Winery Visit - Cave Ridge Vineyard

Last weekend, my parents and I went to my grandmother’s house in Woodstock, Virginia to celebrate Easter. That Saturday, March 30th, we decided to visit a local winery that is only four miles away from my grandmother’s house in Mt. Jackson, Virginia called Cave Ridge Vineyard.  The Shenandoah Valley is apparently a great place to grow grapes, and the wines we tried were proof of that. It was a beautiful day and my family and I had a great time tasting a wide variety of Cave Ridge’s wines and exploring the vineyard.

Cave Ridge Vineyard in Mt. Jackson, Virginia

Rows of vines at Cave Ridge Vineyard

Vines at Cave Ridge Vineyard

Cave Ridge Vineyard brochure

Cave Ridge is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery located in the foothills overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.  Low rainfall combined with deep, rocky soils make the Shenandoah Valley an ideal place to grow grapes. There is an average rainfall of only 32 inches, which creates just enough drought stress on the vines to produce intense, unique flavors and aromas. Cave Ridge is unique in its approach to wine-making in that it adheres to sustainable farming practices to promote a healthy ecosystem for future generations. Cave Ridge uses the highest quality grape vines and each grape variety is measured for desired acid, sugar, and tannin levels before it is harvested. The grounds of the vineyard are absolutely breathtaking, and my family and I enjoyed walking around, even though it was somewhat chilly and there weren’t any grapes growing at this time of year. It is obvious from visiting Cave Ridge that they pay attention to detail with their wines and take great care of their vineyard. Also, once our guide found out that I was taking a wine course at Virginia Tech, she introduced me to the vineyard's resident wine scientist, Randy Phillips, in the special tasting room reserved for Cave Ridge club members!

Outside of the winery

My dad and me outside the tasting room

Inside of the tasting room

 

In the winery part of Cave Ridge, we learned that Hungarian oak barrels are used to age the wines in because they are less expensive but just as good for aging as French or American oak! We didn't explore much of the winery part of Cave Ridge, but we got to see a little bit of where they age their wines. 

Inside the winery part of Cave Ridge- wine being aged in Hungarian oak barrels

Cave Ridge offered a wine tasting that was $6.00 per person to try four white wines and four red wines. For an additional $2, you could try three of Cave Ridge’s Reserve wines, which my dad and I opted to do. The woman helping us did not know much about the wines themselves, but was helpful in finding us answers to any questions we had. Our tasting experience was very enjoyable, and both my parents and I ended up taking a bottle home! I sampled the following 11 wines:

My parents and me tasting wines at Cave Ridge

Whites:

• Traminette 2011: This wine had a strong fruity and floral nose. It was very crisp, with high acidity. Notes of apples and pears were in this wine. The wine was surprisingly not too sweet- it was actually semi dry for a white! Overall a decent wine that was easy to drink.
• Riesling 2011: To me, this Riesling was not too impressive. It had pleasant citrus flavors, and it was relatively easy to drink, but there wasn't much flavor. According to our guide, it would pair well with an Asian dish.
• Viognier 2011- Stainless: It was interesting to try this wine aged in both stainless steel and oak, to taste the difference. The wine had a low acidity, and was very smooth and balanced. I tasted fresh berries- namely raspberries and sweet cherries. It had a subtle fruit flavor- definitely not overpowering, but pleasant.
• Viognier 2010- Oak: This wine, aged in French oak for eight months, tasted very different from the Viognier aged in stainless steel. The wine had a smoky, creamier flavor with the oak. It was very smooth and had much lighter fruit components than the previous wine.

Reds:

• Mount Jackson Rouge: This 100% Cabernet Franc was my favorite from the entire tasting, and the bottle that I took home! It was a sweeter red, which is probably why I liked it so much. The wine was slightly spicy, combined with fresh fruity notes of berries. It was extremely refreshing, and I could see this wine being a great summer or springtime wine!
• Chambourcin 2010: For someone who doesn't love most red wines, I surprisingly enjoyed this wine. I detected woody, peppery notes and the wine was a little spicy. Smoky, earthy aromas surrounded this wine but it was not too heavy or dry. The tannic structure was very balanced and pleasant.
• Syrah 2010: This wine is a blend of 5% Viognier, and was super dry. Notes of currant and dirt were in the nose. When I tasted this wine, it really punched me in the mouth. It was bold and had a very apparent mouth pucker. Red wine drinkers may enjoy this more than I did, because it was way too rich, spicy, and dry for my tastes.
• Fossil Hill Reserve 2010: A blend of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Chambourcin combined and made this wine was a beautiful violet color. On the nose, it had notes of dark fruits, like plum and blackberries. It had a long finish and the taste was very distinct and pleasant. It would go well with cheese!

Syrah 2010

Reserve Tasting:

• Red Silk 2007: This wine was identified as the "best Cabernet Franc they ever had" in Virginia Wine Lover Magazine. This was also the bottle that my parents ended up bringing home. Aged for five years, this wine was very well rounded and balanced. It had a dark, black cherry flavor that was almost chocolatey. I also tasted notes of asparagus and spice, which sounds unpleasant but actually worked well with the body of the wine.
• Fandango 2010: This wine was full-bodied and rich. It was aged one year in French oak and one year in four-year bourbon barrels. It was sweet but balanced, with earthy, smoky notes. I didn't detect any fruity flavors in this dark wine. The wine had a zing that was unlike any other I had tasted. It would go well with cheese!
• Fandango Blanco 2011: This 100% Viognier wine was aged in new French oak for 10 months. It smelled just like peaches and cream! It tasted very sweet and sugary, almost syrupy. It tasted to me almost like a candy wine, and I could see it going well with any sort of cake or pastry for dessert! I really liked this wine and almost bought a bottle. A very good end to our tasting!

Wine tasting list

Me with Randy Phillips- the wine scientist

Inside the special tasting room for wine club members only!

My bottle of Mt. Jackson Rouge wine!

Visiting Cave Ridge Vineyard in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley was a terrific experience for my family and me. We learned a lot during our tasting and getting to go in the wine club room really rounded out the trip for me. The vineyard was just breathtakingly beautiful, and the wines were unique. I was so glad I was able to find a red wine that I liked, even if it was a sweeter red. I definitely can't wait to drink my bottle of Mount Jackson Rouge. I had a great, educational trip to Cave Ridge Vineyard, and I would love to go back someday soon!

My dad, Grandmother, and me by the vines at Cave Ridge Vineyard

Wine cork at Cave Ridge Vineyard