The old adage says that patience is a virtue, but then so is drinking a wine when it’s in its prime. Here are five Virginia wines ready for the glass. Shop the City Market, plan a meal, phone some dear friends, pull up an Adirondack chair, and savor the simple pleasures of another beautiful fall in Virginia over these treasures plucked from the vines and cellars in our own backyard.
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Thibaut-Janisson Blanc De Chardonnay NV, $26
Made from 100 percent Chardonnay grapes in the traditional Champagne method, this elegant bubbly is lively, clean and refreshing with a nose of gardenia, ripe apples and juicy pears. Perfect for a celebration…or to make a regular day feel like one.
Linden Avenius Sauvignon Blanc 2008, $23
Explosively fragrant of everything from gooseberries to orange blossoms, this old-world style, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with goat cheese. Enjoy the combination and revel in the notion that sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Gabriele Rausse Chardonnay Reserve 2008, $20
Rewrite your Chardonnay history with this exquisitely balanced example from one of Virginia’s most beloved winemakers. Boasting of quince, pear and lemon zest, this wine becomes a benchmark in its ability to exhibit both crisp acidity and a creamy, rich feel in the mouth.
White Hall Vineyards Touriga 2007, $18
A Virginia take on a Portuguese varietal, this Touriga delights fruit-favoring and earth-favoring red wine lovers alike. Blueberry cobbler, mulling spices and velvety tannins make this wine a warm and captivating treat.
Barboursville Nebbiolo Reserve 2005, $32
The complex depth of this grape best known in the Piedmont of Italy is at its best in the Piedmont of Virginia and in the hands of Italian winemaker Luca Paschina. Seamlessly glides from violets to blackberries to pipe tobacco, expressing grace, power and charm all at once.
Back to FOOD & DRINK ANNUAL 2009
