Fantastic Four: Great Wines from the Vintage Virginia Wine and Food Festival

This year’s Vintage Virginia Wine and Food Festival provided an opportunity for attendees to sip their way through the Commonwealth.  I went on Sunday and while the rain held, it was far from a dry event.  Great wine was complimented by DC’s, VA’s, and MD’s finest food trucks, not to mention live music and chef demonstrations throughout the event.  Below, are four wines and food truck pairings that were crowd pleasers during the Festival:

1. 2012 Veritas Viognier (Afton, VA, $22):  A tasty summer white wine with flavors of lush peach and orange blossom. Thai food, chicken, or sushi might be a good match – something light with some spice.  Food truck pairing:  Pho or Vietnamese Tacos from PhoWheels
2. 2011 DelFosse Vineyards Deer Rock Farm Red (Faber, VA, $18):  A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc aged in French oak barrels.  An approachable, easy-to-drink wine with soft tanins and notes of cherry and raspberry.  For the summer months, you could even serve it slightly chilled.  It would pair well with a variety of foods including cheeses, pastas, lighter meats, and semi-sweet chocolate.  Food truck pairing:  A homemade chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich from Captain Cookie and the Milkman
   
3. 2008 Barboursville Vineyards Octagon (Barboursville, VA, $50):  This is a Bordeaux blend that’s predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot–its tanins softened thanks to extensive aging in new French oak.  Octagon is a full-bodied wine with notes of plum, cassis, and tobacco.  The 2009 Octagon won the prestigious 2013 Virginia Governor’s Cup and will be released in August.  This is a great wine to pair with lamb, ossobuco, and other heavier comfort dishes.  Food truck pairing:  Sliced brisket from the BBQ Bus.
4. The Williamsburg Winery’s Jamestown Cellars Settlers Spiced Wine (Williamsburg, VA, $11):  For anyone who has ever Euro-tripped, visited Williamsburg as an adult, or has used the term “huzzah” on at least one occasion should find the spices in this Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend pleasing to the palate whether it’s served hot or cold.  The cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices blended with the wine make it a great base for sangria – just add some fresh fruit like sliced oranges and apples and pour over ice.  The sangria would pair nicely with some light tapas and cheese, and the mulled wine could be a nice complement to pilgrim fare like  duck, pork tenderloin, and turkey.  Food truck pairing:  One of the rotating selections from the Tapas Truck or a gooey Mt. Fuji grilled cheese sandwich from Big Cheese.