Winemaker’s Choice Flight

Sparkling Riesling- Blanc de Blanc

This wine recently won a gold medal in the 2024 Virginia Govornor’s Cup!

This sparkling white wine was made using the Charmat Method.

100% Riesling estate grown at Cave Ridge Vineyard, Mount Jackson, VA. The grapes were picked on September 19, 2022. All grapes were harvested by machine, and yielded 13.1 Tons of grapes.

Harvest Information: Ph: 3.15 Acid: 9.5 gm/L Sugar: 17.3 Brix

Aromas and appearance: Color is clear and bright with a hint of citrus, otherwise distinct aromas are subdued. Small bubbles are indicative of the natural fermentation process.

Flavors: Pronounced green apple flavors finish with a zesty dryness with the 1 gram per liter of residual sugar present in the wine.

Pairings: This sparkling wine does not need food, but fresh fruits such as apples and strawberries provide an enjoyable combination. Shellfish: Any shellfish, but oysters are an amazing pairing. Asian dishes such as sushi will work well with this wine.

2023 White Wine of Cabernet Franc

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Harvested: September 2023
Processed: Whole Cluster pressed, no time on skins to achieve a white wine
Sugar at Harvest: 21 Brix of Sugar
Sweetness: .25% grams per liter (dry).
Fermented and Aged: Entirely in Stainless Steel for 6 months
Ph at harvest: 3.5
Acid in Tartaric: .70 grams per liter

White wines produced from red varieties like Cabernet Franc are not often produced. The process of whole cluster pressing to prevent any red pigments in the juice can be tricky. The process of pressing the grapes must be stopped at just the right time to limit the extraction of color from the skins.

Tasting Notes:
The flavors are unique as there are phenolics from the Cabernet grape that provide body and roundness as in a Chardonnay, but that is the only similarity to Chardonnay. There is more structure to this wine, that makes it unique. The finish lingers and does not diminish as a more acidic wine tends to do. Although there is a small amount of residual sugar, it is not noticeable as its only purpose is to diminish any astringency that is present from the phenolics of this grape.

Food Pairing: This wine can be paired with a variety of foods given its structure. People should experiment with pairings themselves since this is a style of wine not commonly produced in this Country.

2021 Red Silk

This is the 8th Red Silk Label Vintage we have produced. The first was in 2006, and the purpose is to highlight certain vintages of Cabernet Franc that are noteworthy. We first planted Cabernet Franc at Cave Ridge in 2001, and have since added several acres.

Every vintage is different, so every Red Silk label is different to reflect elegance and to celebrate different cultures and ethnicities. The 2021 Red Silk illustration was painted by wine club member, Donna Tizol, and portrays a Japanese woman in a traditional kimono.

Winemaking: Fermented for approx. 10 days in open-top bins to dryness. Aged in new French and Hungarian Oak for 14 months.

Residual Sugar: .02%

Aromas: Fruit: Red fruit
Spice-sweet: cinnamon
Spice-pungent: White Pepper
Oak: Vanilla, toast

Flavors: Fruit: Red Fruit, Cherry and Plum
Spice-sweet: cinnamon
Oak: Cedar