Wine Tasting: Blenheim and Kluge

I'll just preface my wine criticism with two things: (1) I am relatively an amateur when it comes to wine, but my reviews will be based only in part on the wine, part on the ambiance, and part on food/other services the winery offers. And (2) Virginia wine, overall, is just not that fab. Sorry kids.

Okay. Now that I've said those things, I had a lovely girls day out where we visited Blenheim (see: http://www.blenheimvineyards.com/) vineyards, which are owned by Dave Matthews, and Kluge (see: http://www.klugeestateonline.com/). They're on the same road, less than a mile apart. And this happened to be a gorgeous not really fall day in Charlottesville. Perfect for sitting on a patio.

Well, at Kluge. Because Blenheim didn't really have a patio to sit on. Sigh. Blenheim has a gorgeous barn that the tastings are done in, and it would probably make a really nice space for a catered private event. The view from the window was beautiful. Pictures forthcoming.

So, tasting time. The tasting at Blenheim costs $5, and you keep your glass. Except for Friday. Because they were running short on glasses. But they still charged us $5! They did give us a voucher for a free tasting and glass, but that of course means I'll have to come back. Why don't you just not charge me? Duh. That's $5 more that I'll spend on a bottle of wine. I grudgingly paid my $5 for the tasting. At least they were generous with the pourings, and allowed us to re-try multiple wines. We tried 5 whites, 3 reds, and a "baby" wine whose grapes had been picked only three weeks before our visit. Blenheim was also fortuitously understaffed so that our wine pourer kept leaving us alone with the bottles. Mistake, sir!

As far as the wine went, I actually really liked the chardonnays. I generally don't like chards, because I find them too buttery. I just don't like the big oaky flavor. But these chards were more crispy and fruity, and not aged in oak. Plus for me! The reds were...decent. I bought a bottle of the Meritage, because it was $10, and for a $10 bottle it was pretty good. Most of us agreed that the best thing we tried was the baby wine. It was sweet, and smelled fantastic.

Overall, Blenheim wines were just okay, but the space was very pretty, and if I had a large group event I would definitely consider renting the space.

On to Kluge! Pronounced Kloo-gee. Guh. I refuse to say it that way. I keep calling it Kloo-guh. Even in my mind. Kluge has a nice tasting area. Pretty house with a patio and a tree-shaded picnic area. The tasting at Kluge is not your "traditional" wine tasting experience. You buy a flight of cones. The flight of wines is $10, the flight of sparklings is $12. I did the sparklings. The cones are a pretty good portion of wine, but unlike with a normal tasting you don't get an expert's opinion or information on each one. And you don't get to take anything home! Boo.

My opinion on the sparklings: Meh. The three whites were nothing special. I don't lovelove sparkling wines in the first place. But the two reds in this flight were not good. One of them tasted like pickle juice! The best item in the flight was the mixed Cru and Blanc de Blanc. But, funny enough, one of the other girls with me had the same flight, and her Cru/Blanc de Blanc was entirely different from mine. My mix had more of the blanc. Hers had more of the cru. Hers was a sparkling dessert wine! I actually enjoyed it that way. I also took a few sips of the wine flight, and the rose was not particularly good either. It was bland. Lacked flavor.

I thought the most unique item at Kluge was the Cru. It was almost a liqueur. Very sweet, with hints of Bailey's and Jack Daniels. I bought a bottle to share with my non-wine drinking family.

Oh, and the cheese plate at Kluge was pretty good. If you run out of bread you can ask for crackers, and they'll give them to you for free. More bread is $2.50.

These may be harsh critiques, but it was actually a really pleasant and beautiful day. If you don't care about the quality of the wine, then these spots are great to hang out, and enjoy great company and beautiful weather.