Top 100 red wines of Virginia - Page 3
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Virginia as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Virginia and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Virginia
Virginia is a state on the eastern seaboard of the United States, located immediately South of Maryland and North of the Carolinas. The state covers 42,750 square miles (110,750 km2) of mountains, valleys and the Atlantic coastal Complex that forms its eastern border. From the Cumberland and Blue Ridge Mountains in the west to the coastal creeks and estuaries in the east, Virginia's topography and geology are varied, to say the least. The landscape around the Chesapeake Bay - a vast coastal inlet that separates the main state from its Eastern Shore - could hardly be more different from that below Mt Rogers (1,750m), 480km to the west.
The Shenandoah Valley is the largest AVA in the country. It stretches for 240 km at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the natural boundary that separates Virginia from West Virginia. The Monticello AVA is the oldest, formed in February 1984 and located around Charlottesville in Central Virginia. It has the honor of being the home of Thomas Jefferson, his extensive French wine collection and the state's first winery.
Discover the grape variety: Tannat
Tannat is a red grape variety from Béarn which belongs to the cotoïdes family. Present in several vineyards of France, it occupies nearly 3,000 ha. Its leaves are reddish with tan patches. Its bunches are either of normal size or larger. Its berries have a thin skin and are rounded. Its foliage has a swarthy appearance. This variety must be pruned long because it is vigorous. It likes sandy and gravelly soils. Tannat is often exposed to leafhoppers and mites. It is also somewhat susceptible to grey rot. It has 11 approved clones, including 474, 717 and 794. Once mature, this variety produces acidic, fruity, tannic, acidic and full-bodied wines. Various aromas emerge, notably tobacco, cinnamon and exotic wood. Tannat is rarely used alone. It is combined with iron-servadou to obtain a fruitier taste or with cabernet sauvignon to be more rounded.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Virginia
red wines from the region of Virginia go well with generally quite well with dishes of game (deer, venison), spicy food or beef such as recipes of rabbit with mustard, thyme and cream, white beans with tomato (italy) or southern beef meatballs.
