Central Virginia’s wineries are some of the finest in the state. Keswick Vineyards is one of the best. Located on the historic Edgewood Estate, the vineyard covers 40 acres. The drive to the tasting room winding through the vineyard in lovely and inviting, making visitors enthusiastic to try the wine. We have always found our visit to be enjoyable and the wine to be special.
Our favorite wine this visit is Trevillian Red, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit Verdot. The wine is a superb big red with fruity aromas and flavors of dark fruits and coffee.
You will want to plan a visit if you’re in Virginia. The trip is worth it. The vineyards, the tasting room, and the wine make the visit one to remember.
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Our visit to Virginia this summer included a visit to Jefferson Vineyards, located just a couple of miles from the grounds of Monticello. With gorgeous views in every direction the winery and tasting room is open to the public every day of the year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and many visitors find their way there every day.
We have visited there many times over the years and always enjoy ourselves. One of their most memorable wines is their blended red, Meritage. The 2012 vintage, is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The wine has flavors of bright fruits but with an earthy finish. Lovers of big reds will find this wine to be superior.
Last week, we opened a bottle of white we purchased there, a Petit Manseng. The Petit Manseng grape, mostly grown in Southwest France, has found its way to the eastern American vineyards and many wineries are offering this flavorful white wine. Jefferson’s Petit Manseng is one of the best I’ve tried. Aromas of lemon zest, almond, and honeysuckle are followed by flavors of grilled pineapples. The wine is delightful.
If you’re visiting central Virginia, you won’t want to miss a stop at Jefferson Vineyards.
Until this year, wines from Gabriele Rausse Winery have been difficult to find, but definitely worth the search. We first happened upon one of his wines a few years ago and loved it and have continued to buy his wines whenever we found them. Gabriele is one of the founders of the Virginia wine industry, first coming to the United States in the 1970s. His first position at a Virginia winery was at the new Barboursville Vineyards, in 1976. He left there in 1979, and has since helped get many other wineries on their feet, either by working there or just consulting. In 1997, he established his own winery, where he continues to make wine with his two sons Tim and Peter.
Also, he is Director of Gardens and Grounds at Monticello, and cares for the vineyard there. Grapes, like Sangiovese, can be seen on the terraced vineyard below the gardens.
This year, we were pleased to discover that Gabriele Rausse Winery had opened a tasting room. While the hours are limited (only open Thursday, Friday, and Sunday), it is well worth the planning to fit it in your schedule if you are visiting. When we visited, we discovered a charming facility with a wide variety of wines to try. Tim Rausse served us and shared information about the wines. Our favorite was the Nebbiolo, an Italian grape, that produces a full-bodied, elegant red wine.
Our tasting experience was great and we will be sure to plan more visits there in the future. I recommend it.
Last year, while visiting southern Virginia, we discovered a wonderful winery in North Carolina. The grounds are amazingly beautiful, the Tuscan style tasting room is impressive, and the wine is amazing. The winery was established by members of the Raffaldini family which dates back to 1348, in the town of Mantua, Italy. They visited many sites before choosing the Yadkin Valley, between the Brushy Mountains and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a locations for a vineyard and winery in the United States. The Ronda, North Carolina, winery is surrounded by gorgeous views in all directions. After buying the land in 1999, the vineyard was planted in 2000, and the tasting room opened in 2004.
Raffaldini’s wines are all Italian varieties. Montepulciano, the grapes in the photo, creates a wine that is full-bodied with a distinct fruity flavor. The winery also produces a Montepulciano Riserva. Vermentino Riserva, a white varietal, is one of their most popular and comes from the oldest Vermentino vines on the East Coast. Both Riservas are developed using the Appassimento drying process to give them a richer character. Appassimento is an ancient Italian method of using a portion of dehydrated grapes in the making of the wine, to create a wine with different structures in the flavors. A Girasole, sunflower in Italian, is created with free run juice from Sangiovese and Montepulciano. The wine is a dry, medium-bodied rosé, which is very popular especially in the summer months. Other wines include a Pinot Grigio, a Sangiovese, Rossi (a red blend), and La Dolce Vita (a Moscato, Asti style). For more information go to my link page.
Jay Raffaldini has created a bit of Tuscany in the mountains of North Carolina and is making some of the best wines I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. It’s about an hours drive from southern Virginia and a two hour drive from Asheville, North Carolina. If you are in the region, be sure to visit. Wine lovers will feel right at home and return again and again.
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We visited Barboursville Vineyards during our annual trip to Virginia last week. As always, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed all of the wines we tasted. Barboursville Vineyards got its beginnings with the planting of a vineyard in 1976, opening the winery soon after. The vineyards and winery have grown over the years, as has the number of wineries in the state of Virginia. Today, there are nearly 200 wineries, making Virginia the fifth largest wine producer in the United States. Only California, New York, Oregon, and Washington have more. Barboursville Vineyards remains one of Virginia’s premier wineries with a multitude of awards from national and international competitions and recognition by wine experts around the world. Check out my link page to visit their website.
It seems like Barboursville gets lovelier with each visit; there’s always new grape vines and additions to the tasting room or the other buildings. Walking around the grounds, exploring the ruins that are featured on the labels of the wine, dining at the Palladio Restaurant, or just stopping by the tasting room for a chance to try the new vintages or enjoy a glass of wine, your visit will be memorable. This visit we tried many wines and found many we enjoyed. I would have to recommend the Vermentino Reserve, which won a Double Gold at the 2014 San Francisco International Wine Competition. It is a relatively new varietal for the winery and is an excellent medium bodied, dry white wine, with aromas of pears and flowers. We also enjoyed our old favorites: such as Barbera Reserve, Sangiovese Reserve, and Nebbiolo Reserve. While the new vintage of Octagon was not available for tasting, we enjoyed a couple of glasses while relaxing at the winery.
As we were getting ready to leave, we ran into Luca Paschina, the winemaker, and were treated to a visit to the library tasting room and a special tasting of a 2008 Octagon. This wine is one that ages well and the 2008 was very smooth.
If you are ever visiting in Central Virginia, Barboursville Vineyards is a must for any wine lover.
by adminMany years ago when we first started visiting wineries, we found French Lick Winery, in French Lick, Indiana. This quickly became one of our favorite wineries. Over the years, both the winery and the town has undergone many changes. For years, the winery was located in a part of the Beechwood Mansion, in French Lick. The rest of the mansion was operated as a bed and breakfast. We began staying at the mansion on our trips to the winery.
We learned much about the history of the town during our stays. French Lick and their next door neighboring town West Baden were both home to major hotels and springs that attracted many visitors from all over the United States in the early 1900s. The town was host to many gamblers and members of the mob seeking a respite when Chicago got too “hot”. Ed Ballard, the owner of West Baden, a huge domed hotel, made his home in the Beechwood Mansion. With Prohibition and a crack down on gambling, the towns suffered a downturn. The Springs in French Lick continued to operate as a hotel, but the towns were kind of passed by. This all changed a few years ago.
West Baden was restored into an absolutely gorgeous hotel, with four floors of rooms overlooking the atrium under the dome, shops, and restaurants on site. The Springs was renovated into a modern hotel with suites, rooms, shops, and restaurants. Golf courses were designed that have attracted many avid golfers and recently hosted the Senior PGA Championships. Added to all of this, a casino was built between the two hotels. The French Lick Resort of French Lick and West Baden has wrought many changes to the towns, such as, new businesses, new activities, and new places to stay. The town is definitely worth a visit. Located just about an hour from Louisville, it is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway.
We still visit every year. This year we celebrated our anniversary with a couple of days in Indiana. For us, though, our trips have changed. The mansion has closed and is no longer operated as a bed and breakfast and the winery has moved. We stayed this year at Legend of French Lick Resort. This resort has an interesting history. Once the home of Larry Bird, who is by the way the real legend from French Lick, the resort has twenty acres with hiking paths, a full-size basketball court, a tennis court, a pool and a pool house. The house contains several suites that are rented singly or the entire house can be rented. We stayed in the owner’s suite, which was once home to Bird.
The winery moved, but is in a building that houses the winery, tasting room, gift shop, and the vintage café. The pizza is amazing and the Pan Bigio is to die for. Everything we’ve tried is excellent. The wine, no matter what your tastes, is exceptional. The winery alone is worth the drive.
I recommend French Lick/West Baden as a wonderful spot for a getaway. There’s something for everyone.
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For Kentucky wine lovers looking for a day trip, I recommend French Lick Winery. The winery is located in West Baden, Indiana. Visitors will find it difficult to know if they are in West Baden or French Lick as the towns are side by side. French Lick and West Baden are home to the French Lick Springs Hotel, the West Baden Springs Hotel, and the French Lick Casino. There are also many golf courses, a water park, and a multitude of other activities. But for wine lovers, you can’t beat the French Lick Winery and Vintage Café.
The winery is located in an old factory building so the outside is not as impressive as some wineries you might visit, but don’t be misled. When visitors walk through the doors, they will be impressed by the wine tasting bar, the dining area, the glass front winery, and the gift shop. Wine lovers will find themselves impressed, not to mention happy.
Visitors can start at the tasting bar with a wide variety of wines. Our favorite is the Norton, but their Pinot Gris, Leon Millot, and Traminette are excellent as well. After your tasting, you’ll want to choose a wine and get a table for lunch or dinner. The vintage café offers a full menu of Italian foods. I recommend anything on the menu, but when I’m there, I can’t pass on the pizza. Their pizza is maybe the best I’ve ever tasted. They have marvelous appetizers also. My favorites are the stuffed mushrooms and the All Natural Pan Bigio (a fantastic artisan Italian bread).
After your dining experience, I recommend the gift shop. This gift shop offers the widest variety of wine related gifts of any winery around. Shoppers will love it.
Whether you visit for the day or choose to stay overnight, French Lick and West Baden, Indiana is a great place to go.
No visit to Brown County and Nashville, Indiana, is complete without a stop at Brown County Winery. Whether you stop at the winery just outside of town, the tasting room in town, or both, you should always visit this winery. They have some of the coolest winery related gifts available at any winery. Their staff are some of the friendliest, most helpful of any winery we have visited, and we love their ports.
They have an Old Barrel Port and a Black Raspberry Encore that are two of the best after dinner drinks we have tried. Both are created in the fashion of ports and are 20% alcohol. I recommend that you give them a try.
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During our last visit to Chateau Thomas Winery in Nashville, Indiana, we were somewhat disappointed because our favorite wine was not available. However, we stopped there on our Thanksgiving trip and were happy to discover that they once again had Teroldego, or Dragon’s Blood. The wine has deep colors, a flowery aroma, and flavors of berries and cherries. It is an amazing wine.
Also, we tried a Verdelho, which is a new wine varietal at Chateau Thomas Winery. Verdelho, a Portuguese white grape, has the aromas of peach and honeysuckle. Unlike many whites, Verdelho is a full-bodied white that is quite satisfying.
Even though our visit was brief, we enjoyed it immensely and were pleased to be able to purchase two such unique wines.
by adminA visit to Oliver Winery, north of Bloomington, Indiana, is always going to be enjoyable. Whether it is in the spring when the flowers are in bloom, or in the summer when you can sit at a table by the lake and sip your wine, or in the fall when the patio is warmed by the heaters so visitors can still enjoy the outdoors, or in the winter when the barrel room is open for wine lovers to drink a glass of wine surrounded by barrels of future vintages. We were able to relax and enjoy our wine over the Thanksgiving weekend at a table in the barrel room.
Wines made by winemaker, Bill Oliver, are always excellent. This visit we were treated to a new dry, red blend, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. The wine has dark berry flavors with an aromas of cherries. It is one of the best blends we’ve tasted at Oliver Winery. Of course, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Shiraz were as good as usual. For those who enjoy sweet wines, the winery has some excellent choices such as the soft red and soft white. Their meads and ciders are also big hits with visitors.
If you’re near Bloomington, or just want to plan a trip, be sure to stop in at Oliver Winery. The winery is an excellent spot to taste wine and while away a couple of relaxing hours, no matter the season.
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