So I've been learning about a lot of new grape varieties on my visits to wineries in the Central Virginia region--new to me, that is. Virginia's climate lends itself to an interesting blend of grapes; we've got the Bordeaux favorites--Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc--as well as that famous white grape of Bourgogne, Chardonnay. There's also a duke's mixture of French-American vinifera/labrusca hybrids like Norton, Chambourcin, Traminette, Vidal, and Seyval thrown in, which leads to a lot of interesting blends and tastes that are definitely distinct from the old European styles.
With that in mind, it's interesting to see more obscure European varieties popping up and becoming popular in this great state. Case in point--the Petit Manseng grape. It hails from the Southwest region of France and is used to make the famous wine Jurancon. Now wineries such as Veritas and White Hall are bottling it as a straight varietal.
The bottle I currently have shelved is the 2005 vintage from Veritas (an absolutely spectacular place, if you have the chance to visit rural Afton, Virginia, in the heart of the Central Virginia wine country). It displayed flavors that I've never experienced before in a white wine--a lot of tropical citrus flavors like mango and pineapple, with hints of cinnamon and--it took me a while to figure this out--persimmon, of all things. It tastes sweeter than it really is, actually qualifying only as semi-sweet in terms of residual sugar. Even at $25 for a 500 mL bottle, this wine is definitely one you don't want to miss. (Though with a serving that small, I'd reserve it for a special occasion, when you know ahead of time that only two people are going to be drinking it!)
Overall, I'm interested to watch the success of Petit Manseng in this state. I'd say it's safe to be sanguine about its future, especially as a choice for late harvest dessert wines. Keep an eye out for it.
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