King Family Viognier 2006 (VA)
Price: $24
Grade: B+
Nestled between the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Mountains lies King Family Vineyards. It shares land with a wildlife preserve inhabited by many kinds of water fowl, cows and horses used in the nearby polo grounds. The tasting room is small but elegant. Inside you can sample a wide array of impressive Virginia wines including chardonnay, merlot, cabernet franc, a bordeaux-style red, port, a sparkling wine, and viognier. Outside on the patio, visitors can purchase a glass of wine and enjoy it overlooking a beautiful vista of mountain ranges, polo grounds, a country estate and even a nearby pond. The King family has perfected what the Virginia winery experience should be all about: great wine, scenic views and the feeling of drinking wine made in the surrounding vineyards.
Virginia wine has undergone a renaissance in the last 15 years or so. Although America has many indigenous grape varietiels — the first explorers of the new world referred to it as Vineland — Jamestown colonists brought European vine grafts to the new world in 1607 for the production of church wine.
In the early 19th century, Thomas Jefferson brought back a plethora of wine knowledge from Europe as well as vine grafts from notable regions during his time as ambassador to France. He and his friend Philip Mazzei were some of the first Virginian visionaries to cultivate European-style wine with the goal of commercial profit and viticulture bragging rights. Jefferson wanted to produce quality wine in America to diversify the agricultural economy and to disprove prevailing scientific theories that America had an inferior natural environment when compared to Europe.
After California hit in the international wine market in the 1970s, other states began taking advantage of the surge of American interest in wine. On the east coast, Virginia undoubtedly makes the best American wine. The reason: it has a climate that serves many European grape varietals, and more importantly, winemakers take their history and quality very seriously. Current Virginia winemakers seek to achieve the goal set by Thomas Jefferson some 200 ago. The best grapes Virginia has offered as their classic staples are viognier and cabernet franc. Indeed, there is now a clear “Virginia style” for both grapes.
But effort and high goals do not mean that Virginia lacks viticultural problems. For one, the Virginia climate can only create very light, often unripe reds. Viscous grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, nebbiolo, syrah, and even pinot noir usually turn out thin and watery. This propensity for dilute wine, however, can serve thinner grapes like cabernet franc and merlot. Where Virginia winemakers struggle with red, they do very well with sweet, floral whites and dessert wines.
Of these whites, viognier is king. Originally a Rhone Valley grape, one would expect a good new world producer to have an extremely hot and dry climate. We U.Va. students know, however, that the above descriptions do not really apply to central Virginia, which has humid conditions mimicking a Turkish bath.
The King family viognier is a competent bottle of wine. The nose picks up aromas of flowers, perfume, citrus, apple and honeydew. The palate finds similar flavors of flowers, perfume, honey, and Granny Smith apple. Although the bottle is enjoyable, the price seems far out of line. Yet, one must remember that Virginia wine is often overpriced given the fact that the state does not really have a national outlet.
Most, if not all, the wineries in Virginia are boutique and sell only to Virginia restaurants and stores as well as to visitors to the vineyards. The prices are too high because of necessity, for the most part. Looking ahead, if Virginia can garner a national market and drop their prices about $10, then they will make value wines worth comparison to their European counterparts. The future of Virginia wine is to increase production and lower prices.
Jeff’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can be reached at j.katra@cavalierdaily.com.
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