Wine Festival - A Taste of New Kent, New Kent Virginia May 12 2012

Event News

"A Taste of New Kent" Puts Virginia Viognier, Cabernet Franc, & More on Center Stage

David Sturm
corkd.com May 25th, 2010

"A Taste of New Kent" wine festival took place this past weekend at the New Kent Winery located in Central Virginia. 14 Virginia wineries were in attendance, with ticket proceeds going to benefit the Heritage Public Library in New Kent. Overall, the quality of the wines were very good. However, I should note that there were some very poor wines as well.

For those not familiar with Virginia wines, the white varietals that are delicious include Chardonel (hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval), Vidal Blanc (hybrid of Ugni Blanc and Rayon d�Or), and Viognier. Virginia Viogniers certainly have gained a favorable reputation outside of Virginia over the last decade. However, my favorite white wine of the day was the Vidal Blanc. Vidal Blanc wines are generally crisp, well balanced wines with great acidity and delicious fruit, tasting somewhat similar to Riesling. Like Rieslings, Vidal Blancs are made in a wide range of styles, from very dry to sweet dessert wines. James River Cellars makes a great Vidal Blanc ($16) that recently won a Silver Medal at the 2009 Virginia Governor�s Cup.

The Virginia red varietals that are excellent include Cab Franc, Chambourcin, Merlot, and Norton. Virginia�s Cab Francs are known for their quality to many outside Virginia. However, most impressive were the Norton wines. Norton is a lesser known varietal native to Virginia, though it�s really made a name for itself in Missouri. Many of the Norton wines are excellent, with spice notes, great concentration and soft mouthfeel. Norton wines taste somewhat similar to Grenache, so if you like Grenache and Southern Rhone style blends, you should check out a Virginia Norton. Cooper Vineyards makes a great Norton, and its 2008 Norton Reserve ($22) won a Silver Medal at the 2009 Virginia Governor�s Cup.

Another lesser known red varietal that�s making waves in Virginia is Chambourcin. Made in a variety of styles ranging from dry to sweet dessert wines, I tend to prefer the drier Chambourcin wines, such as the Chateau Morrisette Chambourcin ($16).

The quality of the dessert wines was excellent, and I am particularly fond of those made from Vidal Blanc or Muscat. I also enjoyed a chocolate infused dessert wine, the Cooper Mountain Noche, which won a Gold Medal at the 2009 Virginia Governor�s Cup ($17 for 375ml). It was very rich and delicious � a great option if you want to drink your dessert.

The pricing of the whites and dessert wines was reasonable and competitive in comparison to white wines from other parts of the world. However, many of the red wines were priced too high in my opinion, especially those at $25 or more per bottle. The wine market at present provides many higher quality alternatives at that price point. If you�re looking to explore United States wine from an emerging, improving state, Virginia is certainly something to watch for.

Chamber of Commerce presents $5000 check to the New Kent High School

On September 9, 2009, Scotty Hager, Chamber President, presented a $5000 check to the New Kent High School for use by the Career & Technical Education Department in preparing students for the business environment. The money is a portion of the proceeds from the May 2009 Wine Festival sponsored by the Chamber and held at the New Kent Vineyards.

From left to right: Scotty Hager, Chamber President; Rick Richardson, School Superintendent; Joseph Yates, School Board Chairman; and Nate Collins, Director of Secondary Instruction.