Made in Virginia 2017 Awards – Drink
Veritas Vineyards & Winery
Veritas Petit Verdot (2014 Vintage), Afton
Petit Verdot is a grape variety that originated in the Bordeaux region of France, where it is used to add complexity to a Bordeaux blend. But it has taken a liking to Virginia, where Afton’s Veritas Vineyards & Winery have used it—with great success—to create a Petit Verdot rich in both taste and body. With its robust scent of dark fruits and spices, concentrated over layers of mocha coffee and forest floor, and a silky texture, the 2014 vintage’s finish is complex and everlasting.
The wine is aged in new French oak barrels for two years, following a careful process of fruit extraction, fermentation and extended maceration. “The 2014 vintage was one of the cooler vintages I have worked with, so the basic backbone of this wine was extremely strong,” says Veritas winemaker Emily Pelton. Lower temperatures create the right conditions for hanging the fruit out in the vineyard for an extended period of time, ripening the tannins. “This wine made itself, as the great wines do,” Pelton says. VeritasWines.com
See all of our Made in Virginia 2017 Award winners!
OVERALL Nightingale Ice Cream, Richmond FOOD Landcrafted Foods, Grayson County (category winner) Happy Family Ranch, Midland Northern Neck Popcorn Bag, Kilmarnock Simply Cheddar, Waynesboro DESIGN Daniel Rickey Furniture, Richmond (category winner) Gum Tree Farm, Middleburg Evolution Glass, Charlottesville GEAR Heart and Spade Forge, Roanoke (category winner) Ledbury, Richmond LC Fabrications, Grottoes Yak Attack, Burkeville
Winners were selected by the editors from among hundreds of submissions received earlier this year. Click here to see 2016 winners. Click here to see 2015 winners. Click here to see 2014 winners. Click here to see 2013 winners. Click here to see 2012 winners.
