Somehow, they try to convince you you're in Tuscany (“Escape to Tuscany in Virginia”). Certainly their tasting facility is more reminiscent of a barn in Virginia than a villa in Italy.
Being a bit put off by the crowds and the exclusivity of the event, we decided not to taste (not to mention we just finished two other tastings), although we did go inside and look at the wines. There the “Tuscany” link is more obvious with most of the wines having some Italian connection. The whites are a bit pushed in that effort with only Pinot Grigio showing up on the tasting list. The remainders are the more familiar Vidal, Viognier, and Chardonnay, but carrying an Italian name for the most part (“Leggero” and “La Giacosa” Chards). The reds do reflect Italian grapes with a couple Sangiovese bottlings (Signor Reserve andVolpe) and a Piemontese Nebbiolo. Other reds on the list were a Cab Franc and a Chambourcin, more common reds for this region. As I said, we didn’t taste, but I note that the Inn at Little Washington has some on their wine list, so who’s to doubt Patrick O’Connell?
One of the pleasant things about driving about the country side in Virginia, as I mentioned, the stately homes you can catch glimpses of occasionally
Wish you could know their stories…
Anyway, our final wine stop was at (sic) delaplane cellars. They have a relatively new facility that has a lovely patio (this is the parking lot side, but you get the idea)
with a splendid view of the valley
Their twist on tasting adds that California/Napa Valley model of either a “plain” or “reserve” tasting. Whites are Chardonnay (“try our Chardonnay with roasted chicken, grilled white fish, lobster, crab, sautéed scallops, veal, and dishes with white or buttery sauces” more help with that pairing thing again), two bottlings of Viognier, (one regular and one reserve) and Sauvignon Blanc (reserve only). Their reds tended to be blends on Bordeaux styles, for instance their “Left Bank Bordeaux Blend” is 67% Cab Sav, 29% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot (“Chocolate undertones married with layers of toasted oak”). I might think this left bank blend would be very close to the river as the heavy use of Merlot isn’t too typical of most left bank Bordeaux.
But, what the hell, we’re not there to judge or evaluate, just have a pleasant bottle of wine on the porch and enjoy the conversation and view. Instead of tasting (can’t do on porch) we chose a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc and moved to the patio. Very pleasant, although it was generally thought the wine was a bit overly herbaceous. But, back to previous comment we weren’t there for ratings. There’s just something nice about sitting with friends, laughing, and enjoying the scenery and a glass. Oh, just a quick note on their tasting room. As I said, recently constructed, and the interior has (damn, I have to write this stuff down) at least 8 colors. All muted and harmonious but unless somebody points them out you probably wouldn't notice. I have been told that Sherman Williams has a “Delaplane” suite of colors they are so popular. Also, the tasting bar and doors of the building are made from the black walnut trees that used to stand on the property. Just beautiful finished wood. I’d put this place on the “must see” list for any wine tour of the area.
After leaving delaplane, without aid of so much as a GPS, we somehow got back on Rte. 50, which at that point is just a two lane road through the country, passing through green fields in “hunt country” with those “horsey” black fences, more homes on hills, just lovely. Much in the need of food at this point to soak up some of the liquid we had imbibed, we stopped at The Blackthorne Inn (nee 1763 Inn) in Middleburg, which, they tell us was once owned by George Washington. The original building dates from 1763, and a century later was the site of Civil War activity. They also have a lovely little patio on the back and it being much before normal dining hours (which didn’t matter to us at this point) we chose the outside venue. A nice young lady approached, but one of us was inside exploring the location of the necessary, so she said she’d return. The menu offered a nice set of choices, from soups to salads, appetizers/small plates to full fledged entrees. The current owners are the O’Connor family, so there is an Irish theme for the place now. Not sure how that fits with Virginia Hunt Country, but oh, well. It does however mean they have a nice selection of Irish beers in their pub.
When we were all assembled, the lady returned (so speeches) and we ordered two fish and chips, plus I had grilled Shrimp and Scallops over squid ink blackened fettuccine. We didn’t see the dinner menu but their web site reveals they have some spiffy sounding dishes such as: “Farrow Island Scottish Salmon with a Champagne Pomery Mustard Sauce With a Watercress Toasted Pine Nut and Prosciutto Salad, Jasmine Rice and Fresh Asparagus”. Our food was quite good (shoe leather would have tasted good at this point) with nice crispy fish, pomme frites, and my shrimp was quite nice, with shrimp and scallops that tasted like shrimp and scallops, little pieces of tasso ham that provided a nice bite, along with “English” peas, whatever that means. Fortified and more clear headed, we got back on fifty and watched the rolling green countryside give way to those McMansions, more stop lights, then malls and all the trappings of so-called “civilization”. Amenities yes, but geez, how nice was the trip through the country. Thank gosh it’s still there.
So ended a lovely day of tasting and generally enjoying the hedonistic side of life. I think I would put Vintage Ridge at the head of the stops, with delaplane next, and pick ‘em between the Three Fox and Aspen Dale. Probably sticking to the whites is more rewarding, although if you find a good red that’s okay, but sitting, sipping, and snacking calls for a nicely chilled (not COLD) white. Especially if you're
DFT(ouring)
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