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Judging Wine, Discovering Wine
Come May, I start looking for the one specific email. An invitation from Debbie Gioquindo to be the judge at the Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits competition.
Now practically a tradition (which will be ending this year, sigh), it started about 8 years ago when I got this invitation for the first time. Ever since, I’ve always looked forward to the first Saturday in September after Labor Day, to take an 80-mile scenic drive to Rhinebeck, New York, where the Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival had been held for the past 20 years.
For 18 out of those 20 years, Hudson Valley Wine Competition (expanded in 2011 to include spirits, thus becoming Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits Competition) had been an indelible part of the festival. Wine and spirit producers who are located in the Hudson Valley Region in New York submit their wines and spirits to be evaluated blindly by the judging panel to identify the best wines and spirits produced in the Hudson Valley (if you are interested, you can find all the details here).
Judging wines is always a fun project. We are doing this using the American Wine Society wine evaluation chart, where each wine can be awarded up to 20 points divided into a number of categories. Once individual tasting rounds are done, the best wines are judged together to decide on the best in show and best wine in different categories. If you are curious about the detailed results, here you can find the results from each year the competition has been run, and here are the results from the 2026 competition.
Here is an interesting tidbit. I had been judging wines at the Hudson Valley Wines Competition for a while. All the judging is done in small groups, judging panels (3 people), going through the flights of wines. The only information known about the wines is the grape composition. Sometimes, the same type of wines – for example, Cabernet Franc wines, a flagship red from Hudson Valley, usually judged independently from other reds – can be split between different panels. Here is where the judging process can falter. Judges always reach consensus within a panel when deciding on the scores and awards. But if one of the panels is more forceful than the other (e.g., consistently scoring the wines higher), the end result might be unexpected – the winning wine might not be objectively better (yeah, I know, that sounds bad, wine is subjective, there is nothing objective about wine, and yet this is the only way I can put it) than the wines judged by the less forceful panel… Such was the case this time, but oh well, what’s done is done…
Speaking about my favorites from the wines participating in the 2026 Hudson Valley wine competition, I had a few.
2025 Benmarl Winery Pétillant Naturel of Cabernet Franc, which won the Best Sparkling award, was simply excellent – refreshing, vibrant, and balanced. 2024 Robibero Estate Grown Syrah Hudson River Region was textbook perfect – dark fruit and pepper, a delicious (and my most favorite) expression of the Northern Rhône’s favorite grape. Lastly, 2023 Red Maple Vineyard Ethos, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, offered an excellent rendition of classic Bordeaux Claret, with cassis and eucalyptus, round and well balanced.
Done with judging, let’s talk about discoveries. One of the fun parts of judging the wines at the Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival is an opportunity to walk around the floor, taste sauces, jerky, candies, etc. (I have done none of it this year), and taste some wines.
When I saw the stand with the wine from Vermont called Vino Freddo, especially after reading the list of grape varieties in the wine (62% Petite Pearl, 12% Marquette, 10% Crimson Pearl, 9% L’Acadie Blanc, 7% St. Pepin), I basically had two competing thoughts: “I must try it, there are at least 5 grape varieties I never tasted before, a great opportunity to advance the lovely grape counter” and “ohhh, this can’t be good…”. So the first thought prevailed, and upon the first sip, another thought floated up “hmmm, this is not bad at all!”. I spoke with Andy Farmer, who made this wine, and he explained that his inspiration for this wine was drawn from the Italian heritage, and Sicily in particular, with the goal of creating a red BBQ wine that can be drunk chilled – and I have to say that the mission was successfully accomplished with the grapes, which can actually grow well in the cold climate. I liked the wine enough to even get the bottle for home, and I plan to enjoy it when the summer comes back.
As I continued walking around the floor, I saw another winery stand, and a reprint of the winemaker interview published by Carl Giavanti – those interviews are well recognizable, as Carl uses the Prisma app (or similar) for the picture processing, which gives it a very distinct look. Drawn by the interview, I had to stop by and meet the “subject” of the interview – winemaker Kyle Mizuno – and taste his wines.
I started with two Rosé wines, both of which were interesting. 2023 Rolling Hills Sabrevois Rosé had a color of light red wine, not much of a pink – this was not my favorite (this wine was not made by the previous winemaker at Rolling Hills). 2025 Rolling Hills Estate Rosé had pretty much the same color (light ruby, if anything), but was a bit more round and drinkable. I also tried 2024 Rolling Hills Marquette, which was a serious wine – dark, brooding, focused, and powerful. After tasting Kyle’s wines, I decided that I should probably do an interview of my own. Kyle graciously agreed, and you should expect to see it soon.
That’s the end of my story about judging and discovering wines (and new grapes!). Until the next time…
Virginia Is For [Wine] Lovers
Virginia is for lovers. Everybody knows that. Or at least I assume that many people know that, as you can see these words on the billboards and in magazines. The original slogan was developed in 1969, stating that “Virginia is for beach lovers” and “Virginia is for history lovers”, before becoming just “Virginia is for lovers”.
That slogan also perfectly applies to our favorite subject here on these pages – wine. We can proclaim with conviction that Virginia is for wine lovers.
You might know that the love of wine in Virginia is tightly woven with American history. Thomas Jefferson was one of the original vintners in Virginia, tirelessly working at his Monticello estate to establish Vitis Vinifera plantings in his vineyard in the early 1800s. While he was not successful, his passion definitely survived to the present day, giving way to the top-notch, world-class wines produced in Virginia today.
My first encounter with Virginian wines was about 16 years ago, driven by the quest for rare grapes (also covered in one of the first 10 posts on this blog). I had an opportunity to visit Chrysalis Vineyards in Virginia to taste the wine made from the Norton grape – another historical connection to the Virginia wine scene, developed by Dr. Norton in 1825. During my visit, I found way more than just a delicious wine made from Norton, but also a full lineup of wines made from the classic French grapes. Ever since, I never had a doubt that Virginia makes world-class wine (except I can’t find them in Connecticut because … no… I’m not falling into the USA wine laws rant today…).
Recently, I was offered an opportunity to review and write about Virginian wines, which I gladly accepted. You already know that I hold Virginian wines in high regard, and they are largely not available in Connecticut, so this was a perfect opportunity to taste some new wines. I was a bit surprised when I got a full case, 12 bottles, of the wines from Virginia. The box contained no explanations, just a set of wines – one sparkling, 3 whites, and 8 reds.
I have randomly chosen a bottle of red to open, and boom – I’m blown away. Next bottle, red again – another OMG moment. At this point, I’m really curious, and I went online to research what wines I have received, and after checking a few wine names, I suddenly realized that I got not some random 12 wines from Virginia – no, I got the 2026 Governor’s Cup Case, 12 best of the best wines from Virginia.
Virginia Governor’s Cup originated in 1982 from a small tasting of Virginia wines during the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, where about 50 people tasted the locally made wines. Starting in 1989, the event became an official competition, with the Governor of Virginia presenting the awards. In 2026, 670 wines, ciders, and meads entered the competition. 113 wineries received 224 Gold Medals, and the 12 highest-ranking red, white, and sparkling wines made up the Governor’s Cup Case.
Now I knew why each wine tasted better than the previous one… Well, whatever comes up, goes down, but that’s what makes the wine world so exciting. Keep reading, you will see what I’m talking about.
For what it’s worth, here are my notes in the order I tasted the wines:
2023 Fifty-Third Winery Two Springs Red Blend Monticello AVA (13% ABV, 73% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot)
Bright Ruby color
Fresh berries, Malbec-like, blackberries, raspberries, eucalyptus
Beautiful fresh berries, almost crunchy but juicy, eucalyptus, perfectly balancing acidity, firm structure.
8+, a wow wine.
2023 Glen Manor Vin Rouge Virginia (13.4% ABV, 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 4% Petite Verdot)
Beautiful Garnet
Eucalyptus, mint, freshly crushed red berries
Beautiful, supple, generally with layers of energy. A hint of cassis, beautiful fluffy texture, well integrated tannins and perfect balance. A delight.
8+, superb pop’n’pour
2024 Granite Heights Humility Virginia (12.7% ABV, 100% Lagrein)
Brilliant garnet
Fresh black and red fruit, eucalyptus
Stunning. Lip-smacking, gobs of fruit, wild, succulent berries, perfectly woven around a generous but firm core. Layers of pleasure, perfect balance. Wow.
8+/9-, superb.
2023 Pollack Vineyards Merlot Reserve Monticello (14.5% ABV, 100% Merlot, 80% Clone 343, 20% Clone 181, 18 months in French oak barrels)
Purple and inky
Cherries, spices, a whiff of bell pepper, eucalyptus
A celebration in the mouth – lots of succulent fruit, black cherries, blackberries, black currant, just gobs of it, smothered over eucalyptus leaves, dusted with black pepper. Voluptuous, generous, perfectly balanced. A pleasure.
8+/9-
2019 Trump Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine Monticello (12.5% ABV, 48 months on lees)
Light straw, fine mousse
The nose is screaming “classic, classic, classic” – toasted bread, brioche, yeast
A perfectly classic palate, with toasted bread, apples, bright acidity, and perfect balance
8+, a pure pleasure, happy to drink it every day
2023 7 Lady Vineyards Meritage Virginia (13.9% ABV, 44% Merlot, 37% Petit Verdot, 19% Cabernet Franc)
Dark garnet
Ripe dark fruit, intense
Overly ripe fruit on the palate, almost stewed, some sweet mocha, a big wine
7, a first disappointment. The wine was too heavy, needed more acidity and more balance. Even the second day was still too heavy. A double disappointment as the bottle (a BAB) looked very promising…
2024 The Winery at La Grange Petit Manseng Virginia (13.9% ABV)
Golden color
Honey, honeysuckle, white plums, herbs
Candied white fruit, lemon and honey, good acidity.
Strange. I can drink it, but to say that I love it would be a lie.
7+, I must be missing something. Perhaps it should be good with food, some spicy Asian dish or maybe sharp cheese.
2023 Michael Shaps Cabernet Franc Virginia (13.7% ABV)
Dark garnet.
Upon opening, the wine was “too much” – jammy fruit all over the place. After about 30 minutes in the glass, the wine settled down to a leaner, drinkable version.
2nd day notes:
Cassis, cherries, eucalyptus, a touch of mint. Open and welcoming.
Cassis, cherries, a hint of tobacco and pepper, firm structure, elegant, well balanced, a pleasure to drink.
8/8+, nice
2024 Woodbrook Farm Vineyard Petit Manseng Monticello (15.4% ABV)
Light golden
First two days the wine was just too sweet
Day 3:
Honey and caramel on the nose, candied fruit, sweet plums
Honey, ripe white plums, floral undertones, lemon curd, velvety, good acidity on the finish
7+, I still don’t love this wine, but it is drinkable on day 3. Probably great with blue cheese
2023 Valley Road Vineyard Cabernet Franc Reserve Monticello (13.7% ABV) – Governor’s Cup Winner!
Bright Garnet
Mint, currant, intense, open, inviting, promising a great depth
Delicious gobs of fruit (currant, dark cherries), tobacco, velvety smooth, luscious and seductive. Perfect balance.
8+, wow, a pure delight
2024 Barboursville Vineyards Vermentino Reserve Virginia (13.5% ABV)
Light golden
Delicious fresh white stone fruit, hint of honeysuckle, fresh, inviting
Fresh, vibrant fruit on the palate, white plums, Meyers lemon, good structure, excellent balance.
8, delicious, needs about 10 minutes to open in the glass.
2024 CrossKeys Vineyards Cabernet Franc Shenandoah Valley (14% ABV)
Cassis leaf, eucalyptus, a hint of green pepper
Bell peppers, a touch of black pepper, currant. It was leaner, firmer, and sharper on Day 1. On Day 3, it opened up into a bigger wine, more of the California fruit-forward style
8-/8, a nice rendition
There you are, my friends. As you can see, I was unable to fall in love with the Virginian rendition of Petit Manseng, it was just too sweet. By chance, a few days ago, I had a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng from Field Recordings in California, and it was stylistically similar, but a lot more elegant for my palate. But all in all, I can’t complain with 9 superb wines out of 12 – the beauty of the wine world, everyone can find what they like, as long as they are willing to look.
Have you had any wines from Virginia? What do you think of them?
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