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SouthwestVirginia Wineries

800.826.0534

www.vawineclub.cominfo@vawineclub.com

17435 Louisa RoadLouisa, VA 23093

AmRhein Wine Cellars Th e German infl uence on AmRhein Wine

Cellars only starts with the name. Th e higher than average altitude (2,500), the orientation of the trellises as well as the varietals planted all harkens back to the old country.

AmRhein, the name of the family that owns and operates the southwest Virginia destination winery, is German meaning on the Rhein (Rhine) River.

Th e vineyards were planted in 1995 with their fi rst crush (see vincabulary) in 1999. Today, with three distinct vineyard locations, (Bent Mountain, Franklin County and Botetourt) AmRhein Wine Cellars has over forty acres under vine boasting twenty diff erent grape varieties.

With over 35,000 vines to care for AmRhein Cellars is fi ercely proud of using only 100% Estate fruit.

By controlling the fruit from winter pruning through bud break and all the way to harvest, the winegrowers can make the critical decisions about leaf pulling, dropping fruit and the spray schedule with the goal of optimizing the fruit quality, even if this negatively impacts quantity.

Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 136, AmRheins elegantly appointed tasting room and mountainside vistas provide a fantastic backdrop to wine tasting.

By embracing the Germanic history, AmRhein Cellars is creating a unique and exciting future in the hills of Southwest Virginia.

Valhalla Vineyards Continuing on our Southwest Virginia

winery theme, Valhalla Vineyards is located just outside of the Star City (Roanoke) on a 2,000 foot mountain.

James and Debra Vascik acquired the property, then a peach orchard, in 1994. Ever the trendsetter, Valhalla was the fi rst vineyard outside of California to plant Alicante Bouschet, and among the fi rst to grow Syrah in Virginia.

Th e now 21 acre vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc as well as several other varieties. Th e decomposing granite soils and unique climate has been said to be similar to Rhone Valley.

In 1996, construction began on the winery and barrel cave. Th e barrel cave at 60 feet underground maintains ideal conditions of year round temperature, humidity, and darkness to properly age wines. Public tours of the wine cave are available the third Saturday each month.

After a few years of holding tasting in the winery, Valhalla set out to build a tasting room. Opened in 2004, the Cellar Door has a great hall that is well suited for large winery events (and weddings).

Summer Friday nights are special at Valhalla as they alternately host Dancing under the Stars and Band Night at the vineyard. Th e mountain comes alive with music and fun in the cool mountain breezes.

Member Bene ts Southwest Virginia Wineries Higher Altitude Mountainside Vineyards

Valhalla Vineyards 2008 Viognier

Earlier this year, The Virginia Wine Board designated Viognier the signature wine grape for Virginia. The Wine Marking Office is currently working on an advertising campaign to support the decision. As one who attended the meeting, this bold, and in my opinion overdue, decision was not taken lightly. The enclosed Valhalla Viognier is equally bold.

One aspect of Viognier is the impact of the soils on the delicate flavor texture of the fruit. This is both a plus and a minus as there is not a uniform flavor profile. The variety of winemaking decisions, stainless steel fermentation vs. oak, blending etc opens up a wide lens to how the wine should taste.

Valhalla chooses to barrel ferment their Viognier resulting in a more complex wine with a slightly longer finish. A delightful straw color in the glass the nose of this wine features green apple and honeysuckle. The attack is well balanced with a slightly floral undercurrent, the midpalate expands the floral notes leading to a lingering finish with tropical tones and light toasty oak.

This Viognier pairs exceedingly well with lightly seasoned chicken, roasted swordfish or grilled veggies.

Additional aging will not significantly improve the complexity of this wine.

Drink NOW through DEC. 2012

AmRhein Wine Cellars 2005 Melange

Upon cutting the foil on this bottle, I was most concerned, a touch of wine appeared on the top of the slightly swollen cork. While such swelling is not unusual, it can be a sign of air seeing into the bottle and ruining the wine.

Happily, my trepidation was unfounded. The 2005 Melange is clearly holding on to its deep rich flavors despite the slight cork dampness.

A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon combined with Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, results in a unique depth and breadth of this wines velvety cascading flavors.

Deep crimson in the glass, the nose exudes deep plum and hints of cedar. The fruit filled attack has a nice acid bite leading to a mid palate filled with raisin, plum and red cherry. The well rounded, Merlot dominated finish is remarkably smooth and lingers nicely on the rear of the palate with undertones of black cherry, strawberry and rhubarb.

This wine is a dream for food pairings. The gentle tannins of the Merlot provide flexibility while the structure of Syrah and the other grapes provide the backbone to stand up to heartier dishes. I recommend serving with red meats, spicy pizzas, herbed sauces on red meat, turkey, and smoked meats.

This wine is at its flavor peak; Aging will not increase the complexity.

Drink NOW through NOV. 2011

New York Steaks with Boursin(to be paired with

AmRhein 2005 Melange)

Ingredients2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided6 9 to 10 oz. New York

steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)

1/2 5.2-ounce packageBoursin or other French garlic-and-herb cheese, cut into 6 wedges

11/2 cup red wine1/4 cup chilled butter,

cut into small pieces2 tbs. chopped fresh

Italian parsley2 tbs. chopped fresh chives plus

whole chives for garnish

Preparation1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2

heavy large skillets over medium-high heat.

2. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.3. Add 3 steaks to each skillet; cook

about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

4. Transfer to platter; top each with 1 cheese wedge.

5. Tent with foil to keep warm.6. Pour off drippings from 1 skillet;

add wine to skillet and boil over high heat until reduced to generous 1/2 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes.

7. Remove from heat; add butter and stir until melted.

8. Mix in parsley and chopped chives.9. Season with salt and pepper.10. Pour over steaks.11. Garnish with whole chives.

Apricot and Prosciutto Thin-Crust Pizza(to be paired with

Valhalla Vineyards Viognier)Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light

MAY 2010

Ingredients1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110)1/2 tsp. dry yeast81/2 tsp. olive oil, divided1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided6 oz. bread flour (about 1 1/4 cups)2 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper3 apricots, each pitted and cut

into 8 wedges2 shallots, peeled and thinly

sliced3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese11/2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-

leaf parsley1 tbs. minced fresh chives1 cup arugula1 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto1 oz. shaved fresh Parmigiano-

Reggiano cheeseCooking spray

Preparation1. Combine 1/2 cup warm water and yeast

in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add 4 teaspoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over yeast mixture; mix 2 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 24 hours.

2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Roll dough out to a thin 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised edges, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Pierce dough several times with a fork. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.

3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.

4. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, pepper, apricots, shallots, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss gently. Remove plastic wrap from dough; slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550 for 4 minutes. Top dough with goat cheese and apricot mixture. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut pizza into 10 slices; sprinkle with parsley and chives. Toss arugula with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; arrange arugula over apricot mixture. Top with prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cut into 10 wedges.

Editors Note: by Neil WilliamsonBack in January, we promised you a few new wrinkles to your Virginia Wine Club. We held our first wine dinner last month and launched our new blog HYPERLINK http://www.virginiawineclub.wordpress.com www.virginiawineclub.wordpress.com just this past week. We are also reengaging with our new Facebook page like us at Virginia Wine Club.

In coordination with the Virginia Wine Festival (9/17-18), I will be hosting a special You Be The Judge tasting tent on both Saturday and Sunday from 11:30-4:30.

I will be introducing patrons to the UC Davis wine evaluation system and evaluating wines, by varietal, all day.

While this may sound silly stuffy, I promise it will be fun and well worth the additional ticket.

Speaking of festivals, we will be crazy busy the next few weekend as we travel across the entire state to as many as four festivals in a weekend. Just as harvest keeps the wineries hopping, fall festival season keeps all of us moving as well.

We always enjoy catching up with members and learning about your thoughts about your Virginia Wine Club.

As always, thank you for letting me be a part of your Virginia Wine Journey

Respectfully Submitted,

Neil Williamson

Editor, Virginia Wine Journal Chairman, Virginia Wine Club Tasting Panel editor@vawineclub.com

Crush /kr SH/ In wine circles, Crush is most often used as a verb regarding the processing of fruit.

It can also be used as a noun, I worked 2010 Crush at Chatham Vineyards and as an adjective I will be down on the crush pad for the next couple of hours

Last year, Virginia Tourism turned the word into a double meaning catch line Vir-ginia Wine Discover Your Local Crush.

Regardless of your use of the word Harvest is upon us with some wineries brining in early ripening grapes last weekend. Crush will continue across the State until roughly the first week of November.

September Wine Event CalendarSept. 5: Herndon Jazz Festival - Herndon, VA

www.herndonarts.orgSept. 10: Rockbridge Food & Wine Festival - Lexington, VA.

www.theateratlimekiln.com/index.htmlSept. 10 & 11: Neptune Wine Festival - VA Beach, VA.

www.neptunefestival.com/events.php?s=9Sept. 10 & 11: Great Grapes Wine, Arts & Food Festival - Reston Town Center

www.uncorkthefun.com/reston-virginia/site-infoSept. 17 & 18: Virginia Wine Festival - Bull Run Park - Manassas, VA.

www.atwproductions.com/index.php?pr=vw_homeSept. 10 & 11: Great Grapes @ Reston Town Center Sept. 24 & 25: Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival - Lakewatch Plantation

www.visitsmithmountainlake.com/

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

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JulysSweet Wine Selection

Rapidan River Peach, NV

Danny Johnson, is one of a vanishing breed, he and his family live and work on the same Bedford County Farm where he was born. Now while much has changed since Dannys birth, the Johnson family has been farming this land since the 1700s. Th e farm is still under family control but is fi nding new forms of agritainment. An apple packing facility, retail orchard, winery and guest house are just some of the en-terprises that keep this farm hopping year round.

Peaks of Otter Winery was Bedford Countys fi rst winery and Vir-ginias fi rst all fruit winery. In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Moun-tains the Johnson family makes 25 varieties of wine, primarily from the fruits grown on the farm.

Th e Apple-Blueberry Muffi n Wine is a delightfully light bodied fun fruit wine. Darker than anticipated in the glass, the nose is fi lled with red delicious apple and deep dark blueberry syrup. On the attack the wine is, in a word, fruity. Th e midpalate is slightly viscose with a slight-ly acidic bite and a blackberry infused fi nish that will have you picking for seeds in the back of your mouth.

Pairing fruit wines can be a challenge. I would suggest simply sipping chilled by itself on the deck or pairing with a dense cheesecake with blueberries. With or without the cheesecake, the blueberries in this wine come through loud and clear.

Drink NOW