Wine Event: Fork and Cork

   

     Blacksburg held their annual Fork and Cork, a wine and food festival, on Saturday April 27th. I went with my boyfriend Matthew and met up with my Aunt Traci, her friend Brandi, and Matt's parents. My tickets only cost $15 (I got the extra-early bird special) and I got a free glass to taste so many great wines!

Ready to go drink some wine with my handy-dandy wine yoke! 

     We started off by going to the Peaks of Otter winery to try some fruit wines. The winery was actually a farm first before it became a winery, hence why it specializes in fruit wines. I tried seven different fruit wines at this tent. I'm going to highlight three of my favorites:

• Strawberry Shortcake: A blend of strawberries and apple. This wine gave a heavy aroma of strawberries. It tasted more apple-y though. 
• The Mango Tango: Definitely smelled like its namesake. It was heavy on the mangoes on the palate and it was also a pretty dry wine.
• Puff: This is a dragonfruit wine. It smelled very floral on the nose and tasted like dragonfruit.

    I also tried Pure Passion, Blueberry Muffin, Chili Dawg (complete with a squirt of spray cheese), and Salty Frog Margarita. My boyfriend decided to "Kiss the Devil" with their hot pepper wine. I didn't want to ruin my palate, so I didn't participate. While I really liked the Peaks of Otter wines, they were more one dimensional and something easy to drink.

HokieTron made an appearance!

     From that tent, we proceeded to get something to eat. I grabbed a Gyro (without onions) from the Cellar food truck and paired it with a Riesling/Chardonnay blend called "Off the Cuff" from Attimo Winery. I reviewed this wine in my visit to Attimo winery on Friday (the post before this one).

My Gyro!

In my opinion this wine worked very well with the Gyro. The fruitiness of the wine helped pull out the freshness of the tomatoes, greens, and Tzatziki sauce made from cucumbers. The pita helped pull more of the chardonnay flavors out of the wine. The wine might have overpowered the lamb a little bit, since it helped elevate the other fresh flavors. But all and all, I really think I didn't do too bad with this pairing.
     After we ate we attended a chef showcase on chophouse favorites. They grilled a beautiful ribeye, made a lovely hashbrown, and shared their creamed spinach recipe that featured a ton of bacon! 

The chef showcase on chophouse favorites. 

     Matt and I then met up with his parents and tasted wines at Attimo Winery (his parent's favorite of the day) and AmRhein's Wine Cellar. I tasted four different white wines: 

Tasting wines at AmRhein's.

• Pinot Gris Reserve: Per AmRhein's: "This German Alastian style wine shines with a beautiful light honey hue. The multiple aromatic notes of lush fruit, citrus, mineral, and spice are complemented by a silky and creamy texture of honeysuckle and vanilla." On the nose this wine smelled like granny smith apples. It tasted like apple and it had a buttery finish. 
• Vidal Blanc: AmRhein's review: "This intriguing wine features sweet, luscious tropical fruit. It is a well structured wine that is rich in taste, and very elegant with a smooth finish that is clean and refreshing." This wine smelled like pear and pineapples and tasted as it smelled. It was a little acidic and hot on the finish. 
• Petit Manseng: AmRhein's review: "Showcases creamy apricot with rich fruit flavors of apple, pear, and citrus that rise from the glass in this barrel fermented wine." On the nose, I smelled apples and pears again. But, on the taste I got a sweet apple with a slight acidic finish. 
• Traminette: AmRhein's review: "A delightfully crisp wine featuring the flavors of pineapple and grapefruit. The acidity is balanced with the natural residual sugar reminiscent of the German Spatlese style of winemaking." On the nose this wine was most certainly giving off citrus aromas. It tasted sweet and grapefruity. 

 

My boyfriend, Matt, enjoying the day! 

    Since the lines were incredibly long (they sold out!), we only had time to fit in one more winery. We chose Veritas winery. I tried a total of seven different wines. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• 2012 Sauvignon Blanc: Their review: "Our Sauvignon Blanc is a true expression of youth and vibrancy. The aroma and flavors show ripe grapefruit, lime rind, lemongrass and wet-stone minerality. The flavors on the palate mirror the nose and brings a mouthful of crisp ripe fruits that are balanced by Sauvignon Blanc's naturally high acidity." On the nose this wine smelled very citrusy to me. On the taste, it was a dry wine but it had a very nice balance of fruit and heat. 
• 2012 Saddleback Chardonnay: Veritas's review: "A medium bodied wine showing aromas of apple, pear, honeydew melon, and kiwi. It is a perfect wine to pair with light fish and shellfish dishes, or even poultry with citrus sauces. Nice 'Chablis style' with stainless steel fermentation and matured 4 months in neutral French oak barrels." I think I like the unoaked Chardonnays more than the oak so I was excited to try this barely oaked wine. It smelled like pear and kiwis and tasted like pears and kiwis but not as crisp as I was expecting. I guess the 4 months in the oak barrels helped tame the fruit a little. 
• 2012 Rose: Their review: "The beautiful light color is natural and achieved by bleeding the juice from the skins of the Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes after 24 hours of skin contact. The nose is rich with berries and spice with soft floral aromas. The palate continues with fresh strawberries and cherries accented with a touch of residual sugar to help add body to the wine." On the nose I smelled some dark cherry notes and a hint of spice. Tasting this wine, I could pick out cherries and a smoky, bitterness, that I found surprising for a rose. This rose packed a punch. 

   

Matt and I finishing up our day of wine and fun!

     I had a ton of fun at Fork and Cork. I wish I would've gotten there earlier to be able to enjoy more wines then I did. My favorite wine of the day was the Traminette from AmRhein's. I found it to be very refreshing and something I could see myself sipping on a warm summer's day. It was sweet but not overly so, and it was the one wine I kept thinking about all day long. There's no doubt that I'll be at Fork and Cork next year!