On April 28, 2012 (my 22nd birthday) I went to Fork and Cork in Blacksburg, Virginia. My first (and definitely won't be my last) wine festival experience.
Fork and Cork from a distance. Taken with my camera.
I tried several wines and even bought my favorite. It was a day full of fun, friends, and wine, lots of it!
Some of the wineries I tasted wine from were:
Attimo Winery
Fincastle Vineyard and Winery
Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyard
Notaviva Vineyard
Mountain Rose Vineyard
Well Hung Vineyard
White Rock
Peaks of Otter
Savoy-Lee
& others!
I tried all the wines (red and white) from each winery I went to.
I even tried the SPICY wine from Peaks of Otter. It was absolutely terrible. I ran to the water station and chugged water. Not worth the "I kissed the devil" sticker. Should have gotten a medal for that.
My favorite wine I tried the entire day was from Mountain Rose Vineyard. It was one of their white wines, Sweet Mountain Rose. I bought a bottle of that and enjoyed sipping on that while in line to taste other wines.
Some friends and I enjoying wine.
Picture from http://www.attimowinery.com/
On Friday, April 6, 2012, three of my friends and I went to Attimo Winery in Christiansburg, VA. We tasted 9 different wines and walked around outside and viewed the vicinity. The wine tasting was a seated wine tasting. After the wine tasting, three of us shared a cheese and fruit plate. Along with the cheese and fruit plate, I got a glass of Sonnet 98. I thought it paired extremely well with the cheese.
I really enjoyed this winery. The staff was extremely friendly and willing to answer any questions we had. I will definitely be recommending this winery to people.
Most of their wines are barreled in American Oak from Pennsylvania.
Below are the wines we tasted and their description and my thoughts.
My thoughts/what I learned are in blue.
Sonnet 98 (2010)- Dry, Crisp, floral, hints of fresh greens (Vidal Blanc, 13% alc)
I learned this wine was named after Shakespeare. It's a wine that reflects the spring. It was light and crisp. I thought it was more acidic and earthy.
I Do (2010)- Semi-sweet, distinct citrus notes (Traminette/Petit Manseng, 13% alc)
This wine is a blend of two different wines. It's 80-20, respectively. This wine was sweet with a spicy after taste. It pairs well with Asian food and spicy food.
Deep Silence (2010)- Dry red, intense berry flavors and light smokey pepper finish (Cabernet Franc, 13.5% alc)
It had a distinct Cabernet aroma. It had a smokey taste and was not overly dry. It pairs well with cheese.
AD 325 (2010)- Dry red with bold flavors and cherry undertones (Chambourcin, 13.8% alc)
This wine was named after the year 325 AD after the Christian Bible because it is the most inked book in the world. Apparently this wine stains badly. This wine was unoaked. I could taste the cherry and it was tart. The wine was a deep purple/red color.
Sweet Berry Sunset- Semi-sweet, intense berry and fruity flavors (Raspberry/Red Blend, 12.5% alc)
Dessert wine. Sweet, definitely could taste the raspberry. It tasted more like juice than wine. I could not taste the alcohol.
Sudden Downpour- Sweet, apple wine with bourbon notes and earthy tones (Apple/White Blend, 12.5% alc)
Aged in a Bourbon barrel. Tasted apple. It was not overly sugarly.
Masquerade (2010)- Dry, smooth and oakey (Chardonnay, 12.5% alc)
Buttery, light, smooth, and creamy.
Vertex (2010)- Dry red, rich with black currant flavors and French oak notes (Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alc)
I could taste the berries. It had a silky finish with an oak taste at the end. This wine goes well with rosemary walnuts.
Seduction (2010)- Sweet, vintage ruby port. Direct from Portugal, hints of raspberry and raisins (Tinta Madera/Touriga nacional/Sauzao, 18% alc)
I really, really liked this wine. It smelt and tasted like raisins. It was hot.
