Blacksburg Fork and Cork

 

So I was lucky enough to attend the Blacksburg Fork and Cork that just happened yesterday. Not surprisingly, the crowds there were ENORMOUS and I struggled to make it into many of the tasting lines without getting impatient. That being said I still got to taste A LOT of different wines and now I must share it!

Here is a list of the major wineries that I was able to go and taste from, ordered from most favorite to least favorite:

1. Veritas Winery

2. Fincastle Winery

3. Trump Winery

4. Barren Ridge Vineyards

5. Attimo Winery

6. Peaks of Otter

(The fruity wines of Peaks of Otter)

Now I'd love nothing more than to place the notes on every single wine I had, but you and I both know that such a feat is not only tedious but would perhaps be dull to read, thus I have hand selected a few that stood out to me (whether good or bad) as worthy of notice. In no particular order here they are!

Blanc de Blanc 2008

Chardonnay

Trump Winery, Monticello, VA

$25 per bottle

(84 points Jancis Robinson)

This wine truly was "blanc", as it was clear as rain. Not something I've seen in a while. The nose had a lot of pear action going on with other slight fruity smells, but not much else. It tasted crisp, acidic, perhaps a little orange maybe? I wasn't too sure...again my pallet is still young. However this wine was nonetheless refreshing. Perhaps too expensive, but not bad!

Strawberry Shortcake

Apple/Strawberry
Peaks of Otter Winery, Bedford, VA
$12 per bottle
No Professional Review Found

I just had to include this one because quite frankly, it's on an entirely different spectrum of wine. I'm never one for the sweet stuff, but this was interesting. In all essence, this wine smelled, looked, and tasted like strawberries in every way. I can't get any more accurate than that. Clearly this was what the winery was going for with this wine, but I'd hardly call it a wine as much as strawberry sugar juice with alcohol. Don't get me wrong, if strawberry shortcake is your thing then there is NO reason why you wouldn't enjoy this. Just a bit too much sugar for my taste.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon Blanc
Fincastle Vineyard & Winery,  Fincastle, VA
$14 per bottle
No Professional Review Found

Seeing as I had tasted a lot of sugary wines, this one was nice to have in order to dry my pallet up a bit. The color was a nice dark red and on the nose I picked up a lot of cherries, and even a little bit of oak that would come back to me as soon as I sipped it. Sure enough there was a good amount of oakiness in this wine, but it had some nice balance and was satisfyingly full bodied. Nothing special but not too bad.

Cabernet Franc 2012
Cabernet Franc
Veritas Winery,  Monticello, VA
$22 per bottle
No Professioal Review Found

This is not something I expected from a Virginia winery, as this could very well be confused with an Old World type wine. It was very dark red, and smelled earthy and dirty with hints of not fruit but vegetables. The taste was long lasting, complex, smooth, balanced, and was even a little peppery. Unexpectedly it was also big on the tannins and quite dry. No doubt that this wine was an absolute blast to drink, and if it weren't for my lack of funds I would've taken a bottle back with me.

Christof 2011
Traminette/Vidal Blanc
Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, VA
$25 per bottle
No Professional Review Found

I clearly remember the lady running this stand knew A LOT about what grapes grow well in Virginia, and took much pride in this dessert wine. It had a light yellowish color and smelled a lot like honey and peaches. My girlfriend particularly loved this one (surprise surprise) as it was VERY sweet and unlike most sweet wines I had that day was actually very complex in the finish. It certainly would be perfect to go with a less sweeter dessert...perhaps apple pie?

Off the Cuff
Riesling/Chardonay
Atimmo Winery, Christiansburg, VA
$17 per bottle
No Professional Review Found

I particularly enjoyed this dry white, and I am unsure if I have ever even had a blend of riesling and chardonnay before. Likewise, it had a nice golden color and a strong peary/citrus smell to it. It hit the tongue softly but had a nice lasting flavor that I really enjoyed. Perhaps a bit too expensive, but otherwise not a bad blend of grapes!

Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Fincastle Vineyard and Winery, Fincastle, VA
$12 per bottle
No Professional Review Found

This was a wine that we actually carried around with us after trying and was quite a delight. The color looked like pure gold, and it smelled a lot like caramel and, dare I say it, even cat pee? I admit I got the idea from Gary V, but no joke that's what I smelled. It was very buttery and thick to taste, perhaps a little overoaked, but was nevertheless complex and satisfying. 

(Quite a few people were in attendance)

 

(My friend made the mistake of wearing white)

Food Pairing of the Day

 

So my friends and I got a nice chardonnay from fincastle to pass the time and I was hungry for some funnel cake. Staring at my funnel cake and chardonnay I thought "what the hell?" and paired them up. The chardonnay itself was pretty oaky and buttery by itself, and was very soft on the pallet. However that all changed after having it with this delicious piece of fried bread. The Chardonnay immediately became much more sharp, crisp, and even slightly bitter. I'm assuming that the sugar from the funnel cake caused this, but it was actually pretty good! Honestly I have a lot of fun just picking random hearty foods with random wines and just going for it. You never know what you might get.

Wine of the Day

Hands down my all time favorite wine at the festival was the 2012 Cabernet Franc I described above made by Veritas Winery. Everything about this wine screamed old world and it just had so much going on in there I couldn't keep up with all of the flavor. My buddy bought a bottle and I CANNOT WAIT to have with a nice lasagna dinner. I highly recommend picking up a bottle of this at the vintage cellar and giving it whirl. You will not be displeased.

(Myself and my girlfriend with some Sangria)


Overall, and despite the lines, Fork and Cork was just awesome. I eventually got to try more wines than I have ever had in a single day, and yet I just could never get sick of the stuff. Sad to say this is my last year in Blacksburg, but no doubt I will be coming back one day to another one of these. My final thought for the day could be summed up as follows: Never underestimate a Virginia wine

Delltoirri Chianti Riserva

- Sangiovese (Blend)
- Italy, Tuscany, Chianti sub region
- 2008
-$15.99 per bottle
- No Pro reviews found

The next night I had dinner at home with the family, and brought this wine back from the store to dry with the chicken pasta cheese dish my mother made. It was a nice full ruby red wine that smelled very earthy and even reminded me a little of coffee. Much of the usual fruity smell I get from those new world wines was absent, as expected, and it was heavy on the tannins and exploded with all kinds of flavor at the start. The finish was less exciting in terms of flavor, but the chicken, mozzarella and cottage cheese from the dish really helped balance it out and brought out more complexity to it. Now I know why they say to drink these wines with food!

Mark West Pinot Noir

-Pinot Noir
-California
-2010
-$7.00 per glass (The Neighbor's Restaraunt)
- 84 Points (CellarTracker)

While at dinner with my folks I ordered this wine with a sweet chili chicken dish and it wasn't half bad. The color was bright red, with a heavy amount of cherries on the nose. It wasn't too dry as expected but just enough to my liking, and was still able to give out a little more of that fruity cherry taste as well. The finish was relatively complex and balanced, but nothing super special. However the real kicker was when I tasted it with the sweet chili chicken, which brought out the tannins a lot more and gave it a much drier feel. Even better so was when I tasted it with sweet potatoes. I swear I had never felt a wine more balanced and smooth than this wine combine with sweet potatoes. Simply out of this world. (I wasn't able to get a picture of it at the restaurant, but this should do nicely)

Santa Luz Alba Sauvignon Blanc

-Sauvignon Blanc
-Chile, Colchagua Valley
-2012
-$6.95 per bottle
-No Pro Review Found

 With the average color you'd expect from most sauvignon blancs, this wine had a sort of musty smell going on about with a little bit of peaches thrown in for fun. While it tasted nice and crisp, it was overall pretty bland and flabby and never really struck me as flavorful in any way. It had a nice balance of acidity and a soft easy finish, but nothing special was found here.

Bordeaux Tellus Vinea

- Bordeaux Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec)
- France, Bordeaux
- 2008
- $15 (estimate) per bottle
- No Pro Review Found

This was one of the first Bordeaux that I have ever had, and I was definitely looking forward to it. I never truly understood the New World/Old World difference until this wine. The Tellus Vinea had a simple dark red look, and its smell hit me like a ton of bricks. It was earthy, dirty, and made me feel like I was standing in my grandparent's cellar. After all of the New World wines that I've had, this was surely a treat. I tasted some apricot and maybe a little citrus in there, and it wasn't hot or very dry at all. It had a smooth, complex finish and with a little chicken parmesan I was able to pick up some nice fruitier tastes to it. This wine was the favorite of the night, and I highly recommend it.

Garnacha de Fuego

- Grenache
- Spain,Calatayud region
- 2011
- $9 (estimate) per bottle
- 89 Points (Stephen Tanzer)
  87 Points (Wine Spectator)

The label on this wine says it all, I mean come on, it has fire on it. The color you'll find here is very dark purple-reddish. The nose alone was pretty spicy and blocked out some of the fruitier components that were trying to come out. What really got me however was the taste. This wine is very spicy and had a lot of heat in terms of alcohol content. Despite this it still ended up being pretty flabby and dull near the end, and as such I wasn't really head over heels for it.

Santa Julia Malbec

- Malbec
- Argentina, Mendoza
- 2012
- $9.95 (estimate) per bottle
- No Pro Review Found

In class, we hear all the time from Boyer how well malbec grapes do in Argentina. Thus we were all very interested in figuring out firsthand why this is, so we got a hold of this wine. One word I could use to describe this wine was clean, in almost every aspect. It had a darker red color and the nose reminded me something of a swimming pool. I swear I could practically smell the chlorine in this wine, with a hint of cherries. It tasted very dry which I personally love, and along with peppers and spiciness it packed a little bit of heat. This wine was nice, clean, and bold and didn't hold back any punches.

Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon

- Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
- California
- 2010
- $11.00 (estimate) per bottle
- 87 Points (CellarTracker)

I've so far grown to like a lot of the Cabernet that I've tried lately, and this one was no exception. It had a darker red color than most other wines I tried in the evening, and smelled very fruity with that "dark berry" smell I can never truly find a good word for. I really need to work on my ability to smell. Anyways, this wine did not taste nearly as fruity as it smelled, and was very bold with a lot of tannic structure and a heavy bite. I also happened to have this with some cheese ravioli, which really helped bring out more of the bitterness in it. In the end though it had a nice balanced finish which was refreshing for me.

Leese Fitch Pinot Noir

- Pinot Noir
- California
- 2011
- $11.00 (estimate) per bottle
- 82 Points (Wine Enthusiast)

Not too long ago I had a little shindig with some friends and we tried several different wines. The first one I tasted happened to be this little pinot noir right here. Starting with the nose, it had a some good smoke and pepper in there with a little blackberry, which wasn't expected but still pleasing. It had a nice ruby red color, and on the initial taste I got a lot of sweetness on the start with a little bit of wood. It wasn't too acidic or dry, but the finish didn't really "bring the thunder" for me as it was pretty flabby. Not too bad, but nothing special.

Distillery Visit: Woodford Reserve

Over Spring Break I was lucky enough to go on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky and visit several distilleries in order to better my understanding of the whole alcohol making process. One of my absolute favorite distilleries was hands down Woodford Reserve, and while this isn't exactly a winery, it still showed me a lot about how we get our alcohol.






This picture above was taken in the actual distillation room. I'll get more into that in a minute, but I just thought it looked really nice.

 

When the whole tour starts you get to see a nice little video about the distillery, followed by a very short bus ride that took us out to right here. Those barrels have been freshly filled and sealed, and the rails you see are used to move them from the filling station to the rackhouses. Pretty efficient if you ask me.





















Now I have to be honest here, I didn't take any good pictures of the fermentation tanks. I had so many from other distilleries that I forgot one for Woodford. HOWEVER this offers a very good representation of what I saw! The recipe, or mash bill,. that they use in their mash is roughly 70% corn, with 20% rye and 10% malted barley. After cooking the mash and adding some water, they throw it into one of these huge vats along with a generous amount of lovely yeast. For about 5-6 days these babies ferment until we have our desired amount of alcohol! If you ever get a chance to get close to one of these, definitely stick your finger in for a taste, its quite sour.









The next room we were taken into was the distillation room itself. What you can see are their three copper pot stills that heat up the alcohol taken from the mash. When it's immediately distilled, they like to call the resulting concoction "White Dog", which is both clear and potent, and reminded me of moonshine. Should the white dog meet the right alcohol levels, it's poured into the barrel, sealed, and rolled away to the rackhouse for storage. The lady you see to the left was our tour guide. She was awesome!

Above are two pictures I took in the rackhouse. Trust me when you walk into these places you can REALLY smell the bourbon, and it is awesome. It's a nice mixture between alcohol, wood, and that old cellar smell you get when walk into your grandparent's basement. It's amazing just how many thousands of barrels they were able to fit into this place, and even cooler how every specific barrel is labeled so you know how old it is and how much longer it has to sit. Every time I looked up it seemed as if they just went on forever. The bourbon standard is four years, but two is still okay. Anything less than four however MUST be labeled on the bottles. It's also important to note that what makes bourbon so special is that the barrels are ALWAYS new and are charred on the inside to provide that nice toasty and caramel like flavor.



Also, they had a rackhouse cat. This little fellow was about 18 years old and follows tour groups on occasion. Best. Cat. Ever. As you can see he's a little dirty...old rackhouses have that effect I guess.



I also didn't get a solid picture of the bottle myself, but this one should do just nicely. During the end of the tour after the rackhouse visit we got to do our tastings! Unfortunately we only got to try the Distiller's Select, but I bought myself some of their Double Oaked ($50!), which spends another 6 to 12 months in another fresh barrel. Here are my takeaways:

Distiller's Select: Exceptionally smooth start, hints of vanilla and caramel with perhaps a little honey in there. You can definitely feel the heat but it goes away pretty fast, leaving you with a nice toasty taste once it evaporates from your mouth.

Double Oaked: Easily one of the finest bourbons I have ever had. Just as smooth if not more so than the DS, but had much stronger flavors of caramel, vanilla, and some maple syrup. When I finished it I could definitely get that feeling of having just eaten a toasted marshmallow. Definitely one to try with a nice light cigar.





Lastly, here's a nice picture of my friends and I right by the tasting area in the main lobby (I'm the redhead...). The whole staff there was extremely friendly and the facility itself is the easily the nicest of all that I saw on the bourbon trail. Sorry if I'm not the best cameraman, but I hadn't even thought about documenting the trip at the time. Thanks for reading! And please do yourself a favor and grab yourself a bottle of that Woodford Reserve Double Oaked...it's to die for.