Upcoming Culinary Events
The Vine, the Women's Wine Club at 868
This month our women's wine club celebrates Rieslings. With a menu designed to showcase the wine,... more
Loudoun's Popular Varieties
Chardonnay: A medium to full-bodied dry white wine with fruit characters of citrus, apples, pear, or tropical. When barrel aged, characters of vanilla, butterscotch, and toasted oak can come out.
Cabernet Franc: A medium bodied red wine known for its spiciness and herbal characters. Flavors can include black pepper, cinnamon, currants, mint, and leather.
Cabernet Sauvignon: A medium to full bodied, tannic, dry wine with complex flavors that emerge as currants, green olives, herbs, and bell peppers, with a hint of mint and leather.
Chambourcin: This French-American hybrid grape can give its wine a dark color but is surprisingly light in the palate. This is the red wine for white wine drinkers.
Merlot: A medium to full bodied dry wine with strong flavors in the front and a soft finish. Flavors can include black cherries, anise, blueberry, and plum.
Norton: A native Virginia grape that is dark in color and its fruity flavors may include plum and tart cherries.
Viognier: Condrieu in the Northern Rhone Valley is the home of the Viognier grape. Neglected there until recently, Viognier has found a happy home in the Old Dominion, Loudoun County especially. The county's soils, climate, sunlight, and growing season create excellent conditions for this grape and local winemakers finish the job to perfection. Viognier comes as a welcome surprise to many Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers.
Blends: The art of the winemaker is often shown in a blend of different grapes just as a chef would use different spices. Ask about the grapes used when tasting these special wines.
