William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

You cannot judge a wine, a winery or a wine region if you have not visited or tasted the wines.  Today I will share with you the origin of Trump Winery located in Monticello, Virginia. I will also review four Trump wines. We should not discuss politics on this post, only wine. It seems irresponsible and inconsiderate to dump on a winery because of politics. When you insult a Virginia winery, you are insulting not only the owner, but also the grape growers, winemaker, winery staff, and the wine region. That crosses a line which reflects poorly. We are better than that. In 2011 I visited Virginia wine country ( Dreaming of Virginia Wine ). It was a magnificent time with many captivating wine tastings and wine related conversations. I’m excited about and for Virginia wineries and I discovered that there are some real gems. Wines easily recognizable as world class. Yes, I am a fan of Virginia wine. Virginia has realized Thomas Jefferson's dream of producing fine wines from ...

30th Edition of #VAWinechat  On 25 June 2015 I participated in another fun #VAwinechat twitter wine tasting featuring Early Mountain Vineyards of Madison, Virginia. My friend Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like  is the host of #VAWinechat. He started Virginia Wine Chat  to bring wine bloggers and consumers together via a virtual gathering to discuss the wines, winemakers, wineries and regions of Virginia. I have been fortunate to participate in several Virginia Wine Chat wine tastings. Quality is strong in Virginia. Thank you Frank for the invitation and thank you Early Mountain Vineyards for sharing your lovely wines. A conversation with  Early Mountain Vineyards ​Twitter: @earlymountain Follow the twitter discussion #VAWineChat​ (L to R) Frank Morgan, Jonathan Hollerith, Ben Jordan.  Frank Morgan hosted the wine tasting with Early Mountain Vineyards' new Winemaker Ben Jordan and exiting Vineyard Manager and Winemaker Jonathan Holle...

Excellent wines of tremendous quality and value from Virginia.  It is time for you to discover Virginia wine country. As with any rising winery destination, the best wines receive the most attention. Evidence Fabbioli Cellars and the wines of Doug Fabbioli. If you are planning to visit Virginia, put Fabbioli Cellars on your itinerary. "Yes, call me a fan of Fabbioli Cellars!" The largest concentration of wineries in Virginia is Loudoun County. Doug Fabbioli returned to his roots in Virginia 18 years ago after making wine in California for 10 years. He notes that making wine in Virginia is different; collaboration is the key word for success. (L to R) Frank Morgan with Winemaker Doug Fabbioli. Since March 2013 , my friend Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like has been collaborating with Virginia winemakers via #VAWineChat. He brings them together with savvy social media wine influencers to share the treasures of Virginia wine country...

“We could, in the United States, make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kinds, but doubtless as good”.    - Thomas Jefferson The original colonies were mandated by England to grow vinifera and to make wine. They failed miserably. Even Thomas Jefferson struggled for 30 years to grow vinifera, without success. After a great deal of hard work and experimentation that has all changed. By invitation, I enjoyed another  Virginia Wine Chat  wine tasting with host  Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like . This Virginia wine tasting featured three different wines from the  Monticello AVA . Virginia is an exciting wine region, one I've grown fond of after  visiting in 2011 .  Jefferson's Monticello. Jefferson’s vision has been realized by the success of 255 Virginia wineries. Virginia is now the fifth largest wine producing state in the United States. Quality is strong. Producing 500,000 cases annua...

Yes Virginia, there is a Virginia Pinot Noir. Ankida is an ancient Sumerian word meaning "where heaven and earth join" This bottle of wine was provided as part of a wine tasting series to showcase some of the less well known wine growing regions of the USA. I don't typically think Pinot Noir when I think Virginia wine. Now I will think Ankida Ridge. Their 2012 Pinot Noir truly impressed and is worthy of a Wine of the Week . You can purchase this wine direct from the winery . Ankida Ridge is a true family run winery. Mom grows the grapes, Son makes the wine and Dad pays the bills as a veterinarian. Sitting at an elevation of 1800 ft, Ankida Ridge Vineyards grows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Amherst County, Virginia. Planted in 2008, their vineyard lies on a steep, rocky slope in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is no level ground on this vineyard. The well drained soils and a cooler mountain climate provides Ankida Ridge the opportunity to successfully grow Pin...

Virginia Wine Baby! "Still a lot to prove, and I like that." - Nate Walsh Last week I enjoyed another Virginia Wine Chat wine tasting with host Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like and Nate Walsh, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager of Sunset Hills Vineyard . I interacted with them and other wine media friends via twitter #VAwinechat. Frank and Nate were on a UStream video feed  so we could watch them as they tasted. Frank Morgan (left) and Nate Walsh (right). Together we tasted three different Virginia wines made by Nate Walsh. We also learned a little about Nate. Nate Walsh arrived at Loudoun County wine country as a fluke. He's not from a wine making family and he was not educated as a winemaker. After earning degrees in English and Italian and in need of cash, he took a summer job working in the vineyard and never left. He's worked in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Central Otago in New Zealand and then came back home to Virginia. " Still a lot ...

“Wine is part of the conversation, but shouldn't be the conversation. Wine unites people.” — Luca Paschina, Winemaker Barboursville Vineyards When the host of Virginia Wine Chat asked me to participate in a Barboursville Vineyards wine tasting, I immediately said "Yes!" Barboursville Vineyard s is Virginias oldest winery, established by Gianni Zonin in 1977. I had the pleasure of visiting Barboursville Vineyards in 2011 where Gianni Zonin was our host and his winemaker, Luca Paschina was our guide. They impressed me with their stunning wines, professional staff, delicious food prepared by their on premise James Beard nominated chef and their commitment to historical preservation. They have preserved the ruins of Governor Barbours mansion designed by Thomas Jefferson which is on their Estate. The original floor plan is part of the label design on their Octagon wine. It seemed evident in 2011 that Barboursville Vineyards was a gem of Virginia wineries. Since t...

Hats off to winemaker Jeff White and Glen Manor Vineyards. Last year I visited Virginia wine country for the first time. That's when I learned that Virginia winemakers can craft some exceptional wines. I also made friends with some very passionate Virginians. This summer at the Wine Bloggers Conference, I shared some of my Virginia wine experiences with a member of the Virginia Wine association . She gifted me this bottle of Virginia wine. This is now one of my favorite Virginia wines. These guys knocked this one out of the park. Thank you.  Glen Manor 2009 Hodder Hill - it's time for Virginia wine. Tasting notes: Great color, dark, ripe plum. Good nose, plum, black cherry, tarragon, yummy, with a palate of plum and black cherry, perfectly dry, with cola into the tasty finish. What a great wine. Balanced and very tasty. Big smile on my face. On day two this wine was still tasty, with bright edges on the back of my tongue and cheeks, it had a solid dark cherry cor...