While traveling to the Monticello Wine Festival, we took the time to return to our favorite winery, Barboursville Vineyards. It was our first visit here in 1993 that created our interest in visiting wineries.
Barboursville Vineyard is one of Virginia’s oldest and most renowned wineries. Both the owner and the winemaker are Italians. Some of their most popular wines reflect this heritage – Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, and Barbera. However, the winery is best known for their Octagon, that recently won three Best Bordeaux blend citations in competitions for the 2007 vintage. In the gift shop, on display, is a 2000 year old Roman Amphora. The winery is located on the grounds of the ruin of the home of Governor Barbour (designed by Thomas Jefferson). They also operate a Bed and Breakfast at the 1804 Inn and offer food at the Palladio Restaurant.
If you’re ever in Central Virginia, it is definitely worth a visit.
While on our trip to Virginia, we visited several of the state’s 206 wineries. Two of the highlights were a trip to Keswick Vineyards (one of the state’s most beautiful) and to Reynard Florence Vineyard (one of the newest).
Keswick Vineyards produces some of Virginia’s finest wines. It is located on the 400-acre historic Edgewood Estate. In just over ten years, Keswick has made a name for itself in the Virginia wine culture. They’ve won awards for a number of their wines, such as the Gold at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition for their Cabernet Franc. My personal favorite is a dry white made with the Verdejo grape. This is a Spanish grape that is rare in the United States. We have visited here many times in the past and will continue to visit in the future.
Reynard Florence opened the winery in October 2011. Unlike many new wineries, they are already producing excellent wines. One of their most notable wines is a Reynard Rouge – Monticello, a blend of Merlot and Malbec. Aged for 15 months in French oak, the wine has a complexity, but allows the fruits to show through. This was our first visit; we will return.
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Have you ever heard of an event that you thought would be unbelieveably great to attend, but you didn’t think you would ever have the chance? For me that was a wine festival on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. On May 12th, Monticello hosted the event. This was not the first wine festival held there, but our schedules did not allow us to attend in the past. My husband and I had the opportunity to be there this year and it more than lived up to our expectations. We had a nice surprise when looking around; we noticed we were not the only Kentuckians at the festival. The tip off was a UK lawn chair. It was great to meet some other Wildcat fans there.
Central Virginia’s wineries were represented by their most established ones, such as Barboursville Vineyards as well as newcomers such as Stinson Vineyards. There were fifteen wineries there altogether. Visitors were also invited to take a walking tour through the house.
As Jefferson fans, my husband and I have shared many visits at Monticello. This one was exceptional. The pictures say it all.
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Don’t forget. Saturday is the day for the Wine & Vine Fest at Nicholasville. According their website; Kentucky wineries: Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery, Rose Hill Farm Winery, Purple Toad Winery, Chrisman Mill Vineyards, Prodigy Vineyards & Winery, Generation Hill Winery, Talon Winery and Vineyard, StoneBrook Winery, as well as, Best Vineyards Winery and Indian Creek Winery from Indiana will all be pouring tastes.
Hope to see you there.
by adminThose who have visited Prodigy are familiar with the lovely tasting room located next to the Paul Sawyier Gallery on Versailles Road just off I-64. The atmosphere, the wine, the appetizers, and the service make every visit an experience. Wine club members are used to Release Parties being held at the tasting room. But on April 28, members of Prodigy’s Wine Club were treated to a special Release Party to pick up their wine selections. What made it special was the release party was the first held at the wine facility and vineyard, located about a mile farther down the road from the tasting room. Visitors drove through the gates, past the vineyard along a winding road, to a horse barn and the wine building. Outside the winery building, patio seating was available. Local musicians, Gene and Laura entertained the crowd with an eclectic choice of music, while visitors enjoyed wine and food. The setting was perfect for a winery get together.
For an added treat, visitors were able to do a tasting from the wine tank of a new wine that will be released within a couple of months. The new wine is a Meritage (rhymes with heritage). Many wine drinkers are familiar with this blend; many wineries make this wine. What is unique about Prodigy’s Meritage is the grape varieties used in the blend. The blended wine contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Lemburger. The Lemburger gives their Meritage an interesting taste. I’m looking forward to the release.
The vineyard still showed the signs of early spring, with few leaves and no grapes, but the rows of vines give the promise of whats to come. Prodigy vineyards contains about seven acres of both red and white grape varietals. The winery purchases grapes from vineyards nearby to supplement their supply to create their wines. Touring the winery facility, visitors were given a peek at how their favorite wines are made.
It was obvious that all who attended were having a really good time.
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