Winery Visit - Barboursville Vineyards

On January 30, 2016, my best friend Samantha Stewart and I, who is also in the class, visited Barboursville Vineyards for a tour and tasting. This is probably my favorite winery in Virginia, but I had never done a tour or known much about the history of the property, so I was very excited for the tour. I will talk about the tour and history first, then the tasting.

Entrance to Barboursville Tasting Room.

The tour began in the tasting area and we moved throughout the public spaces learning about the history of the Barbour family. This winery was started by James Barbour, who was into politics and a local senator. He was close friends with Thomas Jefferson, who inspired some of the architectural elements on the property. The site includes The Barbour Mansion Ruins, the five-star restaurant "The Palladio," the 1804 Inn, the Library, and the Tasting Room. The Paschina family later bought the winery and property but kept the Barbour name. 95% of the grapes for the wine are grown on the property, which is pretty rare to find in Virginia. The reason they were able to do this was because of the technique of grafting. Grafting basically means they take Italian buds and attach them to the vines here. They are partnered with an Italian vineyard, Tenuta II Bosco, in Lombardy, Italy, where they import their Pinot Nior grapes are grown. Luca Paschina, the new owner, is very hands on through the whole process of the wine making.

Tasting Room Panorama.

After learning about the family and how the winery has been so successful - winning more awards than any other winery in Virginia - we moved through the barrel and tank rooms to learn about the process of making wine. Before any wine can be bottled, Luca tastes every single barrel to make sure the wine can stand alone on its own, and if not, he figures out the exact percentage of wine it should be mixed with and has always made it a success. 

White Wine Stainless Steel Tanks.

White & Red Wine Stainless Steel Tanks.

All of the white wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks, except for the Chardonnay Reserve, until it is ready to go into the bottles. The red wines and the Chardonnay Reserve are put in stainless steel tanks where they stay anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks. Then, the red wines are put into gamba barrels made from two very specific forests in France. The barrels can be reused, but Luca does not allow them to be reused more than once for their most prized wine, Octagon. The Octagon wine is a blend of four of their wines - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

Octagon Gamba Barrels.

The wine tasting included 22 wines and we also added on the Octagon 2010 because how could we not after learning about how great it was. I will talk specifically about 8 of my favorite wines that were tasted. 

Tasting Room.

Sparkling Wines:

• Brut - $24.99
• Brut Rose - $24.99 - The bubbly is only served on the weekends, which I was very happy about because I had actually never been here on a weekend to try it, so it was a new experience! This bottle is fermented with 100% Pinot Noir in the northwest of Italy. It's crafted very much like a french Rose. It was so crisp and refreshing. It had more complexity and a better finish than the Brut. 

White Wines: 

• Pinot Grigio 2014 - $14.99
• Chardonnay 2014 - $13.99
• Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2014 - $19.99
• Vermentino Reserve 2014 - $22.99
• Viognier Reserve 2014 - $21.99
• Chardonnay Reserve 2015 - $15.99 - This is by far my favorite white wine, maybe because it is fermented like a red. Because it is aged in Hungarian oak for five months, it has such a rich, complex flavor. I smelled vanilla, spice and oak. It was very well balanced and left you with a robust feeling in your mouth. I loved that a white could have so much body!  
• Vintage Rose 2014 - $14.99
• Riesling 2014 - $12.99

Red Wines: 

• Barbera Reserve 2014 - $21.99
• Sangiovese Reserve 2014 - $21.99 - This wine is their tuscan wine, and it is my favorite, shocking. It smelled like dark cherry and sweet plums. It was more acidic and definitely more fruit forward on the palate. The finish lingered on and it had a full structure. 
• Petit Syrah 2013 - $24.99
• Merlot 2013 - $14.99 - This wine was very interesting. It is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. This is one of those wines that Luca thought needed a little something more. He did great with this one! I smelled butterscotch and berries. It was medium bodied and had really soft tannins. It didn't punch you in the mouth and left a really great taste for the finish. 
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 - $14.99 - The Cabernet Sauvignon is their most popular, and definitely one of my favorites (especially since I can get it at our local Kroger in Blacksburg). I smelled currant, a little bit of a mint and blackberry. The finish is tangy and leaves you wanting more. It has months of barrel aging which produced a well balanced structure with supple and refined tannins.  
• Cabernet Franc Reserve 2013 - $24.99 - This had the richest character in my opinion. So many smells, so many flavors and such a great taste. It's considered their "Virginia Classic." I smelled pepper, dark fruits, cherry, blackberries and plum. It's smell is described as layers and layers of ripe berries, plum, currant and cherry, perfectly woven together by the balance achieved through twelve months of aging in French Oak. It is that perfect combination of intense flavors with remarkable softness. 
• Petit Verdot Reserve 2012 - $31.99
• Octagon 2010 - 14th Edition - "The most honored Virginia wine from a great vintage." The reason this year was so great was because of the limited rain at harvest, making this wine go through ideal growing conditions. It smelled of black currant, cherry, blackberry, and mild spices. It is a blend of their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It was very dry and acidic and left your mouth feeling happy! I definitely understand why it was one of the best years of Octagon.

Blush and Dessert Wines: 

• Cabernet Blanc - $9.99
• Rosato - $9.99
• Phileo - $16.99
• Paxxito - $31.99 - This was the sweetest of the dessert wines and I don't think I could drink a bottle of it ever, but I really did think it finished off the tasting in such an amazing way. It has their highest alcohol content, 13.5%, and has won the second-most awards behind Octagon. It has a very sharp smell with apricot, pear, pineapple and caramel. I usually do not like the dessert wines but this one was very good. It has a very slow, cool fermentation followed by extended neutral barrel aging produces an intense, rich, balanced wine of luscious sweetness and good acidity. 

Me & Samantha.

Tasting - "La Lejania Sauvignon Blanc"

Name - La Lejania Sauvignon Blanc
Variety - Sauvignon Blanc
Region - Valle de Maule
Country - Chile
Year - 2012
Price - $6.95

Winery Review - A light, refreshing, balanced sparkling wine with fruit flavors and aromas of citrus, pear and peaches, followed by a nuance of spice. Enjoy this sparkling wine as an aperitif, or with salads and spicy dishes, especially those using citrus fruit. For dessert, this wine pairs well with fresh berries or a fruit tart.

My Review - This smelled of pear and sour apple with  tropical fruit and grapefruit hints as well. It was very straight forward with taste. It was crisp, refreshing, light and had a very smooth finish.

Tasting - "Purple Paws Cabernet Sauvignon"

Name - Purple Paws Cabernet Sauvignon California Non Vintage
Variety - Cabernet Sauvignon
Region - Lodi California
Country - United States
Year - 2012
Price - $7.95

Wine Critic Review - timelesswines.com
The 2012 Lodi Cabernet has all the classic notes of a California Cabernet Sauvignon. Cloves, olives, and oak with a no nonsense, fruit forward finish reminding you why it is the heaviest wine in the Purple Paws line, lends itself to pairings of robust steaks or lamb.

My Review - This had many dark fruit smells reminiscent of blackberry, plum, cranberry and black cherry. It was more of a red/orange color rather than darker red/violet. It had thicker legs and not much of a mid palate. I think it would go well with a nice steak. It was a very smooth, great finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Butterfly Kiss Moscato"

Name - Butterfly Kiss Moscato
Variety - Moscato
Region - Valle Central
Country - Chile
Year - 2012
Price - $5.95

Wine Critic Review - argonautliquor.com
Lovely and bright, this Moscato dances with aromas of honeydew and apricot, gently kissed by orange blossom, candied pineapple and hint of lime zest. The palate is silky and lush, combining rich stone fruit and fresh melon flavors lifted by a vibrant zing of lemon-lime, which extends across the mouthwatering finish. Pair with spicy Asian foods or grilled prawns.

My Review - This wine smelled very sweet like flowers and honeysuckle. It had a hint of orange/marmalade scent to it with a strong mango citrus scent. It tasted very fruity and sweet and I probably wouldn't pair it with anything, just finish a meal with it. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Purple Paws Zinfandel | Lodi"

Name - Purple Paws Zinfandel | Lodi
Variety - Zinfandel
Region - Lodi California
Country - United States
Year - 2012
Price - $7.95

Wine Critic Review - timelesswines.com
Purple Paws Zinfandel 2012 exhibits hints of cherry on the front of your palate and vanilla on the finish. It pairs well with good friends and barbecue.


My Review - This wine smelled slightly spicy with darker, tangy fruit hints. Plum, fresh cherries and pomegranate were some of the fruit scents I noticed. It was also a lighter red/orange colors. It tasted more bitter than the Cabernet Sauvignon but had a great spiced mid palate and a smooth, sweet finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Rosemount Estate Chardonnay"

Name - Rosemount Estate Chardonnay
Variety - Chardonnay
Region - South Eastern Australia
Country - Australia
Year - 2012
Price - $5.95

Wine Critic Review - drinks.seriouseats.com
This wine has a peachy scent and smooth texture; it's a little perfumey for us, but far from the worst Chardonnay you can get for under ten bucks at your local liquor store. It tastes as if the peach puree has already been added, so put this to use in your fruit-filled sangria.

My Review - This smelled of sweet peach and nectarine. It tasted very melony with splash of citrus and peach. Also a subtle taste of oak. Very faint, not in your face taste, not too pungent. Very easy to drink and has a great finish! My favorite of the day! I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Experience

I love wine. It is just that simple, I love it. It is the reason I chose this class. I used to absolutely despise wine and refused to drink the awful substance. Then, I went to Italy... How can you not LOVE wine after Italy? I guess I lied, I liked wine before Italy, Moscato, which doesn't count. It tastes like fancy sparkling grape juice and I genuinely thought that was good wine. Well, now I definitely have a different perspective and a drastically different taste for wine.

My mother and I go to many different wineries and brewery's around Virginia. My mom hasn't gone to Italy yet, so she only likes the dessert wines and who would have guessed it... Moscato. I would say I have become much more drawn towards the drier wines and red wines. I don't really know when my palate changed, but I finally learned what that word meant after Italy so, I make sure to use it in every wine tasting I go to so that I sound intelligent. I really want to actually know the words I need to use in tastings and how to actually talk with people about wine intelligently.

I definitely learned to appreciate wine a lot more after being in Italy and going to a vineyard for an entire day where we got the full tour. I thought it was amazing how much care and detail must be taken to produce the grapes and get the specific flavor from each one to produce that precious substance we Americans take for granted. Wine is one of the only "drinks" I drink to actually enjoy and I think that it has always been intended for that purpose.

I would like to learn more about the process of the actual wine-making process and the different varieties of grapes. I think this class will be such a great experience and really help me love wine even more.