My Wine Journal: November 2013

Philip Carter winery is definitely on the list of my favorite wineries in Virginia. The winery overlooks the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is located on a beautiful drive through historic Hume, Virginia. Philip Carter Winery is a winery about Virginia history and wine excellence. Spanning 12 generations of family lineage, Philip carter is part of the General's Wine and History Trail. In February 2012, Flavor Magazine ran a full article detailing the history of Philip Carter Winery. The article tells the Carter story starting from Charles Carter's venture to exploring wine as an alternative to the tobacco industry in 1759, along the banks of the Rappahannock River; to Philip Carter Strother's current venture in Hume Virginia; where he has put 27 acres under vine. Philip Carter Strother, a direct descendant of Carter, strives to maintain the same excellence as Charles Carter who originally started with 1800 vines at the Cleve Plantation, located along the Rappahannock River, which won a gold medal from the RSA (the Royal Society of Arts in London) in 1762.

Along with the beautiful views of the scenery and excellent wine, Philip Carter also provides room for outdoor picnics, as well as, places to host weddings and other events. inside the tasting room, you will find a large fire place for gathering and several tables to relax and enjoy a hosted picnic or just sip on your favorite wine in the company of friends.

The wine maker is Jeremy Ligon a Virginia native. Jeremy has been with Philip Carter Winery since March of 2012. Their master wine consultant is Matthieu Finot, whom was born in Crozes Hermitage in the Rhone Valley and worked in many different wine regions around France including Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, and Jura. There are two mascots at the winery: Fairfax a Shih Tzu and Cortoman, an American Mastiff that is named after the estate of Robert "King" Carter. Find out more about the winery staff on the website, under About Us.

My host told me that the Philip Carter Winery has been producing wine for about 15 years, under the current ownership. He also explained that the winery has 15.5 acres under vine, which is different then the 27 acres listed in Flavor Magazine. The oldest wine is the Chardonnay, of which I found their 2012 Chardonnay to be particularly appealing. The 2012 Chardonnay is comprised of 87.5% of the Chardonnay variety and 12.5% Viognier. The wine is aged primary in French neutral Oak and possess a crisp Chardonnay finish, but is also provides the scent of pear and honeydew on the nose.

Today I tasted the following wines and loved each of them.

2012 Chardonnay - Contains 87.5% Chardonnay and 12.5% Viognier, aged primarily in a neutral French Oak.
2011 Falconwwod White - 100% Chardonnay aged primarily in oak. This wine took a silver medal in the 2013 San Fran International Wine Competition and the 2013 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition.
2012 Governor Faquier - Made with Vidal Blanc and aged in stainless steel.
2012 Cabernet Franc - A light red, recommended for summer or a hot day.
2011 Falconwood Red - 55% Petit Verdot and 45% Cabernet Franc.
2011 Corotoman - This a Bordeaux/Meritage blend and contains Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Verdot.
2012 Sweet Danielle - A very sweet and balanced desert wine that possess scents of pineapple and banana.
2010 1762 - Made from the Chambourcin grape and aged in bourbon whiskey barrels from the A. Smith Bowman Distillery. This wine rounds out at 5.5% residual sugar and 18% alcohol.