Tasting The Wines Of Virginia. Wait! Where?

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

Throughout the wine growing world, change comes slowly. Even in the most prestigious winemaking regions, rules governing the production of wine are built on hundreds of years of tried-and-true experience.

Very little has changed in the past hundred years, except technology, in regions such as Bordeaux or Burgundy, France or Barolo and Tuscany in Italy. Grapes varieties and geographical definitions of acceptable vineyard areas are jealously guarded by existing vineyard owners and governing bodies anxious to maintain the status quo. It is only recently that some of these bastions of the “Old Guard” are considering new options due to the threat of climate change.

Winemaking in America however is much more flexible. Maybe it’s remnants of the renegade pioneer spirit or perhaps just the newness of large-scale commercial winemaking, but change is the watchword of this industry.

Nowhere do we see this phenomenon more obviously than in Virginia. After lumbering along with the standard vinifera wine grapes of chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon and achieving mediocre results, Virginia is charting a new path that is producing outstanding results.

We have recently written about the emergence of petit verdot as a potential game changer for Virginia.  Today we are reviewing our impressions of another emerging grape — petit manseng — that up to now has languished as an also-ran in France’s Southwest Jurancon region.

Two attributes of this strongly colored white grape have encouraged Virginia’s winemakers to make wine from it. Thick-skinned berries and loose grape clusters help this variety to ward off the mildews that plague East Coast summers.

Another major advantage of petit manseng is its value.

We also tasted a sparkler and a vermentino that showcased the potential of Virigina’s white wine industry.

Following are our impressions of these wines.

Jefferson Vineyards Petit Manseng Charlottesville Monticello AVA 2021 ($30). This is a terrific introduction to the potential of this grape in Virginia. Medium-bodied but with a pleasant viscosity that clings to the palate. Peach, citrus and honey notes create a lovely package of 100 percent petit manseng.

50 West Vineyards Petit Manseng Middleburg AVA 2020 ($30). This unblended wine is big and bold and displays a bit of residual sugar that is balanced with spirited acidity. Honey and peach notes dominate in a style, except for its grandness, that is somewhat reminiscent of a well-made German Riesling.

Barboursville Vineyards Vermentino Reserve Monticello AVA 2021 ($23). My first comment was wow! What a great example of this grape more commonly grown in Italy. It opens with a floral nose followed by pear, peach and lemon verbena notes. A pleasant finishing acidity completes this delicious 100-percent vermentino.

Trump Winery Blanc de Noir Charlottesville, Monticello AVA 2016 ($55). This sparkling pinot noir shows boldness. Citrus and apple notes and a hint of minerality are featured in a big toasty oak frame.

Wines from Santorini

The white wines from Greece are vastly overlooked by consumers, presumably because their grapes are unfamiliar and difficult to pronounce. Yet these wines deliver a lot of crisp acidity to make them a good aperitif on a hot summer day.

We are reminded of a line in “For Your Eyes Only” filmed on the twisting roads of Corfu, a Greek island Tom and his wife recently visited. When an associate recommends to James a Robola from Caponia, James Bond says, “Well, if you’ll forgive me, I find that a little too scented for my palate. I prefer the Theotaki Aspero.”

We never heard of these wines or places, but it was pretty impressive Bond knew.

Santori, on the other, we do know.

Anyone who has traveled to this Greek island knows of its allure. But beyond its history and colorful buildings is a thriving wine culture. Vines are trained to circle inside baskets called “kouloura” to protect them from the strong winds that blow year-round. Although the vines are cut to ground level every 75 years, another shoot emerges from the rootstock.  Some stock is more than 400 years old.

Located 70 miles north of Crete, Santorini soil is mostly volcanic ash and pumice stone with no organic matter.  That combination provides immunity from phylloxera, making them some of the world’s only ungrafted vines. There are still two active volcanos on the island.

White wines dominate the market here with assyrtiko being the most common and the one we like the most. This indigenous grape produces a dry wine with big acidity and mineral notes.

Here are three we recently tried:

Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2021 ($69). This well-respected producer continues to win awards for this wine.  Using oak for the fermentation gives this wine more complexity and depth. Lots of citrus and white peach flavors with a dash of honey, vanilla bean and mineral.

Santo Wines Assyrtiko 2022 ($32).  Vinified entirely in stainless steel and left on its lees for 14 months, this wine has white peach and lime notes with crisp acidity.

GA’A Thalassitis 2021 ($43).   Fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks, this assyrtiko is simple yet refreshing with citrus and peach notes with a nice dash of mineral and good acidity.

Wine picks

DAOU Paso Robles Bodyguard Chardonnay 2021 ($40). Generous apple aromas are followed by pear and peach flavors with hints of butterscotch, nutmeg and melon. Very nice.

La Vite Lucente Toscana IGT 2020 ($35).  A second wine of the fabulous Luce, this Tuscany blend of sangiovese and merlot exudes velvet fruit flavors. Huckleberry and tobacco aromas are followed by ripe blackberry and reduced balsamic flavors with a hint of mint.

Carpinito Dogajolo Toscana Rosso 2020 ($15). This blend of sangiovese (80 percent) and cabernet sauvignon is simple but delicious. Cherry and spice notes with good acidity.  This is a great pizza or burger wine. This Tuscany producer is celebrating its 30^th anniversary.