Wine Festival: Fork & Cork 4/28

I had a great time at Fork & Cork!  When I arrived around 12:30, the weather was a little bit overcast so I wasn't sure how the day would turn out.  The lines were not long at first, but as soon as the sun came out people flocked to the festival.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day to taste wines and catch up with old friends. 

There were a lot of events going on throughout the day.  Local vendors were there with aromas of delicious food that filled the air.  Wineries from all over came to showcase their wines.  Food demonstrations and "Chef 2 Chef" cooking displays were happening on different stages throughout the 1st and main shopping lot.  There were several craft vendors and dancing groups that performed throughout the day.  Speakers also presented on different wine topics.  With live music playing, the atmosphere was very lively, and conducive to wine drinking.

Belly Dancers performing towards the beginning of the festival

I collected a lot of brochures and literature from the wineries present that I visited.  I made sure to take tasting notes so that I could keep track of the numerous samples I tasted throughout the day.  

First I visited the Notaviva vineyards. I thought it was cool that instead of pairing wine with food, they focus on pairing wine with music, and allowing musical elements to express the fullness of the wine.  Here are some of the wines I sampled, as well as their accompanying descriptions:


Notaviva Vineyards 2010 "Vineyards 2010 Viognier $17
88% Stainless steel-fermented Viogner / 12% barrel-fermented Vidal Blanc
"We often reflect on our decision years ago to pursue this amazing dream.  Looking at each other we know the gravest failure would be to never take the chance to realize our vision.  Throwing caution to the wind and overcoming those fears has been the greatest success.  Vincero - I wil win.  Best paired with passion.

2009 "Ottantotto" Viognier - $20 

Ottantotto. Eighty-eight. The number of keys on a piano. From that finite number of notes has come an infintely varied array of musical experiences. Et tu vinum - finite grape varietals, infinite wine possibilities. Barrel-fermented, aged on the lees, our Ottantotto Viognier is deep and complex. Or is it simply delicious fruit?

Have a listen to your favorite solo piano music, pour a glass and decide for yourself.

99% barrel-fermented dry Viognier, 1% Chardonnay, aged sur-lie 7 months in French oak. Goes well with summer salads, perhaps a wild green salad with dried cherries, walnuts and gorgonzola.

My take: This wine was very crisp and refreshing.  There were citrus flavors present

2009 "Calor" Chardonnay - $22

Like a summer night on South Beach, Calor evokes feelings of good times and good friends. Close your eyes, inhale the ocean breeze, feel the rhythm of the latin jazz, then enjoy a glass of Calor.

Best paired with hot sax.

99% barrel-fermented Chardonnay, 1% Viognier, without malolactic fermentation for bright acidity, and 1% residual sugar. Goes well with Caribbean cuisine, fruity with a bit of spice.

My take: It was fun chatting with the owner about this wine.  He told us that he was serving it to a group of elderly women who thought the pairing with "hot sax" was a typo, which made him blush.  This chardonnay was oaky and spicy.

2009 "Celtico" Chambourcin - $17

Hard to define, yet mysteriously familiar, our Celtico Chambourcin is blended with Tannat in a fusion of new and old. Mystical and uninhibited like the culture it honors, its dauntless spirit endures. Slainte Mhath!

Best paired with new age Celtic.

At DeVault Family Vineyards -- They had a very interesting watermelon wine

92% Chambourcin, 2% Merlot, 1% each Tannat, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc - aged 6 months in French oak. Goes well with anything on the grill, our personal favorite is brats over real mesquite charcoal. 

 My take: this wine was a deep purple in color.  It had smooth, round tannins.

2009 "Cantabile" Cabernet Franc - $24

Subtle notes of tobacco and spice drift from the glass as you swirl our debut "Cantabile" Cabernet Franc. Aptly named Cantabile from the musical term for "full of expression" this wine greets your palate with graceful tones of currants and berries.
Best paired with string quartets or cello concertos. Pour, listen, relax and enjoy.

80% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 9 months in French oak. Goes well with medium weight beef dishes - we've enjoyed it with medallions in a mushroom gravy and bleu cheese mashed potatoes.

My take: This wine was very earthy, with a lot of spice flavors.

A lively group doing the cha-cha slide during the festival

2009 "Gitano" Chambourcin - $19

Exotic and sweet, our "Gitano" Chambourcin after dinner wine pays homage to the music of the nomadic Romani people. Let the distinct sounds of the phrygian dominant mode fill your ears as the scents of wildflowers, spice and black cherries leap from the glass.

Best paired with starry nights, bonfires and fast Gypsy music.

100% Chambourcin with 7% residual sugar. Goes well with dairy-based desserts such as cheesecake and creme brulee. 

 My take: This wine was very tannic, with flavors of black cherry on the finish. 

After Notaviva, I stopped at Naked Mountain winery.

2008 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Bursting with apple and buttered toast, the hint of acidity layered over subtle oak makes this the perfect wine to pair with many foods. It’s not only great for mac-n-cheese or a roasted chicken, but this vintage of our award-winning Barrel Fermented Chardonnay is a great sipping wine.

My take: This wine was my favorite out of all of the wines I sampled at fork and cork.  It was slightly oaky and very smooth.  It was served at the white house before.  To find a wine that would pair well with one of my favorite foods, mac-n-cheese, just made it that much better.

2011 Chardonnay/Riesling
78% Chardonnay, 22% Riesling
With a distinct nose of pear and peach blossoms, this much anticipated vintage of our Chardonnay/Riesling doesn’t disappoint. Full of hibiscus, honeysuckle, and ripe tree fruit, this semi-sweet wine is the perfect spring or summer sipping wine. Pair this with a deck and the sunset for a perfect ending to any day. Also great for spicy Thai food or a fruit salad.

My take: This wine was sweeter than the first one I tasted.  It was more syrupy.

2007 Cabernet Franc

80% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Tannat
This is a medium bodied red wine with a nose that comes alive with aromas of bright berries, red currant, and a hit of spice. The well rounded tannins on the palate are accompanied with flavors of blueberry, dark cherries, plum and a hint of white pepper. A long finish with hint cocoa and toasted nut, pair it with lamb chops, breaded veal, Mediterranean cuisine, or a dark chocolate raspberry mousse.

My take: This wine was very peppery.  I could see it pairing well with meats.

2010 “Make Me Blush”

75% Cabernet Franc, 25% Mourvedre
A Rosé of Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre, our “Make Me Blush” begins With a nose of strawberry and hints of spearmint. This fun summer wine delights the palate with butsts of melon and strawberry, smoothly ending with sour cherries and cream – the perfect pair for a summer picnic or strawberry shortcake.

My take: This wine was very sweet.  Almost overpoweringly so, but still palatable. 

Next, I wandered around, stopped at Sal's for $2 garlic knots, and then planned my next course of action.  My friends and I decided to stop at Well Hung Vineyard.

I ran into my friend Christine at the festival

2010 Everyday Chardonnay
A bright, lively affair with a grapefruit nose and lemon meringue on the palate, balancing smooth, sweet cream with citrus.  Rich and playful- a good friend to have!

My take: this wine tasted crisp and lightly oaked.

2011 Viognier
Stroll through a peach orchard without ever leaving the glass.  This is the most refreshing wine we've ever made! The perfect balance of fruit and minerality makes this wine extremely versatile.

My take: This wine smelled like tropical fruits.  I tasted apricot and peach.

2011 Blush
Like an afternoon spent in a field of wild summer strawberries, only better because it comes in a convenient bottle and has a whipped cream finish.

My take: This dry Cab Franc tasted like a Rose.  It was light pinkish red in color.  It sat in the skins for only 2 hours so it was not very tannic.

2010 Cabernet Franc
A taste of France in Virginia- European plum and cherry, rich fruits without being heavy, and a taste of old-world clay.

My take: This wine sat in the skins for two weeks, so it had noticeably more tannins than the one before it.  It smelled earthy.  It tasted spicy and crisp. 

2010 Merlot- Verdot
Smells like a walk in the woods.  The tannins are balanced perfectly with a wild berry blend of raspberries, boysenberries, and huckleberries.

My take: this wine was very bold and earthy.  It was deep red in color, and full-bodied on the palate.  It was the most tannic wine of the tasting. 


Next I went to Barren Ridge Vineyards.

John Boyer speaking during the festival

2010 Vidal Blanc
This dry white offers a perfect balance of acidity and freshness with flavorful fruits such as apricot and lemon with a hint of grapefruit.

My take: This wine was crisp and citrusy.

2010 Harmony
Semi-sweet blend of all of our white wines.  Less than 2% residual sugar.

My take: this wine had a variety of citrus flavors.

2009 Cabernet Franc
This Cabernet Franc offers an elegant nose of red fruits & blueberry notes that features soft tannins and a smooth finish.

My take: This wine smelled of black cherry.  I tasted spices and a variety of dark fruits.

2010 Red Barren
A semi-sweet blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

My take: This wine had light tannins.

My friend Ari and I enjoying the tastings.

After walking around for awhile and scoping out the food, we visited Veritas next.  This was one of my favorite wineries of the festival.

Saddleback Chardonnay 2011

The 2011 Saddleback Chardonnay is modeled after the “old world” style from Chablis, France. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and matured in primarily neutral French oak barrels for 4 months. The nose is clean and showing aromas of apple, pear, honeydew melon and kiwi. The Saddleback Chardonnay is medium bodied and layered with ripe tree fruits continuing with soft impressions of toast and spice from oak aging. Saddleback Chardonnay is a perfect wine to compliment light fish and shellfish dishes, or even poultry with citrus sauces.

My take: This wine was buttery, smooth, with citrus flavors.

Viognier 2011

Despite the challenge of the 2011 vintage, our Viognier stands as a bright success. The varietal correctness shines though with the legendary aroma of orange-blossom, peaches, and apricot. On the palate, orange zest, apricot, and mango are clearly articulated with a deliciously long finish. Light and lively, the wine pairs with nutty flavors from indulgent lobster or Dungeness crab. Alternatively, see how well it handles spicy Thai food. In its youth, the 2011 Viognier will be bright and fruit forward. Peak for this wine is within 1-3 years from vintage.
$22.00

My take: This wine had crisp acidity.  It was well balanced, and easy on the palate.

Rosé 2011

2011 was the year for Rose -Lots of lovely Rose made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The French call the color of our Rose – oeil de predrix – the eye of the partridge- sort of a pale pinky orange. The aroma is delicate fruit with floral hints, hauntingly dry with cherry and red fruit flavors. Remember Rose is our party, porch, beach and barbecue wine – just for fun- goes with anything and everything you enjoy!
$15.00

My take: This wine had a lot of melon flavors.  It was fruity and tart.  It was a very refreshing wine.

Red Star™ 2010

Red Star™ is one of the most palate-friendly and popular wines we have created at Veritas in recent years. The Red Star™ is light bodied and aromatic, practically jumping out of the glass with ripe fruit tones. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Chambourcin create a myriad of red fruits such as cherry, raspberry, and red currant. Red Star™ is a perfect red wine to pair with red meats, game birds or simply hamburgers and barbeque.
$18.00

My take: This wine was tannic and dark.  It had some light spice flavors but it was not overpowering.

As the tastings ended, the crowds started to thin out.

Peaks of Otter winery was probably the most interesting experience I had tasting.  I had seen wines from this winery at the Vintage Cellar, and the split bottles intrigued me.  I was excited to try them.  They had wines made out of a variety of different fruits, and only one was made from grapes.  I tried a strawberry shortcake wine, a blueberry muffin wine, a margarita wine, and a pear wine.  They all tasted very much like their names, and I was surprised how accurate it was.  I also had a chili dog wine, which was served with cheese wiz, and tasted like pepper jack cheese.
I was brave enough to "kiss the devil."  I tried a wine made from habinero pepper, and ghost peppers.  When I asked the pourer if she liked it, she avoided the question and said that she had tried it.  It is not a wine intended for drinking.  Mostly it is used for cooking purposes.  I got a sticker for being brave enough to try it.  I also had the taste in my mouth for a long time afterwards.

Me with my roommate and her boyfriend at the festival

I had such a good time at the festival.  It was fun making friend with people in line, and bonding over good wines.  I also saw my hair stylist there.  It was really cool seeing so many people excited about wines! If I wasn't a poor college student, I would have left with a lot of bottles.

Some of the wine literature that I collected throughout the day