Corks & Forks: Finding Jefferson on Virginia’s Monticello Wine Trail
By VIki Eierdam
Published: October 30, 2015, 5:47am
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The immediate warmth and hospitality at Lake Anna Winery make it well worth venturing a few minutes off the beaten path of the Monticello Wine Trail to taste their award-winning 2010 Tannat. (Viki Eierdam)
October is Virginia wine month, so time spent on the Monticello Wine Trail seemed appropriate. The trail provides opportunities to taste at 32 wineries. Venturing just a few miles outside the designated area leads to even more possibilities.
Known as the birthplace of American wine, the Monticello American Viticultural Area, or AVA, owes that distinction to President Thomas Jefferson, who was an early advocate of wine.
Countryside along the Monticello trail is serene, with rolling hills dotted with rows of vines framed by deciduous trees. Tasting fees keep exploring new wineries affordable (often in the $5-$7 range for 12 or more samplings), and you’ll find yourself being introduced to petit manseng and tannat; sipping on hybrids such as chambourcin, seyval and vidal blanc; and enjoying American natives concord and norton in award-winning bottlings.
Virginia does an exceptional job of showcasing its official grape: viogner. The climate lends toward a more traditional French expression of this lightly floral and tropical white wine and, if you spend much time in this humid state, it’ll make a white wine lover out of the most ardent red fan.
Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and petit verdot are among the top six planted grapes throughout Virginia, but the second most planted varietal — cabernet franc — is another Virginia strength with a strong terroir-driven flavor profile. This medium-bodied wine with herbaceous and red berry notes and some minerality is an excellent choice when white won’t do and a full-bodied red is just too much under the Virginia heat.
The tasting room at Cooper Vineyards and the immediate warmth and hospitality at Lake Anna Winery are well worth venturing a few minutes off the beaten path, not to mention they’re less than a 15-minute drive from one another and share the same winemaker — Graham Bell.
Barboursville Vineyards has an extensive sampling of vintages and boasts the 1884 ruins of Gov. James Barbour’s mansion, which was designed by Jefferson. Touriga Nacional is a pleasant surprise at the estate winery of Keswick Vineyards. If you like polo matches with your wine, King Family Vineyards is a must-stop every Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. Also, the first Wednesday of each month is celebrated with food trucks and live music.
Within the Monticello AVA are the homes of three past presidents — Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe — so visiting Jefferson Vineyards (less than two miles from Monticello) seems a natural choice. Its roots date back to 1773 when Italian viticulturist Filippo Mazzei was given 193 acres of land by Jefferson to plant his European cuttings.
Donald Trump also owns a winery less than 5 miles from Jefferson Vineyards, so I had to check it out. Its discrete, elegant tasting room with lovely, approachable grounds was a pleasant surprise. Winemaker Jonathan Wheeler specializes in sparklings but it was the Cru — a chardonnay fortified with brandy and aged in American bourbon barrels — that I sipped under a stand of evergreens soaking in the breathtaking Virginia view.
Stomach grumbling while exploring the wine trail? The BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville is near six tasting rooms. It is the brainchild of Culinary Institute of America graduates and serves up everything from finger-lickin’ ribs to smoked tofu. Salt, an artisan market in a 1930s gas station across from Jefferson Vineyards, offers upscale picnic fare that can sell out during a lunch rush. Trump Winery and Barboursville Vineyards also offer an extensive on-site menu.
Several wineries have overnight accommodations in historic inns and lodges, and Airbnb has a strong presence in the quaint towns that make up the AVA. Surrounding Charlottesville, two hours from Washington D.C., and an hour and a half from historic Fredericksburg, the Monticello Wine Trail appeals to vino lovers and history buffs alike.
Viki Eierdam is a Clark County native who lives in Battle Ground. She is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Read the Corks & Forks blog at blogs.columbian.com/corks-and-forks
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