Revisiting Linden Vineyards: Scrabble Anyone ?
There are a great many places one could play a friendly game of Scrabble, but why not play at one of your favorite Virginia wineries. Think about it, picturesque romantic views, delectable local cheeses and fine nibbles, a friendly and relaxing atmosphere and of course great wine to boot.
At last, Vine Spot made it to Linden Vineyards on time to partake in the Vineyard Tour and the in-depth Cellar Tasting. If readers recall, the past two attempts of arriving early and attending these events were marred by that notorious sluggish Interstate 66 traffic. This time around, there were all smiles as we arrived early on a sunny yet cool Saturday with minimal traffic and met with Tasting Room Manager Jane, who would guide us through an in-depth tour of the Vineyard and Wine Cellar. This informative tour is complimentary and steps you through the winemaking process at a high level, from vine to wine, at Linden Vineyards. Jane did an excellent job guiding us through this tour and I recommend readers visit Linden ’s site and schedule the Vineyard and Cellar tour which starts at 11:30am on Saturdays and Sundays and lasts about 45 minutes.
Vineyard Tour with Jane on a Clear and Sunny Day
If you are on schedule as Vine Spot was (very rare), once the Vineyard and Cellar Tour concludes, you can move right onto the Cellar Tasting. The Cellar Tasting is $12 and begins at 12:15pm, and repeats every 45 minutes. This special tasting is held downstairs in the barrel room in a more private and intimate setting with no more than 6 to 10 people. This tasting is highly informative and interactive and the wines tasted are Linden ’s special vintages, limited releases and aged wines. The wines we tasted through consisted of the following: Hardscrabble Chardonnay 1999, Hardscrabble Chardonnay 2001, Reserve 2001 (42% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Cab Franc, 25% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot), Petit Verdot 2002, and Late Harvest 2004 (100% Vidal Blanc).
The Cellar Tasting with Scott
As you can tell, we tasted and learned about some very nice selections. Scott, our host for this in-depth tasting, did a great job of guiding us through the Cellar Tasting and pointing out factors such as weather, vineyard site and selection and the winemaking style and decisions that went into the tasty lineup of wines we sampled. Do note that these wines are only sampled during the Cellar Tasting but can be purchased in the main tasting area for your drinking pleasure if you do not partake in the Cellar Tasting.
Dezel at the Main Tasting Bar
Timing was just perfect as we went from the Cellar Tasting directly to the main tasting bar for Linden ’s complimentary tasting of several of their current wines that differ from what is sampled during the Cellar Tasting and are also high quality wines. We were greeted by a smiling and informative Tasting Associate that guided us through the following wines: Seyval 2005, Red 2004 (My personal favorite – 56% Cab Sauvignon, 31% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc), 2003 Claret (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, and last but not least the refreshing and fruit driven Vidal Riesling 2005 (77% Vidal, 23% Riesling).
Following our tasting, we decided on a glass of the Petit Verdot 2002 and the Vidal Riesling 2005. Complementing this was freshly baked baguettes as well as some tasty venison sausage and two of their suggested local cheeses to pair with our wine selections. I have enjoyed Linden ’s Petit Verdot times past and the richness, red ripe fruit, spiciness and brightness of this selection always draws the palate near. Opposite, but equally tasty, the Vidal Riesling 2005 displays a nice range and integration of tree and tropical fruit flavors with a nice colorful liveliness about it. This indeed would be plug_and_play with crab cakes and grilled seafood dishes.
Beautiful views at Linden Vineyards
By this time I was having a very pleasant day and not just because I was winning at Scrabble. As readers well know, Scrabble can be a lengthy game, so more baguettes, more local cheeses, and yes, my favorite, a bottle of the Red 2004 was ordered. The Red 2004 is a nice palate filling medium bodied red wine with good fruit concentration, pleasant nuances, a sprinkle of pepper, a hint of cocoa, and a nice lingering finish. This would be my versatile food friendly wine much like what you could expect from a Pinot Noir.
As with all good things, our day came to a happy end. We always enjoy visiting Jim Law’s Linden Vineyards; fine wine, spectacular views, Vineyard and Cellar Tours, Cellar Tastings, an attractive enclosed deck …Need I say more? When readers decide to visit Linden Vineyards do let them know you read and saw them here on Virginia Vine Spot.
Stay tuned friends, I have oodles of red and white news to report!
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
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9 comments:
Hey Dezel:
Oh how we love Linden. I truly think they are producing some of the best wines in Virginia, and I would say they are my personal favorite. Woodland Vineyard being second of course. haha
On a serious note, Lindens Hardscrabble vineyard is being threatened by Dominion VA Power to have HUGE power lines go thru it. You can go to the WhoseDominion.org and see how you can help in the grass roots efforts.
Hello John,
Many of my friends (including self) that I introduced to Linden’s wines feel the very same way about the quality and complexity of their wines. Linden is certainly up high on my personal favorite list and there are some other quality producers cropping up in that area which makes for a nice little tasting tour.
We certainly need to visit you guys and bring back some of that Woodland wine so the Vino Bear and myself can put it in my weekly sip rotation.
Thanks for the news regarding Linden’s Hardscrabble Vineyard. I will go to the site and get informed and hopefully others who visit here will as well. Development is a blessing, yet a curse – left alone, Virginia has such natural beauty; just one of the many reasons we love visiting wine country!
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
You are always going to Linden, trying to tell us something. Nice review as always.
Good information, thanks for sharing.
S.
In 2004 we travelled to Linden as part of a vacation and have been returning there ever since at least twice a year. We come from the Northeast and the trip is 6 hours from our home location. We are really dedicated Linden consumers. Their wine is the best in the Northeast, as far as I'm concerned.
Linden is our top shelf vinyard along with Marterella, pERMUND CELLARS,Vintage Ridge, Naked Mtn., La Grange, Thanks for the great write up. Jim Law is a true master of the vine. As a returned Peace Corps man he made good on his love for the rural life. Thanks for supporting his efforts. He strives for that uniqueness that is the siols and place of virginia.
Going to Linden is like visiting the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. They have rules for everything and if you don't follow them, they make your time there very uncomfortable. You know you're in trouble when on arrival; the gate has a list of rules. No groups larger than six, no limos, no buses. Fortunately, our group was in accordance.
We visited this past weekend, and when we arrived at the tasting room, we were once again reminded not to have more than six people. The staff is uptight and comes across with an air of arrogance. Wine is fun but you won’t get any smiles from the Linden staff. They must have their own set of rules to live by. In the past, you were able to enjoy Virginia cheese and sausage sold on the deck. No more. You know have to be a member of the case club and buy one case a year to enjoy that privilege. No one was on the deck but Linden didn’t want our money. What unfortunate is the wine is excellent, but the atmosphere is very unwelcoming. We won’t be going back.
First, I want to say that we've had some lovely visits to Linden vineyards in the past. It's a beautiful place and the wine is among the best in the state. Having said that, during our trip this weekend, I felt like my family, friend, and I were treated like naughty toddlers.
We had taken a wine-loving friend who was visiting from Colorado. Unfortunately, we hadn't visited since all these new rules were implemented. When we tried to order cheese, we were told in a stern voice, "You can't order cheese. And you can't use the deck. That is reserved for case club members only." Then, "The dog is not allowed in here. We're serving FOOD!" (Of course, there was no one eating, because no one is allowed to.) And "The dog is not allowed on the deck." So the kids took the dog outside. Then we were told, "The children cannot go to the pond. Please tell them they have to come back." And on it went. I was afraid to breathe.
I jokingly asked, "Can I taste the wine now, or is that only for show?" And it's not even so much the rules, as the delivery. Completely rude.
Luckily, we all have a sense of humor about things. So we were able to laugh about it afterward. But we definitely will not be going back to such a hostile place that clearly doesn't appreciate it's adoring fans.
Add our family to the list of former Linden lovers. Two years ago it was tastings, deck, and venison sausage. Not so anymore.
Last Sunday (ironically Father's Day) we made the trek out to Linden. My wife, who is pregnant with our second, and our two year old daughter were in tow and starving by the time we hit Linden. We were curtly informed that food and deck were only for case club members and then solicited to join if we wanted to be served. Um, no. Actually, hell no.
The wine nazi strikes again. No food for you! :) Refusing to serve us was quite a shock. Absolutely no sympathy from the staff either - just stern looks and another recitation of the rules. Another visitor who overheard the exchange was sympathetic and pointed out the manager, whom he thought would be sympathetic to our plight. Unfortunately, said manager was even less interested in helping us than the staff.
Basic economics says if you've got more business than capacity, raise prices. Fine, no problem - happy to pay. But that doesn't need to involve alienating loyal, repeat clients. I know the owner loves the vines and not the tasting room, but we pay for his lifestyle. Or I should say, paid - we won't be back and won't be buying. And we do buy by the case, just not in the face of a "buy it or get out" attitude.
Here's another rule of thumb that Linden should eventually discover on their own: happy clients tell two or three people. Pissed off, unhappy clients tell twenty or thirty people and blog like crazy.
Skip Linden, it's not worth the hostility and hassle.
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