by Richard Leahy | Mar 1, 2026 | Wine of the Week, XXVirginia Wine
Blend: Tannat 62.5%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 12.5% If you’ve been looking for a red Virginia wine “for a winter’s night,” you can hardly do better than this original, stylish yet elegant blend from the west of Rockbridge County...
by Richard Leahy | Feb 25, 2026 | Conferences & Meetings, News, Virginia Wine
On February 25th, At the annual Virginia Vineyards Association Technical Meeting at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, the newly-appointed Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Katie Frazier (herself a Valley native) announced that the 2026 “Grower of the...
by Richard Leahy | Feb 21, 2026 | Finger Lakes, Regions & Terroir, Varietals, Wine of the Week
I keep a library of bottle-aged Finger Lakes Riesling. I’ve found (due to a geeky phenomenon of bound vs. free terpenes), that Rieslings are best in the first two years, or, if from a classic cool climate region, at 15 years or older, if well-cellared and if the corks...
by Richard Leahy | Feb 13, 2026 | Tastings/Evaluations, Varietals, Virginia Wine, Wine of the Week, XXVirginia Wine
In this wretched “winter of our discontent”, it’s vital to know you have enough full-bodied, rich red wines to last you through it. Virginia excels in producing varietal Petit Verdot, which has perfume, ripe black fruits, guts of deep but smooth...
by Richard Leahy | Jan 1, 2026 | Tastings/Evaluations, XXVirginia Wine
This was written in the course of the year, so the ones tasted first were listed first. The scoring system is at the bottom of the entry; wines are not listed in order of score. ***+ Philip Carter Winery “Cleve” 2019 This wine is the estate flagship red, a blend of...
by Richard Leahy | Nov 25, 2025 | XXVirginia Wine
I promote drinking locally, especially since Thanksgiving is an East Coast American tradition. Here are a couple of guidelines if you plan to observe Thanksgiving with a traditional menu: You can find the best wine matches for the traditional menu with East...
