The first tasting we visited was the Lexington Valley Vineyard. This happened to be my favorite stop of the day. My roommate loved it because the man who was helping us described it as the Hipster Winery.
Name: 2011 Vidal Blanc
Varietal: Vidal Blanc
Price: $15.00
Winery Review: A Virginia Wine Lovers Magazine award winner, Vidal Blanc is a medium dry (1.5% residual sugar) white wine with a smooth finish. Pairs well with chicken or seafood or with citrus and garlic sauces. Also great with feta, smoked salmon and sushi.
My Review: I really loved this wine. It had a heavy peach scent on the nose and that peach came through in the taste as well. There was a strong bite of sour apple at the finish, and I didn't really get the "medium dry" taste, I thought it was a pretty fruity and sweet wine. After going to two other tastings, I went back for a glass of the Vidal Blanc. This wine was definitely my favorite of the day. It was sweet but not too much, and really not dry at all in my opinion. I loved the peach tastes. A lot of the other wines I tasted at Fork and Cork were actually too sweet to me, which I was very surprised about.
Name: 2012 Traminette
Varietal: Traminette
Price: $16.00
Winery Review: Like its parent Gewurztraminer,this great German hybrid is a semi-dry white, with a bold fruity taste. Winner of 2010 silver metal. Great with Asian cuisine, chips and salsa, pork dishes, or fettuccini alfredo.
My Review: This was my rooomates' favorite they absolutely loved it. I, however, (being the only one that smelled it first) did not like it at all. The nose on this wine honestly smelled like poop. It had a really stinky nose which made me not even want to try it. When I did taste it, it tasted very earthy and floral, I definitely didn't taste as much of the stinky-ness as I was expecting. However, I didn't really understand the hype of this wine.
Name: 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $16.00
Winery Review: A smooth, mellow red with hints of black cherry. This young cab is light and fruity - ready now or lay down for later. Pairs with red meat dishes and hearty stews or just by itself.
My Review: The nose on this wine was very smokey. I also got a whiff of gasoline when I smelled it. However, the taste was tart and dry, with a cherry flavor. It was had a very soft taste of oak, but nothing that was overpowering or overwhelming.
Name: 2010 Norton
Varietal: Norton
Price: $10.00
Winery Review: Tired of wimpy red wines? This original Virginia varietal has a great taste with black cherry flavors and complimentary tannins for a truly satisfying glass of real wine. Try Norton with chocolate, wow! Also pairs with a juicy steak, lamb, game meats and sharp cheddar.
My Review: There was a heavy cherry scent on the nose of this wine. It also smelled a little bit like lavendar. The taste was really spicy, which is not something I really go for in a wine. It was also really dry. Needless to say this wine was not my favorite, but the man who did the tasting with us from the vineyard made this experience really enjoyable.
Name: 2008 Chill
Varietal: Norton
Price: $10.00
Winery Review: A refreshing Norton Rosé fermented in oak barrels. Served chilled, it is light, fruity, with a hint of spice. It is a great picnic wine with fried chicken and potato salad.
My Review: This nose to me smelled very strong of cherry blossom. It reminded me of spring in Washington DC. The cherry blossoms are everywhere and they smell very floraly, with a slight stink to them. The nose on this wine was incredibly floral, as was the taste. I got a hint of oak on the finish of this wine. I actually really liked this one a lot. For $10, it's definitely a bargain.
To the right is me with the glass of Vidal Blanc I got a little later in the afternoon.
The next tasting we went to was the Hill Top Berry Farm. This was a new experience for us because it was a Winery and Meadery. The wine we tasted here were not your traditional grape wine, which I thought was really cool.
Name: Peach Wine
Varietal: 100% Peach
Price: $16.95
Winery Review: This is our signature fruit wine. Our peach wine is summer time in a glass. While it pairs perfectly with poultry or seafood, it can also be refreshing when served before or after dinner on a lazy summer day.
My Review: When I asked about the vintage of these wine, I was interested to learn that the wine maker had bottled many of these just the day before. Apparently fruit wine is best nearly immediately. It smelled amazing, the nose was very peachy, obviously. It smelled kind of like syrup and nectar. It literally just tasted like peach juice with a hint of alcohol. I really liked this wine a lot and it was probably my second favorite of the day.
Name: Cranberry Table Wine
Varietal: 100% Cranberry
Price: $18.95
Winery Review: Hold on to your taste buds. This tart wine goes well with baked or grilled chicken or with turkey during the holidays; makes a refreshing Cosmopolitan, Sea Breeze, cranberry lemonade or spritzer.
My Review: The nose on this wine was surprising to me. I got very strong scents of caramel. The first sip (as I was warned it would) made me cringe from its tartness. I puckered my lips and was almost embarrassed of the face I think I made. The wine maker told us the second sip would be more appealing and less tart, yet that was not the case for me. I still had an overwhelming sour and tart flavor on the second sip. Mixed with something else, like lemonade or sprite, I could see this wine being very good. However, on its own it was just too much for me.
Food Pairing
Name: Dragon's Blood
Varietal: Pomegranate
Price: $16.95
Winery Review: This wine has a great sherry like quality, is tart and slightly sweet. Pair with chocolate, spicy foods or red meat. Pomegranates and honey are good for you!
My Review: This wine smelled very fruity, just like pomegranate juice. However, the taste was 100% honey. It tasted kind of thick and the honey taste really hit you in the face. On the finish you could get a slight hint of the pomegranate. I picked up a bottle of this and paired it with cheese and crackers when I got home. I know that's not what the review recommended but the honey taste made me really want cheese. It was a match made in heaven. I had it with crackers and swiss, and the combination was perfect. The sweetness of the wine balances the sour taste of the cheese and they worked really well together. I liked this wine a lot more when I paired it with something, it did not taste as thick or strong.
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