Blacksburg Fork and Cork

My first Blacksburg Fork and Cork experience began with a 40 minute wait in line for Trump Winery from Charlottesville. After tasting five excellent wines, I figured I would need to buy a bottle to make the time pass in between tastings and line waiting. I ended up getting a $10 rose from Trump, the cheapest wine I saw all day. It was not stellar, but the price and my sobriety were the main reasons I made the purchase. Here are the wines I tasted from Trump:

Blanc de Blanc

Chardonnay

2008

$25

Winery Review:  Brut sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay, using the traditional French methode Champenoise. Nose of green apple, brioche and slight pear. On the mouth there is crisp acidity with citrus notes. Aged 22 months on the lees. Pair with mild cheeses, sushi, or serve as an aperitif. 

Personal Review:  Very fizzy and crisp. Definitely smelled the apple and pear notes, and the aromas were especially sour. The flavors weren't as much sour as they were crisp, tart, and acidic. It was a very good sparkling wine, but needed to be paired with food for sure.

Chardonnay

2012

$17

Winery Review:  90% in stainless steel and 10% in French oak barrels. Vibrant grapefruit, pear and citrus aromas that are lush and crispy on the palate, finishing with a subtle creaminess. Refreshing, crisp and clean, this wine is easy to drink by itself and stands up well to food. Pair with gazpacho, caprese salad, and quiche.

Personal Review:  Again, very crisp and tangy. Did not go down as smooth as most chardonnays, but still was very refreshing. Would be great on a hot day to drink on your porch. Citrus was very present in aromas and flavors. Wasn't buttery or oaky like most chardonnays, but that was due in part to it being stored mainly in stainless steel.

Rose

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

2011

$10

*Paired with cheeses and apple slices

Winery Review:  Dry rose blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Nose of strawberry and flowers. Raspberry and grapefruit on the palate. Excellent balance between acidity and volume. Pair with anything off the grill, pizza, charcuterie, and cheese.

Personal Review:  Though I did buy a bottle, it was very light and watery. Grapefruit was the most dominant flavor, but the rest was like white grape juice. The aromas were also very light and flowery, maybe a bit of honeysuckle. Got much better as I tried it with sample slices of cheese. The apple watered it down even more, but the cheese was a nice complement and made it seem more full-bodied.

Simply Red

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc

2008

$17

Winery Review:  Lightly toasted aromas of black currant, blueberries cherries. Smooth, medium bodied with flavors of black cherry and cocoa with a long finish. Pair with chicken, pork tenderloin, and soft cheeses.

Personal Review:  This wine had an exceptional amount of pepper, which ended up being overpowering. Despite its lack of smoothness, it was still very flavorful. I enjoyed it alot, but it would have paired great with a heavy meat such as steak.

CRU

Chardonnay

2012

$28

Winery Review:  100% Chardonnay juice fortified with brandy, then aged in bourbon barrels. Try it on the rocks or mixed for a sweet treat with a kick. 

Personal Review:  The best wine of the day by far. The winery said that it had been stored in the same barrels that Jack Daniels whiskey is aged in. The alcohol was very strong, almost 20%, but it was very refreshing and flavorful. The color was a light golden brown, and the aroma smelled of bourbon. Fantastic to drink without food.

After I left the Trump tasting table, I waited a mere 20 minutes for the Attimo Winery. I tasted a very good rose and an excellent Reisling there.

Just Kissed

Vidal Blanc Rose

$17

Personal Review:  A very sweet rose. Tasted almost as if there were actual cubes of sugar sprinkled in the wine. Still tasted very much like a red, with hints of pepper and raspberry apparent all the way through the finish. Was good by itself, would have been even better as a dessert wine.

Off the Cuff

Riesling, Chardonnay

$17

Personal Review:  Another very sweet wine, but the sugar and fruitiness went well with the lightness of a white. There was a mixture of spices with fruit, along with a tinge of a high alcohol content. I personally would not spend over $10 on this wine.

My favorite wine of the day by far was the CRU from Trump Winery. If I could afford to spend $28 on 750 mL of wine, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But alas, I do not have such assets. The CRU was fortified, brought strong flavors of brandy and whiskey, and was one of the smoothest wines of the day. It tasted exactly like it looked: like golden excellence. 

All of us at Fork and Cork had a wonderful time, drank plenty of wine, and will most likely come back again in the future to enjoy more wine.