Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Wonderful Christmas Party at the NoVa (Northern Virginia) Chapter of the American Wine Society (Chapter Chair: Graydon Vandament) with Interesting Wines (December 5, 2025)





Wonderful Christmas Party at the NoVa Chapter of the American Wine Society (Chapter Chair: Graydon Vandament) with many interesting wines:
 
Leading Virginia winemaker Chris Pearmund brought an Effingham Manor Winery Viognier from Virginia and compared it with a "worldclass" DOMAINE GUIGAL Viognier from Condrieu. This was a a La Doriane, which is a benchmark for the Condrieu appellation and is produced from grapes sourced from five top "lieux-dits" (specific vineyard plots) to ensure exceptional quality. The Virginia wine showed very well. 
 




 
Several of the wines were from producers we had visited with Annette Schiller on an Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours tour, in particular from the recent Loire Valley tour.  
 
This included a Saumur-Champigny (Loire Valley) from @Domaine des Roches Neuves, which Annette brought. 
 

 
Karen Stokes brought a Sancerre from @Vignobles Berthier, which she visited with us last year. "We even had dinner with the guy" Karen said.  
 
 
Tim brought a Château d'Épiré, which he visited with us 2 years ago. It is a historic and highly respected estate in the Savennières appellation. 
 
 
Where in the World are Norm & Susan presented 2 wines from Japan. They hand carried the 2 bottles from the Tokoname Winery all the way from Japan to Virginia.
 





 
Roland Young brought a Zinfandel from the new venture of Zinfandel legend (and regular guest at the annual AWS National Conference) Joel Peterson.
 

 
 
I brought a Château Mukhrani • შატო მუხრანი from Georgia made by Honnef Patrick, who attended the 2025 National Conference of the American Wine Society in Chantilly, Virginia. 
 





We had a number of sparkling wines, all very good, but the star of the evening was the NV Champagne Daniel Hulin & Fils, Ambonnay, Brut Tradition, which Bruce Rosen brought. A "Grower Champagne" from the
Montagne de Reims sub-region of the Champagne, located between the cities of Reims and Épernay
 

 
Many of the wines people brought were "old world wines".  Notable among the "new world wines" were 2 high-end wines from Napa Valley:
 
First, a 2018, Cervantes Family Vineyards, Fair Chase, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, which Anthony brought.   
 
Second, a 2012, Von Strasser, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, which Graydon Vandament brought. Von Strasser is one of those legendary Diamond Mountain wineries that have been producing knockout Cabernets for many years. 
 
 

 
Thanks Graydon, we had a great time.
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