Look for the Virginia Label (just not quite yet)

by: Frank Morgan photography by: Molly McDonald Peterson   That bottle of wine in your hands proudly proclaiming its local provenance may not be quite what it seems. It is, perhaps, the dirty little secret of winemaking. Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control rules allow “Virginia wine” to contain up to 25 percent juice from grapes grown [...]

Jefferson Vineyards: Something Old, Something New

  This outstanding mid-sized Charlottesville winery offers quality local wine, tourism, and a stunning view of historic land. By Natalie Mesnard · Photographs by Laura Merricks   Jefferson Vineyards, as you’d expect from its name, is steeped in history. Located just minutes from the grounds of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s celebrated home, the winery represents the fulfillment [...]

Château Morrisette: From Family Hobby to Destination Winery

  Château Morrisette began as a family hobby in the 1970s and is now one of Virginia’s oldest and largest wineries. By Melissa Flynn • Photographs by Pat Jarrett   David Morrisette likes to joke that what began as a family hobby quickly got out of hand. In the 1970s, his parents, William and Nancy Morrisette, [...]

Winemaker’s Notes: Daniel Neumeister

Sugarleaf Vineyard’s winemaker Daniel Neumeister was tragically killed on October 4, 2010, in a traffic accident outside Charlottesville. Here is the Winemaker’s Notes profiling Daniel that appeared in the first issue of Flavor (Summer 2008).     Sugarleaf Vineyard’s winemaker reflects on the challenges and thrills of making wine in Virginia. By Daniel Neumeister With [...]

Growing Wines: Chardonnay

Chardonnay is more complex than you think. By Jim Law • Photographs by Molly McDonald Peterson   There is more acreage of Chardonnay in Virginia than of any other variety, and this reflects a national trend: Chardonnay is the most widely sold variety in the U.S. Arguably, it makes some of the most complex and [...]

Cover Feature: The Capital’s Hot Somms, The Commonwealth’s Hot Wines

Flavor invited some of the Capital foodshed’s most influential sommeliers over for a drink to see which Virginia wines would impress them. By Bill Plante • Photographs by Molly McDonald Peterson     People have been making wine in Virginia since the 17th century. So why don’t diners see more Virginia wines on restaurant lists [...]

Unleashing Your Inner Winemaker

In the fields and cellars of wineries around Charlottesville, a local community college is training future winemakers, vineyard owners, and wine industry professionals. By Jennifer Conrad Seidel • Photos by Molly McDonald Peterson The wine industry in Virginia is growing. Even in 2009, when we were spending our grocery and entertainment dollars more carefully, the [...]

Virginian Bordeaux: Boxwood Winery

Situated in the midst of picturesque Loudoun County estates, Middleburg’s Boxwood Winery is both right at home and far from the ordinary. The winery is the realization of a dream for owners Rita and John Kent Cooke, the former Washington Redskins owner and president, who bought the estate in 2001. The Cookes commissioned renowned architect [...]

Artisanal & Accessible

Nearly landlocked by the massive Kluge Estate Winery, Blenheim Vineyards sits unassumingly 20 minutes south of Charlottesville. A small winery with a full-time staff of only four, Blenheim is owned by musician Dave Matthews and run in large part by members of his family. Although Blenheim has been in operation for nearly 10 years, it [...]