Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Willowcroft, Notaviva bring home the gold
Loudoun's oldest winery and one of its newest won gold medals at the 17th annual State Fair Wine Competition in Richmond.Loudoun wineries brought home two gold medals and two silvers from the statewide competition. Willowcroft Farm Vineyard's Petit Verdot NV and Notaviva Vineyard's Vivace Viognier 2007 won gold medals. Fabbioli Cellars' Tre Sorelle 2006 and Cabernet Franc 2006 won silvers. Fabbioli Cellars, on Lime Kiln Road not far from Lucketts, won a first place for "Overall Winery Presentation."
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, on Mount Gilead south of Leesburg, has been making wine since 1984, but its Gold Medal Petit Verdot is a newcomer to its wine list.
"This grape is one of the Bordeaux varieties," said Willowcroft founder and wine maker Lew Parker, "but it seems to suit our climate better."
The grape thrives in the intense Northern Virginia sunlight, Parker said.
Parker has used the full-bodied, very dark red grape in the past to blend with other grapes. The award winner, a blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, is the first he has bottled as a varietal.
Willowcroft will be adding it to it offerings of red wines.
Shannon and Stephen Mackey planted their first grapes on Sagle Road west of Hillsboro in 2005. The gold medal-winning Vivace Viognier 2007 is the first vintage from Notaviva, and it's the first wine they entered in a competition.
An honorable mention would have been astounding, Shannon Mackey said. The gold medal, she said, is "absolutely unreal."
The fledgling winery has two acres of Viognier grapes, one acre of Cabernet Franc and a few rows of Petit Verdot, Shannon Mackey said. The will be adding more grapes next spring.
The Mackeys' home and tasting room will star in an eight-episode series on HGTV starting Oct. 4.
For locations, hours and special features of Loudoun's 21 wineries, go to www.loudounfarms.org and click on "wine trail."
You must be logged in to post a comment.