INSIDER' PICK: 2019 LINDEN VINEYARDS 'WABI SABI' WHITE WINE $23.99

With October being Virginia Wine Month, we wanted to spend at least one Insider's pick on one of the best wineries in the state. If you were to make a list of Virginia wineries that have consistently been at the very top level of quality in the state since the 1990s, it would be impossible to not have Linden on it. The constant presence of Jim Law and consistent mindset of the team in the vineyards and the cellars have genuinely helped to set the standard the rest of the state strives to reach. Their Hardscrabble Chardonnay and Red are iconic bottlings, and their quality extends throughout their entire lineup. This is probably their most whimsical wine; the term 'wabi sabi' is the name of a Japanese style that embraces the imperfect or incomplete, and the wine (also built to work with Asian cuisine) is blended lot by lot each year, changing the blend and the winemaking to best suit each vintage. Primarily Vidal Blanc and Viognier with decent chunks of Semillon and Petit Manseng, this is rich and floral but not nearly as much sweetness as one would first think. The first whiff is honeyed beeswax and pops of Viognier's white flowers, and with the evident richness in the glass you expect the first hit on your palate to be sugary. Far from it; apple and pear skin, crunchy white fruit, lots of mouthwatering acidity, great complexity through the finish. Excellent food partner with dishes featuring soy, ginger and some heat, can even stand up to beef with its richness.

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