Exploring Virginia Wines

from Old Town Crier - May 2021 Full Issue

by Old Town Crier

Dining Guide

ROSÉ IN 2021

real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines.

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When I was a kid growing up in Upstate New York in the early 70’s, my parents didn’t really drink much wine. There was always a Gallo Hearty Burgundy in the cabinet for the spaghetti sauce, but they would buy a bottle of Mateus when guests were coming over. It was a pale pink wine in a uniquely shaped bottle, and everybody knew it. The wine had a little sweetness and it certainly was easy drinking (or so I’m told…).

In the early 80s a new wine product from Sutter Home was becoming popular: White Zinfandel was on the market and people were drinking it like it was going out of style. It was sweet, pretty pink in color and a little bubbly, and all the wineries got on the band wagon. At the time, the red Zinfandel wine was out of fashion and the price for the fruit reflected that. White Zinfandel was born out of an attempt at making something saleable out of grapes that weren’t selling. Pressing the grapes prior to fermentation gave the wine its unique pink color and left the tannins behind. The result was more of an entry level wine for the beer and sweet flavored wine crowd, and it was all the rage for a while.

Unfortunately for rosé producers in that timeframe, there was no market for their wines—those drier styles of pink wine with a solid acid structure that are so foodfriendly. Somewhere in the early 2000s, fortunately, the trends started to shift again and the old school dry and offdry rosés began their resurgence. The foodie movement helped move this forward, and rosé wine has now gained a widespread following. Virginia wineries have ridden this wave too, creating many lovely wines that are perfect for our summers and outdoor activities as well as for our cuisine.

Most rosés are made from red grapes, and there are several ways to make rosé wine. The grapes are usually crushed and then lightly pressed to extract the flavor and a touch of color. The longer the juices sit on the skin the bolder the flavor and darker the color, in general. Another way to make rosé is to add a touch of red wine to a white wine for color. A third way of making rosé happens in the process of making a red wine when a portion of the juice is drained from the fermenter to increase the skin to juice ratio in the red wine. The juice that is drained out is already fermented and, instead of throwing it out, it’s bottled as a rosé wine. Although some rosés are made from a single grape varietal, sometimes several varietals are combined, and it may be adjusted for acidity or sweetness before bottling to make the best wine possible. With a shorter fermentation and aging process, rosés are usually ready to bottle and drink just a few months after harvest, so we see a lot of rosés coming out in the spring and early summer.

Springtime is always a great time as we enjoy those new rosés released at this time of year. The timing is perfect, too—asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, spring salads, and lots of Mother’s Day sunshine all pair fabulously with a good rosé. Seek out rosé wines from your favorite Virginia wineries and enjoy the flavors and colors of springtime with this classic—and reborn—style of wine!

A well designed pairing will either amplify shared flavor compounds to heighten their sensation, or create a contrast of different tastes. There’s a science behind this process. But it’s more than science; pairing wine and food is an art.

Carlisle Banner of Upper Shirley Vineyards, Daniel Zbiegien of The Farmhouse at Veritas, and Michael Clough of the Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville are among the masters of this art. While Virginia is famous for having around 300 wineries, only a handful provide a full dining experience. For those who wish to experiment with pairing Virginia wine and local dishes, these are the three wineries you should visit.

Matthew Fitzsimmons is a wine blogger who has visited almost every one of Virginia’s nearly 300 wineries. Track his progress on https:// winetrailsandwanderlust.com/

Upper Shirley is located along the banks of the James River in a rural area around 30 minutes south-east of Richmond. While most wineries tend to be part of a wine trail, Upper Shirley breaks the model by providing an all-inclusive experience that keeps patrons from needing to go anywhere else.

Executive chef (and partner) Carlisle Bannister explained, “In order to really capture our market, we thought that having a restaurant would really showcase what we can do culinary. We have beautiful views, award winning wine, all in one place to capture the full experience.”

As for his favorite pairings, “My palate has become seasonal. In the wintertime, I love using our rich and tannic tannat and Zachariah red-blend. Pairing those with anything hardy in the winter is super fun and is just a great match. One of my favorite pairings is these with a hearty, fatty ribeye. That’s pretty sexy right there. There isn’t a food on this earth that we couldn’t pair our wines with.”

“In the summertime, I love our chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. The chardonnay has your traditional oaky flavor but is light and crisp. The sauvignon blanc is light, crisp and citrusy. It pairs nicely with lighter fare. And our traditional sparkling blanc de blanc pairs with everything.”

His favorite part of the job? “I have a lot of favorites. Working with my young staff and teaching them, training them, and seeing them grow and become chefs is really fun. And not only do they have the chance to learn and grow I’ve learned almost everything I know from my guys. You learn new things every day.” Chef Carlisle Banner