Thomas Jeffrson Finally Wins

For his entire life, wine lover Thomas Jefferson attempted to grow vitis vinifera, the European wine grapes, in the original thirteen states and most specifically, in his home state of Virginia. Jefferson was a famous wine connoisseur in his own right and was consumed with task of growing fine wine grapes in the new United States as he felt that the growing conditions here was better than those of Europe were. Try as he might, the vines he imported and experimented with died within a short time after planting and our third President could never figure out why.

Teleporting ahead to our 21st century, there are now answers to the conundrum that so vexed Jefferson, but unfortunately, few solutions. One major problem was the vine destroying louse Phylloxera Vastatrix. This is the same little louse that devastated and almost eradicated all of the grape vines in Europe in 1864. The solution to that problem was found by an American, Charles Riley, who discovered that grafting the native vinifera vines to American root stock, which was not effected by the bug, would and did, save the industry. There is still no defense against the Phylloxera so the grafting of all grape vines to American root stock continues to this day in most areas where wine grapes are grown. The grafting of the vines has created the ultimate wine question; is the quality of the wine changed by the grafting.

Our attention to all of this historical information was peaked when we received some wines from the Lost Creek Winery of Leesburg Virginia. These wines contradicted everything that we believed or thought we knew about growing vitis vinifera in the Eastern States, namely that it couldn’t be done, but the evidence to the contrary was right there in front of us. This engendered a series of phone calls, emails and in our case, ending in enlightenment.

Lost Creek Winery Genesis ($29). Genesis is the perfect name for this wine as it was the first wine from Lost Creek. Genesis is a blend of grapes, one of which we were not familiar with, the Tannat. This wine is a blend of 47% Tannat, 43% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petite Verdot producing a wine whose flavor and aroma lie somewhere between a French Bordeaux and a California Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is a deep ruby red and the aroma is a melding of summer red berries, red currents and the totally unexpected aroma of peanuts in the background. The flavor mirrors the aroma and ends in a very soft, long and silky finish. We must add that while we usually just sample the wines we write about, we were so enthralled with the Lost Creek Winery Genesis that we saved it for supper. In the few hours between our tasting and dinner, the wine did not change in any negative way and in fact, got even more intense in its flavor and aroma.

Lost Creek Winery 2012 Serenity ($22). Serenity breaks all of the rules. it is made from vidal blanc, a little used and little grown grape variety whose growing has been banned in France, the birthplace of the variety and sparkly grown in this country. It s fruity sweet without being overly sweet and lastly, it is slightly effervescent. Despite all of the negativism, it is a very interesting and enjoyable wine that deserves its place in the sun. The wine opens with the intense aromas of grapefruit and pineapple, which carry over to the flavor and then on to a resounding finish very fruity finish. We found this wine to be an interesting and very enjoyable departure from the “usual suspects” and recommend it unconditionally.

Chardonnay 2012 ($24).The Lost Creek Winery also makes a complete line of wines, including a classically styled chardonnay with a Virginia flare. Made from Burgundian clone grapes, and aged in French oak, this wine is about as classical Chardonnay. The flavor is true to Chardonnay but there are delightful under flavors that bespeak its Virginia birthplace. This is an interesting wine and definitely deserves your attention.