Bettina Ring, VA Secretary of Agriculture, Accepts an Autographed Copy of the New 3rd Edition of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines

by Richard Leahy | Sep 2, 2020 | News/Announcements, Virginia Wine

Wine author Richard Leahy today presented Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Bettina Ring with a copy of the new third edition (2020) of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, his definitive book on Virginia wine, first published in 2012 by Sterling. “I’m proud to present a copy of...

Wine of the Week: Hiddencroft Petit Verdot 2015

by Richard Leahy | Aug 31, 2020 | Regions & Terroir, Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine

I’ve not yet visited Hiddencroft Vineyards, one of Loudoun County’s northernmost wineries, but I’ve enjoyed their Petit Verdot twice now, in very different styles. The 2008 was a cool vintage style, but that doesn’t mean the wine was light or...

Rock Roadhouse Winery, Bath Co.’s First Winery, to Hold Grand Opening September 3-7th

by Richard Leahy | Aug 30, 2020 | News/Announcements, Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine, Winery Review

Rock Roadhouse Winery, a k a Ch. Donze Vineyards, is Bath County’s first licensed winery, and produces only natural wine. They will hold their Grand Opening next weekend, September 3-7th, and are located at 125 Chateau Donze Ln., Hot Springs, VA  24445. The name...

Visiting Loudoun Wineries: Vivid ’18 and ’19 Whites, Juicy ’14-’17 Reds

by Richard Leahy | Aug 25, 2020 | Regions & Terroir, Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine, Winery Review, Winery Visits

On August 1st I signed copies of my new third edition of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines (the definitive book on Virginia wine) at Breaux Vineyards in northern Loudoun County, so I stayed for a couple of nights and visited a half-dozen other wineries, some of which...

Gabrielle Rausse Merlot ’19 “Unsulfited”: Review

by Richard Leahy | Aug 22, 2020 | Tastings/Evaluations, Varietals, Virginia Wine

Part of the natural wine movement is seeing wines labeled as “unsulfited”. Why doesn’t everyone do this? Because potassium metabisulfite, when added to wine, reacts with oxygen and binds it to sulfur molecules to create SO2, which helps preserve the...

Phase 3 Re-opening Winery Visits

by Richard Leahy | Jul 4, 2020 | Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine, Winery Review

According to Governor Northam, Virginia has moved into Phase Three of re-opening, which means wineries can welcome visitors again, although social distancing and masking is still required. Not all wineries are following the same model. Some require reservations to...