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TH
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21, N
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1Tarara Winery
800.826.0534 434.985.2834Fax 434.985.8150
[email protected]
PO Box 250Stanardsville, VA 22973
Tarara Winery in Leesburg is a vibrant, expanding destination
winery with excellent wines and a stunning location close to
Washington DC. Th eir wines and Saturday evening summer concert
series have developed a great following.
Co-founded in 1975 by Margaret Hubert and her late husband
Whitie, Tarara is now a bustling stop on the Loudoun Wine Trail
with their innovative Canadian winemaker Jordan Harris.
Harris grew up on the northern side of the United States
Canadian border. After receiving high accolades in the Canadian
wine industry, including being named one of the Top 30 under 30
professionals throughout all of Canadas food and beverage industry
and being recognized by Wine Access as one of Canadas great
up-and-coming winemakers, Harris and his new bride Jennifer decided
to leave the great white north and step into the genteel South and
the Virginia wine industry.
Today, Harris is highly respected in the winemaking community
and is leading a consortium of winemakers seeking to develop
quality control standards across the Virginia wine industry.
Interestingly, the manner in which the Potomac River wraps
around the Tararas 475 acres (60 planted) is reminiscent of many of
the lake wineries in Upstate New York and in Lower Canada. Th e
riparian nature of the soils coupled with the frost protection
provided by the water rushing nearby couples to create a
microclimate unique to the region if not the entire state.
Starting in the mid to late 70s the vineyards were populated
with the then popular hybrid grapes known for their vitality in
Virginias challenging climate. Today, the last of the estate
planted hybrid grape vines are gone, replaced with classic Vitis
Vinifera plantings. In addition this year, most of the estate
grown
fruit is being fermented on native yeast, with the understanding
commercial yeasts are at the ready if the fermentation is not going
the manner the winemaker intended. Such experimentation and
subsequent adoption are the mark of a winery with legs that stand
the test of time.
Th e labels of Tarara have always been a thing of beauty. San
Francisco Artist, Martha Hubert (Yes, Whitie and Margarets
daughter) brings her unique perspective to each label treatment.
Just as the winemaking process seeks to blend complementary grapes
to produce a hand crafted well balance wine, Martha sees her work
as balancing the relationship between color balance and light.
Tararas wines are hand crafted in an old world style. From the
hand picking of the vineyards to the hands on involvement of the
winemaker on the crush pad, each and every Tarara wine is literally
in the hands of the winemaker (and his assistant) countless times
from vineyard to bottle.
Whitie and Margarets original vision for Tarara has been
recalibrated many times to better address market demands but their
initial concept of family, agriculture and excellence has never
been compromised.
Winery at a GlanceFounded in 1975
Loudoun County Wine TrailJordan Harris - Winemaker
Exciting new blends (red and white)
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Tarara Long Bomb Edition Two2008
Words have meaning. When Tarara co-founder Whitey Hubert was
playing college football at Catholic University the Long Bomb was a
strong gutsy play down the field with high risk but also high
rewards. Unfortunately, since 1984 (see Doug Flutie) this play has
become known as the Hail Mary. I only met Whitey a couple of times
before his passing in 2008 but I found him to be a team player who
believed in the positive spin of the risky Long Bomb.
While it is risky to blend 7 different red grapes (Cabernet
Franc 48%, Touiga Naional 27%, Tannat 9%, Merlot 7%, Cabernet
Sauvignon 3%, Pinot Noir 3%), the Long Bomb Edition Two
delivers.
After a challenging growing season, the fruit was destemmed, but
not crushed. The must was cold soaked for an average of six days
prior to fermentation. After 12 hours, about a tenth of the juice
was taken from the must. This is called the Saignee Method and
helps to intensify the color and complexity of the wine because it
increases the ratio of skins to juice. [The lighter juice is later
used for Ros.]
Fermented for seven months in American oak, the Long Bomb
Edition Two features a nose filled with dark plum and anise leading
to an attack that is a touch aggressive but settles down in the mid
palate with cocoa beans and smoky undertones. The finish is smooth
and lingering with well integrated dark fruit and silky
tannins.
Hearty cheeses, rare steak and eggplant parmesan are excellent
pairings for this vintage.
The Long Bomb is a quick play - not built for aging, drink now
February 2011.
Tarara Charval2009
The Tasting Panel found this interesting white blend (66%
Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Gris, 9% Viognier, 7% Sauvignon Blanc) to be
impressive in its structure and wide in its mouth feel.
The wet 2009 growing season resulted in heavy crop thinning
assisted by a Mid-July hail storm that severely damaged several
shoots. The dry spell that followed the hail prevented rot from
setting in.
Roughly a quarter of this wine was fermented in French oak
equally split between new, second fill and fifth fill (neutral)
barrels. Considering the majority (76%) of the wine is stainless
steel fermented, this approach to barrel selection resulted in the
wide, not tannic mid palate.
Winemaker Jordan Harris credits much of the aromatics to the
unique orientation of the Pinot Gris vineyard, plated in two
different directions. Our North/South oriented rows get more
sunshine allowing more tropical and honey like characters in the
wine. The East/West oriented rows allow for better acid structure
and citrus tones, Harris said.
The chardonnay dominance of this wine is most evident on the
nose with hints of green apple and banana. The attack is full and
bright with hint of lemon zest leading to a broadening midpalate
filled with pear and honeysuckle. The finish is longer than
anticipated (credit the partial barrel aging) with orange blossoms
and grapefruit.
This wine would pair well with seared sea scallops or a spicy
grilled chicken breast.
The 2009 Charval is drinking great now. Drink Now December
2010.
Lamb Osso Bucoto pair with Long Bomb Edition Two 2008
6 large lamb shanks, cut osso bucco style 2 cup red wine cup
tomato paste 1 yellow onion, diced 1 carrot, peeled and diced 2
celery ribs, diced 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 6 cups lamb
stock
(you can use beef or veal stock) 2 pieces of star anise 1
tablespoon fennel seeds 2 tablespoons coffee beans, whole salt and
black pepper 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 325. Season the lamb shanks with salt and
pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pot. Add the lamb shanks
and brown the meat on both sides.
3. Remove the shanks from the pot and drain out some of the fat.
Saut the vegetables in the pot until they turn a golden brown.
4. Whisk the tomato paste and red wine together and add to the
pot with the vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shanks, star
anise, fennel, coffee beans and stock. Bring to a boil, cover,
place the covered pot in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
5. Check the lamb for doneness by inserting a knife into the
meat. If the knife comes out easily, its done. If not, put it back
in the oven for another 15 to 30 minutes. Once the meat is done,
remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the shanks from the cooking liquid. Strain the liquid
through a sieve. Add the shanks back to the strained liquid and
keep warm until ready to serve. Serves 6.
EVENTSJune 20
historicmanassas.mymediaroom.com/events/viewevent.aspx?id=2051
Manassas Jazz & Wine FestivalHarris Pavilion, Manassas,
VA
11am - 6pm.
June 20http://www.virginiawineevents.com/calendar/
events/index.php?com=detail&eID=2827Virginia Summer Solstice
Wine Festival
Nelson County
July 3 & 4across-the-way.com/index.php?pr=fand_homeFloyd
Fandango Wine & Beer Festival formally
Wine Down The Music TrailFloyd, VA
11am - 6pm
July 17www.virginiawineevents.com/calendar/events/
index.php?com=detail&eID=26006th annual Horse and Hound
Wine Festival
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Caramelized Salmon With Orange-Shoyu Glazeto pair with Charval
2009
4 pieces salmon fillet, 6 ounces each 8 ounces fresh ginger root
cup Sichuan peppercorns 1 bunch cilantro cup sugar 2 tablespoons
coarsely ground pepper 1 tablespoon peanut oil cup Japanese soy
sauce cup Grand Marnier Sauted Mixed Vegetables (see recipe
following) Lemongrass Beurre Blanc (see recipe following)
Balsamic-Soy Essence (see recipe following)
1. The day before serving, place the salmon fillets in a
nonreactive pan. In a food processor, combine and finely chop the
ginger root, peppercorns and cilantro. Roll the salmon fillets in
the mixture, cover with plastic wrap or another plate and
refrigerate overnight.
2. Mix the sugar and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl. Heat the
peanut oil in a skillet. Press the flesh (top) side of the salmon
fillets into the sugar-pepper mixture and saut them, seasoned side
down, to caramelize the sugar, about 2 to 3 minutes. Quickly,
before the sugar burns, pour the soy sauce and Grand Marnier into
the pan, swirling and stirring well to dissolve the caramelized
bits.
3. Turn the salmon skin side down. Lower the heat to medium.
Cover the pan and let the salmon finish cooking for 5 to 8 minutes
longer, or until it is cooked medium rare. Transfer the salmon
fillets to a clean towel to drain.
4. Divide Sauted Mixed Vegetables among four warm plates. Place
a salmon fillet on top. Ladle some Lemongrass Beurre Blanc over and
around the salmon. Drizzle a few drops of Balsamic-Soy Essence over
the sauce on the plate. Garnish with Sweet Potato Puree and Fried
Basil Leaves (if desired). Serves 4.
Sauted Mixed Vegetables: olive oil for sauting pound string
beans, blanched 1 medium zucchini 1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow or
green bell pepper, cut
into -inch by 2-inch matchsticks, blanched salt and freshly
ground pepper1. Coat a skillet with the olive oil and saut the
vegetables
over moderate heat until they are heated through but not
browned. Season to taste. Serves 4.
Lemongrass Beurre Blanc: cup white wine 1 shallot, sliced 1
stalk lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 stick butter salt and
white pepper1. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the wine,
shallot
and lemongrass. Let the mixture soak for 30 minutes to soften
the lemongrass, then boil it until the liquid is almost completely
evaporated. Strain the liquid. You should have about 1
tablespoon.
2. Return the liquid to a clean saucepan. Cut the butter into 8
pats. Bring the liquid to a boil and remove the pan from the heat.
Start whisking in the butter, two pats at a time. As one is almost
melted, add the next couple of pats. If the pan gets too cool to
melt the butter, return it to the heat for a few seconds only.
Never let it boil. When all the butter is incorporated, season to
taste and set it aside. This can be made up to 3 hours in advance
and kept warm in a thermos.
Balsamic-Soy Essence: 1 cup balsamic vinegar cup Japanese soy
sauce1. Boil the mixture in a nonreactive pan until it reduces
to a syrup, about 15 minutes.
Wine Serving TemperatureAttending a number of festivals recently
the discussion of proper serving temperature
has come up. Served too cold or too warm wine loses much of the
aromatics and flavor profile. As a general rule Americans tend to
serve their whites too cold and their reds too warm.
The late Jean LeDucq, founder of Prince Michel (and a former
boss) once educated me, as only Mr. LeDucq could do that if you
must, choose to serve a wine cooler than you think it should be
served. He said a wine can always be warmed in the hands if it is
served too cold. Serving too hot would necessitate adding ice and
ruining the winemakers work.
While wine storage temperature is 55 F, serving temperature
varies by type.
Temperature (F.) Which Wines:
45 degrees (F.) Most white wines. If they are served colder, the
aromas and flavors will be minimized and you wont get full
enjoyment.
50 degrees (F.) Fuller bodied, high quality white wines
includ-ing Sauternes and rich white Burgundies. Light red wines
like Beaujolais.
60 degrees (F.) Red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc, Merlot, Bordeaux, Zinfandel, Rhones and Syrah/Shiraz
[Chart adapted from www.cellarnotes.net]
Experiment with your serving temperatures, I like my medium
bodied red blend [pizza and spaghetti red] slightly chilled so I
put them in the fridge as I am making the pasta. Let me know how
you like to serve your wines.
Editors Note: by Neil WilliamsonOur most recent tasting panel
was great fun because we added two Virginia Wine Club Members to
the panel. Anthony and Stephanie Herring were a great addition to
the review panel.Once we got past the formalities, Anthony and
Stephanie got right down to work swirling, sniffing, sipping and
spitting the wines. [Yes, we spit Its a shame] Anthony, who favors
big reds, found this months selection of Long Bomb to be very
enjoyable. Stephanie said the 2009 Charval was refreshingly fruity
and would go well with a summer salad.Not all the wines sent to the
tasting panel are selected, Anthony commented that one wine was
middle of the road, mild and meek the balance of the tasting panel
concurred and this wine will not be featured by the club.Including
members in the tasting panel has been a goal since I started
writing for the VWJ last year. If you are interested in serving as
a guest panelist, drop me a line at [email protected] I
sincerely appreciate the many suggestions that come back from our
Club Ambas-sadors at festivals. If you see me, Susan or any of our
other ambassadors at an event, please come up and say hi. I love
meeting wine club members.As always, I cant thank you enough for
including me on your Virginia Wine journey,Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson Editor, Virginia Wine Journal Chairman, Virginia
Wine Club Tasting Panel [email protected]
Vincabulary (n.) Vin-kb-yoo-lehr-ee
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