Weekend in Virginia Wine Country

The gorgeous, sunny and mild weather this past weekend was ideal for a trip out to Virginia wine country. On Saturday we went to Linden Vineyards in Linden, VA. We did the regular tasting which is complimentary. On offering were a 2006 Seyval, 2006 Rose 2005 Cabernet Franc, 2003 Claret and 2006 Vidal Riesling. As usual, the Seyval and Claret were my favorites. The dry Rose was nice too and a refreshing choice for the warm day. We were early enough to be able to grab a table on Linden's beautiful patio. We ordered a couple of cheeses, including the Mountaineer, a rind ripened, raw milk cheese made from Jersey cow's milk and similar in style to a Dutch gouda, and a Derby, or an aged-cheddar style made from the milk of Brown Swiss cows. We also had a Venison Sausage and several baguettes and lots of wine of course. Lovely day. We were scheduled to spend the night in Winchester so we made our way in that direction in the early evening.

Winchester actually has a ton of charm and lots to do in the downtown area. The shops were closed by the time we arrived, but we walked around the Old Town area which was quaint and really just lovely. We went to The Village Square for dinner, and decided to dine in the VSquared Piano Bar area. The ambiance was great - very dim lighting, old school big and heavy furniture and the piano player was great. I had a Hummus and Flatbread appetizer as well as a Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (yes sort of boring but two of my faves for sure). Others enjoyed Veggie Wraps, Seared Ahi Tuna with Greens and a Soy Dipping Sauce, a very rich Mushroom Soup, Salmon On Potato Gratin with Spinach and a Soy Glaze, and a large and moist Beef Tenderloin served with Mixed Green Vegetables. I continued the lighter style wine theme we all had going and had a nice and crisp Pinot Grigio, which was perfect with the creamy hummus and peppery and tangy dressing on the salad. We decided to check out Sweet Carolines afterwards, and let me tell you, Winchester certainly is a hot spot for nightlife if that bar is any indication. We had a great end to the evening.

The wine club went to Veramar Vineyard in Berryville, VA on Sunday. On offering that day were a Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Riseling/Vidal blend, Rooster Red and D'Ora (a dessert wine). They also were showcasing two of their newer wines - Pink Chicken and Red Chicken. I enjoyed the Seyval but the Pink Chicken, a dry rose, was the hands-down favorite. We ordered a few bottles and enjoyed a great day filled with great wine, snacks, company and views of the rolling hills. Allan even brought some raspberry-flavored brownies for the group to enjoy. Afterwards, Allan and I went to Ray's the Steaks. We actually didn't have to wait more than 20 or so minutes, which was great, and were seated in a cozy table in the middle of the small restaurant. Allan had the view of the open kitchen which he enjoyed. I started with a Caesar Salad and also had a side of Broccoli and the Strip Steak Served with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms. I ordered it medium rare and it was moist and pink in the center - absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. I thought the onions were gorgeous, though perhaps there were a few too many of them. The mushrooms were firm yet soaked in the caramelized onion juice and were delicious. The broccoli was nice too - slightly rich but not too buttery. Allan had the Rib-Eye which came with large slices of fresh garlic on top and with Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach on the side. The steak was beautiful and tasty and the spinach was rich and a bit salty but certainly quite tasty. It is also really nice that sides comes with some of the steaks and are no extra cost. We decided to buck the usual match and had a bottle of Pinot Grigio with the meal. I thought it worked nicely actually. It was a great meal to cap off a really fun and certainly decadent late-spring weekend.

Linden Vineyards

3708 Harrels Corner Road in Linden, VA

http://www.lindenvineyards.com/

Village Square Restaurant

103 North Loudon Street in Winchester, VA

http://www.villagesquarerestaurant.com/

Veramar Vineyard

905 Quarry Road in Berryville, VA

http://www.veramar.com/

Ray's the Steaks

1725 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, VA

Saturday at Linden Vineyards

The wine club that I assist in organizing decided to do a lovely Saturday at Linden Vineyards. Linden is a family-owned vineyard, and is absolutely my favorite winery in the (somewhat) close-to-DC region of Virginia, because I enjoy their wines quite a bit but also due to the really gorgeous location and relaxed ambiance found in the tasting room. Allan and I arrived a bit later than the rest of the group, who already had found a perfect table on Linden's beautiful patio and were enjoying a couple of bottles of wine, venison sausage, baguette and several varieties of cheese. During the colder months, Linden encloses most of its patio area, which is mostly glass walls which allow visitors to enjoy the view of rolling hills and countryside. The space is open air when the temperatures allow it. We did both the regular tasting, which is complimentary, as well as the cellar tasting which is $12 a person. The regular tasting features both varieties that are my favorites at Linden - Seyval (I usually don't like whites but this is a great one) and Claret, as well as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Vidal Reisling. The Claret is absolutely gorgeous - ripe with juicy fruit, and nicely well balanced. I didn't enjoy the Chardonnay, but I almost never like Chardonnays, the Cabernet Franc was slightly flat, and the Vidal Reisling was sweet but not overly so. We ordered a bottle of Claret and joined the rest of the group. We also ordered a venison sausage and a couple of cheeses - a lovely cheddar-style Derby, Merry Goat Round Chevre and Shiitake Leek made from Jersey cow's milk. Yum. The cellar tasting is held in the lower level, and features two Chardonnays - 1999 Hardscrabble (one of the winery's vineyards) and 2002 Hardscrabble, 2004 Boiseau and 2004 Avenius (the other two names of the winery's vineyards), and a 2004 Late Harvest. I actually loved the 1999 Hardscrabble Chardonnay, as it was bursting with pineapple and tasted almost nothing like a typical Chardonnay to me, and also enjoyed the somewhat light-bodied 2004 Boisseau and more heavy 2004 Avenius. The guide we had for our tasting runs the Avenius vineyard and was knowledgeable regarding Linden's vineyards, wines and history, as well as grapes and wine generally. We enjoyed the Late Harvest with a Gorgonzola Cheesecake - oh my, what a pairing and wow what an amazing creation. Sweet and savory for sure, but just wonderful really. We returned to the group and enjoyed a lazy day of wine, snacks, gorgeous scenery and good company for the remainder of the afternoon and early evening. Really, just a lovely spot.

Linden Vineyards
3708 Harrels Corner Road in Linden, VA
www.lindenvineyards.com