The place for all things wine, focused on serious wine discussions.

WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Tony Fletcher

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

137

Joined

Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:56 am

Location

Catskill Mountains

WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Tony Fletcher » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:45 pm

(Notes from my half-dozen winery visits in Virginia, August 2007. Essentially a reprint from my own web site (http://www.ijamming.net) where I also have some photos and links. Notes on more wineries to follow in turn. Thanks to everyone for their advice on who to visit.)

In the far south-west corner of Virginia, just a couple of miles off of I-81 in the gorgeously-named town of Rural Retreat, up a hillside and with a beautiful near 360-degree view, sits the relatively new Davis Valley Winery. One of the joys of visiting wineries, particularly lesser-known places on off days like this hot August Monday, is the ability to meet and talk with the wine-maker, and for most of the time we were at Davis, we were proprietor Rusty Cox’s only guests. Despite mutual problems with our accents (his was the strongest Virginia twang I heard all week; my English trill seemed to catch him equally off guard), we bonded over our common language: the liquid he sells for a living.


<p class="photocaption"><img src="http://www.ijamming.net/wp-uploads/IMG_4983.jpg"> Located in the town of Rural Retreat, Davis Valley is ideally situated for a picnic stop off I-81. </p>
Davis Valley is a model of the modest winery: it makes less than ten wines, pours them for free (albeit in cheap plastic cups), sells them at a sensible price, and best of all, only grows what makes sense given the terroir. (Or, if not yet the terroir, given Davis’ status as the only winery in the area, at least the climate.) All vintage wines poured, as was the case with most from the other Virginia wineries we visited, hailed from 2005, a solid year in Virginia and therefore a good one with which to sample the State’s wine-making potential.

The Davis Valley whites included a dry Chardonnay, which was lightly oaked, passable, pleasant enough, and purchasable if I wasn’t so bored with seeing the grape at every tasting room I ever visit. There was also a semi-dry Chardonnel, a new hybrid made by Michigan State and Cornell from a cross between Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay. Given that both these grapes fare well in the kind of difficult east coast climate where hybrids are otherwise so necessary, it’s hard to justify Chardonnel’s existence, especially as I found its aromas and attack positively nasty. On a brighter note, Cox poured a perfectly agreeable dessert Vidal Blanc – a hybrid that has become so engrained on the east coast I tend to view it as borderline vinifera – that offered up all the appropriate tropical fruit aromas and textures under the name ‘Sweet Virginia.’ In retrospect, I should probably have picked up a bottle.

If there’s an equivalent to Vidal amongst red wines – a hybrid grape that’s become such an enjoyable fixture on the east coast landscape it’s actually possible to forget that it’s a hybrid to begin with – it would have to be Chambourcin. (An explanation for these two grapes’ quality may lie in the fact that they were both created not at Cornell or elsewhere in America but in France.) The Davis Valley Chambourcin 2005 comported itself admirably, a honest-to-goodness peppery juicy red wine with just a hint (2%RS) of sweetness, and a steal at $11. But just as the Vidal was undone by the Chardonnel, so the Chambourcin was canceled out by the 2005 Corot Noir, a brand new attempt by Cornell to make a sturdy Pinot Noir clone for the east coast. I tasted it twice and couldn’t get past the ugly attack on the front end that screamed “hybrid” in all its wild skunk madness, and could hardly agree with Rusty’s insistence that it served as a “light Pinot” - especially as, by his own admission, the alcohol content hovered around 14%.

<p class="photocaption"><img src="http://www.ijamming.net/wp-uploads/IMG_4982.jpg"> Winemaker Rusty Cox pours the fruits of his labor. </p>

The same high alcohol was true of his Cabernet Franc which, much as in New York State, and much to my own delight as a fan of the grape, is fast becoming the flagship red wine in Virginia. (Rusty did not list it on his tasting sheet, as he was only able to bottle 2-300 gallons in 2005 and, I soon discovered, does not trust the taste buds of the casual visitor to discern quality over sweetness, but the moment I asked about it, out came a bottle. Such is the way of the modern Virginia tasting room.) This Cab Franc, Rusty assured me as he poured, was judiciously oaked - not like the North Carolina example from a brand new high-end winery that he’d himself visited the previous weekend which, he said, had been like “biting into an oak board.” It tasted just fine in the plastic cup and so we took a bottle of his Davis Valley Cabernet Franc Virginia 2005 home with us (for $19) and tried it that night alongside what should have been a suitable dinner. While I wasn’t hit up front by any oak boards, the wine was nonetheless dominated by a vanilla component that masked all the tobacco-pencil-smoky-peppery-vegetal flavors I would normally expect from this most food-friendly of red wine grapes. Chilling the wine didn’t help any; bringing it back towards Virgina’s summer temperatures was no solution either. I came back it to it the next night and it was no different. Damn. I so wanted to like this bottle.

Rusty’s final pour was of a sweet red Steuben, a hybrid grape I’ve never knowingly tasted in wine before. Picked at normal harvest time, its light red color belying its naturally high sugar content, it apparently tastes in the glass just as it does in the vineyard – of pink grapefruit. Given that I often start my day with said fruit, I had no reason not be charmed by its simple honesty. (Ironically, Steuben is one of the parents responsible for the awful Corot Noir.) Rusty told us that next year he would blend it with the sweet Vidal to make a truly pink dessert wine - and poured us a sample by blending wine from his two open bottles! (Some of the finest pink Champagne is made in much the same manner.) I think he will have a hit on his hands…

<p class="photocaption"><img src="http://www.ijamming.net/wp-uploads/IMG_4988.jpg"> The vineyards at Davis Valley are still relatively young - the oldest date I noted was 2001. </p>
…And there’s good reason for this. There are two types of visitor to his winery, says Rusty: 1) the wine-lover, like myself, who may come from afar, who usually gravitates towards the red wines, and who certainly prefers the dry ones; and 2) the confirmed beer drinker, who may well be local, but whose palate is so conditioned that a dry wine will only shock his taste buds and so who inherently gravitates towards sweet wines. I had never thought of it in such starkly simple terms but, as we were leaving, an elderly couple came in to the tasting room. When Rusty asked what they’d like to try, the woman described herself as favorable towards Chardonnay while the husband proclaimed, in so many words: “I’m a beer drinker at heart. I only like sweet wines.” Touché.

Rusty’s words served as useful warning for the rest of our wine-tasting experience, and I paid close attention to the “sweetness” factor of other wineries before visiting. While he understandably tips his hat (and his Vidal, his Chambourcin and his Steuben) to the beer drinker with the sweet tongue, he’s a straight-ahead guy making unpretentious wines at a fair price. It was a pleasure to visit with him.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter! Try again. Fail again. Fail better." S. Beckett
no avatar
User

James Roscoe

Rank

Chat Prince

Posts

11057

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:43 pm

Location

D.C. Metro Area - Maryland

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by James Roscoe » Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:32 pm

I wish I had been a fly on the wall. A mountain Virginia accent and an English accent? Talking wine? It sounds like fun. I am sorry their cab. franc didn't taste better. When will they learn to go lighter on the oak?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
no avatar
User

Tony Fletcher

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

137

Joined

Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:56 am

Location

Catskill Mountains

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Tony Fletcher » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:54 pm

TN addendum:

We opened up the Steuben last weekend and it tasted much as it did at the winery - a little too sweet for my liking, especially as we were standing round at a BYO gallery do and I was snacking on savory food, but all things considered it's a fun hybrid wine, surely appeals to the beer drinking tourists and is interesting enough for the rest of us not to kick it out of bed, either.

More VA wine notes on their way.

Tony
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter! Try again. Fail again. Fail better." S. Beckett
no avatar
User

James Roscoe

Rank

Chat Prince

Posts

11057

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:43 pm

Location

D.C. Metro Area - Maryland

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by James Roscoe » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:35 pm

I tasted their line-up at the Virginia Wine Festival this past Saturday and came away very unimpressed. the cab. franc was especially bad compared to Barboursville and Horton.
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
no avatar
User

CMMiller

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

234

Joined

Fri May 19, 2006 8:22 pm

Location

California

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by CMMiller » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:59 pm

Tony Fletcher wrote: Despite mutual problems with our accents (his was the strongest Virginia twang I heard all week; my English trill seemed to catch him equally off guard), we bonded over our common language: the liquid he sells for a living.
Given that both these grapes fare well in the kind of difficult east coast climate where hybrids are otherwise so necessary, it’s hard to justify Chardonnel’s existence, especially as I found its aromas and attack positively nasty.


My understanding is that Chardonnel is a little tougher and has somewhat higher yields, at least in Missouri. It hasn't turned out to be a good and as hardy as originally hoped. But keep an open mind on the grape, I have had some very good ones that could be easily substituted for $8-15 CA Chardonnays or Macons.

...There are two types of visitor to his winery, says Rusty: 1) the wine-lover, like myself, who may come from afar, who usually gravitates towards the red wines, and who certainly prefers the dry ones; and 2) the confirmed beer drinker, who may well be local, but whose palate is so conditioned that a dry wine will only shock his taste buds and so who inherently gravitates towards sweet wines. I had never thought of it in such starkly simple terms but, as we were leaving, an elderly couple came in to the tasting room. When Rusty asked what they’d like to try, the woman described herself as favorable towards Chardonnay while the husband proclaimed, in so many words: “I’m a beer drinker at heart. I only like sweet wines.” Touché.


This is puzzling from a palate perspective. Although they don't have tannins or much acidity, beers are almost never sweet. Why should beer drinking predispose one towards sweet wines?
no avatar
User

Tony Fletcher

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

137

Joined

Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:56 am

Location

Catskill Mountains

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Tony Fletcher » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:07 pm

CMMiller wrote:
Tony Fletcher wrote:
...There are two types of visitor to his winery, says Rusty: 1) the wine-lover, like myself, who may come from afar, who usually gravitates towards the red wines, and who certainly prefers the dry ones; and 2) the confirmed beer drinker, who may well be local, but whose palate is so conditioned that a dry wine will only shock his taste buds and so who inherently gravitates towards sweet wines. I had never thought of it in such starkly simple terms but, as we were leaving, an elderly couple came in to the tasting room. When Rusty asked what they’d like to try, the woman described herself as favorable towards Chardonnay while the husband proclaimed, in so many words: “I’m a beer drinker at heart. I only like sweet wines.” Touché.


This is puzzling from a palate perspective. Although they don't have tannins or much acidity, beers are almost never sweet. Why should beer drinking predispose one towards sweet wines?


I agree with you, that's why it had never really struck me before. But once it was laid in front of me, it was like a moment of clarity. It's been borne out for me several time since. The one thing I might say though is this: maybe it applies more so to non-wine drinkers, not necessarily tohse who drink beer. The idea being that somehow, if you're not familiar with wine, you tend to prefer sweet wines. For what reason, I'm not sure - except that we all have sweet tooths, don't we?

I will keep watching for evidence of this.

Tony
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter! Try again. Fail again. Fail better." S. Beckett
no avatar
User

Tony Fletcher

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

137

Joined

Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:56 am

Location

Catskill Mountains

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Tony Fletcher » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:10 pm

James Roscoe wrote:I tasted their line-up at the Virginia Wine Festival this past Saturday and came away very unimpressed. the cab. franc was especially bad compared to Barboursville and Horton.


No surprise there, and not least because you're comparing it to the two biggest names in the (or at least my) Virginia wine book. Davis doesn't make great wines - I went because I desperately wanted to get out to some wineries and he was one of the only ones open on a Monday. Still glad I went just for the fun of it. Did you get a chance to make notes from the Virginia Wine Festival?

Tony
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter! Try again. Fail again. Fail better." S. Beckett
no avatar
User

James Roscoe

Rank

Chat Prince

Posts

11057

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:43 pm

Location

D.C. Metro Area - Maryland

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by James Roscoe » Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:02 pm

Notes? what are those? Besides, I was on a mission to find as much good Virginia Cab Franc as I could in one afteneen.
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
no avatar
User

Brian Gilp

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

1440

Joined

Tue May 23, 2006 5:50 pm

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Brian Gilp » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:34 pm

This is puzzling from a palate perspective. Although they don't have tannins or much acidity, beers are almost never sweet. Why should beer drinking predispose one towards sweet wines?


I have not found this to be the case. What I have found is that one can break beer drinkers down into two groups and then relate those groups to preference related to red wine. If one finds a beer drinker that prefers craft brews or good imports these same people will usually like red wine. If instead the reference to beer drinker is to represent Bud Light and those kinds of beer, then they usually will not like red wine as it is too tannic.

When I worked the tasting bar, we had lots of people who thought they only liked sweet wine. The reality was they did not like tannin and we had some decent white wines that were dry but they liked them once they tried them.

I think his connecting of beer drinking to a preference for sweet wines is inaccurate in that it tries to connect like to like (beer to sweet wine) where instead it should be looking at connecting dislike to dislike (tannin to tannin and/or acid to acid).
no avatar
User

Tony Fletcher

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

137

Joined

Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:56 am

Location

Catskill Mountains

Re: WTN: Is Virginia for Wine Lovers? #1: Davis Valley

by Tony Fletcher » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:04 pm

Brian

I'd meant to respond to this when you posted it: seems a highly valid observation. In fact I think you hit the nail on teh head.

Tony
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter! Try again. Fail again. Fail better." S. Beckett

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Amazonbot, APNIC Bot, Apple Bot, ByteSpider, ClaudeBot, DotBot, FB-extagent, Google AgentMatch and 0 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign