On Friday evening, I attended the SunTrust Governor’s Cup Wine Tasting at the Virginia Wine Expo, which was one of the opening events for the weekend’s festival, which in now in its 2nd year.  This was my first time attending, and it was one of the best festivals I have gone to yet.  The cavernous Richmond Convention center left plenty of room for both the wineries and guests to taste and chat about the wines.   About 50 of the state’s top wineries were there, along with a number of food and art vendors.

Friday evening was made even more special by a reserve tasting at each wineries, excellent foods from local restaurants, special awards, and, of course, the announcement of the 2009 Governor’s Cup.   The festivities began with the awarding of the Lifetime Achievement award to Felicia Rogan, a longtime industry veteran and groundbreaker with her Oakencroft Vineyards.   When it came time to announce the awards for the wine, this year's went to Keswick Vineyard’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, made by winemaker Stephen Barnard.  The award was a first for Keswick Vineyards, but a second for Stephen, who also won the award for Rappahannock’s 2005 Viognier Reserve.

Keswick Vineyard’s reserve tasting for the evening was, naturally, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.  This young was decanted, as it is still full and tannic, due to the quality of the 2007 harvest and aging in new French and America oak.  I must say I agree with the judges – the wine is rich and full, with loads of blackberry and plum flavors, with an underlying cedar component.  If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this bottle, I recommend laying it down for several years.

Twenty-two gold medals (listed below) were also awarded for the 2009 Governor’s Cup, and many of those were available for tasting as well.  A nice mix of white, red, and dessert wines, there is something for everyone on this list.   I personally made sure to get a bottle of Pollak Vineyard’s 2006 Mertiage before heading home, although Jefferson’s Vineyards 2007 Petit Verdot was also up there on my list.  Overall, however, I though the gold medals winners were a great list of wines and really representative of all the progress Virginia has made – I recommend seeking these wines out!

Governor’s Cup Winner
2007 Keswick Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Gold Medal Winners
2008 Autumn Hill Vineyards Petit Verdot-Merlot
2005 Barboursville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
2007 Barrel Oak Winery Cabernet Franc
2006 Cardinal Point Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve
NV Cooper Vineyards 'Noche' (Norton Dessert Wine)
NV Cooper Vineyards 'Vida' (Late Harvest Vidal)
2007 Fabbioli Cellars Cabernet Franc
2006 Flying Fox Vineyard Petit Verdot
2006 Fox Meadow Winery 'Le Renard Rouge'(Meritage)
2007 James River Cellars Gewurztraminer
2007 Jefferson Vineyards Petit Verdot
2007 Keswick Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Keswick Vineyards Hertiage Reserve
2007 King Family Vineyards 'Loreley' (Late Harvest Viognier)
2006 Mountfair Vineyards 'Wooloomooloo' (Meritage)
2006 Pollak Vineyards Mertiage
2007 Rappahannock Cellars Chardonnay
2005 Rockbridge Vineyard Syrah
2006 Sweely Estate Winery '1867' (Meritage)
2001 Valhalla Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Veritas Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
2007 Virginia Wineworks Michael Shaps Cabernet Franc

Congratulations to all!