Hello Everyone! I'm back with some new wine experiences to share. 

As you may have remembered from my last vineyard adventures.. (reminder) I was on a great quest to enjoy some locally brewed mulled wine. 

As luck would have it, Will (@slickwilly) and I stumbled upon a lovely vineyard out in Mt. Crawford, VA. 

Yes. I will travel for good wine 😉

Crosskeys Vineyards

Below is a picture of the sprawling Crosskeys estate. If only it had been warm enough to sit outside! 

The tasting room. Housed on the far-right side of the Crosskeys estate pictured above.

As you can see, the Crosskeys Vineyard is impressive. With a huge open entry way and sprawling hills surrounding it, the place is downright beautiful! I also enjoyed the u-shaped tasting counter with plenty of purse/jacket hooks (essential for a true wino  💁 ) 

We enjoyed the Estate Tasting (a steal for $10) which included 9 estate, 2 dessert, and a healthy helping of that mulled wine goodness.

We started off with three white wines:

1. 2015 Chardonnay 
   Not much to say about this one. It wasn't completely buttery (i.e. terrible) so I was able to sip it, but overall I was not a fan.
2. 2015 Joy White  🌟
   My favorite white here! This was deliciously smooth with a hint of peaches. It was sweet but not overly so, it had a nice dry/crisp finish.
3. 2015 Fiore Rosé
   A pretty good Rosé. A bit sweeter than I normally like, but it did have a hit of dryness giving it some flavor.

Then we were on to the reds:

1. 2015 Joy Red 🌟 
   Boom! Right off the bat this red had lots of spicy flavor. With a smooth finish, this is a perfect dinner party wine. All the bold flavor with very little dryness.
2. 2015 Pinot Noir
   This tasted like water to me. However, I found it interesting that it was made from 100% Virginia Grapes. Our server explained that this was unusual because the Pinot grape does not tend to fare well in Virginia.
3. 2015 Merlot
   Water. Easy to drink and a smidgen dryer than the Pinot but overall it tasted like average table wine.
4. 2015 Cabernet Franc
   Peppery and delicious! After drinking water for the last two rounds this Cab seemed especially flavorful. A nice lip smacking wine.
5. 2015 Petit Verdot 🌟
   Sweet and tasting of figs, this wine is a delight. It even smelled like a good time!
6. 2014 Touriga  🌟🌟
   Unlike with most things, age treats a wine well. Fortified with brandy, this bold wine was dinner all in itself! A clear favorite for me amongst the red wines. 

Finally, we moved on to the dessert wines: 

1. 2014 Tavern  🌟🌟🌟
   Made with the Touriga wine aged 2 years in French and American Oak barrels, how could this go wrong? One sip of this and I was glowing!
2. 2014 Ali d'Oro
   Described by our server as "liquid Birthday Cake" this Ali was produced Eiswein style with Vidal Blanc and Traminette grapes. It has 15.5% residual sugar and you could taste each percent. This is a great sipping wine, but a bit too sweet for me. More than a half glass and I may have developed a cavity! 

Our finale? Mulled wine! An off-menu treat to celebrate the Holidays. 

Our server explained that Crosskeys creates various batches of mulled wine in the winter. We enjoyed a lovely combination of the 2015 Joy Red blend, 2015 Pinot Noir, mulled spices and a splash of simple sugar. Doesn't that look great? 

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner?!

So, which wine won my heart and earned another round? Well the Tavern port of course! (didn't you see the 3 🌟's?)

Here's my red face enjoying a full glass 😊 :

Here is @slickwilly and I posing inside the main gated entrance:

My Conclusion?

Crosskeys was wonderful and worth a second trip! As a comparatively young vineyard (tasting room opened in 2008), I was impressed to see the wide variety offered. Will and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and even took some Joy Red home to enjoy with dinner. If you're in Virginia, I recommend a visit! 

Until Next Time~