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TH
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WIN
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20, N
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DelFosse
800.826.0534 434.985.2834Fax 434.985.8150
PO Box 250Stanardsville, VA 22973
Highlights
Award winning wines
European style terraced vineyards
Monticello Viticultural Area
www.delfossewine.com
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Retirement from a successful career is frequently the beginning of another full-time endeavor. This was the case for Claude DelFosse. His idea of retirement was to do something different and interesting. With this in mind, he investigated several second-career options and decided that owning and operating a vineyard and winery would be a great choice. Now, he states, he works harder and longer hours than in his pre-retirement life, but he is having fun! During his search for property, he focused on central Virginia. Two of his children attended the University of Virginia, and the family owned a vacation house nearby, so he was familiar with the area, its climate and the several successful wineries already established in the Monticello viticultural area. The 330 acre farm he chose, with steep slopes of the foothills of the Blue Ridge, did not fit the description of ideal vineyard terrain, but DelFosse knew how to make it work. He now has beautiful European-style terraced vineyards on the hills surrounding the winery. The 20 acre vineyard took three years to plant and, while waiting for his vines to come into full production, he established relationships with several nearby vineyards to supplement his estate grown fruit. He approached the idea of operating this second career as a serious business, with an excellent production team to advise him of best practices. His vineyard and winery staff bring many years of experience and expertise working with Virginia vines and wines. Their ability to work with the vineyard terroir and to enhance the characteristics of the fruit in the wine is evidenced in the many competition medals awarded to their wines. He discusses the general style of each wine with the winemaker and cellar manager, and they are then responsible for the day-to-day winemaking decisions. DelFosse pitches in during the hectic harvest time, but depends on his staff to operate the cellar. From vineyard to winemaking and marketing, he is committed to environmentally sound, sustainability programs and practices. They have partnered with several other organizations, including Virginia Green, a
program that focuses on the environmental aspects of tourism. DelFosse was recently quoted extensively in a Vineyard and Winery Management report on sustainability experiences within the industry. Their labels are bright and eye-catching and were developed by a graphic artist following DelFosse’s request for a traditional wine label and a fanciful wine label in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec. The original plan was to distinguish between varietal and proprietary (blended) wines. Now, he says, they have broken the tradition, so the label is selected as it suits the wine. When he created the Cuvée Laurent label, named for his son, his two daughters wanted to know when he planned to name wines for them. He has since done so. This month’s selections are from his “children’s wine” series. There are no plans for labels for Claude or his wife Genevieve. The tasting room is in a restored 100 year old log cabin, overlooking the vineyard and lake. The entertainment plaza has increased the tasting room size and provided an area for banquets and special events. The lake side gazebo is the newest addition - an ideal site for wedding ceremonies. Visitors to the winery have many choices for enjoying a glass of wine - the entertainment plaza, next to the lake, along the five miles of hiking trails and biking trails, or simply enjoying the view from the tasting room.
Copyright, 2009 Sharon Bradshaw
2007 Réserve D’ Oriane The 2007 growing season was very dry and produced great wines, says DelFosse. This selection, named for one of his daughters, is from a blend of four varietals. Each was processed and aged independently before the blend was created. The white grapes are held in the cooler to lower their temperature before processing through the crusher-destemmer (to develop more fruitiness in the finished wine). The juice is then pumped into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for fermentation. To retain the fresh character, no malolactic fermentation is allowed. The wine was then racked into oak to add more complexity to the finish. The Chardonnay (36% of the final blend) was aged in French oak barrels to add a light toastiness, the Sauvignon Blanc (36%) was in older, more neutral oak to add soft oakiness and elegance, Petit Manseng and Viognier (at 14% each) were held in stainless steel to retain rich citrus overtones and bright acidity. Judges at the 2008 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition awarded this selection a gold medal. Recently it was reviewed in the Washington Post as an unusual blend that wine writer Dave McIntyre described as excellent, “explosively fruity and lush at the same time...” DelFosse recommends serving this wine at around 52° F, for maximum enjoyment of its fruity flavors. It pairs very well with seafood and shellfish, poultry with creamy sauces, or pork and turkey.
2006 Cuvée Laurent This blend of 72% Chambourcin, 22% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot is an easy to enjoy red wine. DelFosse described the 2006 growing season as good, producing sound, ripe fruit. As red grape varieties are brought to the processing pad, they are processed through the crusher-destemmer, then held in a cooler for several hours to increase color extraction from the skins. During fermentation, the cap is punched down twice daily. After an extended maceration time, the wine was pressed off the skins and transferred to French oak barrels to age. The barrels were a mix of new and neutral ones to ensure a hint of toasted oak bouquet and flavors. Each of the component wines was fermented independently, and went through malolactic fermentation. The blend was created after nine months of barrel aging. This is a pleasant wine with relatively soft tannins and bright fruit. The Chambourcin in the blend offers a toasty smokiness with hints of tobacco and leather. The Cabernet Franc and Merlot enhance the rich structure and red fruit flavors. This selection, named for his son Laurent, was designed for early enjoyment, within the next couple of years. Plan to serve at cool room temperature of around 65° F. Even though it was not entered into formal competitions, we judge that you’ll love this wine with cheeses, pastas and lighter meats. Nicely balanced with good acidity, it is versatile and food friendly.
Virginia Ham & Cheese Gourmet PizzaServes 4.
1 lb onions, thinly sliced1 tbsp sugar1 sheet puff pastry, thawed6 oz fontina cheese, shredded5 oz Virginia Gouda cheese, shredded1 tsp garlic powder1 tbsp fresh rosemary, crushed, or 1 tsp dried1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried1/4 tsp ground sage4 oz country cured Smithfield ham, cut into bite-size pieces Spray a heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over low heat. Separate onions into rings and place in heated skillet. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasion-ally. Remove cover and sprinkle onions with sugar; stir to coat. Return cover to skillet and cook onions for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and cook for an additional five minutes until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Preheat oven to 400° F. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured sur-face, to fit a baking sheet. Roll edges slightly to form an edge or crimp like a pie dough. Prick the entire surface of the puff pastry with a fork. Spray the pastry with cooking spray. Distribute caramelized onions evenly on top of puff pastry. Mix Fontina and Gouda cheeses with garlic powder, rosemary, thyme and sage in a bowl. Place cheese mixture on top of onions. Scatter ham on top of cheese. Bake in preheated 400° F oven for 13 min-utes or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Excellent pairing with DelFosse’s 2006 Cuvée Laurent.
Wine & Cheese ShrimpServes 6.
1 1/2 lb thinly sliced onion1 tsp sugar4 roma tomatoes, diced, seeds/pulp discarded4 tbsp fresh basil, cut into thin strips1 lb large (21-29 count ) shrimp, cooked and peeled4 tbsp butter4 tbsp flour1 cup milk1/4 cup white wine1/2 tsp sea salt1/4 tsp white pepper3 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded6 oz Gruyére cheese, shredded1 cup fresh bread crumbsContinued on page 3.
Virginia Wine of the Month Club Membership
Virginia Wines!Perfect for Enjoying
With Family and Friends1.800.826.0534
Upcoming Virginia Wine EventsApril 4-5: April Fools Wine Festival, a Heart of Virginia Wine Trail event at James River Cellars, Glen AllenInformation: 804.550.7516www.hovawinetrail.com/eventsApril 16: Grapes with the Apes, Smithsonian National Zoo-logical Park, Washington, DCInformation: 202.633.3069www.fonz.org/afterhours, “What’s up” lower rightApril 18: Danville Wine Festival and Community Market, The Crossing of the Dan, DanvilleInformation: 434.432.1063April 18: 3rd Annual Celebration of the Vine Wine Festival, Chesterfield County Government Complex, ChesterfieldInformation: 804.748.6364www.chesterfieldchamber.comApril 18: Northern Neck Wine Fest, Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern, HeathsvilleInformation: 804.580.3377chesapeakebayevents.com, click on April 2009 calendar head-ing on right, scroll down to AprilApril 18: A Taste of Virginia Wine, Fauquier Fairgrounds, Warrentonfauquierhabitat.org, scroll down to “Wine Tasting”April 18-19: Virginia Fly Fishing Tournament and Wine Tast-ing, On the banks of the South River, WaynesboroInformation: 540.836.9367www.vaflyfishingfestival.org, scroll down and click on “Wine Tasting” in the left marginApril 24-25: Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival’s Old Town Wine and Fine Arts Festival, Loudoun Street Pedestrian Mall, Winchester (yes, it really is Friday and Saturday)Information: 40.662.3863www.thebloom.com/events, click on dateApril 25: Lake Country Wine Festival, ClarksvilleInformation: 434.374.2436www.clarksvilleva.com, click on calendar, then click on dateApril 25-26: James River Wine Festival, Innsbrook Pavilion, Glen AllenInformation: 804.353.1525www.jamesriverwinefestival.comApril 25-26: Great Grapes Wine, Arts and Food Festival, Res-ton Town Center, RestonInformation: 800.830.3976www.uncorkthefun.com, click on Reston link
Our listing includes multi-winery events only. For information on this month’s individual winery events, visit your favorite winery’s web site for special dates, or visit www. virginiawine.org.
Our suggestion: call ahead before traveling long distances to attend an event - verify that the date and place are when and where you anticipate them to be.
Our Twentieth Anniversary!Our new website welcomes you:
www.vawineclub.com Plan for an extended visit to check out Virginia wine events, look over previous newsletters, find that perfect recipe for tonight’s dinner, order a wine gift for a special person, or to test your knowledge of all things in the world of wine! You are invited to add your comments to the Blog on our site. We look forward to reading your thoughts on Virginia wines.
These recipes are adapted, with permission, from the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc’s Toast to Tidewater, Celebrating Virginia’s Finest Food & Beverages. Available from The Virginia Shop at 434.977.0080.
Wine & Cheese Shrimp, continued from page 2. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place sliced onions in skillet and cover; cook over low heat until soft, stirring occa-sionally. Sprinkle sugar over onions. Continue cooking onions covered over low heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown and caramelized approximately 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat 8” X 8” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of baking dish with caramelized onions. Scatter diced tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle basil over tomatoes. Place cooked shrimp on top. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; cook over low heat for 60 seconds. Slowly add milk, allowing the milk to be absorbed into the flour mixture forming a roux. When all the milk has been absorbed, slowly add wine. Stir in salt and white pepper. Add Cheddar cheese and melt. Pour sauce over shrimp. Sprinkle Gruyére cheese over sauce; top with bread crumbs. Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 40 minutes or until the bread crumbs are brown and sauce is bubbling. Cover dish with aluminum foil; let sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Serve with brown rice and a salad. Delicious with DelFosse’s 2007 Réserve D’Oriane.
Shop
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