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Villa Appalaccia

800.826.0534

www.vawineclub.cominfo@vawineclub.com

17435 Louisa RoadLouisa, VA 23093

One of the best things about Virginia Wine is the people you meet. Knowing Villa Appalac-cias winegrower Stephen Haskill and his wife, winemaker Susanne Becker, for over a decade I can say that their passion can be tasted in their wines.

Situated between Roanoke and the North Carolina line, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Villa Appalaccia provides visitors with Tuscan inspired wines and ambiance. Inspired by their love of all Italian wines and their perceived po-tential of the Virginia vineyard site, Villa Ap-palaccia was started with test plantings in 1989.

Even as visitors pull into Villa Appalaccias parking area, there is a feel of being transported to a place apart. Th e white stucco tasting room, with its tile roof, feels right at home with the rolling gardens, bocce court, and outdoor brick oven at the base of the hill.

As you walk through the doors, you are greeted by an outdoor piazza with tables uni-formly scattered, providing glorious views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. A member of the Mountain Road Wine Experi-ence, Villa Appalaccia celebrates being cooler by several degrees.

Th e tasting room itself is reminiscent of poet Robert Brownings quote Less is More. Th e room is open, with plenty of seating at the sides for visitors to wait to taste or enjoy a glass of wine (though I would choose the piazza). Italian artwork hangs throughout the tasting room, but not so much that it feels crowded. Astute visitors may notice the Mediterranean country kitchen behind the slightly open door in the rear corner of the tasting area.

Th e tasting bar itself is small, by design, to ensure a personal tasting experience. More of-ten than not, visitors fi nd either Susanne or Ste-phen working the bar serving both tastings and their vast knowledge of the vineyards, varietals, and vintages.

Visitors will not be surprised to fi nd the anticipated Italian grapes such a Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc, and Primitive; but may learn about lesser known varietals such as Corvina and Aglianico. Th e vineyards are located twenty miles away from the winery (at an altitude of 1,600 feet), and are planted on a shale formation. Th is unique soil infl uences the wines similarly to the soils of Italy. All of the wines produced at Villa Appalaccia are es-tate grown fruit.

Haskill, a former biology professor in Cha-pel Hill, with fi fty acres under vine (11 pro-ducing) is ever experimenting in the vineyard. Considering the three years it takes to bring a vineyard into a producing status, constantly testing new clones and varietals is a signifi cant resource investment.

Keeping with Italian tradition, the wines of Villa Appalaccia are best enjoyed with food. Be-cause of this, local cheeses, salami, prosciutto, and fresh breads are available for a light lunch.

Th e tasting room is open only Fridays, Sat-urdays, and Sundays. Susanne and Stephen travel throughout the summer to bring their Italian infl uenced wines to festivals across the Commonwealth.

Fast Facts: Celebrating 20th Anniversary of winemaking

Family owned and operated

Italian inspired wines and tasting room

Villa Appalaccia Lirico

Summer is the time for white wines that are full of character and complexity. A great wine for the ABC (Anything but Char-donnay) crowd. The unique flavor profile is destined to impress even the most discrimi-nating wine palate to grace your deck.

A blend of Trebbiano and Vidal Blanc, this wine has a solid framework coupled with a delightfully light tropical midpalate.

Originally from the eastern Mediter-ranean, the Trebbiano grape is known as St. Emillion in France and Ugni Blanc in the United States. It is often used to make brandy or, most popularly, as a blending grape. In Tuscany, the addition of Trebbi-ano traditionally provides acidity and light-ens more tannic wines.

Vidal Blanc, a French hybrid which counts Trebbiano as a parent, is better known in the US for it fragrant aromatics and sweetness.

The appearance of this wine is light pale straw, with a nose filled with light floral notes including hibiscus and lemon lime. The attack is bright, with nice balanced acids leading to a midpalate of fig, banana, apricot, pear, and citrus. The finish lingers slightly, with vanilla and a hint of pineapple and summer melon.

Excellent on its own, this wine would pair well with seafood, cheese dishes, and white sauce pastas.

As a non-vintage wine, Susanne is able to pull wines from several vintages to build the best wine. This wine is barrel ferment-ed, but some of the delicate fruit elements in the attack and midpalate may be dimin-ished by additional aging.

DRINK NOW through SPRING 2016

Villa Appalaccia 2010 Toscanello

There was a time that everyone was talk-ing about the Super Tuscans. This unofficial term was reserved for exciting and elegant red blends from Tuscany that included varietals like Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Primitivo.

For as long as I can remember, Wine-maker Steven Haskell of Villa Appellacia has been blending his own super Tuscan. The 2010 Toscanello is a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 20% Sangiovese, and 10% Primitivo.

Primitivo has been closely genetically linked to Zinfandel, but not exactly. Accord-ing to Dr. Vinny of Wine Spectator, Ge-netically, these two grapes are extremely simi-larit took some DNA fingerprinting to figure it outbut Primitivo and Zinfandel are actually both clones of a Croatian grape called Crljenak.

Primitivo contributes a lively acidity and tannin structure. While the Cabernet Franc gives a backbone, the Sangiovese provides great flourish throughout the flavor profile.

Dark in the glass, the nose of this wine is is filled with plum, licorice, and cedar. The supple attack is slightly tannic, with rich strawberry elements.

The rich midpalate is complex, with un-dertones of blueberries, strawberries, and rhubarb. The full and complete finish in-cludes milk chocolate, tobacco, and black pepper.

Enjoyable on its own, it is significantly better with food. I suggest pairing it with a well-marbled steak or well marinated grilled tofu kabobs.

This wine is drinking very nicely now and will only improve over the next 36 months. I anticipate increased flavor integration and an extension on the already memorable finish.

DRINK OR HOLD NOW SUMMER 2018

Seared Pork MedallionsPairs with Villa Appalaccia Toscanello

Serves 4

INgredIeNTs:

4 8-oz. pork loin chops with bone, trimmed of excess fat (about 1 inch thick)

2 Tblsp. olive oil2 cups chicken broth cup dried tart cherries (about 2

ounces) cup balsamic vinegar

dIreCTIONs:

1) Using sharp knife, cut bones from pork chops. Cover and refrigerate pork. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bones; saut until brown, about 15 minutes. Pour off any accumulated fat. Add 2 cups of broth to skillet.

2) Simmer over low heat until broth is reduced to 1 cup, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of skillet, about 25 minutes. Remove bones from skillet. Add cherries and vinegar to skillet; simmer until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 8 minutes.This can be done the day before, simply chill the finished sauce and reheat when ready.

3) Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; saut until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add remaining cup chicken broth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until pork is just firm and no longer pink in center, about 6 minutes.Transfer pork to plates.Tent with foil to keep warm.

4) Pour cherry mixture into same skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce is reduced to cup and coats back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over pork.

Editors Note: by Neil Williamson

Summer is in full swing and I am amazed at the great music that has become an important part of the Virginia Wine experience. Beyond great bands at large festivals, most wineries these days have one or two days or nights a month where a guitarist, a vocalist or even a small combo are fi lling the tasting room (or crush pad) with soul affi rming music.I have encountered bluegrass, folk, Beatles Tribute, and discovered a 17 year old vocal talent from Harrisonburg who I swear would rock Th e Voice.Th ere is a symmetry between music and the art of winemaking. As music is much more than simply playing the proper notes in order, winemaking is about more than the chemistry that changes grapes to wine. Check out your local wineries entertainment off erings. As the days slowly get shorter make the most out of each and every one. An afternoon fi lled with Virginia wine, music, and good friends is time well spent.As always, thanks for including me on your Virginia Wine Journey.Respectfully Submitted,Neil WilliamsonEditor, Virginia Wine JournalChairman, Virginia Wine Club Tasting Paneleditor@vawineclub.com

Grafting: Although Native American vines were resistant to the pest, they made very diff erent wines that were not acceptable to European palates. Th e solution was to graft Vitis vinifera cuttings onto Native American rootstocks. Grafting is a process in which a Vitis vinifera cutting is fi t onto a slice in a resistant rootstock.Because every living thing adapts to its surroundings, there can be signifi cant diff erences even within individual types of rootstock and varietals. For example, Native American rootstocks from the Northeastern United States and Canada have developed a strong resistance to cold weather. Th eir counterparts that have historically been grown in warmer areas do not have these same characteristics. Others have been bred to resist local pests and diseases.Additionally, Oregon vintners initially had little success with Chardonnay that was imported from California Wine Country. Th e varietal had adapted to the warmer weather and was not a good fi t for the cooler state. However, Chardonnay cuttings from Burgundy have been very successful. Th e evolved characteristics from the cooler French region were a much better fi t for Oregons climate.Th erefore, it is not suffi cient to properly match rootstocks and varietals with one another. Other factors such as soil, temperature, weather, etc. must be taken into consideration. Needless to say, this science requires considerable expertise and experience.Source: Calwines

Vincabulary (n.) Vin-kb-yoo-lehr-ee

Grilled Eggplant NapoleonPairs with Villa Appalaccia Lirico

Serves 8

INgredIeNTs:

1 eggplant cup olive oil4 oz. herbed goat cheese,

crumbled4 oz. Fontina cheese, grated4 roasted red bell peppers,

roasted, peeled, seeded, quartered

Salt and pepper to taste

dIreCTIONs:

1) Slice the eggplant lengthwise 1/8 inch thick.

2) Brush the slices with olive oil and season with salt. Grill in a grill pan or on a gas grill. Cook about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked.

3) Brush a 6 x 6 inch baking dish with olive oil. Layer the bottom with half the grilled eggplant.

4) Spread half the fontina and goat cheeses. Layer the red peppers over the cheese.

5) Layer the remaining eggplant over the peppers and cover with the remaining cheese.

6) Bake in a headed 400 oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted and just starts to color.

7) Refrigerate for about an hour. Turn the napoleon out of the dish onto a cutting board. Trim the edges and slice into 2-inch squares.

8) Serve at room temperature with a green salad, if desired.

Wine EventsEpicurience Virginia Morven Park, Leesburg, VA, 12pm - 6pm.At the very heart of Epicurience Virginia, the Grand Tasting is a culinary adventure like no other.

Next Ship Date: Monday, August 24, 2015

Stanburn Vineyards is a family winemaking operation in Stewart, Virginia. The vineyards started in 1999 and the winery came along ten years later in 2009.

Meadow Breeze is 100% Vidal Blanc. Fermented and aged in stainless steel results in a crisp clean wine. The nose is filled with the scents of summer peaches, honeysuckle, and cantaloupe. The somewhat sharp attack leads to a midpalate of tropical influences including pineapple and orange blossom. The finish is bright and brief. The winery declares this wine to be Perfect for lazy afternoons or summer cookouts.

DRINK NOW

July Sweet Wine SelectionStanburn Vineyards Meadow Breeze