The Roanoker - March/April 2021 - 93

The time is ripe for
raising a glass to
Virginia wine.
written by Layla Khoury-Hanold

irginia wine is kind of a big deal.
According to the Virginia Wineries
Association, there are 300 wineries that
grow 28 types of grapes on 4,000 acres spanning
10 growing regions. It all adds up to an industry
that generates $1.37 billion annually and attracts an
estimated two million visitors per year.
Though the history of winemaking in Virginia can
be traced back to the first settlers, it wasn't until the
1970s that winemaking took off here. Thanks to a
handful of entrepreneurial winemakers who nurtured
the grape varietals that flourished best, Virginia
winemaking blossomed. And local wine shop owners
have taken note.
Bill Philips, owner of Mr. Bill's Wine Cellar,
credits the late Dennis Horton of Horton Vineyards
in Gordonsville as a leader in grape experimentation.
" He was great for travelling around to other wineries
and trying to find grapes that were growing in regions
that emulated somewhat what we had in Virginia. "
Horton was one of the first to plant Viognier, a
white wine grape variety that had seldom been grown
outside of the Rhone Valley. " Virginia makes some
of the best Viognier that you can get for the money
anywhere in the world, " Philips says. " We helped put
it on the radar-it's become our shining star. "
Other varietals that have become calling cards
for Virginia winemakers - and names to look for on
store shelves - include: Petit Verdot, characterized
by dark fruits such as blackberry, black cherry and
black plum; Petit Manseng, aromatic, bright and
tropical-fruit forward; and Cabernet Franc, spicy and
peppery with notes of plum, blackberry or tobacco.

Though you're likely familiar with Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot, these grapes, when grown
in Virginia, yield a completely different result. As
Philips explains, grapes grown in warmer climates,
such as in California, tend to get much riper. This
increases their sugar content and yields wines with
full-blown fruit flavors and higher levels of alcohol,
around 13-14% (sometimes higher). Because
Virginia has a cooler climate, grapes don't get as
ripe, so wines often have a lower alcohol percentage,
around 12%, as well as higher acidity. Acidity is
a good thing - it helps to balance out a wine and
prevent the fruit from overpowering the palate. It
also makes wines more versatile, especially when it
comes to food pairings.
When Devon Steiner was the manager at River
& Rail, one of her go-to pairings was matching the
cheeseburger with Ox-Eye Vineyards' Lemberger,
a soft red with notes of black pepper and cherry.
Now, as general manager of Crystal Spring Grocery,
Steiner oversees the wine selection and considers
Virginia wines a natural complement to the store's
assortment of local, artisanal goods. For a dynamite
high-low pairing, she recommends picking up a
pint of pimento cheese and a bottle of Rosemont
sparkling rosé.
" There are folks in Virginia making truly worldclass wines that can stand up to the wines from
anywhere in the world as far as quality goes, " Philips
says. Other local wine pros share that sentiment and
are spotlighting Virginia wines as part of their shop's
offering. Here, they share what makes Virginia wine
so special and the bottles they're crushing on now.

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