Monday is definitely a special occasion!

I was doing some serious research last night, and by that I mean I was drinking wine and enjoying it. Thanks to Andy Regan [winemaker of Jefferson Vineyards], I was enjoying his latest Meritage from the  2009 vintage. Based mainly on the Cabernet Franc grape, this is sure to be crowd pleaser with dark fruit on the nose complimented by well-integrated oak and good acidity. It is a stellar effort from one of Virginia’s best wine makers. Andy, you owe me a beer for that endorsement!

Monday’s are mostly low-key affairs and with my brother and sister-in-law coming round for dinner along with her significant other and a good friend of ours, Aaron Watson [who just happens to be an amazing local photographer],  I decided to pull out all the stops for dinner. This involved a quick call to the local Chinese restaurant, ensuring that dinner was indeed half decent. With the Jefferson Meritage freshly out, a new bottle was called for and the Keswick Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was thought to be the ideal candidate. This was a special vintage and this was indeed a special wine as it was the lucky winner of the Virginia Governors Cup in 2009.

Who says Cab and Chinese food cannot work

There really is no better time to crack open a special bottle of wine than with people you enjoy being around, on some random for no good reason day. I would be lying if I said it went well the Chinese food but that really is not the point. With a quick decant to remove the heavy sediment, glasses were duly filled, accompanied by gasps of “You opened what” I have not tried this wine for a while now; and I was not disappointed. It clearly has some life in it with big firm tannins, accented by smoky undertones. Blended with 25% Merlot, this wine is distinctly fruit forward with dark berries, plums and just a hint of cigar box. What I enjoyed most about the wine though was the long finish and the supple overall texture of the wine. Let me be totally honest and say there is a definite hint of biasm here due to me making it, but if you have a few bottles of this wine lying around  why not crack one open now, I am sure you will not be disappointed.

With my mantra of drinking special bottles of wine on random days with funny foods, crack that bottle you have been saving open, while sitting in your pajamas with a big bowl of ice cream. If the wine is as good as you think it is, it will make any day a special day, even a Monday!

Cheers

Stephen

Keswick Vineyards

4 Wineries, 1 Initiative

The passport, available at each of the participating wineries and cidery

Blenheim, Jefferson Vineyards, Castle Hill Cidery and Keswick Vineyards are pleased to announce the launch of the Winter Wonderland passport program, which runs up until April 1st 2012.

The concept of this marketing effort is simple, purchase a passport at one winery and taste for free at the others. This is a wonderful opportunity for customers who plan on making a day out of visiting and tasting some fantastic Virginia wines and ciders.
Available for $15 at any of the participating wineries, this card saves you $10 on the normal tasting room fees you would incur.

I think it is important to promote other wineries and businesses within the State and I have known Kirsty [winemaker for Blenheim] and Andy [winemaker for Jefferson] for a long time and am a huge admirer of the wines they have been producing. We are also excited that Castle Hill Cidery has come on board and Stuart [Cider Maker] is doing some wonderful things and everyone should go and taste their products in what is a beautiful tasting room.

All the wineries are within about 20-30 minutes driving distance, so visiting each in a single day is easily doable. Stop in at Keswick Hall or the Clifton Inn for lunch; take in Monticello [about a mile from Jefferson Vineyards] to break things up.
visit us all on one day or take your time, just bring your passport with you and your tasting will be complimentary upon your arrival.

I can promise you, having these wines and ciders recently that you will not be disappointed

Cheers

Stephen
Keswick Vineyards

Keswick Vineyards
Castle Hill Cider
Jefferson Vineyards
Blenheim Vineyards

Don’t forget about the bubbles

The common perception is that Champagne is reserved only for the finest of celebrations, that it is too special an elixir to consume on a Monday evening for no reason whatsoever. Well I am an advocate for bubblies and think they are fantastic wines to drink with a variety of foods or just for the heck of it.
Champagnes come in a variety of styles [Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir amongst others] as well as a variety of sweetness levels from dry [Brut Nature] to sweeter [Sec or Demi Sec].

Already it makes a strong case for consumers, as the range in styles really appeal to a wide variety of wine drinkers. You do not find too many sweet Syrah or Cabernet wines, so for the sweet tooth this is just not an appealing wine type. I may happen to think that Syrah and Cabernet represent the best of what wine can bring to the table, but someone just entering into the world of wine might not like the idea of feeling that they swallowed a desert.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, lets discuss Champagne and what it is all about. There are many sparkling wines made throughout the world, but the use of the word “Champagne” is reserved strictly for those wines made in the area of Champagne in France. The use of the word is actually protected by the Treaty of Madrid [1891] and reaffirmed in the Treaty of Versailles. The United States acknowledges the use of the term and only those producers who had permission before 2006, may continue to use the term although most do not. In other countries sparkling wine is known as Cava [Spain], Spumante [Italy] and Cap Classique [South Africa].

The traditional method in producing “Champagne” is known as Methode Champenoise, whereby a secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle trapping the by-product Carbon Dioxide [bubbles]. After extensive aging, the bottle is manipulated so that the lees [spent yeast] settles in the neck of the bottle, a process known as rumage. After a quick freeze of the bottle neck, the cap is removed and the pressure forces the ice and lees out of the bottle, after which some syrup is added [dosage] and the cork inserted to trap the Carbon Dioxide. Sounds pretty technical right? Well yeah it is, I have a great admiration for producers of this type of wine, it is not as easy as it looks. I do talk after having made one bottle of sparkling wine in my life, in preparation for my wife’s graduation. Silly me, I did not think it would take her 7 years to get her PhD and the bottle was less than fizzy, it would have been better had I used a Chardonnay and a bicycle pump. It will be the most memorable bottle of bubbly ever though. By the way, very proud of your Dr.Kathryn Schornberg.

It is true that you can make a sparkling wine out of any grape, I have had some wonderful bubblies made from Viognier in Virginia, Syrah from Australia and even a Cabernet Franc from Ohio. But for the purists though, “Champagne” is made from either Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. The particular style of the wines refer to the way in which the grapes were used; Blanc de Blanc [white from white], Blanc de Noir [white from red] and Rose whereby pigmentation is derived from contact with the skins of the dark skinned grapes.

Ever wondered why Champagne bottles are so freaking heavy? Well, since Champagne wines are made by trapping carbon dioxide in the bottle, the bottle has to be of sufficient strength to be able to withstand those pressures. They are so heavy and thick, they could make a wonderful self defense weapon.

So we have well established that there is a lot of finesse that goes into creating this extraordinary wine, but the real treat is in drinking these beauties. There is definitely a Champagne for everyone, from the cheap and fruity to the expensive and complex, the bone dry to the sweetest of the lot.
Champagnes are definitely food friendly, and are a great accompaniment to cheeses in the appetizer course, to shell fish and pork as the entree. Aged Gouda, Parmesan or Cheddar pair wonderfully with Blanc de Blanc, while pork and Rose Champagne is a wonderful treat. I have even heard that Champagne and eggs Benedict are to die for, you now also have an excuse to drink Champagne in the morning.
They do pair with desserts but try to stay away from sticky or overtly sweet dishes, try angel food cake or berries as a wonderful compliment to a demi sec.

Champagnes are vibrant and fun, with flavors ranging from green apples with beautifully focused acidity, to creamier versions with hints of biscuit and butterscotch. They can be smoky and elegant or tart and citrus driven. These are fun wines to drink. My prediction for 2012, more people will start drinking Champagne, just for the heck of it, and you know what? THEY SHOULD.

Some of my personal favorites include the
French
- Mumm Brut “Cordon Rouge”
- Piper Heidsieck “Piper”
- Krug “Grande Cuvee”
California
- Schramsberg J Schram and Mirabelle Rose [also my wife's absolute favorite]
South Africa
- Pierre Jourdan Brut Sauvage
- J.C.Le Roux Pinot Noir
Australia
- Peregrine Ridge Sparkling Shiraz

AND OF COURSE VIRGINIA
- Thibaut Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay
- Kluge SP Blanc de Blanc
- Veritas Scintilla

And YES, at some point in time I have had every one of these bottles, and NO, I do not have a drinking problem!

Local versions are fantastic and there are many other great options out there and provide fantastic value for money
I constantly preach that we have to keep expanding our palates and try different wines, so what better reason than that to dive into the fascinating world of the wine with the bubbles, because today is Tuesday, and it is a special day.

For as Winston Churchill so graciously put it
“In success you deserve it, and in defeat you need it”.

Fun little fact [quoted]
Contrary to popular belief, Dom Perignon did not invent Champagne. The oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, which was apparently invented by Benedictine Monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilaire near Carcassonne in 1531. Over a century later, the English scientist and physician Christopher Merret documented the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation six years before Dom Perignon set foot in the Abbey of Hautvillers and almost 40 years before it was claimed that the famed Benedictine monk invented Champagne.

Cheers

Stephen
Keswick Vineyards

Mother Nature Ruled 2011

After the 2010 vintage in Virginia [arguably the best in recent times], the 2011 growing season was going to struggle to reach the lofty standards of its predecessor. To say that 2011 failed miserably would be similar to saying that Drew Brees had an okay year [this makes sense if you know that he broke Dan Marino's all time passing yards in a single season, 5084 set in 1984 when Marino played for the Miami Dolphins].

Mother Nature ruled this year and her awesome power was on display more times than any of us would wish for. From a devastating earthquake in New Zealand to the horrific Tsunami in Japan, 2011 was littered with catastrophic natural disasters. Closer to home, Tuscaloosa was hit hard by the April 27th Tornado and Virginia experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on August 23rd, quickly followed by the August 27th appearance of hurricane Irene. 2011 was certainly unforgettable, but for all the wrong reasons.

The season started off well enough with a milder than normal winter, allowing us to get the vineyard pruned with time to spare. We started seeing some bud break around April 7th, which is fairly typical in the Chardonnay. We experienced no loss due to spring frost, which can be especially damaging to our 16 acres of Viognier, and all signs pointed to a decent growing year- at least we were off to a pretty good start.

Viognier during bud break

Flowering started 56 days after bud break and generally commences when daily average temperatures are between 58 and 68 degrees.  Fruit set occurred almost immediately after [when the fertilized flower produces a seed and a berry to protect the seed]. This stage is one of the most critical periods for the grape grower as it has ramifications for the potential yield of a vineyard since not every flower on the vine gets fertilized. Weather conditions play a significant role and stress conditions including lack of water, temperature and humidity can all play a role in significantly reducing the flowering and thus the crop.

Up until this point, we  were very optimistic about the potential harvest.  We had a full crop throughout the vineyard and everything looked pretty good.  Our vines were balanced, disease pressure was minimal and other than canopy management, weed control and trunk stripping, the season was pretty much going along as expected.

veraison

It was around veraison or the days before that we really started experiencing some rain. Veraison is the point in which green grapes turn red, due to Chlorophyll turning into Anthocyannins [red varieties] and Carotenoids [white varieties]. It is also the point in which sugars in the form of glucose and fructose are produced and the acid levels drop. The problem with rain, and as was the case in 2011 continuous rain, is the development of mildews and especially botrytis.  While botrytis [noble rot] can make some of the most sought after wines in the world, with continued wet conditions this rot can turn into a malevolent form [grey rot or vinegar rot].

This year I really got to know Ol Betsy [the faithful tractor] and Herb [the sprayer], because other than leaf pull, dropping infected fruit and praying, the only thing we could do was spray. This goes against all matter of principle in our grape growing and winemaking philosophy, whereby intervention is ideally kept to a minimum.  Unfortunately this year was one in which ideology was shelved and we did everything we could to ensure we produced decent fruit and ultimately decent wines.

So how did we fare in the winery?

Thankfully Chardonnay, Verdejo and some Viognier were picked prior to the major rains, albeit at lower than desired sugar levels. The promising aspect of these wines though is their incredible acidity, a component of winemaking I think needs more attention. Acidity ensures the wines are focused and bright and we worked really hard to reflect that in the wines we were producing. Pressing was done as gently as possible and the wines were made as anaerobically [devoid of any oxygen] as possible. Very few wines were barrel fermented, choosing instead to  ferment in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Having tasted these wines last week, I can honestly say that the Chardonnay is the best we have ever produced, and while the Viognier is not as bright in character as in recent years, it is still outstanding. They crackle with vibrant acidity and have a varietal character, which is fantastic.

great chardonnay

Reds were hardest hit, with later season reds such as Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot feeling the force of the rain. It was a catch 22 situation for us as the fruit was not ready to be picked, sugars were low and tannins were green and under-developed- but in hindsight, if we had known that we would experience that amount of rain, we truthfully would probably have taken it all. At the end of the day, the Merlot, Touriga and Norton wines are fantastic. We managed to pick ripe Merlot and Touriga, and well Norton, that is a tough son of a gun and I was so impressed with how it fared, I even applauded it in a previous blog. What of the other varieties? We made an incredible Rose’ this year, a dry style that we have already bottled and are looking at releasing in the next few months. When the vineyard gives you lemons, you make lemonade, but it is great lemonade.

sorting Merlot

All in all though, I think we manged to dodge a bullet, in that it could have been far worse than what it was. I am thankful for having some experience in Virginia and after working the 2003 harvest, I was way more prepared this time round. I can only shudder and imagine what would have happened had this been my first vintage in Virginia. Overall I give the vintage a B+, the wines are developing character and should be fantastic. Although lighter in style than 2010, these are vibrant wines and will no doubt bring pleasure to many a wine drinker.

So while 2011 wraps up, we are already in the vineyard pruning for the upcoming growing season. After a challenging season, I am more focused and motivated than ever to ensure that 2012 goes down as one of our best season yet.

So what was the best thing I made all year?

That easily is my daughter Aria. A blend of 50% Kathy and 50% me, matured in amniotic fluid for 9 months. Released to the world on December 5th, she is showing signs of shock and will need some time to mature. She is already gorgeous but will continue to improve over the next 80 years and will provide joy to many.

Our 2011 creation

So I guess 2011 was really the best year ever if I really think about it.

From my family to yours, and on behalf of everyone here at Keswick Vineyards, I would  like to thank you for your continued support, and to wish you a joyous, blessed and prosperous New Year

Stephen

What to get the wine geek for Christmas

Christmas is not doubt a wonderful time of the year. The Christmas tree decorated in a variety of colors, the wafts of the ham in the kitchen and the eggnog spiked with brandy [the way I like it]. The stockings adorned on the mantle piece and of course the presents beautifully wrapped, awaiting the eager recipients on Christmas morning.

It also brings the nervous anticipation of the reaction, the reaction that will quickly tell you whether or not you were succesful in your purchase, which might mean that you hardly know that person for whom that gift was intended, DISASTER. There is nothing more terrifying than the reaction of, “this is what you got me”. But honey, those are chef quality pots and pans, they are actually quite amazing!”  Embarrassingly enough, a true story.

As a wine lover, I wanted to offer some recommendations on purchases that might go down well this Christmas season.

Stay away from a bottle of wine, unless you know for certain it is what the person wants. I have fallen into this trap before, whereby I gave a wine that I thought was fantastic, only for the recipient to throw most of it down the sink with disgust.

[1] A year’s subscription to a wine magazine.

I love the wine spectator and wine enthusiast magazines. They are super informative, focusing on particular regions and specific producers as well as providing a comprehensive tasting analysis of wines. For the wine lover you just enjoys learning, this is a home run and fairly in-expensive.

[2] Riedel wine glasses.

Does stemware make a difference? absolutely. Ask any beer aficionado if the right glass makes the difference. While there are many types of glasses to choose from, I prefer the Riedel line of wine specific glasses. This is an 11th generation family that have been in the glass business for over 250 years. While they offer a variety of  collections, I like the Vinum and Overture but visit their website for a much more comprehensive list of glasses and decanters.

[3] A wine decanter.

This is somewhat of a tricky slope as you must have a fairly intimate knowledge of the recipients wine preferences. Do they value wine enough to decant it prior to serving, do they collect wines that should be decanted [in that they are old or have a natural sediment]. If the collection is composed of 2 buck chuck and boons farm, a decanter might just collect dust on the mantlepiece. For purely aesthetic reasons, check out Riedel’s Amadeo Lyra and Mamba decanters. Decanting can truly transform a wine and the wine enthusiast in your household might just appreciate one.

[4] A Wine fridge.

Giving appliances for Christmas is a little weird but if laying down wine is a priority, then a wine fridge might be a strong consideration. Most wine lovers have less than ideal “cellars”, basement storage, a bedroom closet or a nook under the stairs. I cannot tell you how many people have expressed dismay that their 20-year-old bottle of Cabernet tasted like vinegar when opened. A wine fridge will alleviate the issue of atypical aging due to unfriendly climatic factors. Check out the wine enthusiast website for a list of wine fridges, ranging from 12 bottle to 600 bottles. I have a Eurocave at home, kindly given to me by my beautiful wife, and I must admit that I absolutely love it.

[5] A wine club membership.

Most wineries have some sort of wine club, whereby multiple bottles of wine are shipped out at various times of the year. This is a great gift for someone who loves a particular producer but does not find the time to get out there all that often. Most wineries have the ability to ship out-of-state, so you need not be bogged down by your location. Some wineries do require a waiting list to join [I have been waiting for a few years to get onto some mailing lists], but others will be eager to get you signed up and get you their wine. This is a great way to sample the various wines of a single producer as well as receiving member discounts and coupons. At our winery, we specifically make wines for wine club members only and create events to say thank you and show our appreciation. Being a member at a winery is a great way to forge a relationship with the family, to meet the winemaker and learn so much more about wine.

There are numerous other wine specific gifts that you could choose, but as a wine lover myself, I would not be bummed at all to receive any of these.

One last footnote.

Christmas is a special time, so why not open that special bottle of wine? I often get asked what the best occasion is to open that special bottle of wine. My answer is generally “A Monday” but since wine is for sharing and Christmas is about family, why not share it with your family. Been saving that 1989 Haute Brion, the 2000 Petrus or the Harlan Estate, why not open it up this Christmas, bet you will be happy you did.

From myself and the rest of the Keswick Vineyards family, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very blessed holiday season and a prosperous and joyous New Year. May all your dreams and wishes come true.

I lastly want to thank my beautiful wife Kathy for giving me the best gift ever, my beautiful daughter Aria. Love you guys so much.

Stephen

 

 

Wine with my favorite holiday grub

When I came to America in 2002, I promised that I would immerse myself in the culture. I have been here almost 10 years, have a beautiful American wife and a new daughter on the way, consider project immersion complete.

Nothing screams American more than Thanksgiving, my favorite of all the holidays. There is nothing better than the smells emanating from the kitchen, from the Turkey to the mashed potatoes, the stuffed mushrooms to the green bean casserole. Thanksgiving is one of those special holidays where family comes together, food is in abundance and, in my case, wine flows freely. But what wines pair best with the trimmings and fixings of this special holiday?

Being from South Africa, you might expect my wine choices to be new world, but I also have a few suggestions on some old world gems that just might blow you away.

So let’s start with the turkey, the foundation on which Thanksgiving is built. A juicy moist turkey means success in the kitchen and a good start to an enjoyable meal. For turkey I tend to gravitate towards a red wine with lots of fruit, and softer tannins. I would suggest Pinot Noir [and since I drink few Burgundian Pinot's] I would suggest California. Pinot is known as the heartbreak grape but California over the last few years has hit it out of the park [notice the baseball analogy]. Pinot Noirs tend to be juicy, with gobs of red fruit, perfumy aromas, bright acidity and lower influences of oak. In my opinion this is the perfect accompaniment to the bird. Some of my favorites include the Siduri Lewis Vineyard, Dumol Russian River and the A.P Vin Rosella’s Vineyard bottlings. Honestly, any 2009 California Pinot should be great, in fact, the Wine Spectator Magazine has just announced that the Kosta Brown Pinot Noir is their wine of the year. If you want to support your local wine farms, Virginia Viogniers are also a great accompaniment to turkey as is Touriga, a fruit forward red wine that we currently have in the tasting room if you want to give it a try.

The cranberries are tough, with their tart almost sour taste. I have had some success with Riesling in this department, it’s one of my favorite grapes and I think the Riesling grape makes some of the greatest wines in the world. Some of my personal favorites include the off dry Charles Smith “Kung Fu Girl”, with its peach and lime aromas and bracing acidity, or the Alsatian Gunderloch Estate, displaying more smokey aromas with citrus, green apple and mineral undertones. Gosh darn it, these wines are good on their own and do not even require cranberries.

I have always wondered if mashed potatoes require a wine pairing, not really, but for the sake of consistency lets throw Chablis out there. Chablis is the Northern most district of Burgundy . It’s cool climate produces Chardonnays that are steely with stone fruit characteristics. What I like about these wines is how vibrant they are and how they do not overdo the oak, a lot see no oak whatsoever. Buttery and oaky Chardonnays are losing favor among consumers I feel, and Chablis provides a beautiful alternative. Not as pricey as Meursault or Montrachet but with an abundance of charm and spunk. Try the Domaine William Fevre “Les Preuses or “Vaudesir” to see what I am talking about. Locally, Jefferson and Blenheim Vineyards both make outstanding Chardonnays as well.

I hate green beans, but if you have to eat the casserole then why not go with Sauvignon Blanc. Staying away from my homeland, I have to give props to New Zealand and the Marlborough region on the North of the South Island. With vineyards no more than 80km from the ocean, these wines display aromas of gooseberries, box wood and passion fruit. These wines are unmistakable, fairly inexpensive and readily available. Cloudy Bay has long been seen as the best, but seek out the Craggy Range “Avery Vineyard” or Saint Claire “Block 18″. For an old world alternative, I go back to the Loire Valley and seek out the wines of Sancerre. These wines are grassy and herbaceous with peach pithe and floral aromas. Try the Domaine Henri Bourgeois or Domaine Fouassier as perfect accompaniments to those green beans.

The stuffed mushrooms require reds with earthier tones and plenty of oak. I love Spanish wines from the Rioja region, where Tempranillo reigns and Garnacha [Grenache] plays a supporting role. These wines tend to have spicy aromas, licorice undertones and smoky tones. These can be big wines, but they have great acidity which keep them lively and vibrant. Seek out the La Rioja Alta “Vina Ardanza” Reserva Especial or the Bodega Ramirez [Ramirez de la Piscina]. I find these wines marry well with the earthiness of the mushrooms and are gorgeous to drink. Watch out for more quality wines coming out of Spain. Virginia Cabernet Francs would be another great choice to pair with mushrooms with their peppery and earthy tones. Some to seek out would be Rappahannock Cellars or Keswick (if you happen to have a bottle in your cellar- our next Cabernet Francs, the 2009 Friended Franc and the Keswick 2010 will be released over the next few months).

Since Thanksgiving is a celebration, no meal would be complete without French Champagne, but for something a little cheaper and fun, why not try Prosecco from Italy. Made in the Charmat method where secondary fermentation occurs in tank instead of the bottle, these wines are meant to be consumed young. Another fun tidbit is that Prosecco is actually made from the Prsecco grape, locally known as Glera. Try the Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco di Valdobbiadene or the Le Colture Cartizze. There are some great sparkling wines being made right here in Virginia as well by Claude Thibaut, some of my favorites are the TJ Virginia Fizz and Veritas Scintilla.

The point of this blog post is to hopefully give you some options outside of the tried and tested. Buying a new wine can seem frightening, but you never know, you might just stumble onto a new favorite. So, here is to family, food and great wine!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Stephen Barnard

Keswick Vineyards

Norton deserves Respect; especially from me!

Hang on a moment, I am not saying that all of a sudden I adore this grape and the wine it makes, but after this year’s tough harvest [under statement] it does deserve some of my respect.

A bit if background on this grape. Many believe that it is the true native grape of North America, with the parentage being made up mostly of Vitis Aestivalis, with possible traits of Vinifera and Labrusca as well. It is believed to have been first cultivated from the long forgotten grape called Bland, by Daniel Norton of Richmond Virginia. Ironic that it has any connection with Bland, as bland it is not, kind of like saying Mike Tyson cannot pack a punch. It’s character is unique, with excessive amounts of acid and high sugars, small berries and inky color. It is sometimes confused with the variety Cynthiana, but genetic evidence suggests that Cynthiana might indeed be a mutation of the original Norton.

Norton being run directly to barrel for maturation

It is no secret that I do not like this variety at all. I grew up drinking and working primarily with Cabernet and Shiraz grapes, and to this day adore those wines and styles similar to those. Norton to me is like a liquid grape pixie stick, a flavor that is interesting, but ultimately does not do it for me. Truth be told, on top of that Norton is a pain in the behind to work with.

Trellised on a double curtain system with a cordon of 6 feet off the ground, pruning and picking this grape is tough work, and I may need Tommy John surgery to fix my shoulders.  It produces small berries with little juice to skin ration which makes shoveling out a tank of pomace time-consuming and back-breaking work, that goodness for delegation in this department.  Norton is a grape that requires little work during the growing season but it gets you when you actually have to work with it.

It is believed to be somewhat bulletproof, with some growers suggesting that it can grow anywhere as it mimics a weed. I would suggest this is not the case, with a clear difference in quality from our hillside Norton to our lower block Norton, not to mention a huge difference in tons per acre. Seems like Norton needs some T.L.C too, and truthfully it sometimes becomes the forgotten grape, being that it is tended to and picked last.

Our press "Thelma" working hard

Okay, so we have established I am not a fan, but I do have some new-found respect for this grape and it’s ability to retain varietal character during what has been the most challenging vintage I have worked, EVER.  With earthquakes, hail storms and copious amounts of rain [should have been a rice farmer this year], red grapes were a challenge to get ripe and picking was done more on a need to come off basis. Norton quietly went about its business and when I finally decided to get it off, I was shocked at how clean it was, that it had any sugars and that the resulting wines are true to the grape. Admittedly I even came in one morning and said the cellar smelled fantastic, describing the Norton fermentation.  The wines are now going through their secondary fermentation but I am amazed at the concentration of the wines, displaying dark fruits on the nose, complexity on the palate and a density that will not be typical of a lot of 2011 red wines in the State.  Thankfully we have a fair amount of Norton in the cellar with plans to produce both a regular bottling and a reserve. I do not make Reserve wines every year, out of the 120 odd wines I have made at Keswick Vineyards, only 12 of them have been designated as a Reserve quality, but this year it would be an injustice to not add this designation to one of the blocks.

Pressing the Norton Pomace

In an industry where many wines are generic, producing predictable flavors year in and year out, Norton deserves my respect for being unapologetic and staying true to character. In a harvest such as this, I can appreciate that and humbly, I give Norton it’s deserved props.

Cheers

Stephen

Winemaker

A whole lot of Norton wine

A Memorable Harvest Thus Far

This sounds more like a block buster movie than harvest time, earthquakes with torrential downpours, interrupted by the putter patter of hail on the winery. All in the space of three weeks of harvest 2011.

They (I) say that great wine is made in the vineyard, well this year might just be the case where wine makers play a more interventionist role, and I thought this year was going to be easy!

To date we have harvested all of out whites, with similar parameters of lower than normal sugars, high acids and incidents of botrytis (a fungal disease that thrives in conditions such as these). What is a winemaker to do? Well firstly you google everything there is to know about winemaking, re-acquaint yourself with every known additive and tool that might help you and convince yourself that everything will be alright. (Stephen, everything will be okay).

loading the press with Viognier

Your first line of defense is a rigorous sorting of fruit which in our case has meant dropping unwanted clusters on to the ground, followed by another quick sort prior to the fruit entering the press. Pressing has been done as gently as possible with the first and last fractions discarded to ensure we only get the best quality juice. Sulfur to keep unwanted microbes in check, acid to lower the ph and pectolytic enzymes to clean the juice quickly followed by racking off the solids. Sounds easy? Throw the fact that three of us are picking up, sorting and processing and all of a sudden it gets interesting.

Cindy and Lashalle tasting freshly squeezed juice

 

Fermentations were initiated using a variety if yeast strains and all of a sudden aromas of banana and pineapple are filling the winery. Hang on a moment, did I not say the fruit was in less than perfect condition? Yeah, but wines have a funny way of bouncing back, so much so that my boss thinks I must have switched the wines.

The forecast is not looking too good over the next few days! Yup more rain. Rain and lack of sunshine, retards ripening and ensures a larger than wanted berry weight. In the case of our reds, smaller berries will ensure more concentrated flavors, deeper colors and thus better wines which means some down time and lots of prayers for sunshine and warmer weather. Mother nature, if you are reading this I am begging you for better weather, only a duck could love this amount of rain.

As with whites, strict sorting is the first step in making reds this year. I have just been reminded of how slow sorting is after two days cleaning up the Touriga, 17 hours to sort through 15 palettes of fruit.

View from under the -destemmer

 

sorting de-stemmed Touriga

If there was any doubt of the advantages of sorting, pre and post samples showed an increase of 1.5 brix with noticeable cleaner fruit entering the tank. Signs point to a very decent red and with quality reds still to come in, harvest 2011 will still produce some gems of a wine, albeit with a bit more work on the wine makers part.

sorted fruit, note lack of stems and leaves

 

If I talk of non-interventionist winemaking when describing these wines, I am full of it. Intervention is rampant, even though this is not the path normally followed.

This message is one of hope my fellow lovers of Virginia wine. Mother nature is displaying all her fury and it is indeed awesome, but there are a select few who despite all obstacles, trials and tribulations will be successful in producing damn fine wines. They are called wine makers and their worth in this vintage will be easily seen. Sounds like I just made my case for a raise.

Cheers

Stephen

Photos courtesy of Kat Schornberg-Barnard

Happy Anniversary Chris and Laura!

All my blogs up until this point have been focused on the workings of the winery and the wines, but today I would like to make an exception and chat about a very special couple who are celebrating their one year wedding anniversary.

I first met Chris and Laura in the tasting room in January of 2010 on what was a miserable winters day. Along with my wife Kathy, who was the manager on duty that day, we quickly learned that they were looking for a wedding venue, for they were to be married in August of 2010.

Out came the computer and many hours were spent showing them photographs of the property and our own wedding photos from the previous year.  This was a bit of a tough sell, for Keswick is definitely beautiful, but with leafless vines, inches of snow on the ground, and no actual wedding venue up and running yet, it would take some imagination to envision what your wedding ceremony would like. It was with some trepidation that we hopped on the golf cart and spent the next hour or so fighting our way through snow, talking about where the tent would be, where Laura would enter from, where their first dance would take place and so on.  They are a lovely couple and time spent with them was truly a pleasure.

A few weeks later I had the chance to meet the folks, everyone knows you have to get the Mom to love the place, but they were just as lovely as Chris and Laura and with the help of photographs and lots of personal experience from our side, we felt confident that we could make their day truly special.

Holy cow, they booked with us and we were to have our first, non-family wedding on the property!

Chris and Laura were such a wonderful couple to work with, plans kept changing as our wedding venue started to come together- artificial grass was put in, the beautiful sperry tent was put up, tables and chairs were ordered, an event planner was hired- and they just went with the flow with everything and kept us inspired and excited about this new venture we were undertaking.

Thank goodness for helping hands from Barb Lundgren and Cindy Schornberg, who are way more experienced at these sort of things. With preparations and details taken care of, the big day duly arrived. Laura looked radiant and Chris looked dashing, I even got to drive Laura around in the golf cart for her pre-wedding photographs.

By all accounts the nuptials were beautiful, Chris remembered all his first dance steps and these two individuals were to start their amazing lives together. I did sneak a late night visit to the tent to wish them well and their joy together was easily seen.

We might have hundreds of weddings over the next few years, but yours will always be our first, and will always remain a special one for both me and Kathy. From all of us at Keswick Vineyards, we wish you a very happy first year anniversary. May your love continue to grow and may you continue to experience eternal happiness.

Stephen and Kathy

You can read Chris and Laura’s review on The Knot here! Thank you!

Chris and Laura celebrating their 1 year anniversary with us!

Bloggers – Meet Charlottesville and her wine!

What do you get when you take 350 bloggers from around the country, the who’s who of the local wine industry, and plenty of out-of-state colleagues? Throw in sweltering temperatures and you have the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference, which saw the creme de la creme of the blogosphere descend upon the Omni Hotel for a three-day seminar on wine blogging.  Local wines were well represented at this conference, as well as wines from Spain, California, South Africa and Italy amongst others.

The fact that Charlottesville was awarded this conference speaks volumes for the Tourism and Marketing offices who had many months ago proposed that the conference be held in the beautiful state that is Virginia. I also think that this speaks volumes for Charlottesville as a tourist destination, as well as recognising that we have built up a fairly solid reputation of producing wines that can hold their own against anything that the other 49 states have to offer.

The official launch of the weekends festivities took place on Thursday evening with a tasting of wines from around the world, however not being an official attendant, Keswick Vineyards, along with Blenheim, Pollak and Mountfair decided to have an unofficial Virginia wine tasting at Siips restaurant on the downtown mall. A big thank you to George, who allowed us to occupy some of his popular floor space in order for each of us to pour one wine to any customers who wanted to get a sneak peak of some Virginia wines.  Along with our Verdejo, Blenheim’s fantastic Viognier, Pollaks ever good Merlot and Mountfair’s awesome Cab Franc, the evening turned out to be a vibey affair with folks coming in throughout the evening to sample the wines. Ever present Virginia Wine Bloggers, Swirl Snip Snark, Virginia Wine Time and Drink What You Like came by to say hello as well as bloggers from California, Texas and Florida, who were quite surprised by the quality of our local wines, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

I was given strict instructions by my beautiful wife of what was required of me over the next few days, and it was with these in hand along with the absolute fear of her wrath, that I descended upon the Omni Hotel on Friday afternoon for the first of my commitment, pouring our 2010 Verdejo at the Live Wine Blogging for white wines. I have never conducted a tasting like this before, going to 12 tables and introducing, pouring and explaining the wines in the short alloted time of 5 minutes, before bidding adieu and doing it all again. We chose the Verdejo to highlight the diversity of the industry. It is well known that we produce killer Viognier but I was thrilled to see Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris poured, varietals that sometimes do not get as much recognition as their more illustrious counterpart. Comments were tweeted in real time, and then shown on multiple big screens in the room, no place to hide. Luckily from what I saw, most Virginia wines were received rather favorably. 5 Minutes seems like a long time but with that bell constantly reminding me that I was due to move, one hour flew by in no time at all.

Act 2, pouring one white and one red at the home of the father of Virginia wine, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Pouring wine in 100 degree heat is no fun at all and it was no surprise that the whites were the wine of choice, honestly ice cold water would have tasted like the best bottle of wine you have ever tasted. This was the first time that we have poured our 2010 Viognier to the general public, but if that was not pressure enough, Jancis Robinson made her way to the table and introduced herself.

Educated at Oxford [you might have heard of it], with an honorary doctorate from the Open University, this woman knows her stuff, oh and by the way she was the first person outside of the trade to become a Master of Wine. Play up the accent I thought, because dripping with sweat is certainly the way to make an impression. Generally I am happy to pour my wines for anyone, but Jancis Robinson, known to me only by reputation, struck the fear of God into me. Need not have worried, “nice to try a Viognier that is varietally correct, full bodied and rich, can taste that is Viognier” she stated of the Viognier in her British accent, and “this Merlot is complex and interesting, very well done”. She may well have given me the  keys to Buckingham Palace, stoked.

Saturday morning came way to quickly, and after dropping Kathy off at the Omni, it was off to Cafe Europa to pick up lunch for the bloggers who were due to arrive at Keswick Vineyards at 12:15pm. With a heads up from Kathy who was traveling with them, bus #7 duly arrived and the bloggers were quickly ushered into the cool cellar for 3 hours of pouring our wines and having their undivided attention.

I was soon given the floor after a warm welcome from owners Al and Cindy Schornberg. Time to throw out the heavy hitters. Viognier Reserve followed barrel samples of 2010 whites which lead into barrel tastings of our 2010 Bordeaux varietals, with Al’s favorite, the 2007 Heritage and my favorite, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. This was not about Keswick Vineyards, rather about the Virginia Wine industry, and promoting our versatility, and the passion that goes into making these wines, something that cannot be conveyed in 5 minutes. truthfully this was the highlight of the weekend for me. Hopefully the bloggers, most of whom were from out of State, left with an appreciation of Virginia wines and the industry that we all love.

Done right? Not quite, still needed to pour our Governors Cup Winning 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon at the live wine bloggers conference for red wines.  Thank goodness cops were not shooting radar, this Kia made it there in 10 minutes and with a quick swipe of deodorant my lovely wife and I were ready to pour the wine. The vibe in the room felt a lot more relaxed, which I am sure had nothing to do with the high octane wines that were consumed prior. 5 minutes felt longer, probably because I was a bit more efficient with my speech, and trusted that the wine would speak for itself. Tweets were positive so maybe the wine did something I could not, promote itself. I followed Jefferson Vineyards wonderful 2005 Petite Verdot, a hard act to follow as I am a huge fan of Andy Reagan’s wine. I must say that I was happy to not see many Cabernet Francs, we all know that arguably this is the varietal that Virginia does best, but Virginia does so much more, Petite Verdot, Pinotage and Pinot Noir, and by the way our wines do age well, the Jefferson Petite Verdot was a wonderful 2005.

With my duties duly taken care of, at least I hope I did a fair job, it was with eager anticipation that I joined some of my colleagues and other bloggers at the tables to enjoy a 5 course meal, paired with Viognier wines not tasted at Monticello. With wines freely flowing, new friendships were formed while enjoying corn chowder paired with a wonderful Petite Manseng, salad paired with exotic Viognier’s and a main dish of Portobello Mushroom [I'm vegetarian] paired with an exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon. With the 2 perennial showstopping dessert wines of Rockbridge and Gray Ghost, accompanying an array of local cheeses, dinner was finished all too quickly. Honestly, some of the wines did not (in my opinion) pair the best with the foods, but I thought it was fantastic that the Virginia Wine Marketing Office exposed the bloggers to a wide variety of Virginia Wines.

So the big question. Was the conference a success?

In terms of exposure, without a doubt, incredible job by Allan, Reno and Elle of Zephyr Adventures, and Amy, Annette and Mary-Catherine from the Virginia Wine Marketing Office . It is still to soon to really quantify what bloggers and iPads will do for the industry, success cannot be measured by dollars, rather by the fact that Virginia is being written about at all, and that if one persons opinion has been changed to the positive, then I would give a resounding hell yeah to the Wine Bloggers Conference 2011, held at the Omni Hotel, in beautiful Charlottesville.

All the best, and extremely proud

Stephen

Keswick Vineyards