I spent most of Sunday at the Virginia Wine Showcase helping a friend celebrate her birthday. The expo itself was nicely done, it was not too crowded, we never had to wait more than a minute to taste at any of the booths and the wineries were well spread out.

There were quite a few new wineries on display, several of note:

Acorn Hill Winery: Out of Madison, this is a winery that I have wanted to visit for while, so I am glad I got the chance to hit their table. They had an excellent Pinot Gris and their 2006 Cabernet Franc was excellent, blended with a little Merlot to take the edge off the tannins. It was a little young, but should be very good in 6 months to a year.

Vino Curioso (the website is not up yet): Out of Winchester, this is a fun winery. The tasting room is still under construction, but they have a good compliment of wines. Highlight was also the Cabernet Franc (they call it Franc the Tank). A peppery wine, low tannings and a lighter finish than what I am used to in Virginia Cabernet Francs, but still a nice wine.

Vault Field: Part of the Northern Neck Wine Trail, this winery has two good blended wines: Conundrum a blend of several whites...none listed and their Reserve Red a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Reserve Red is a deep red wine with hints of Cherry and Blackberry. An excellent wine.

I'll put up a second post discussion the food vendors...but enjoy some pictures from the show.