The 5th Annual Virginia Wine Expo featured 76 of Virginia’s now 210 wineries sampling over 400 wines. It was a great opportunity for me to hit 23 wineries and sample about 100 wines, some new discoveries and some old favorites. Today and tomorrow I’ll share some of the NEW discoveries.

Mountfair Vineyards 2010 Inaugural

Located 20 minutes west of Charlottesville, Mountfair Vineyards crafts small-batch, blended red wines using classic Bordeaux grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

  • Varietal: 65% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot
  • Aroma: Red fruit and oak
  • Taste: Very fruit forward with lots of cherry
  • Price: $25.00
  • My thoughts: This is my third time tasting winemaker Fritz Repich’s wines…what a great guy and great wines! You’d love to sit down with him over a bottle and hear all his winemaking stories. He’s doing a great job blending red Virginia grapes in Bordeaux style. This wine is very fruit forward thanks to 2010’s hot summer.

Pollak Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc

This small family-owned winery west of Charlottesville was founded in 2003 and opened their tasting room and patio in 2008. Today they have 27 acres of French vines and their focus is on making estate grown wine with “the finesse and balance of the traditional French varietals.”

  • Varietal: 100% Estate Grown Cabernet Franc
  • Aroma: Earthy black cherry
  • Taste: Smooth yet tart black cherry with earthiness and pepper
  • Price: $20
  • My thoughts: This was my first time tasting Pollak. Nick Dovel, tasting room director, tasted me through their wines at the Expo and I really enjoyed them. Cabernet Franc, a big grape and wine for Virginia…I like the fruit forward nature of this one with hints of pepper that aren’t overpowering.

Annefield Vineyards 2009 Viognier

Annefield is a boutique winegrower near the village of Saxe in Southern Virginia. Named after the Annefield Plantation dating back to 1770,  it was founded in 2005 on the land by Stephen M. Ballard and Michael T. Leary. Wines are traditional old-world style produced by winemaker Michael Shaps with Virginia Wineworks.

  • Varietal: 100% Viognier
  • Aroma: Bright honeysuckle
  • Taste: Crisp honeydew melons and citrus with silky mouthfeel
  • Price: $22
  • My thoughts: Really liked this wine! Also loved the wordle sheet they were giving out describing each wine. :)

Visit their websites to find out where you can buy them or if they ship to your state.

More NEW Virginia wine discoveries tomorrow.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]