Announcing The Leading Vinos In Our 10th Annual Wine Classic Awards

It's hard to believe that this year marks a decade of orchestrating the Annual Savor Virginia Wine Classic Awards. With each competition throughout the past 10 years, Virginia has continued to add more vineyards and vintages. It's an ever-growing industry in the commonwealth, and with so many options out there, we are excited to offer you some insight on stand-out bottles to try.

In order to do so, each spring, a panel of wine experts converges at River Stone Chophouse in Suffolk—noted for its remarkable wine list, and the extensive wine list at its sister eatery, Vintage Tavern, also in Suffolk—and examines the offerings from many of Virginia’s finest wineries.

The judges evaluated dozens of the best wines produced across the state, each based on its own individual merit.

Evaluation was done double-blind in flights, each recording their findings on sheets printed with a grid of the UC Davis (University of California at Davis) 20 Point System. The Davis system assigns a certain number of points to each of its 10 categories ranging from bouquet to color to taste to aftertaste.

We present our findings to you below.

Platinum Level Winners

Bluestone Vineyard

2013 Houndstooth
Category: Red Other

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Crimson Ridge Vat. No. 1
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Crimson Ridge Vintage Dry
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

IPA India Pressed Apple
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Virginia Apple Granny Smith Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Citrus Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Chateau Morrisette

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Morrisette

2013 Archival
Category: Red Other

Effingham Manor Winery

2014 Tannat
Category: Red Other

Good Luck Cellars

2014 Runway Red
Category: Red Other

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2016 Adieu
Category: Dessert

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingleside Vineyards

2014 Sangiovese
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

2014 Right Bank
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

Chesapeake Cabernet Merlot
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

2014 Virginia Gold
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

2016 Albarino
Category: White Other

Morais Vineyards & Winery

2015 Touriga
Category: Red Other

Narmada Winery

2014 Melange
Category: Red Other

Narmada Winery

2014 Yash-Vir
Category: Red Other

Rosemont Vineyards

Virginia Red
Category: Red Other

Slater Run Vineyard

2014 Roots
Category: Red Other

10th Annual Wine Classic, Savor Virginia

Gold Level Winners

Bluestone Vineyard

2014 Petit Verdot
Category: Petit Verdot

Bluestone Vineyard

2015 Petit Manseng
Category: Petit Manseng

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Premium Dry Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Virginia Draft Amber Apple Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Pear Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Bold Rock Hard Cider

Wild Cherry Cider
Category: Cider/Mead

Chateau Morrisette

2016 Vidal Blanc
Category: Vidal Blanc

Chateau Morrisette

2016 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Chateau Morrisette

Sweet Mountain Apple
Category: Fruit

Chateau Morrisette

4 White Grapes
Category: White Other

Chateau MerillAnne

2015 Palace Red
Category: Red Other

Cunningham Creek Winery

Petit Manseng
Category: Petit Manseng

Cunningham Creek Winery

2015 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Cunningham Creek Winery

2014 Rivanna Red
Category: Red Other

Effingham Manor Winery

2014 Traminette
Category: White Other

Good Luck Cellars

2014 Chardonel
Category: White Other

Good Luck Cellars

2015 Vignoles
Category: White Other

Good Luck Cellars

2016 Four Blonds
Category: White Other

Good Luck Cellars

2013 Inheritage
Category: Red Other

Good Luck Cellars

2015 Traminette
Category: White Other

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2016 Seyval Blanc
Category: Seyval Blanc

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2016 Gewürztraminer
Category: White Other

Horton Vineyards

2014 Late Harvest
Category: Dessert

Horton Vineyards

2016 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Horton Vineyards

2016 Private Reserve Nebbiolo Rose
Category: Rose

Horton Vineyards

2014 Private Reserve Petit Verdot
Category: Petit Verdot

Ingleside Vineyards

2014 Left Bank
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

2015 Chardonnay Reserve
Category: Chardonnay

Morais Vineyards & Winery

2015 Morello Cherry Wine
Category: Dessert

Morais Vineyards & Winery

2015 Battlefield
Category: White Other

Morais Vineyards & Winery

2015 Verdelho
Category: White Other

Narmada Winery

2014 Reflection
Category: Chambourcin

Pearmund Cellars

2014 Ameritage Reserve
Category: Red Other

Pearmund Cellars

2016 Vidal Blanc
Category: Vidal Blanc

Pearmund Cellars

2015 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Pearmund Cellars

2014 Petit Verdot
Category: Petit Verdot

Slater Run Vineyard

2014 First Bridge
Category: Red Other

Slater Run Vineyard

2016 Rose
Category: Rose

Twin Oaks Tavern Winery

2014 Raven Rocks Red
Category: Red Other

Vint Hill Craft Winery

2014 Enigma
Category: Red Other

Vint Hill Craft Winery

2016 Monticello AVA
Category: White Other

The Winery at Bull Run

2016 Pinot Gris
Category: White Other

The Winery at Bull Run

2016 Riesling
Category: Riesling

The Winery at Bull Run

2014 Meritage
Category: Red Other

Wine Classic, Best Virginia wines

Silver Level Winners

Bluestone Vineyard

2013 Rose
Category: Rose

Bluestone Vineyard

2015 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Chateau Morrisette

2016 Petit Manseng
Category: Petit Manseng

Chateau Morrisette

2014 Chardonnay Reserve
Category: Chardonnay

Chateau Morrisette

2016 Vin Gris
Category: Rose

Chateau MerrillAnne

2015 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Chateau MerrillAnne

2015 Petit Verdot
Category: Petit Verdot

Effingham Manor Winery

2015 Merlot
Category: Merlot

Effingham Manor Winery

2015 Viognier
Category: Viognier

Effingham Manor Winery

2015 Rock Mills
Category: Rose

Good Luck Cellars

2013 Chambourcin
Category: Chambourcin

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2016 Riesling
Category: Riesling

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2015 Ranger Reserve
Category: Red Other

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2016 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2015 Reserve Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Gray Ghost Vineyards

2015 Petit Verdot
Category: Petit Verdot

Horton Vineyards

2014 Cabernet Franc Reserve
Category: Cabernet Franc

Ingleside Vineyards

Blue Crab Red
Category: Red Other

Ingleside Vineyards

2016 Pinot Grigio
Category: White Other

Ingleside Vineyards

Chesapeake Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Morais Vineyards & Winery

2015 Merlot
Category: Merlot

Narmada Winery

2015 Dream
Category: White Other

Narmada Winery

2013 Reserve Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Narmada Winery

2014 Midnight
Category: Chambourcin

Narmada Winery

2014 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Pearmund Cellars

2015 Old Vine Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Rosemont Vineyards

Virginia White
Category: White Other

Rosemont Vineyards

2016 Rose
Category: Rose

Slater Run Vineyards

2015 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Slater Run Vineyards

2015 Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Twin Oaks Tavern Winery

2014 Vidal Blanc
Category: Vidal Blanc

Vint Hill Craft Winery

2015 Estate Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Vint Hill Craft Winery

2015 Chardonnay
Category: Dessert

The Winery At Bull Run

2016 Chambourcin
Category: Rose

Savor Virginia 2017 Wine Classic, Virginia wines

Bronze Level Winners

Chateau Morrisette

2014 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Chateau MerrillAnne

2015 Governor Spotswood
Category: Red Other

Good Luck Cellars

2015 Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Good Luck Cellars

2014 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Narmada Winery

2015 Mom
Category: White Other

Rosemont Vineyards

2014 Cabernet Franc
Category: Cabernet Franc

Rosemont Vineyards

2014 Merlot
Category: Merlot

Twin Oaks Tavern Winery

2014 Chardonnay
Category: Chardonnay

Twin Oaks Tavern Winery

2015 Norton
Category: Norton

Vint Hill Craft Winery

2015 Honey Mead
Category: Cider/Mead

Savor Virginia Wine Classic 2017

The Criteria

The UC Davis 20 Point System evaluates wine on its own merits, looking at the following criteria and assigning the following points value:

Clarity – 2 points
Color – 2 points
Bouquet – 4 points
Total Acidity – 1 point
Sweetness – 1 point
Body/Texture – 2 points
Flavor/Taste – 2 points
Bitterness – 1 point
Finish – 1 point
Quality – 4 points

We tallied each judge’s evaluation sheet, came up with an average and placed each in one of four categories:

Platinum
90 percent or higher

Gold
70–89 percent

Silver
50–69 percent

Bronze
49 percent or lower

Savor Virginia Wine Classic, Riverstone Chophouse Suffolk

The Critics

Lindsay Bennett—sommelier, owner of Press 626 Café & Wine Bar, Norfolk

Lisa Hamaker—owner, Taste Virginia, which conducts culinary tours, including winery, brewery and spirits tours

Brett Helk—sommelier, managing partner of Press 626 Café & Wine Bar, Norfolk

Kiera Hill—sommelier, bar manager of Press 626 Café & Wine Bar, Norfolk

Marisa Marsey—food, wine and travel writer

Scott Miles—owner of Great Bottles wine and craft beer shop, Suffolk

Bethany Morris—sommelier, The Main, Norfolk

David Parkerson—sommelier, Tidewater regional manager for Z Wine Guy LLC

Don Paul—sommelier, general manager of Salacia Prime Seafood and Steaks, Virginia Beach

Adam Steely—sommelier, co-owner of Blue Talon Bistro, Williamsburg

Melissa M. Stewart—Savor Virginia magazine executive editor

Riverstone Chophouse Suffolk, Virginia

Special Thanks

A special thank you to owners Brian and Teresa Mullins and their staff at River Stone Chophouse in northern Suffolk for their hospitality in hosting the 10th annual Savor Virginia Magazine Wine Classic judging. Their beautiful arts-and-crafts-style restaurant was the perfect venue for the judging. We encourage you to stop by and sample the award-winning cuisine and outstanding wine list.

River Stone Chophouse
8032 Harbour View Blvd., Suffolk
757-638-7990
RiverStoneChophouse.com

Written By

Chris Murphy