, a major new initiative called March Wine & Dine will promote Virginia wine through partnerships with restaurateurs across the state.

For details on this and other public programs and events, visit www.virginiawine.org.

The New California Wine by Jon Bonné (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 2013, 298 pgs, $35) is one of only two books I’ve read (both recently) on the California wine industry that have said more, in detail and philosophical depth, than anything else I’ve read on the subject (the other was An Ideal Wine: One Generation’s Pursuit of Perfection–and Profit– in California, by David Darlington (Harper Collins, 2011).

I mention Darlington’s book, because those who know and like it will, I’m confident, feel just as happy with Bonné’s book. It also takes the long view, reviewing the evolution of the California wine industy, but takes a bold and iconoclastic  opening stand. Bonné, who has been the wine writer at the San Francisco Chronicle since 2006, claims in the introduction that he was dismayed on taking up his position at the Chronicle  that “My first couple of years in California were tough. I hunted desperately for local wines worth praising…but I couldn’t overlook the sad fact that Napa had become a bombastic shell of its earlier, humbler self.” It’s pretty revolutionary…and ballsy… for a book on California wine to begin with negative comments on the state of its wines, and anyone who refuses to genuflect to the received wisdom of the marketing men of the California wine industry certainly has my respect.

However, still in the introduction, Bonné explains that a few pioneers are blazing new paths of experimentation again as they did in the 1970s, planting in new places, championing new grape varieties, using alternative business models, and farming organically or biodynamically. Most of these pioneers look to the Old World for what they can learn from it, without feeling the need to slavishly duplicate it, which Bonné says is the maturation of an American culture of wine. All of this, and the resultant wines, gives Bonné a great sense of hope; “I’ve come to believe that this is the best time in a generation to drink California wine.”

The New California Wine is divided into three parts; “Searching for the New California Wine”, which deconstructs some myths about California (such as that it has the perfect climate for wine grapes or that good wines need to be estate-grown), and also introduces a number of the New Winemakers and their holistic approach to grape farming. He also discusses the rise of “Big Wine” (corporate domination) and “Big Fruit”, or the illusion that riper grapes make better wine.

A recurring theme in The New California Wine is an acknowledging  the importance of the past, whether it’s California’s own pre-Prohibition past or the achievements of winemakers Paul Draper of Ridge or Josh Jenson of Calera in the 1970s, or the Old World models that are inspirations for the New California winemakers who drink blaufränkisch, Chablis or trosseau, and dare to make syrah with an alcohol level that might not “break twelve percent”, because they recognize the importance of acidity, and fresh (not overripe) fruit to pleasant wine drinking. It’s encouraging to realize that the cutting edge in California today is moving away from Big Fruit, high alcohol and heavy oak and that while the bulk (as it were) of the state’s production is in very undifferentiated wines, the paradigm is changing.

In part two, “The New Terroir: A California Road Trip”, Bonné first has an introduction to the concept of terroir in “The Meaning of Place.” While appellations and a hierarchy of place evolved over centuries in the Old World, once the American Viticultural Area was introduced in 1978, it became a cynically instant way to convey, at least on a label, some suggestion of wine superiority. Politics also muddles the picture (as it does anywhere with wine appellations).

“Which appellations are sensible and useful? Which have been contrived by a lust for profit? A hunt for terroir has become clouded in a rush of economic ambition.”  To help answer the question, Bonné points to a couple of examples such as old vines; if they’re still making exemplary wine after 75 or more years, it shows that this was the right vine in the right place. Another benchmark is growers who are re-interpreting existing appellations either through planting grapes for Old World soil affinities such as gamay in the granitic soils of the Sierra Foothills, or in the cool and very vertiginous Sonoma Coast, where instead of planting for maximizing ripeness as is done further inland, growers are planting chardonnay and pinot noir that have long cool growing seasons to retain fresh fruit and high acids reminiscent of Burgundy.

In these regional sections, Bonné helpfully includes sidebars that summarize the statistics of the region; size, acres under cultivation, leading grape varieties and soil types. The book as a whole has helpful sidebars throughout that tackle a large number of topics; one runs across two pages on biodynamics, and is very educational without being obtuse.

Bonné then takes you to nine specific examples of places in California that he believes show a great sense of place, at least for certain grape varieties. Some of these places like Contra Costa County or Lodi might be considered low-rent by Napa Valley fans (significantly, that area isn’t mentioned) and one, Ventucopa, I hadn’t even heard of, which is part of what I like about the book, feeling like I’m re-discovering a familiar topic in new ways.

The concluding section of the book goes from the regions to the building blocks of wine; grape varieties. Unsurprisingly, we see pinot noir, chardonnay and “cabernet” (including mention of cabernet franc). Interesting, the ubiquitous merlot is missing, but we also see a section on “Revising the Rhone”, “The New Whites” and “Back to the Future” subtitled “Zinfandel and Beyond.”

Within each grape section Bonné lists those he feels are leading producers of these grapes, in “a curated selection of wineries and wines that reflect the best of the New California.” Vintages are not listed because of the short shelf life of such information but Bonné says his selections have showed well across several vintages. He also helpfully includes a dollar sign system to alert you to wine price. He also includes a map section where the vineyards used to source the wines can be found. Each grape section has “The Three Bottle Tour” sidebar, highlighting leading producers in three different regions of the state. Each section also has a “More Notable Wines” section for up-and-coming producers or those whose production levels are very limited.

Bonné is one of the few writing on California wines to describe a visit to the highly unfashionable but highly utilitarian vineyards of the hot Central Valley near Madera, where the french colombard (a k a ugni blanc) vines squeeze out an astonishing 23 tons per acre to supply the plonk for Big Wine. After his discussion of the economics involved, you wonder why people bother spending up to a million dollars an acre re-engineering the steep hills of Sonoma Coast to make $100 pinot noir for a limited market, when the numbers are much more favorable in Stanislaus.

However, Bonné overlooked a significant part of the California wine industry equation: the wholesale tier and how Big Wine overwhelmingly dominates what shows up on retail shelves and in family restaurants across the country outside of the Golden State. The consolidation of the wholesale tier in the U.S. means a plethora of “critter” label and copy-cat boring corporate California wines cluttering up the shelves, and high prices for the few high quality independently produced wines one can scout out. It’s also hard to keep up with the major once-independent brands like Rex Goliath, Rosenblum, Ravenswood and Edna Valley that have been bought out by the wine giants, to distinguish them from true independents.

In the UK, the brands of Big Wine giants Gallo and Constellation are the only widely visible California wines on retail shelves, because smaller producers with higher prices have concluded that the economics (including high import duties for non-EU wines) don’t justify their efforts in that market. The irony of Bonné’s book is that while he convinces the reader that there is a new Renaissance underway in California wine, the wines are virtually unobtainable in trade channels for many U.S. consumers elsewhere in the country and overseas. Bonné should have addressed the “elephant in the room” for those readers who are eager to discover The New California but are limited by trade, tax and supply issues outside the Golden State.

Despite this, The New California Wine is an indispensable guide for those who may have given up hope for originality and terroir-driven wines from California. There is enough for everyone to learn something new and encouraging about the industry and the wealth of California’s as-yet hardly tapped potential. The rise of the Millennial wine-drinking generation is another source of hope; they couldn’t care less about Robert Parker or the received wisdom of glossy consumer wine magazines, and will be the most open-minded to new grape varieties and new styles.

Both Millennials and cynical Baby Boomers will be encouraged by the details of dedicated growers and winemakers daring to champion chenin blanc, tocai friulano or albariño in the New Whites section, or old vine carignane from Mendocino or Contra Costa counties, or valdigué (a k a “Napa gamay”), or the very obscure trousseau noir detailed in “Back to the future”. Zinfandel fans will be encouraged to hear of the return of lower alcohol levels by simply picking earlier instead of diluting raisined and overripe grapes with water.

The New California Wine is the most thoughtfully written, educational and encouraging book on the California wine industry I’ve ever read and I think it will be a benchmark work as the industry evolves in new directions.

In preparation for the holidays, gayot.com set out to find the best sparkling wines in the United States.  In their findings, Trump Winery’s

2008 Blanc de Noirs was named in their list of Top Ten American sparkling wines.   http://www.gayot.com/wine/top10american-sparkling-wines/trump-winery-2008-sp-blanc-de-noir.html

GAYOT.com is an online guide to dining, hotels, travel and lifestyle for readers in search of the best across the world.

The 2008 Blanc de Noir is made via Méthode Champenoise with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. After a combination of stainless steel and French oak barrel aging, the wine gains complexity by aging on the lees in the bottle for a minimum of 3 years.  At disgorging, a low dosage is added to balance acidity and improve mouth feel.  The wine exhibits savory flavors of toast, coffee, caramel and honey with a background of lemon and malt.

Gayot.com rated the Kluge SP Rose 2008 methode champenoise in their top ten picks for Thanksgiving in 2011, after the winery was acquired by Donald Trump.

For the methodology of their ratings, according to Barnaby Hughes of gayot.com, most wines are tasted by Alain Gayot, the publisher, who assigns ratings and makes the final selection for each top ten list. “How do we choose what goes on the list? It largely depends on what samples we receive. Wines are also chosen for high ratings and with an eye towards variety. Thus, Trump is one of the best sparkling wine producers we’ve come across outside of California that is willing to send samples.” He adds that wines are not tasted blind.