Vintner’s Blog Archive

Update May 31:

Only two seats remaining

Please join us for a tasting of the finest Viogniers of the world here at Rappahannock Cellars. A “production” tasting is one in which your own wines are put up against benchmark wines for the purpose refining your house style. This year I have selected four foreign wines that I will pit against my 2007 and 2008 Rappahannock Cellars Viognier. These are no ordinary wines, these Viogniers come from the most highly regarded producers in the world. Here’s the lineup:

Continue reading Viognier Production Tasting Saturday, Ju...

Save the date: SLOW FOOD VAST WINE: A passport to fine food and wonderful wine! Saturday, April 24th, 6:00 -9:30 p.m., at The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket, VA. “Travel” to Virginia, California, France and Mediterranean-themed rooms sampling exceptional wines paired with local, sustainable, artisanal food.

Continue reading Slow Food Vast Wine

UPDATE 3/3/10
This event is now full.
***************************
Our Production Tastings have begun again for 2010. We’re starting off with Cabernet Franc on Sunday, March 7.

Continue reading Cabernet Franc Production Tasting

We had another successful harvest this year and we look forward to releasing the 2009 wines in the coming months. We had particular success this year with exceptional quality Cabernet Franc. Dark, rich, extracted, and with loads of typical black-pepper spice. We’re also aging our Cab Franc and Meritage component wines in new French oak barrels. I’m also excited about our 2009 Chardonnay. Most of what will comprise the final blend was fermented and is aging in French oak barrels. This year we really coddled it and fermented these wines in a temperature controlled room. Other highlights include the acquisition of some high quality Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Continue reading The Year in Review

Yesterday marked the beginning of the 2009 harvest with the Glenway vineyard Seyval Blanc. Near perfect weather conditions these last few weeks ripened the clusters to ideal parameters. This year we are taking Seyval Blanc in a more fruit-forward, austere direction, even utilizing yeast common for use with Sauvignon Blanc. If this beautiful weather continues, we will look forward to another great vintage!

-Jason

Vintner of Rappahannock Cellars

Continue reading Harvest 2009!

Update 6/24: Taking requests for the waitlist

Viognier Production Tasting
Saturday, June 27 at 3:00 p.m. here at the winery

Viognier is a variety that almost fell into extinction only 40 years ago. Its native home is France, at the northern end of the Rhone Valley called Condrieu. It began to be planted in other areas of the world in the 1980s, particularly in California, but also in Virginia at Horton Vineyards.

Continue reading Viognier Production Tasting

The next Production Tasting will be held on Saturday, July 18 at 3:00 p.m. at the winery. This month’s theme is Port. Here is the lineup:

1. 1970 Taylor’s Vintage Port (Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman) PORTUGAL
2. 1977 Taylor’s Vintage Port (Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman) PORTUGAL
3. 1994 Taylor’s Vintage Port (Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman) PORTUGAL
4. 2003 Taylor’s Vintage Port (Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman) PORTUGAL
5. 2006 Rappahannock Cellars Red Dessert Wine (Norton) VIRGINIA
6. 2007 Rappahannock Cellars Red Dessert Wine (Norton – barrel sample) VIRGINIA

Continue reading July Production Tasting, Port

Another great production tasting took place this past Saturday here at the winery. I unveiled for the first time the 2006 “Super” Meritage, and together with the 2006 Meritage, we tasted some of the best red Bordeaux blends on the market.

Continue reading Review, Bordeaux-Blend Production Tastin...

Our next production tasting will be on Saturday, May 30, here at the winery at 3:00 pm. Here is the lineup:

Continue reading May Production Tasting, Red Bordeaux Ble...

Had another great tasting on Saturday, April 25 here at the winery. We tasted ten Chardonnay wines from France (4), California (4), and of course our examples from Rappahannock Cellars (2). Opinions were all over the place as far as favorites went. For me, it was the 2006 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos.  

Continue reading Review, Chardonnay Tasting