Edible Blue Ridge Winter 2022

v Virginia’s sparkling wine production has in creased in the last few years, with more in person events and celebrations due to loosened COVID-19 restrictions, which had incapaci tated the events industry in 2020 and 2021. e Virginia wine industry, as a whole, brings in close to 2 billion dollars in annual revenue. And while most people associate sparkling wine with celebrations, more people are now consuming sparkling on an everyday basis, increasing the demand. While there are over 300 wineries in Virginia, there are only 24 wineries producing sparkling wines, with a smaller number producing them in the tradi tional French method. Patricia Kluge of Kluge Estate (now Trump Winery) started the trend for Virginia sparkling by hiring Claude ibaut, a wine maker from Champagne, France, who moved to Virginia as a consultant to help the Estate produce high-end sparkling wine. A few years later, ibaut started his own label and released NV Blanc de Chardonnay. Today, Claude co-owns ibaut-Janisson, a sparkling-only winery located in Waynesboro. ey produce sparkling wine in the traditional method us ing Chardonnay, Viognier, and Pinot Noir. A fairly new operator owned by Veritas Vineyard and Flying Fox Vineyard, Virginia Sparkling Company, offers other wineries the oppor tunity to produce sparkling wine using their equipment, as a way to alleviate the burden of having to buy additional winemaking equip ment designed for sparkling. Chardonnay, one of the main varietals used to make sparkling wine, happens to be the most widely-grown varietal in Virginia! Virginia has some high-elevation peaks reach ing 3300’, which allows the Chardonnay grape to retain its acidity (high elevation equals lower temperatures and increased ventilation, which slows ripening and preserves the acidity in the fruit). Chardonnay is always the first pick of the season when the brix (sugar content) of the grape is on the lower side. e most common name for sparkling wine is Blanc de Blanc(s) (made entirely with white grapes) and Blanc de Chardonnay, which is produced using 100%Chardonnay. Some vineyards use 100% Pinot Noir to make sparkling wines and name it Blanc de Noir(s). Wineries are constantly experiment ing and picking grapes earlier to ensure the

Celebrate Virginia’s Bubbles!

Janine Aquino PHOTOS

Edible Blue Ridge

WORDS

acidity levels are conducive to sparkling, and many use a blend of different varietals, blend ing white and red grapes. Varietals to note that are different from the traditional Char donnay and Pinot Noir - Norton, Muscat, Seyval Blanc, Cayuga, Chardonel, and others. Virginia has a diverse terrain, which lends it self to diverse fruit and all types of sparkling wines made using various methods. e two most traditional methods for sparkling are: Traditional Method (also known as the mé thode champenoise). e most prestigious method, whereby wine undergoes a second fermentation process in the bottle to produce carbon dioxide — the engine behind that soft, bubbly mouthfeel in sparkling wine. Charmat Method (aka the “tank method”). Traditional method-made wines usually have more yeasty, toasty aromas and flavors, while Charmat sparklings tend to emphasize a more “fresh” flavor profile. It’s a sparkling wine making process that traps bubbles in wine via carbonation in large steel tanks. Prosecco is a good example of wine that uses this produc tion method. Some notable local producers: 1. ibaut Janisson - Waynesboro, VA NV Blanc de Chardonnay Varietal: 100% Virginia Chardonnay Notes per the winemaker: Elegant and suave, with good minerality. Subtle notes of apple, white peach with hints of hazelnuts. Creamy mouthfeel, fine bread, clean and zesty finish. Pairs with: Light appetizers, fresh oysters, shellfish, cheddar cheese, and meaty fish such as sea bass. Varietal: 100% Estate Grown Pinot Noir Notes per the winemaker: On the nose the wine exhibits passionfruit, raspberry and almonds backed by notes of toasty ginger bread. e wine is lively with acidity, burst ing with candied lemon and fresh apple, but balanced on the finish with sweet peach fla vors and a richness gained from 18 months en tirage. Pairs with: Turkey, duck, goose, cranberry sauce, earthy mushroom dishes, and salty cheeses such as parmesan and gouda. 2. CrossKeys - Mt. Crawford, VA 2019 Blanc de Noir

3. Ankida Ridge - Amherst, VA 2019 Blanc de Blancs Varietal: 100% early picked estate grown Chardonnay Notes per the winemaker: Bright notes of green apple, pear and a touch of citrus combine to create a brilliantly fresh, lively Brut. Pairs with: Creamy risotto, smashed pota toes, yams, creamy cheeses, sugar cookies. e last type of sparkling coming from Vir ginia is pét-nat (méthode ancestrale). While it’s probably the oldest form of sparkling wine, pét nat is considered a newcomer to the U.S. Rather than blending different dry wines and putting them through a second round of fermentation and aging, pét-nat is bottled while still undergo ing its first round of fermentation, so the natural sugars, sediment, and yeast can be seen float ing in the wine. It’s typically capped with a beer bottle cap instead of a cage apparatus, as there isn’t as much bubble action happening once it’s bottled. It’s more of a wild fermentation, lead ing to all types of funky flavors. Winemakers are experimenting with grape varietals, both red and white, when making this wine, and every bottle is different. Virginia has caught on and is produc ing some particularly delightful pét-nat. Early Mountain, Bluestone Vineyards, Gabriele Rausse Winery, and Walsh Family Wine are a handful of wineries experimenting with this “natural” spar kling method. Whatever wine you choose, whether you’re celebrating with loved ones or hunkered down in front of a fire on a cozy winter evening, we en courage you to sip some local bubbles and enjoy the taste of our region.

EDIBLE BLUE RIDGE WINTER 2022 | 11