~Adagio Joins 11 Other Fine Virginia Wines from 9 Wineries to Comprise Governor’s Cup~
Secretary Haymore Awarded Wine Person of the Year by the VWA
RICHMOND –
Governor Terry McAuliffe tonight awarded the 2014 Virginia Wineries
Association’s (VWA) Governor's Cup to The Williamsburg Winery's 2010
Adagio, a blended red wine. The Governor’s Cup was awarded Thursday
evening, February 27 at the VWA’s Governor’s Cup Gala at the John Marshall Hotel.
Speaking
at the Governor’s Cup awards ceremony, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am
honored to award the Governor's Cup to The Williamsburg Winery, one of Virginia’s
oldest and most prolific wineries. It is no secret the Commonwealth’s
wine industry has experienced tremendous growth both in quantity and
quality in recent years. Such growth has an enormous impact on Virginia
in terms of economic development and job creation. The Virginia
Governor's Cup, now recognized as one of the nation's most stringent
competitions, helps to raise awareness of the world class wines grown
and blended right here in the Commonwealth. My congratulations to The
Williamsburg Winery for their long history of success and their most
recent notable contribution to the Virginia wine industry."
The
Williamsburg Winery's Adagio is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 30%
Merlot and 28% Petit Verdot. Aged in French, American and Hungarian Oak,
the ratio is 43% new oak, 14% one year old oak; 29% two year old oak;
and 14% three year old oak. The winemaker's tasting notes are as
follows: The 2010 Adagio is a very bold upfront wine with loads of
jammy fruit. The blackberries and blueberry notes are accentuated with
some elegant mature darker fruit such as figs, dates and prunes. There
is a hint of spice (warm cinnamon) with molasses and soy. The earthy
notes come across with a touch of nuttiness. The oak is very integrated
into the weight of the wine and the tannins are smooth and graceful.
The wine has a wonderful finish that lasts for quite awhile.
"It is very satisfying and very humbling to be with my peers and the
others who have won the Governor's Cup. The 2010 Adagio was
unbelievable, exceeding all expectations for quality, and it was nice
for Adagio to get that recognition,” said Matthew Meyer, vice president
and winemaker of The Williamsburg Winery. "Adagio, from the Italian ad
agio, or 'at ease', is a musical term indicating the tempo of a
composition that is meant to be slow and stately, so named in honor of
the extraordinary depth, elegance and grace of this wine."
The 2014 Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition was conducted over three weeks of preliminary tastings, held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C. The final round of tastings was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond
in early February. The Governor's Cup award winner was selected from
the 2014 Governor's Cup Case. The top 12 scoring wines of the
competition, The Governor’s Cup Case, were selected from 410 entries of
both red and white wines, from 96 wineries.
In addition to The Williamsburg Winery's 2010 Adagio, the other 11 wines in the Governor’s Cup Case are:
The
Governor’s Cup competition, revamped in 2011, is a result of a
partnership among the gubernatorial-appointed Virginia Wine Board (VWB),
the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA), and the VWA, which owns and
manages the competition. Any wine made from 100% Virginia
fruit was eligible for the competition, while ciders and fruit wines
had their own category and medalists. All entries included an affidavit
with a certification of 100% Virginia fruit and vineyard particulars,
including grower names and location, as well as information on alcohol,
acidity or basicity (pH), and residual sugar.
Wine included in the Governor’s Cup Case will be used by the Virginia
Wine Board Marketing Office for marketing purposes in Virginia, across the country, and around the world. A number of cases will be shipped to select wine media, promoting Virginia wines to a larger national and international audience. The award winning wines will be used for education purposes at Virginia winemaker roundtable discussions to improve overall quality of Virginia
wines. Governor’s Cup Case wines will also be used by Governor
McAuliffe on select domestic and international marketing missions and
other events designed to promote Virginia wine and winery tourism.
Jay Youmans, one of only of 31 Masters of Wine (MW) in the U.S., directed the competition. Youmans, who is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and the owner and educational director of the Capital Wine School in Washington, DC,
recruited wine judges from the professional wine buying and wine media
community. The judges were compensated for their time for a rigorous
schedule of judging to ensure the competition maintained the highest
level of professional evaluation. There were 30 judges in the
preliminary round and 15 judges in the final round. A list of the judges
along with their bios can be found at http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup
One
of the most important aspects of the revised competition is the
educational component of the judging. After the competition, regional
forums for the winemakers will be held with the judging director. Notes
with the judges’ blind comments will be shared with individual
winemakers, so that they will get direct feedback on how their wines
were received.
The Williamsburg Winery is located on Wessex Hundred, a 300-acre farm located in Virginia's
Historic Triangle. The winery has experienced continuous growth
through an expanding portfolio of wines. The introduction of the 2007
Adagio was the culmination of a single-minded goal to produce the
highest quality wines in the world. This is the second Governor’s Cup
for Williamsburg Winery. The winery won in 1989 for its 1988 Chardonnay.
"Winning the Governor's Cup is a testament to Matthew's talent and to
the dedication of our entire team, whose focus is on excellence in wines
made 100% from Virginia
grapes. Our goal is to grow as a leader in the industry, developing
wines that reflect the character of our Commonwealth, neither
Californian or European, but displaying elegance and interesting
flavors," said Patrick Duffeler, president and CEO, The Williamsburg
Winery.
In
addition to awarding Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio the 2014
Governor’s Cup, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore was
named Wine Person of the Year for his contributions to this rapidly
growing sector of the Commonwealth’s economy.
As
Secretary, Haymore works closely with the Governor, General Assembly,
and key stakeholders on numerous legislative and budgetary initiatives
to integrate agriculture and forestry fully into Virginia’s overall economic development and jobs creation platform. A dedicated proponent of the Virginia wine industry, Secretary Haymore has worked in partnership with Virginia’s wineries and vineyards to proudly showcase Virginia
wines during domestic and international trade missions. During his
time as Secretary, Haymore has facilitated the first commercial shipment
of Virginia Wine to China; helped to launch the Virginia Wine Summit,
bringing national and international attention to Virginia wine; helped
to almost triple the amount of funds placed in the Virginia Wine
Promotion Fund for research, education and marketing; and worked with
the General Assembly to establish a reimbursable tax credit program for
the establishment or expansion of vineyards and wineries. His strategic
focus has led to new sales and opportunities for Virginia wineries that will continue the industry’s growth in the years to come.
Sales of Virginia wine reached a record high in fiscal year 2013 with more than 511,000 cases, or more than 6.1 million bottles, sold. Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with 250 wineries. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producing state. According to a recently released economic impact study, the Virginia
wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost
$750 million to the Commonwealth’s economy on an annual basis.
