Gastronome

VIRGINIA IS FOR WINE LOVERS

Taste the bounty of this fruitful region just outside our nation’s capital.

BY NANCY DAVIDSON

When it comes to US wine making, Napa Valley gets most of the recognition. Because of its climate and geographic conditions, the West Coast definitely has an edge when it comes to growing grapes—but it wasn’t the first wine country on the map. In fact, wine was first produced in Virginia in 1608, and, in 1774, Thomas Jefferson first planted grape vines near his home in Monticello. Today, several wineries have grown up around those original vineyards and on the site of his estate.

The most recent round of wine making in Virginia began about a generation ago, and the fruits of that labor are finally beginning to show off in the glass. Many of the wines are crisp and well-balanced fruit-forward whites, while reds include cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot and malbec.

One atypical grape found in Virginia is the Norton, a dark berry that is purple all the way through. (Most are green on the interior, even if the skin is dark purple.) The wines from these are very extracted, and, for some, the flavor is too intense. Rappahannock Cellars (www.rappahannockcellars.com) in Huntly, VA, is developing a port-style wine from this grape, and the sweet, slightly viscous after-dinner drink is proving that people can stand up to its richness.

The grapes at Linden Vineyards (www.lindenvineyards.com) are grown in three separate vineyards, each with a different soil type. When you compare a boisseau wine made from grapes grown in the red clay soil of the valley to a hardscrabble from the rough and rocky mountains, it’s obvious that terroir is not just wine geek jargon. And this variety of climate and geology, along with a local passion for perfection, have made Virginia’s 400-year-old wine region essential for true oenophiles.

Grape Celebrations
This October marks the 20th anniversary of Virginia Wine Month, featuring festivals, tastings, tours and other special events at wineries across the state. www.virginia.org/wine

SWIRL, SIP, SAVOR

An abundance of wineries are just a short drive from Washington, DC.

The Kimpton Hotel Palomar (www.hotelpalomar-arlington.com; 866-505-1001) in Arlington, VA, is a great base from which to explore the wineries of Northern Virginia. Start at

Domasoteca, the hotel’s on-site wine store, where manager Christianna Sargent can recommend which vineyards to tour. (The hotel will even arrange a driver, so taste away.) In addition to Rappahannock Cellars and Linden Vineyards, Sargent also loves The Boxwood Winery (www.boxwoodwinery.com) in Middleburg. The winery, open by appointment, produces organic wines in small quantities in a stunning modern facility. (There is also a satellite tasting room in downtown Middleburg.) Chrysalis Vineyards (www.chrysaliswine.com), also in Middleburg, and Corcoran Vineyard (www.corcoranvineyards.com) in Waterford, VA, are two more not-tobe-missed options.