What's on my Mind - Virginia Wine!

Jancis Robinson tasting notes - Barboursville Vineyards

2011-10-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

Photo: Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia

Jancis Robinson's had the opportunity to visit Barboursville Vineyards on her recent trip to Virginia. Francesco Zonin reports on Tasting notes from Jancis Robinson's visit. Link to Francesco Zonin's blog.

New Horizon Wines is the proud importer of Barboursville Vineyards wines for the UK.

Jancis Robinson visits Virginia

2011-09-17T12:35:00.005-04:00

The Wine Bloggers Conference was hosted this year in Charlottesville Virginia. Keynote speaker Jancis Robinson spent time visiting some of the wineries in the region.

The most recent articles published in the Financial Times and www.jancisrobinson.com shines a spotlight on one of the thrilling new wineries, and the work of many winemakers creating elegant wines that are increasingly in demand nationally and internationally:

Virginia's Climbers - FT article, Jancis Robinson

Rutger De Vink Tours his Vineyards

Virginia has a long history of winemaking, it is only in recent years that the region has become recognized internationally. I have been telling the story of Virginia wines in the UK since 2008 and have introduced some of the best available.

I have had the pleasure of visiting with Rutger de Vink and tasting his superb wines on more than one occasion. His passion and commitment to making the finest of wines in Virginia is shared with many winemakers in the region. Although RdV wines are not currently available in the UK, you can enjoy other excellent wines from the following producers:

Barboursville Vineyards
Boxwood Winery
Breaux Vineyards
Keswick Vineyards
Pearmund Cellars
Veramar Vineyards
Veritas Winery
White Hall Vineyards
Wiliamsburg Winery

VIRGINIA WINES AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING UK MERCHANTS AND STORES:

Whole Foods Market
The Barkers Building 
London, UK W8 5SE
 Tel: 0207 3684500

The Oxford Wine Company
Head Office, Warehouse and Shop
Witney Road,
Standlake OX29 7PR
Tel: 01865 301144

The Oxford Wine Company - Oxford Shop
167 Botley Road,
Oxford OX2 0PB
Tel: 01865 249500

Hercules Wine Warehouse
Moat Sole
Sandwich
Kent CT13 9AU
Tel: 01304617100

Hercules Wine Warehouse 
Macknade Fine Foods, 
Selling Road, 
Faversham,  ME13 8XF  
Tel: 01795 530050 

Hercules Wine Warehouse
 88 Canterbury Road
 Herne Bay  
Kent CT6 5SB
 Tel: 01227 369687

The Good Wine Shop
2 Royal Parade,
Station Approach,
Kew, TW9 3QD
Tel: 020 8940 4482

The Good Wine Shop
391 St Margarets Road,
Isleworth,
Middlesex, TW7 7BZ
Tel: 020 8892 7756

The Sampler South Kensington
35 Thurloe Place
London SW7 2HJ
Tel. +44 207 225 5091

The Sampler Islington 
266 Upper Street 
London N1 2UQ 
Tel. +44 207 226 9500 
Fax +44 207 226 6555

10 Award-Winning Wines You've Never Heard Of - CNBC

2011-08-02T09:45:00.000-04:00

Boxwood Estate, Virginia is on the list.
10 Award-Winning Wines You've Never Heard Of - CNBC

New Horizon Wines, the Virginia wine specialist importer in the UK represents Boxwood Winery. Boxwood Estate wines are among a selection of fine wines of Virginia available at our UK wine merchant partners including Oxford Wine Company, Whole Foods Market, Hercules Wine Warehouse, The Sampler, and the The Good Wine Shop.

I am familiar with Ridgeview, another wine on the list, having visited the winery in the UK. I will have to track down the other wines on the CNBC list and taste them!

Rachel Martin, Executive Vice President, Boxwood Winery with Theo Sloot, Fine Wine Buyer, Oxford Wine Company

The Inaugural Virginia Wine Country Half-Marathon 2011

2011-06-06T12:37:00.020-04:00

Team New Horizon Wines completed the Virginia Wine Country Half-Marathon on Saturday! I loved running with my wife, son, and his fiance. We all finished between 2hrs 15mins and 2hrs 26mins. I have completed 17 half-marathons and the London Marathon 5 times. However, my last marathon was in 2000! Training for this event in Virginia and while working in the UK was a real pleasure. Over the last few weeks my wife and I have been in the UK promoting and selling Virginia wines. We have been running longer distances along the Grand Union Canal Towpath and the River Thames Path. Our training runs were usually early morning - our days were busy meeting with UK wine merchants and participating in the London International Wine Fair. I always keep in mind the saying, "How do you run a marathon? One step at a time" It is true for running, it is true for life.

I was motivated to run in the Inaugural Virginia Wine Country Half-Marathon because of my passion and mission to build the international market for Virginia wines and my desire to run long-distance again. What a perfect match!

The course was excellent, starting at Breaux Vineyards (we sell Breaux Viognier and Nebbiolo in the UK) we ran through beautiful rolling hills of Loudoun County, Northern Virginia, and crossed the finish line at Doukenie Vineyards. The temperature was perfect - 60-70F (15.5-21C). Overall, it was a well organized event with room for improvement. The course by far made up for some of the transportation challenges prior to the race.

I thoroughly recommend this half-marathon. It is in Virginia Wine Country. It starts and ends at a winery. The medal is also a wine stopper. Each finisher receives a Reidel wine glass, and wineries are at the finish line to pour wine - a bonus!! :-)

This race is now part of the "Virginia Wine Lifestyle" that we have embraced and have actively promoted in the UK and Europe. For you wine-loving runners out there put the Virginia Wine Country Half-Marathon on your calendar for 2012. It will be worth the trip!!

Royal wedding celebration at British Embassy Washington DC to feature Barboursville wines

2011-04-29T04:40:00.005-04:00

We are delighted to announce that Barboursville Vineyards "Octagon" and Viognier Reserve have been selected for the Royal Wedding Reception at the British Embassy, Washington DC.

Royal wedding reception to feature Barboursville wines: "Prince William, the 28-year-old son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is engaged to marry Kate Middleton on April 29 at Westminster Abbey in London."

Barboursville Octagon and Viognier Reserve available in the UK through New Horizon Wines, www.newhorzionwines.com. In UK stores including Whole Foods Market, Kensington, The Good Wine Shop in Kew, and Hercules Wine Warehouse, Kent.

Return to The King's School,Canterbury

2011-04-18T07:59:00.004-04:00

Chris Blosser, Breaux Vineyards, Luca Paschina, Barboursville Vineyards, Lawrence Camp, Breaux Vineyards at the Music Room, The King's School, venue for the wine tasting.

During the summer of 2010 I organized a "Focus on Virginia" wine tasting reception at The King's School, Canterbury, Kent. The guests of honor were the First Lady of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell, and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Todd Haymore. The Very Reverend Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury, welcomed The First Lady and Secretary Haymore and the other guests representing the local business community and Kent County Council. His eloquent speech highlighted the strong and cordial relationship between the United Kingdom and the USA and the special relationship between Kent and Virginia.

Kevin & Sarah Dodd, owners of Hercules Wine Warehouse based in Faversham, Kent (www.herculeswines.co.uk) were there to meet the guests. Hercules Wine Warehouse has selected a range of Virginia wines, including Breaux Viognier, Barboursville Viognier Reserve, Octagon, and Cabernet Franc Reserve, Boxwood Estate Boxwood and Topiary, Veritas Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and White Hall Viognier for their customers in Kent and the surrounding counties.

I had the pleasure of visiting The King's School this month as a guest of the Bridge, Canterbury Historical Society. A special showing of original manuscripts and letters owned by the school had been arranged for the society.

It was an outstanding opportunity to see manuscripts displayed, not behind glass, but in a school room where I could appreciate the significance of these manuscripts and letters to their fullest. It was such an amazing display that I have listed the authors and historical figures represented by their works:

H.G. Wells
Thomas DeQuincy
W. B.Yeats
Charles Dickens - A letter denying that Dr. Strong in David Copperfield is based on Dr. John Bird, Headmaster of The King's School, 1816 - 1832
Christina Rossetti
David Lloyd George
Lord Byron
Emily Bronte
Charlotte Bronte
Dylan Thomas
William Makepeace Thakeray
W.H. Auden
Samuel Taylor Colleridge
Sylvia Plath
Thomas Hardy
Samuel Taylor
Sir Walter Scott
W. Somerset Maughm
Thomas Hardy
Benjamin Disraeli
Lewis Carroll
Lord Nelson
Rudyard Kipling
T.E. Lawrence
D.H. Lawrence
Virginia Wolf
George Elliot

Next month Virginia winemakers return to London for the London International Wine Fair. I have paused to reflect on the creative process of making fine wine, the elegance of prose I witnessed last week, the depth of history and the connections between Kent and Virginia, and the connection we are forming between Virginia wines and a growing number of wine merchants in the UK. It is a rich tapestry; a story behind the label, that is intriguing, exciting, and a pleasure for everyone that as had an opportunity to taste fine wines of Virginia.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at LIWF this year.

CNN reports on Virginia wines in the UK

2011-03-21T20:37:00.011-04:00

Jim Boulden of CNN reported on English sparkling wines heading to New York and Virginia wines in the UK.

Click here to check out the video

In a 2009 CNN interview at the London International Wine Fair I said that Virginia wines would be in top UK wine merchants and hotels by the end of the year
We will be at the London International Wine Fair, May 17 - 19. Click here to replay the video from LIWF 2009 ... and phew!, my forecast was correct :-).

Virginia winemakers will be at LIWF again this year. I look forward to seeing you there.

As the Spring flowers start to bloom I hope you will all enjoy some excellent Viogniers and other fine wines from Virginia at the following UK merchants and restaurants:

Whole Foods Market, Kensington
The Sampler
Oxford Wine Company
Hercules Wine Warehouse
The Good Wine Shop
Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London
Zuma, Knightsbridge

The montage of photos of Virginia winemakers was created by the talented and creative photographer Steven Morris who toured Virginia on a Circle of Wine Writers visit last year. If you would like to check out more of his work Click here

Barboursville Vineyards receive gold and silver at the Annual Winemakers Challenge

2011-02-16T19:56:00.002-05:00

Barboursville Vineyards received a silver medal for their 2007 Octagon, a gold medal for their 2008 Cabernet Franc, Reserve, and a gold medal for their 2009 Viognier, Reserve, all of which are available in the UK.

The Winemaker Challenge took place this year January 29 and 30th at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego, CA. Wines from around the world were evaluated by 16 different winemakers, making it one of the few US wine competitions to only use winemakers as the judges. For more information about the competition or for a complete list of winners, visit www.winemakerchallenge.com.

For the latest information on where to buy these wines, contact me at chrisparker@newhorizonwines.com.

Quentin Sadler hosts a tasting of wines of Virginia

2010-11-25T07:23:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of first meeting wine writer and educator Quentin Sadler at a tasting of wines of Virginia I organized last year with the Oxford Wine Company. Most recently Quentin visited Virginia as part of a Circle of Wine Writers delegation.

Last week Quentin hosted a "Tasting of Virginia wines in Kent".

Here is an excerpt and a link to his full report:

"2008 Veritas Paul Shaffer 2nd Edition Petit Verdot
Monticello AVA

English owned Veritas was one of my favourite visits while in Virginia, I think their passion really showed in every wine they produced and this was a gem.

Even in this cooler year, or did that help this late ripening grape?, the fruit was beautifully ripe with lovely depth, judicious use of oak to underscore the wine and not dominate, together with very fine tannins. This wine is a joy – 92/100 points."

http://quentinsadler.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/a-tasting-of-virginia-wines-in-kent/

Oxford Wine Company increase range of Virginia wines

2010-11-06T12:06:00.013-04:00

It has been an exciting year so far and we have more to look forward to! We exclusively import Virginia wines and have been working with independent wine merchants to build awareness and availability throughout the UK. I first met met with Ted Sanbach and Theo Sloot of the Oxford Wine Company a year ago. We presented the range of wines and Oxford Wine organized a media tasting. One year later I am delighted to announce that Oxford Wine has increased their range of Virginia wines and we are working together more extensively to bring the best wines of Virginia to their customers.
Photo - Virginia wines recently tasted with OWC staff at their new Tetbury shop. Check the Oxford Wine Company website next week for their updated range of Virginia wines - www.oxfordwine.co.uk

Right to left - Ted Sanbach, Theo Sloot of Oxford Wine Company, me, and Chris Blosser of Breaux Vineyards

We recently escorted Ted and Theo on a tour of Virginia supported by the Southern U.S. Trade Association. It was a great visit - see Ted's review below.

Photo - Ted Sanbach enjoying a Cabernet Franc - the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

We will be presenting Virginia wines at the Oxford Wine Fair. Tickets will sell fast so contact Theo asap. -
Friday 26th November 2010 6-9pm
THE ANNUAL OXFORD WINE FAIR
The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL
ENTRY FOR TICKET HOLDERS ONLY - £5 per person refundable on purchases of 12 bottles or more - all tickets must be applied for in advance.No tickets will be available on the door.
Contact Theo Sloot for booking and further information.
01865 301144 or theo@oxfordwine.co.uk
The immensely popular and largest regular wine event in the Oxford area with around 100 wines to taste from all over the world presented by our suppliers and producers. Great fun, great value – what better way to spend Friday night? Invite your friends along and make an evening of it. 15% discount on all wines ordered o n the night.

.....and Congratulations to OWC! - awarded Regional Wine Merchant of the Year for the second time in 3 years.

Stop Press from the Oxford Wine Company website - www.oxfordwine.co.uk

The Oxford Wine Company Wins Regional Wine Merchant of the Year 2010!

The Oxford Wine Company has been awarded the prestigious title of Regional Wine Merchant of the Year for the second time by the wine trade's most highly respected body, The International Wine Challenge. The awards ceremony took place in the ballroom of The Hilton on Park Lane where Ted Sandbach and Theo Sloot were presented with the award. The judges who are Masters of Wine and prominent wine journalists sifted through 300 entries to come up with the winning merchants. Ted says: "It is always very rewarding when we are recognised by fellow members of the trade who look at all entries in an objective manner. We've had many comments about the diversity of our range and the fact that we are prepared to stock an interesting range of wines rather than feeling that we have to justify shelf space. In addition the judges also were impressed by our website and the range of tastings and dinners that we organise."

Virginian Wine Specialists
In October Theo and Ted were invited over to Virginia as guests of SUSTA (the Southern United States Trade Association) to taste their way through the top Virginian wineries. The invitation was the result of the work we have done with Chris Parker of New Horizon Wines over the last year to raise awareness of this new and exciting wine area. We started in the south of the state and worked our way northwards, taking in three wineries a day and eventually have ended up listing eight wines in total from Virginia which we consider to be the absolute cream of the crop. This makes The Oxford Wine Company the Virginian wine specialists in the UK. Virginia makes superb (“world class” according to Oz Clarke) Viognier and their Cabernet Franc led Bordeaux blends are excellent too and very similar to Bordeaux classics. We invite you to try these top class wines from this new exciting wine region.

Oz Clarke, Pocket Wine Guide 2011 - Virginia

2010-10-23T06:01:00.000-04:00

Quote of the Week: "My most thrilling discovery in the USA this year has been the wine from vineyards spread around Washington, DC, in particular those of Virginia, whose sumptuous, scented Viogniers are world-class." ~Oz Clarke, Pocket Wine Guide 2011

Circle of Wine Writers - Tour of Virginia

2010-08-31T20:33:00.005-04:00

A year ago I started work on the plans for a trip to Virginia by members of the Circle of Wine Writers. Next week a group of 10 writers/photographers arrive. We are looking forward to welcoming them to Virginia for what will be an enjoyable and comprehensive week of winery visits, meetings with winery owners and winemakers, extensive wine tastings, visits to Monticello and Historic Williamsburg, and exploration of regional cuisine.

Quentin Sadler has started writing about the upcoming trip and will be posting his experiences daily.

Here is the link to Quentin's blog:

http://quentinsadler.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/virginia-here-i-come/#comment-666

C-Ville: The Working Pour - Virginia on track for a seventh viticultural area

2010-08-04T09:14:00.000-04:00

Further Developments in Virginia wine region.

C-Ville: The Working Pour - Virginia on track for a seventh viticultural area

2010-07-15T20:30:00.006-04:00

Oz Clarke sings the praises of Virginia Viognier and Virginia wine regions. Momentum is building!

An excerpt from the article:

"The wine world is coming up with new classics all the time -- New Zealand sauvignon blanc, Argentine malbec, Virginia viognier. In the last two years I've tasted enough Virginia viognier that I'm convinced they can match the best viogniers in the world. If Virginia has a few more vintages like 2007, look out. And the 2005 nebbiolos -- a new classic? No, it was only one vintage. But, wow, boys and girls, what were you thinking when you planted that grape? Those wines are terrific."

Read more:

click on twitter update.

Wines Behind the Label - Review by Vivienne Franks

2010-05-05T18:49:00.004-04:00

Vivienne Franks published this review recently on Wine Behind The Label website:

Looks at an interesting selection from Virginia

20 wines from 13 producers were available to taste in the offices of the Oxford Wine Company in Witney.
Virginia currently has about 140 wineries, and Viognier and Cabernet Franc are the major grape varieties in this region.
Christopher Parker from New Horizon Wines is a real enthusiast and has big plans to introduce Virginian wines into the UK market. He set the scene, and encouraged us to taste.

Overall this was a very interesting tasting, with excellent examples of Viognier from White Hall Vineyards and Cabernet Franc from Keswick Vineyards. The Bordeaux style blends from Boxwood Winery and the unusual white blend from Delfosse winery certainly made the trip from London worthwhile.

Here are my notes on the best of the bunch.

White Hall Vineyards

In Central Virginia, in the Monticello Appellation, this award winning winery is situated at 800 feet and has great views over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Viognier 2008 RRP £16.95

This was a soft fresh elegant wine with lovely acidity and balance, and with subtle apricot fruit on the palate.

Petit Verdot 2007 RRP £17.49

It is very unusual to taste a pure Petit Verdot, and this wine showed good juicy red berry fruit with spicy notes.

Veritas Vineyard and Winery

This winery located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a small family business and has only been in production since 2002.

Viognier 2008 RRP £17.99

Nutty characters and creaminess with fresh citrus aromas were evident in this wine.

Petit Verdot 2007 RRP £17.99

Ripe juicy fruits with firm tannins and spicy oak dominated this wine.

Keswick Vineyards

This 400 acre estate, known as the Edgewood Estate, is also in the Monticello Appellation and is on the east side of the Southwest Mountains.

Viognier 2007 RRP £18.99

Toasty characters and ripe stone fruits are in this example.

Cabernet Franc 2007 RRP £20.99

This wine has good black fruit with spice and oaky notes and a long finish.

Breaux Vineyards

Vineyards were planted in 1985 in the Short Hill Mountain in Upper Northern Virginia.

Viognier 2007 RRP £18.49

Another rich creamy spicy wine with strong stone fruit aromas permeate here.

Delfosse Winery

This winery, in the Monticello Appellation was established in 2000.

D’Oriane 2007 (Chardonnay 36%, Sauvignon Blanc 36%, Petit Manseng 14%, Viognier 14%) RRP £17.99

This was a delightful and unusual blend with a good balance of fruit and acidity.

Williamsburg Winery

This is probably the largest winery in Virginia, accounting for about 25% of production in the Hamptons.

Trianon Cabernet Franc 2005 RRP £23.49

This wine was more delicate with savoury and spicy characters.

Boxwood Winery

This is a red wine specialist producer, in Upper Northern Virginia.

Topiary 2007 (Cabernet Franc 50%, Merlot 50%) RRP £23.95

There is a harmonious blend of red fruit and spice with a good structure and finish in this wine.

Boxwood 2007 (Cabernet Sauvignon 42.5%, Merlot 42.5%, Petit Verdot 15%) RRP £23.95

This Bordeaux Blend has great acidity, ripe juicy red fruits and subtle tannins with a long finish.

© Vivienne J Franks

CellarBlog: Virginia Wines in the UK

2010-01-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

CellarBlog: Virginia Wines in the UK

Veramar Vineyard Cabernet Franc enjoyed by Jamie Goode

2009-12-12T14:55:00.005-05:00

Jamie Goode recently enjoyed a visit to the Whole Foods Market wine department in London. It was a pleasure to see that he selected Veramar Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2007 as one of the best!

"Veramar Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2007 Virginia, USA
13.4% alcohol. This is my first Virginian wine, and I'm just so impressed. It's got lovely purity of fruit, and real old world elegance." Read more at www.wineanorack.com

http://www.wineanorak.com/blog/2009/12/get-thee-down-to-whole-foods-very-good.html

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/kensington/

We are bringing the best of Virginia wines to Whole Foods Market in London to add to their extensive range of North American wines. If you want to experience exceptional wines that are more European in style, go to Whole Foods Market and enjoy some Virginia wine at their wine bar and take some bottles home! :-)

Thibaut-Janisson Virginia Sparkling Wine Served at President Obama's First State Dinner.

2009-11-25T20:21:00.010-05:00

What an excellent choice - Claude Thibaut's Virginia sparkling wine was selected for President Obama's first state dinner. I am proud that we were the first to introduce Thibaut-Janisson to the UK market.

Virginia Shows It Can Compete With France and Napa Valley

2009-08-19T12:09:00.007-04:00

Dave McIntyre, freelance wine and food writer and wine columnist for the Washington Post invited six area wine professionals -- three retailers, three sommeliers -- to blind-taste a dozen chardonnays and a dozen red Bordeaux-style wines. Further validation that Virginia wines are world-class. Cut and paste the link into your browser to see the article and results (The blogger.com links are not working for some reason) -

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/18/AR2009081800780.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local

A Love Affair with Virginia Wine

2009-08-05T13:35:00.021-04:00

I met Peter Morrell, Wine & Food Editor, About My Generation, at the London International Wine Fair in May 2009 and again when my company, New Horizon Wines, sponsored the Visit USA Media Showcase and Awards event in London. Here is a roundup of the reports written by Peter Morrel at www.aboutmygeneration.com.

"1st June 2009

Another month jam-packed with fine wines, and some from places that you may not expect. So let’s start with the Wines of Virginia (www.virginiawines.org) in the U.S.A where the geography of the region is ideal for the production of world class vines. I recently met up with a number of wine producers from this area and had an opportunity to sample some of their products. The wines were, without fail, stunning and I will just pick out a couple of highlights. Firstly, up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the well situated Veramar Vineyard (www.veramar.com) is a typical example and produces silky Merlots, spicy Carbernet Francs and a Chardonnay that is light as a feather with just a hint of oak."

Interesting discussions at The London International Wine Fair - Justin Bogaty, Veramar Vineyards tasting Veramar wines with Kobus Louw, Winemaker, Chapel Down Vineyards, UK

"Secondly, one of the best vineyards, close to Charlottesville, is Barboursville (www.barboursvillewine.com) which produces an extensive range of wines to suit every palate. Unique among these wines is their Gold Medal winning Octagon 2005. With a backbone of Merlot, this wine is perfectly balanced by the addition of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and just a touch of Petit Verdot. In fact so good is this wine that it was selected for the 2009 Inaugural Gala Dinner to honour Barak Obama. To read more about the region click here... and if you want to buy any of the wines visit www.newhorizonwines.com"

Chris Parker, New Horizon Wines preparing for the Visit USA Media Awards event.

And Peter further reports -

"1st August - Virginia revisited

My love affair with Virginian wines continues unabated. at a recent Visit USA Association Media Awards event the wine being served was from Virginia. I tried a glass of the White Hall Petit Verdot. With lots of red berry fruit, a hint of violets and spice from the oak aging, it was a treat. But the real surprise was being given a bottle of Veritas Viognier by the kind people representing the Capital Region of the USA (Read an article on the Region by clicking here… ). In the comfort of home I savoured the bouquet of apricots, peaches and white flowers which gave way to ripe peaches, honey and lychees on the palate, - delicious. Virginian wines are available from www.newhorizonwines.com"

Michael Broadbent's article on Barboursville Vineyards

2009-07-29T19:34:00.005-04:00

Have you seen this great article in Decanter August 2009 Issue, Page 19? Barboursville Viognier 2004 compared to the best Condrieu. Wow!!

New Horizon Wines sponsors the Visit USA Media Marketplace and Awards event in London

2009-07-08T12:27:00.021-04:00

Preparing for the Visit USA guests!
Image provided by New Horizon Wines

Over 80 media guests attended the Visit USA Media Marketplace and Awards event last week at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel in London. We were situated in a delightful banquet room with a panoramic view across the south bank of the River Thames to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Cathedral. In this wonderful setting New Horizon Wines introduced wines from Breaux Vineyards, Veramar Vineyards, Veritas Winery, White Hall Vineyards, and Williamsburg Winery. Many of the guests were unaware that wines were made in Virginia and were delighted with the quality and elegance of the wines served that evening.

Image provided by KBC PR. Chris Parker (Center), Janina Parker (Right) of New Horizon Wines with Mary Moore Mason (Left), Editor, Essentially America.

Mary Moore Mason, Editor of Essentially America, and the 2006 recipient of the Visit USA award for “an outstanding contribution to US media coverage over the years”, enjoyed tasting Virginia wines again, following her trip to Virginia earlier this year, which she described in her recent article, "Wine Tours through Historic Virginia".

New Horizon Wines also presented wine-themed travel opportunities featuring the partnerships with Keswick Hall (An Orient Express Hotel) and Wedmore Place (recently awarded the Golden Service crown 2009 by the Excelsior Business Club of Europe).

Virginia wines in the UK - CNN International coverage

2009-06-18T07:20:00.005-04:00

CNN International broadcast this piece last week. It was filmed at the London International Wine Fair on May 12th.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2009/05/25/boulden.uk.wine.recession.cnn?iref=videosearch

Making good progress in a tough market!

Barboursville Octagon 2005 rated top wine at Charlemagne Wine Tasting Club

2009-06-16T05:08:00.010-04:00

At a wine tasting event yesterday evening at The Charlemagne Wine Club, a wine tasting organization in West Ealing, UK, I had the pleasure of introducing Virginia wines to this friendly and knowledgeable group. The theme of the evening was East Coast wineries. Throughout the evening, and interspersed with the wine pours, Robin Hall gave an interesting presentation on his research of East Coast wineries. I was also asked to talk about the exciting developments in Virginia, and the work of New Horizon Wines to introduce and distribute the best Virginia wines into the UK. Ten wines were tasted, including:

Barboursville Vineyards - Octagon 2005
Veramar Vineyards - Chardonnay 2007
Veritas Winery & Vineyard - Viognier 2007
White Hall Vineyards - Petit Verdot 2007

Using a 10 point system, votes were cast at the end of the evening. Barboursville Octagon 2005 was voted the best wine of the evening with 8.5 points - some say it should have been 9! :-).

For many of the members, this was their first exposure to Virginia wines. They were impressed with the elegance and complexity of the wines and the European style.

Charlemagne Wine Club was founded in 1974. Charlemagne members share a common interest in learning about and tasting fine wines. www.charlemagnewineclub.co.uk.

Great Article in the post today - "Virginia makes Wines?......"

2009-05-26T18:49:00.003-04:00

A great article in The Washington Post today!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502149.html

A fantastic response at the London International Wine Fair

2009-05-17T07:19:00.015-04:00

I had intended to post a daily blog from the event. I am delighted to say that my excuse is that I was so busy I did not have time to post updates during the three days at the London International Wine Fair! :-)

Having had time to reflect on the buzz we created at the London International Wine Fair, I can say without doubt that the response we received exceeded my expectations!

May 10th - Janina and I arrived at the Excel Centre to check on the construction of the stand. The shell was ready and Bestmann had installed the upgrades including the panoramic view of Virginia vineyards and the Blue Ridge Mountain - spectacular! Bestmann is a very professional and quality organization. Plasma screen ready to show the wonderful video of Virginia Wine Country.

May 11th - The wine shipment was delayed at Customs and we were pushing hard to get the wine delivered to the bonded warehouse and tasting samples delivered to LIWF. Collected the wine in a London "black cab" to ensure that it was at Excel on Monday. The cab driver enjoyed the challenge! :-)

Arranged dinner for the "Virginia Wineries" at Roast, a great restaurant dedicated to classic British cooking (yes it does exist) in Borough Market, the oldest food market in England - Great food, lively conversation, an exploration of wines on the list - everyone had a great time.

May 12th - May 14th

We all arrived early to prepare for the opening of LIWF on day one. We had a steady flow of vistors during the morning. Steven Spurrier came by at noon and spent over an hour with us tasting all of the wines. He commented that all of the wines were excellent, "elegant wines made by elegant people". By the afternoon we had people coming by the stand that had heard about "the wonderful Virginia viogniers" at the New Horizon Wines - Wines of Virginia and the SUSTA stand. That became a constant chant throughout the three days. A record - six Virginia wineries received Decanter Wines of the World Awards

Jan Euden, Reeljems visited on the first day. Jan and Amanda Fisher (www.kenttv.com) spent time with us in Virginia last month and will be producing videos about the trip. Amanda visited on the the last day of the show and filmed visitors to our stand.

Many of the trade visitors were surprised that Virginia produced wine and were excited by the discovery that they were all excellent. There was a real buzz building by the end of the first day.

The second day was busier than the first and the word was getting around the hall that we were there presenting wonderful wines, particularly Viognier, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Later that day Oz Clarke arrived, announcing that he had been trying to carve out time to visit since the beginning of the event, He was delighted that we were. He loved the elegance and texture of the wines. I look forward to continuing the discussion with Oz Clarke at some time.

On the third day we had many good conversations with new and repeat visitors. Steven Spurrier visited again and spent time with Luca Paschina, Barboursville Vineyards talking about viticulture. More visitors in the afternoon referred by Oz Clarke.

By the end of the show we were all exhausted, elated, and the winemakers and winery owners now know that their wines are truly world-class - the largest trade event in the largest wine import market in the world has just told them so! Congratulations to everyone involved! :-)

I start work on Monday to follow up with over 300 people that visited our stand. More updates soon!

Wine Tours through Historic Virginia

2009-05-07T11:36:00.003-04:00

I have just read the article "Wine Tours through Historic Virginia" in the summer issue of "Essentially America", UK's leading consumer magazine dedicated to travel and lifestyle in the USA and Canada. It chronicles a trip we organized for Mary Moore Mason, the Editor of Essentially America. It is a fantastic article that captures the essence of the Virginia 'wine lifestyle'

Preparation for The London International Wine Fair, May 12 -14 2009

2009-05-04T23:29:00.007-04:00

One week away from introducing over 30 wines from 11 Virginia wineries to U.K. wine consumers.

Virginia wineries extend their horizons at the London International Wine Fair, May 2009

A group of Virginia wineries are working together to show some of the best wines from this up and coming wine producing region, the fifth largest in the U.S. The line-up will include Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo and other wines of distinction.

Organized by New Horizon Wines in association with Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, U.S. Commercial Services, and Southern U.S. Trade Association, this is the first time that Virginia wineries have been so well represented at the London International Wine Fair.

“The passion and dedication of the winemakers in Virginia has produced wines that will rival the best in the world. The exceptional well-balanced, food-friendly wines, bring something new and refreshing to the market”, said Christopher Parker, Founder and Managing Director, New Horizon Wines.

We invite you to meet the winemakers and discover theses exciting wines at the New Horizon Wines/Virginia Wine Country stand S24:

· Barboursville Vineyards – Luca Paschina, Winemaker

· DelFosse Vineyards

· Keswick Vineyards

· Rappahannock Cellars

· Veramar Vineyards – Justin Bogaty, Winemaker

· Veritas Winery & Vineyards - Andrew & Patricia Hodson

· White Hall Vineyards – Tony & Edie Champ, Owner

Wineries featured on the adjacent stand S22 are:

· Breaux Vineyards – Chris Blosser, General Manager

· Corcoran Vineyards - Jim Corcoran, Winemaker

· Pearmund Cellars – Chris Pearmund, Owner

· Williamsburg Winery – Matthew Meyer, Winemaker

For further information contact:

Christopher Parker

chrisparker@newhorizonwines.com