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The Virginia Wine Club
800.826.0534
[email protected]
17435 Louisa RoadLouisa, VA 23093
Foundedin1988byBerkleyMitchell,theVirginiaWineClubhasgrownwiththeVirginiaWineIndustry.Th
egoaloftheclubistodeliveravarietyofhighqualitywinefromacrosstheCommonwealth.
Th e club has grown
withtheindustry.Asawinedestination,ifVirginiahasnotyetarrived,itisonthedoorstep.
lastweek,CNNfeaturedastorybyFoodandWine Magazine writer Ray Isle
outliningthe reasons wine lovers must visit Virginiawine country.
In the article he explains thechallenges and opportunities, What
Virginiadoes have is a wide range of soil types
andclimates,inviticulturalareasthatrangefromtheChesapeakeBaytotheBlueRidgeHighlands.ManyofthebestwineriesareclusteredintheMonticello
American Viticultural Area
nearCharlottesvilleandinnorthernVirginia,eitherintheMiddleburgAVAornearby,butthereareimpressivewinesbeingmadealloverthestate.
As further evidence of the quality ofVirginia wines, Th e
Virginia Wine Summitlast month opened with a blind tasting
ofeightwines;fourfromVirginiaandfourfromprominentworldwineregions.TwohundredofsomeofthebestpalatesintheregionhaddifficultyidentifyingtheVirginiawines.
Tobefairthishasnotalwaysbeenthecase. We can trace back our wine
historyto the Jamestown settlers. Th ey had
suchhopesthatVirginiawouldbecomeamajorsourceofwinefortheBritishEmpire,thatin1619theysignedintolawarequirementfor
each male settler to plant and tend
atleasttengrapevines.littlecameofit.
Many know of Th omas Jeffersons
failedattemptstogrowgrapesatMonticellobutfewknowofthetimeCharlottesvillewashometothelargestwineryintheSouth.Th
eMonticelloWine Company was a Charlottesvillecooperative founded in
1873 by local
grapegrowers.Itsfour-storywineryhadacapacityof200,000gallons,andwaslocatedattheendofWineStreet,nearHedgeStreet.
Th esuccessofMonticelloWineCompanybrought Charlottesville to
declare itself theCapital of the Wine Belt in Virginia. Th ecompany
was best known for its
VirginiaClaretWine,producedwithNortongrapesitwonamajorinternationalawardin1873attheViennaExposition.Itshutdownwiththe
onset of Prohibition in Virginia,
whichtookeffectonNovember1,1916.
It isgenerallyaccepted that themodernVirginia Wine Industry
launched in 1976when the Zonin family purchased theBarboursville
Estate with the intent togrow Vitis Vinifera grapes in Virginia
andmake wine. luca Paschina, Barboursvilleswinemakercarries
thatdreamonproducingsomeoftheOldDominionsbestwine.
In 1980 the enactment of the
VirginiaFarmWinerylawchangedtheregulationsonwine sales for farm
wineries to encouragebrisk growth. It also created the positions
ofState Viticulturalist and State Enologist. Th ecreation of these
positions greatly encouragedthe advancement of winemaking
knowledgeandtechniquesinVirginiaswinecountry.
WhentheVirginiaWineClublaunched,oftentheonlyotherwaytopurchaseVirginiawineswastovisitthewineries.Interestingly,even
today, with expanded distributionand acceptance of Virginia Wine,
the clubcontinuestoseekoutnewwinesandwineriestobringtomembers.
WorkingwithPresidentStewartReynolds,NeilWilliamsonchairsatastingpanelofwinelovers
that annually tastes over 200wines forpotential inclusion in the
wine club. Th
eserathersterileeventsincludeagreatdealoftastingandspitting(isntthewinebusinessromantic).
Now in its26thyear, theVirginiaWineClub strives to deliver
viticultural
excellenceandexcitementwitheachandeveryshipment.Since1988wepack
eachboxwith care andattention to detail so you can share in
thegrowthandexcellencethatisVirginiaWine.
Fast
Facts:HolidayWineGiftPromosVAWineClubover26years2014AGreatHarvest
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Easy Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine Pairs with VWC Cabernet
Sauvignon
Serves 4
INgredIeNts:1 Tblsp. unsalted butter1 medium onion, finely
chopped1 large celery rib, finely chopped1 large carrot, finely
chopped2 Tblsp. tomato paste2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour1
750-milliliter bottle dry red wine2 cups veal or chicken stock2
Tblsp. vegetable oil4 2-inch-thick, flanken-cut short ribs
with bone (2 3/4 pounds)Salt and freshly ground pepperButtered
egg noodles, for serving
dIreCtIONs:1) In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt
the butter. Add the onion, celery and
carrot,coverandcookovermoderateheatuntilslightlysoftened,about5minutes.Uncoverandcookuntilthevegetablesarelightlybrowned,about3minuteslonger.Stirinthetomatopaste.Addtheflourandcookfor1minute,stirring.Addthewineandvealstockandbringtoasimmer.
2) Meanwhile,heattheoilinalargeskilletuntilshimmering. Season
the ribs with salt andpepper, add them to the pan and cook
overmoderately high heat, turning, until they
arewellbrowned,about15minutes.
3)
Transfertheshortribstothecasserole.Partiallycoverandcookovermoderatelylowheatuntilverytender,about2hours.
4) Transfer the ribs to a plate and remove thebones. Strain the
sauce into a heatproofmeasuringcupandskimoffthefat.Returnthesauce
to the casserole and boil until
reducedto2cups,10minutes.Returnthemeattothesauce and simmerover
lowheatuntilheatedthrough.Servetheribswitheggnoodles.
Virginia Wine Club Viognier N.V.
ItisfittingthatthefirstprivatelabelwinefromtheVirginiaWineClubfeaturesVirginiasofficialwinegrapeViognier(VEE-ohn-yay).
Viognier is historically grown in theNorthern Rhne valley.
According legend,Roman Emperor Probus imported
ViognierintoCondrieufromDalmatia(inpresent-dayCroatia) in 281 AD as
a means of replacingthevineyardsdestroyedbyEmperorVespasian.The
legend has it thatVespasian tore up theCondrieu vineyards after the
locals revolted,a revolt which he attributed to drinking
toomuchofthenativewine.
DennisHortonwasamongthefirsttoplantthefragrantgrapehereinVirginia.
The recently departed ODU ProfessorEmeritus Roy Williams opined
TodayViognieris,Ibelieve,aniconfortheVirginiawineindustry.IwouldguessthatVirginianowproducesmoreViognierthantheCondrieu.
The Virginia Wine Club Viognierpresents a medium straw hue in
theglass. The aroma is fantastic with
mango,summerpeaches,andahintofpinenutsallcontributing to the
tropical bouquet. Thefruitforwardattackis
justatouchthinnerthanthenosemighthavesuggested.
The tropical tones continue on
themidpalatewithcascadingelementsofpoachedpear, apricots,
honeysuckle, orange peel
andpeaches.Thefinishiscleanbutlingersslightlywith elements of
vanilla, spice, and bananapulp.
The Virginia Wine Club Viognier is anexcellent greetingwine
forThanksgivingoranyholidaygathering.
Wonderful with a cheese tray or
spinachdipthecoolfruitinesswouldalsopairwellwithspicyAsianfoods.
DRINK NOW through SEPT. 2016
Virginia Wine Club Cabernet Sauvignon N.V.
Cabernet Sauvignon is planted all overthe world in a myriad of
climates. It
isusedtoproducemuchoftheworldsmostexpensivewine.Itisalsousedtomakealotofinexpensivewine.
Today, there are over 300,000
hectaresofthegrapeplantedallovertheworld.Thatismorethan741,300acres.
InVitisViniferaterms,CabernetSauvignonisarelativelynewgrape.Atsomepointinthe17th
century, French wine growers
crossedCabernetFrancandSauvignonBlanctocreateauniquegrapewithspecialflavorsandtough,thickskinsthatmadeiteasiertogrow.
Many cite the thick skins on theCabernet Sauvignon grape, and
longmaceration,asthesourceoftheirCabernetSauvignonappealingflavorprofile.
The Virginia Wine Club CabernetSauvignon is elegant in
theglasswith
adarkcrimsoncolorandafullyopaquecore.Aromasofvioletsandplumdominatethearoma.
The bright attack is highlighted withbaked cranberry notes
leading to theexceedingly smooth and refined
midpalatewithhintsofstrawberryanddarkstonefruits.Thesmoothelegantfinishlingersnicelywithplum,pipetobaccoandcoffeeundertones.
ThisstylishvintageisanexcellentexampleofthepotentialofVirginiaCabernetSauvignon.Itssmooth,lowtannic,structureallowsittopairwellwithavarietyofsavoryfareincludingbraised
beef, roasted duck or
Thanksgivingturkeyespeciallywithoysterstuffing.
Blended from the best of the 2012
and2013vintagesthiswinewasbuiltfortoday,thiswinewill improve
slightlywith limited
cellaragingbutisalreadydrinkingquitenicelynow.
DRINK NOW through WINTER 2016
HOLIDAYWine Promos
MEM10 10%OFF3-5MONTH
MEMBERSHIPMEM15
15%OFF6-10MONTHMEMBERSHIP
MEM25 25%OFF12MONTHSORMORE
SAMPLER10 10%OFFANySAMPlERPACk
Ordernowandwewillshipwhenyourequest.
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Macadamia Chicken with Orange-Ginger Sauce and Coconut Pilaf
Pairs with VWC ViognierServes 4
INgredIeNts:1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup coconut milk1 cup
finely chopped roasted, salted
macadamia nuts* (about 4 oz.)1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
or
other fine dried bread crumbs4 boned, skinned chicken breast
halves (each 6 to 7 oz.)2 Tblsp. butter2 Tblsp. olive oil1 cup
chopped shallots1 Tblsp. chopped ginger1 Tblsp. chopped garlic1 cup
reduced-sodium chicken broth1/2 cup Viognier or other dry white
wine1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice*
(from about 2 oranges)Kosher saltfreshly ground black pepper
dIreCtIONs:1) 1. Preheat oven to 375. Put flour and
coconut milk in separate wide,
shallowbowls.Inanotherbowl,mixnutsandpanko.Rinsechickenandpatdry.Sprinklealloverwithsaltandpepper.
2) Put2tbsp.butterand2tbsp.oliveoil inalarge
fryingpanovermediumheat.Dredgechickeninflour,shakingoffexcess;dipintococonut
milk, letting excess drip off; thenpress into nut mixture to coat
on all sides.Reservecoconutmilk.laychickeninfryingpan ina single
layerandcookuntilgoldenbrownonthebottom,3to4minutes.Withaspatula,turnpieces(takingcarenottobreakoffnutcoating)andbrownontheotherside,2to3minuteslonger.Transferchickentoabakingpanandbakeuntilnolongerpinkincenterofthickestpart(cuttotest),15to20minutes.
3) Meanwhile, wipe any scorched nuts
frompanwithapapertowel.Ifpanisdry,add1Tblsp.eachbutterandoliveoil,thenshallots,ginger,andgarlic.Cookovermediumheat,stirring
often, until beginning to brown,about 5 minutes. Pour in broth,
wine,
andorangejuice.Boiluntilliquidisreducedbyabouthalf,8to10minutes.
4) Pourmixtureintoablenderand,holdingliddown tightlywith a
towel,whirl until verysmooth. Return sauce to frying pan
andadd1/4cupreservedcoconutmilk(discardremainder)andsaltandpeppertotaste;stirover
low heat until hot, then pour into asmallbowl.
5) Spoon Coconut Pilaf onto plates, top
withchicken,andservewithsauce.
*Chop the nuts by pulsing briefly in a food processor. Finely
shred the peel from the oranges and save it for the pilaf.
Editors Note:byNeilWilliamson
IamthrilledthatthisshipmentmarksthelaunchoftheVirginiaWineClubprivatelabel.Overtheyears,wehaveoftenconsideredcreatingaspecialwineforourmembersbut,foranumberofreasons,theprojectdidnotmoveforward.EarlierthisyearwhenmydearfriendsDanlaymanandwinemakerBradHansenfromPrinceMichelVineyardsreachedoutwithacoupleofunbelievablewines,StewartandIknewthetimewasright.(FulldisclosureIworkedwithDanandBradintheearly2000s).AsIhavewrittenmanytimeswineisaboutaplacebutnotonlyaplaceaboutaspecifictimeinthatplace.TheVirginiaWineClubwinesareveryrepresentativeoftheirvarietals.Inadditiontotheprivatelabel,wehavealsobeenverybusyworkingonournewwebsite(tobeunveiledsoon).Inrecentweeks,IhavebeenvisitingwithwineriesofallsizesthroughouttheCommonwealth.IcantellyoutheVirginiawinetrailishopping.OneMondayafternoon,IranintoanotherfriendandVirginiaViticulturalVeteranVineyardConsultantChrisHill
along
theVirginiawinetrail.Itooktheopportunitytoaskhisviewsonthe2014Harvest.HeindicatedmostofhisclientswereabletobringintheirfruitpriortothelateOctoberrains.Chattingupotherindustrycontacts,IknowsomethathadfruithanguntilHalloween(thatsoundsscary).Whilethereweresomegrumblingsabouttherainsmostvineyardownersindicatedthattherewassignificantlylesswildlifepressureonthevineyardsthisyearascomparedtolast.Inaddition,winemakersseemtoberatherhappywiththequalityofthe2014harvest.OnewinemakerindicatedtomethathedidnothitthetextbookBrixlevelsbutfoundtheflavorprofilestobeunbelievable.Heworriedthatwinemakerswhowerewaitingforthenumberstoincreasemighthavewaitedtoolongtobringintheirfruit.Nowthattheharvestisinthebooksandthewineisinthewinery,themagicbeginsIknowIameagertotastethe2014vintages.Inclosing,pleaseremembertheVirginiaWineClubisamostexcellentChristmasgift.Calltheofficetogetdetailsonourspecialoffers.Asalways,butespeciallyinthisThanksgivingseason,thankyouforallowingmetobeapartofyourVirginiaWineJourney.RespectfullySubmitted,NeilWilliamsonEditor,VirginiaWineJournalChairman,[email protected]
Racking
wine:Rackingisthenextstep,aftertheinitialmorevigorousfermentation.Simplyputrackingissiphoningthewineoffofthedeadyeast,knownaslees,intoacleancontainer.
Therearetworeasonstorackwine.Firstithelpsclarifythewinebutitcanalsopreventoffflavorsfromthedecomposingyeast.
Over time yeast and other sediment will precipitate out of the
wine and settle to
thebottom.Thecloudinesswilldissipatewitheachsuccessiverackinguntilitsnearlyclear.
Somewinemakersrackonlyonceandotherswillrackfourorfivetimesdependingupontheflavorprofiletheyregoingforandhowcleartheywantthewine.If,forinstance,youregoingtobeclearingyourwinethroughfiningyoudonthavetorackthewinesomanytimestogetitclear.
Gettingthewineoffoftheyeastasitdecomposescanpreventoffflavors.Whilesomewinesareagedontheyeast(especiallyChardonnaycalledSurlie)youreallyneedtoknowwhatyouredoingtodothissuccessfully.
Source: Winemakers Academy
Vincabulary (n.) Vin-kb-yoo-lehr-ee
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Next Ship Date: Monday, December 7, 2014If youll be out of town,
please alert us to hold your wine until your return.
RapidanRiver,PrinceMichelVineyardssecondarylabel,hasbecomesynonymouswithwell-balanced
fruit wines. The Rapidan River Peach is no exception. Presenting in
the glass in
asubduedgoldenrodhuethearomaislikesmellingsummerripepeaches,apricotsandhoneysuckledominatethenose.
Theviscoseattackisslightlysharpwithahintofgreenappleunderthemoredominantpeachovertones.Thecascadingmidpalateisdominatedbybakedyellowpeacheswithasuggestionofapricotsandbanana.Thefinishiscleanwithminorflavorsoforangeblossomslingering.
Tastingverywellnow,thiswinewillnotimprovewithage.Servecoldasanaperitiforasanafterdinnerwine.Ilikethiswinewithvanillaicecreamasadelightfullydecadentdessert.
DRINK NOW
November Sweet Wine SelectionRapidan River Peach