 There are more than a few 'inconvenient truths' about Virginia wines and winemaking that we all have to acknowledge and deal with. One of the most prevalent ones is 'just because you like a grape or is popular, doesn't mean it will do well here and should be planted everywhere'. Our weather here is so varied and unpredictable (as I watch another gully-washer roll past the store...) not every grape variety is built to deal with it and still make good wine season after season. Sauvignon Blanc has definitely been one of those varieties, but when there is success that breaks through, it is good to reward that bravery and commitment. Veritas really capture sunshine in the glass here, full of bright apple and pear skin aromas right from the first pour, more Loire-like and energetic. Plenty of weight to the palate for a Virginia white, lots of zingy green apple and melon with juicy energy and a long lingering tartness to the finish. A great wine to cut through the humidity of Central Virginia, or matched with most any shellfish dish you can imagine.
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 Back in with the Insider's Picks after a brief mid-Summer hiatus, with lots of fun new arrivals to show off in the coming weeks. Owen Roe is an iconic Pacific Northwest winery based in the Yakima Valley, unique in that they have achieved excellence and popularity with both Washington AND Oregon wines. Very rare to find a producer that doesn't focus on JUST the Willamette Valley or JUST Columbia River/Walla Walla/Yakima Valley to make their mark, with such a diverse range or varieties, climates, and styles to traverse. But Owen Roe is almost a unicorn in that respect, hitting winners from both red and white wines all across the spectrum. Now with their value oriented Corvidae Wine Co. (named after the crows, ravens and magpies that roam the area), they are hitting some outstanding price points for the quality in the bottle. Mostly Yakima fruit, this shows a darker, savory, almost Northern Rhone type profile that almost never gets approached at this price point, with lots of cocoa-dusted blackberry and black cherry aromas from the get-go. The palate is very bright and finely tannic, still with lots of dark fruit flavors but finishing with some tart cherry skin flavored energy. Quality, diversity, AND value; Owen Roe can do it all.
 Both projects are from winemakers that aspire to create outstanding wines without the need for high extraction or heavy manipulation, and have legions of fans that sing their praises. Tan Fruit is the Chardonnay side hustle of Jim Maresh Jr., winemaker and owner of Arterberry Maresh, one of the most important and esteemed (mostly) Pinot Noir producers in Oregon. Enfield is newer to the game, started by winemaker John Lockwood in 2010 on the side of his regular winemaking gigs before committing 100% t it in 2013, but they specialize in small lots of distinctive wines from old, unique and sometimes even forgotten vineyards across California. Both wineries work with the mantra of making soil driven, acid driven wines with lots of brightness to the flavors; when meeting Jim for a recent tasting at our store, he was very fond of saying he likes to harvest the grapes when they are 'al dente'. The Petite Tan Fruit mirrors a Petit Chablis (no surprise) with a fresh flinty aroma of stone fruits and crisp peach, light and refreshingly tangy on the palate with loads of minerally citrus and a hint of nutty almond skin to the finish. The Grenache starts with peppery red fruits and tart raspberry aromas at first, turning riper as it opens up with lots of snappy lip-smacking fruit o the palate, finishing almost citrusy. A great pair to enjoy over this All-American weekend, or you can do just one or the other. Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
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The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
January 2026
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