Prince Michel Vineyard - Review

Wine on the Vine at Prince Michel

Although not actually placed on one of the Monticello Wine Trails, Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery sits at the northern gateway to the region right astride Route 29, the main north-south road into Charlottesville. I always find that as I am traveling into the wine region that this winery is definitely worth a stop--if not just to get into the mood for the day's activities.

The winery is well marked--I believe the first sign is about 8 miles form the entrance, but it comes up very quickly. Don't panic though if you miss the first driveway, there is a second on just past the building and at the bottom of a small road.

As always, check the website for current hours, but one advantage for this winery is that it opens at 10 am on Saturdays and Sundays, making it one of the early openers in the area. This means that driving from the Baltimore area, I am usually driving by the winery right as it opens.

The self guided tour of the wine making process is well planned and allows a nice behind the scenes view of the process. The wine tasting area is large and also contains a large assortment of wine related items which can be purchased.

The wines are good. I found the whites to be the best. Especially noteworthy was the 2009 Chardonnay, which I thought was an especially good value.

Enjoy Prince Michel. Stop and get a day of wine tasting started.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

White Hall Vineyard - Review

Along the Monticello Wine Trail, one of the vineyards we visited was White Hall Vineyard. The winery is on the Northern Monticello Trail and a bit of a drive (OK, maybe 15 minutes) to get there but we were rewarded with some very drinkable wines and a generally good time at a very nice facility.

White Hall Vineyard Tasting Room

The whites are very nice, I especially enjoyed the German-style wines like Gewürztraminer, Petit Manseng, and Chardonnay. They also had a nice Bordeaux blend, Cuvee de Champs, which was very enjoyable. I found the remainder of their extensive red wine offerings to be somewhat light and thin. I found the 2010 Pinot Gris and the 2010 Viognier to be good, but not exceptional as compared to other wineries in the region.

The facility is really enjoyable and on the Saturday we visited there was live music to accompany the tasting the wines.

The wine tasting area in in the middle of a large, nicely sized, modern building which serves create an enjoyable atmosphere for wine tasting. The server was knowledgeable of the wines and the grapes form which they were made or blended.

The overall experience was pleasant and I recommend this winery as a stop on a Monticello Wine Trail tasting day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Next Ban Churches--The Chick-fil A Controversy Continues

I am stunned by the insensitivity and the ignorance of so many political leaders. I believe the current vilification of Dan Cathy and his successful Chick-fil A corporation for saying what he believes demonstrates the true level of threat to civil liberties in America today.

What he said according to the Washington Times:

The current hysteria began after Mr. Cathy, son of the chain’s founder, gave an interview that ran in the Baptist Press on July 16. Mr. Cathynoted that Chick-fil-A’s management is “based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us.” When asked about the company’s positions in support of marriage and family, Mr. Cathy went on to say, “Well, guilty as charged. We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit.”


He never said anything overt about gay marriage as the hysteria (I like that word) would have us believe. He made statements that many Americans relate to and believe.

Now it is a crime to say these First Amendment protected things?

The response (also from the Washington Times)

Acting more like Benito Mussolini than Paul Revere, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he will block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in his city. Chicago Alderman Proco Joe Moreno said he will stop Chick-fil-A from building its second Chicago store. In Philadelphia, Councilman James F. Kenney sent a letter to Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy advising his company to “take a hike and take your intolerance with you.” Meanwhile, the Jim Henson Co., owner of the Muppets, has canceled a deal to provide toys for Chick-fil-A kids’ meals. This is just the beginning.


Even more concerning is what the former White House Chief of Staff, now Mayor of Chicago said as quoted in the Washington Times:

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel took exception: “What the COO has said as it relates to gay marriage and gay couples is not what I believe. But more importantly, it’s not what the people of the city of Chicago believe.”


Hmm.  So, Mr Emanuel, do you propose to ban churches next? I guess it is good to have free speech rights as long as they don't disagree with the Mayor's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Charlottesville Vineyards - An Overview

I reviewed the activities of this past weekend and noted that I visited seven vineyards and Monticello between 7:30AM Saturday morning and 1PM Sunday afternoon.

I had no ideas that we had fulfilled such an aggressive schedule.

Grapes Ripening at Prince Michel Vineyards

The wineries were:

Prince Michel
King Family
White Hall
Stinson
Keswick
Barboursville
Jefferson

Drinkable wines were found at each of the vineyards and were I especially impressed by my first ever visit to White Hall Vineyard. Stinson Vineyard was another winery I visited for the first time as well.

Wine is a great hobby. And it is a hobby that is easily enjoyed with friends and family. It can be contagious and there is something for everyone.

I still have this irrational idea that I want to write a guide to the vineyards of the Monticello wine making region. I seem to visit a lot of the wineries and enjoy meeting the owners and wine makers and discussing the grapes and the wines.

Do I have my favorites? Certainly. But my favorites can vary significantly from someone else. I prefer nice, complex red wines--but many of the vineyards are producing exceptional white wines, which I also appreciate.

The 30 wineries and vineyards which comprise the Monticello Appellation of Virginia are divided into trails. Prince Michel is considered to be one of the Northern Gateway vineyards. King Family, White Hall, and Stinson are part of the Northern Trail along with a few other wineries. Keswick and Barboursville are part of the Eastern Trail while Jefferson is part of the Southern Trail. In my mind, it is possible to comfortable visit all of the wineries on one trail in a day.

I never seem to do anything the easy way however. I like to jump around during the limited time that I have to ensure that I visit my favorites--which of course are not all on the same trail.

It it just fun to get out and see the "wine on the vine" and realize that the vineyards are not just growing grapes--they are in the business of producing wines. And tasting the end result of the growing and the wine making is often like experiencing a piece of art.

Each winemaker places their own personal stamp on the wines and that is the great fun of visiting multiple wineries--to find winemakers who produce wines that I enjoy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 30, 2012

1. Heard as part of a discussion about what is wrong with the state of politics in America: "The problem is that one party is all about helping the rich and sticking it to the middle class, while the other is all about helping out the poor and sticking it to the middle class."

2. The political season is getting worse--it seems that both candidates for president want us to believe that the only vision we need is that we don't want the other guy.

Monticello, July 29, 2012
Taken by Mike Haslup 

3. Every time I visit Monticello, I gain new respect for Jefferson and learn some really interesting fact. This time I noticed for the first time the clock on a shelf above the foot of his bed. So he could see the time as soon as the room was light enough from the sun to see the clock's hands.

4. Doctor it hurts when I do this. Don't do that, then.

5. Mike took a fantastic image of Monticello on his phone--here it is for you to enjoy as well. The reflection in the pool was just priceless. And notice how many people are hanging around.

6. Olympics and nationalism seem to go together.

7. Who else noticed that two of the biggest sports in the US are not in the Olympics: Baseball and Football? For that matter, neither is Racquetball.

8. July is ending and hopefully the O's will begin to win more than they are losing.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Charlottesville; Wine, History

In Charlottesville, Virginia, again this weekend I am reminded of how much history is packaged into the area alongside all of the wine makers that we enjoy.

We drove past a roadside marker yesterday proclaiming the birthplace of Meriwether Lewis. Who? We began trying to connect the name with historical significance. Well, it was obvious after a few moments. Charlottesville, Jefferson, Louisiana Purchase--aha moment!

Lewis and Clark of course. Who knew he even had a first name.

And of course, most people think that Clark's first name is Lewis, right? It is really William.

And then there is the wine, Jefferson is very connected to wine and was always trying to introduce European wine stock into America, unsuccessfully. But nonetheless, the historical connection of wine to Jefferson cannot be ignored.

And then there is the wine. Two more wineries that we visited for the first time that I will be writing about in the near future. Part of the Monticello Western Trail: Stinson and White Hall.

What could be better than a weekend trip?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Youngest Child

For this mornings post I am going to tell the world about my youngest child. Man that kid is great. He is without a doubt the best looking of all my children. Seriously, where did he come from? He is so much better looking than I am, sometimes I doubt how he could possibly be mine. Intelligence? Oh he has that in SPADES. Every time that I come across something truly perplexing I turn to him. Typically he figures these things out within seconds. Sometimes when I leave my blog logged in he handles that for me too. That kids got moxie!
Oh also that typical stuff about loving life and my other children. Yeah they are okay too...I guess.

(guest written by Patrick!)

Sliding into Another Hot Summer Weekend

Yeah, I made it to another Saturday.

Friday was long and at times difficult. Fridays can be like that. Ask the Orioles who blew a ninth inning lead for the first time this season and lost.

But at the threshold of the weekend, everything seemed better--at least for a while. Friends and wine were the words of the evening. Even so, I have a busy weekend planned--heading out of town.

I watched some of the opening ceremony of the Olympics last evening--it was really fantastic. A spectacle, they call it. A planned in excess of 5800 hours of television coverage.

So for the next ten days or so there will always be sports to watch and medals to be awarded.

But for this weekend--it is off to the history and wine country of Virginia. Jefferson and wine--a great combination. Call it a presidential combination.

We will see how it all goes as we head off to the Monticello region and some fun.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Olympics: Sport, Politics, and Mistakes

The official opening ceremonies are scheduled tonight for the 2012 London Olympics and already the world has been treated to a series of sporting events (soccer or football depending upon which side of the ocean you reside) and some poorly timed mistakes all highlighting the increasing political overtones to a game which is supposed to transcend politics.

Many of the problems are detailed in an ABC News article titled: On World Stage, Olympic Culture Clashes Inevitable, but one of them is particularly interesting to me:

Already, the International Olympic Committee and Prime Minister David Cameron have apologized profusely for the most blatant mistake to date: displaying South Korea's flag rather than North Korea's on a giant screen ahead of Pyongyang's inaugural women's soccer match Wednesday night. The flap sent the North's team off the pitch for an hour in protest.

I am happy that the soccer team returned after a short protest. They won the match 2-0 over the Colombian women's team.

The series of problem highlights how difficult it is to get thousands of moving parts to synchronize for this huge event. If everyone remains focused upon the sport and international goodwill, then the games will proceed successfully despite the unintended gaffes.

But--we are living in a tit for tat world where every transgression demands recompense rather than forgiveness.

I know, I'd really be upset if the US flag were displayed upside down or our athletes were credited to some other country--like Puerto Rico. But while there is a high degree of national pride evident in the games, they are really dedicated to competition across all of the political, regional, social, and religious boundaries which divide and separate the people of this planet.

The more we know each other, the more we can appreciate what they have accomplished to be on the worldwide stage for their few moments of fame and glory. And not fame and glory to the country they represent, but to the sport and athletic excellence.

Let the games begin (oh, they already have begun)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Aurora, Guns, and Common Sense

I read a report that gun sales are surging in the wake of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, because people are concerned that new restrictions that key be placed on gun ownership.  The article published by CBS News can be read at the link.

In contrast to this, Maryland is about to loosen restrictions on concealed gun carrying. The court just ruled that the Maryland laws are too restrictive.

I have become a fan of concealed handgun carrying in the wake of the Aurora theater shootings. We the people have for too long been viewed as sheep to be slaughtered by terrorists and wackos. If more Americans exercised their concealed carry rights, which are legal in 49 states, perhaps the terrorists and wackos would rethink their plans.

What if--in that theater last Friday morning some of the movie goers had weapons on them and could have defended themselves against the insanity which walked in through the side door and started shooting? Less people probably would have died or been injured AND we would not have been subjected to a lengthy and expensive trial complete with news media coverage of every small lead and innuendo.

.357 Magnum

Instead of limiting gun sales, legislators need to ensure that citizens are encouraged to carry concealed weapons to assist law enforcement in defending the peace and ensuring wackos and terrorists think twice before plotting to kill Americans. I know this is in direct contrast to the mayor of New York's view on the issue who believes that less guns are better.

Common Sense thought: I just have to believe that if we, the intended victims of violence had the ability to defend ourselves in kind, then we would all be safer. If the criminal with the weapon had to think twice about the possibility of facing someone with the same kind of firepower--and who could probably use it, too, then perhaps there would be less crime. Just a thought.

So in closing, I read a story that is close to my opinion on the matter. It is titled: The Difference between a  Liberal, a Conservative . . .  and a Redneck.

Nice grouping!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD