1. Fork and Cork Wine Festival

Kiss the Devil (Peaks of Otter Winery)

Year 2013

Blended Wine 

United States

Bedford, VA

Price: $15.00

Winery Review: A hot pepper wine that is better for basting than tasting. 

My Review: This wine is extremely hot and spicy. It's made for cooking but a taste was overwhelmingly peppery. Very fun to taste though! 

Johnson Mountain White (Savoy-Lee Winery)

Year 2013

Blended Wine (Rkastitellie and Chardonnay)

United States

Huddleston, VA

Price: $19.00

Winery Review: Has the mature body and feel of nice Chardonnay but the fun sprite acid of a Sauvignon Blanc.

My Review: This wine has a heavy body for a white wine and you can taste the oaky-ness from the Chardonnay but it is very fresh and crisp like a Sauvignon Blance. It has hints of fresh fruit including apple and pear. It was so delicious, we bought a bottle of it!

Cabernet Franc Rose (Savoy-Lee Winery)

Year 2013

Varietal Wine

United States

Huddleston, VA

Price: $17.00

Winery Review: A true Burgundian Rose, a light fruity red wine with soft tannin no oak aging makes this the perfect sipper chilled or not with a touch of Chardonnay added to soften the tannin.

My Review: This Rose is very sweet with fruity hints of cherry. It has a medium body and lasting raspberry finish. Overall, a little too sweet for me but definitely a delicious Rose. 

Johnson Mountain Red (Savoy-Lee Winery)

Year 2007

Blended Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc)

United States

Huddleston, VA

Price: $16.00

Winery Review: A wonderful fruity, light red wine! It is terrific chilled and served with light fare on a hot day. Used in the Sangria.

My Review: I can see why this wine is used for Sangria with rich flavors of cherry and strawberry. It has a medium body with a slight hint of orange. Very delicious and even better in the Sangria!

Chardonnay (Fincastle Winery)

Year 2013

Varietal Wine (Chardonnay)

United States

Fincastle, VA

Price: $16.00

Winery Review: Dry, aged 6 months in American oak, buttery toast and caramel up front

My Review: Delicious warm and buttery Chardonnay. It has a medium body and creamy finish. The oak is certainly present but doesn't overwhelm the wine. There is a hint of caramel but I taste a stronger flavor of vanilla. 

Hybrid Vigor (Fincastle Winery)

Year 2013

Blended Wine (Chardonnel, Vidal Blanc, and Traminette)

United States

Fincastle, VA

Price: $18.00

Winery Review: Semi-sweet white with a citrus finish. Bold tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and mango.

My Review: This white wine is sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet. The sweet flavors of tropical fruit such as mango balance out the intense sour citrus flavors. I really enjoyed this wine especially the lasting pear finish that rounds out all of the different fruit flavors.

Traminette (Fincastle Winery)

Year 2013

Varietal Wine (Traminette)

United States

Fincastle, VA

Price: $16.00

Winery Review: Sweet white with intense floral aromas of honeysuckle, violets, and roses.

My Review: This wine is extremely sweet with an intense richness. It's too sweet for me but the floral aromas help to balance out the extreme sweetness that comes from the honey and vanilla flavors. The sweeter flavors overpower the finish and the lasting taste is of warm sugary vanilla.

Before I went to find some food to pair with my Sangria, I ran into Professor Boyer who recommended Pork BBQ to pair with such a sweet wine.

Sangria (Fincastle, VA)

Year 2013

Blended Wine (Rose and Traminette)

United States

Fincastle, VA

Price: $25.00 for Pitcher

Winery Review: Made with Rose, Traminette, and fresh Strawberries.

My Review: The Sangria is very sweet with hints of floral coming from Traminette and overwhelmingly fruity flavors from the Rose. Ultimately it was a delicious, sweet summer drink!

Food Pairing: Pork BBQ Sandwich (Bull and Bones Restaurant)

I put a spicy BBQ on my pork sandwich to see how it would balance out with the sweet Sangria. The spicy BBQ brought out the fruity flavors but somewhat hid the floral aromas that were originally present in the wine. The Sangria made the spices of the BBQ pop and the meatiness of the pork very present. Overall, a great pair and perfect for a warm summer day cookout!

Unfortunately, I didn't really find a wine that has the grassy, floral aromas and flavors that I really love in a wine but I'll admit some of the fruitier wines really got me. I would have to say my favorite wine from the day was the 2012 Chardonnay from Stanburn Winery. It was the perfect combination of sweet from tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple and creaminess of peach and vanilla flavors. It was a very delicious wine and was a great finish to a great day!