News from the Vintner's Wife —
Hi, Everyone. Hope you are having a great summer!

First, Some History, in Honor of America's 400th Anniversary
Did you know that the history of Virginia wine goes all the way back to 1619? In keeping with the nation's celebration of the founding of Jamestown, I though it would be interesting to share some of the rich history of wine making in Virginia with you.

While the production of wine from vinifera grapes (classic European varieties, such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) in Virginia is a modern occurrence, the winemaking tradition goes back farther than you might imagine. In 1606, when the Virginia Company sailed down the Thames to the Atlantic and settled on the shores of what is now Jamestown, the English folk had a thirst, so to speak, for wine and a hope to make their riches from it in this new and very lush land.

This lush land had, as Capt. John Smith reported in a letter back home, vines “in great abundance in many parts that climbe the toppes of the highest trees.” The company's records say Virginia “yeeldeth naturally great store” of grapevines “and of sundry sorts, which by culture will be brought to excellent perfection.” Smith said that “of hedge grapes, we made neere 20 gallons of wine, which was neare as good as your French Brittish,” and that if they were “properly planted, dressed and ordered by skillful ‘vinearoones’ we might make a perfect grape and fruitfull Vintage in short time.” (By “vinearoones,” he meant vignerons, or winegrowers.)

As an incentive to encourage settlers to take advantage of this natural abundance, the House of Burgess passed, in 1619, Acte 12. It stated that every household must plant and maintain 10 vines. Failure to do so would result in a penalty that the Governor and Council of Estate thought fit to impose upon the neglectors of this Acte. Sadly, the early efforts were a failure, as the wine was bitter and traveled badly. However, there were some who did not give up hope. Governor William Berkeley continued experimenting with trellis systems and winemaking methods and, by 1663, produced wine that was said to be as good as any out of Italy. Remarkably, in 1768, Virginia was exporting a little over 13 tons of wine back to Britain.

Under Jefferson's influence, and with the cooperation of wealthy planters, a Virginia winemaking industry began to flower in the early nineteenth century, but the disruptions of the Civil War wiped out the business along with the rest of the state's economy. Following that was Prohibition, no less of an inhibitor of the Virginia Wine Industry.

It was not until the mid-1970's that Virginia began to reclaim its status as a viable wine growing economy. Growers began using French hybrids and vinifera grapes, while employing the latest farming technologies. When it became apparent that the Virginia wine industry was growing and was here to stay, the state enacted the Virginia Farm Winery Act of 1980, which, among other things, exempted wineries from the traditional three-tiered distribution system, and provided other incentives to assist the new and now burgeoning industry. (As you may know, we recently lost the right of self-distribution, but I think Sarah has already covered that rant in a prior newsletter.)

Of course, this amazing industry would not survive, nor prosper, were it not for the support and dedication of customers like you. What better illustration of that support than this past weekend, at the annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival held at Bull Run Park in Centreville, VA. The festival itself had a record number of visitors on Saturday, and our tent was hopping! As always, it was a pleasure to get to meet so many of you and to share our wines.

Here at the Winery
In March, we hosted an A6 vertical tasting for our wine club members, featuring all vintages from 2002 through 2006. Each member got to enjoy and discuss with Tim, our winemaker the several different vintages of A-6 that we have produced. The wines were paired with several different hors d'oeuvres that enhanced the flavor immensely. Next up: a Quattro vertical tasting. These events are for club members only though, so if you are interested, check out our website for additional details: www.cardinalpointwinery.com/wineclub.htm.

We had a severe April frost in the area, and many of our neighbors suffered some significant damage. Tim had wisely only rough-pruned, and our crop survived with very little damage. It is times like these though, that really make it clear that grape-growing is not for the faint of heart!

Coming Up
Our Summer Concert Series continues this Saturday, June 9, from 4 pm to 8 pm when we happily host the Cashmere Jungle Lords from Richmond, VA. Their eclectic style of Alt-Country-Garage-Surf-Punk as made them a big hit among our concertgoers. As always, you are welcome to bring a picnic, chairs and a blanket and spread out (or dance!) on the grass. The concerts are great family events, and we always welcome children. Don't forget that each concert is a benefit for a local charity; this Saturday we benefit the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville Virginia. See their summer schedule at www.theparamount.net. Remember Club members - you and a guest get in for free!

As mentioned in our last newsletter, a new addition to our concert area is a bridge built by our own “vinearoone” and wine maker, Tim. This bridge has been a real treat for kids looking to explore the other side of the creek during concerts. Watch out for trolls, though! Tim is working on some trails to hike on that side of the property, for the adventurers in the crowd. As you can see, our dog Lewis is enjoying the trails already!

And Speaking of Forefathers... What better way to celebrate our forefathers, and, more importantly, your own father (or husband, or yourself!), than with a visit to Cardinal Point on June 17, Father's Day? We will be honoring Dad with some complimentary cheeses to pair with our wines, and each Dad will get a free Cardinal Point wine glass to take home (sorry, not a full one, but you can hit your son or daughter up for that).

On a last note, we are sad to be saying good-bye to Roberto "Pacho" Priani, who has been working for us in our tasting room. Pacho has been a great friend and big help to us, and definitely a favorite with our customers. We will miss him at Cardinal Point, but wish him well in his new position with Music Today. Don't worry Pacho — you'll be hearing from us every time there's a good show coming to town — we want tickets!

Well, that about wraps it up folks. We hope to see you at the winery or a festival soon!

Cheers,
Susan Gorman