Ashton Creek Vineyard. August 2021

 

Ashton Creek Vineyard.  August 20, 2021

It is startling to find a vineyard growing right on busy Route 1 but there, up a little hill, is where you will find Ashton Creek Vineyard.  Come through the front door and the traffic noise is hushed.   Starting in 2012, Ashton Creek has grown to control several vineyards throughout the state.  All wines are from Virginia grapes and 95% of the juice is from estates owned or controlled by Ashton Creek.  The facility has a nice tasting room and an adjoining special events/wedding venue.  As quiet as the tasting room is, I would advise against an outdoor wedding here because of the traffic on Route 1.  You don’t want an 18-wheeler blowing it’s air horn during the “I-do’s.”  The vineyard does not allow outside food, but does have a good menu for a winery.  We had crab dip, chicken salad, and a BLT. The crab dip and BLT were great; the chicken salad was not worth the price.  Ashton Creek also features cider (we did not try the cider).  And frequent visitors may want to invest in one of the choices for a wine growler.

Ashton Creek offers a four-wine sweet tasting flight or dry flight.  It also offers mixed flights of three wines of the customer’s choosing.  I had a dry tasting flight. 

Kim and I both tried the 2019 Chardonnay.  Initially Kim gave it a C+ or B-.  She later revised her rating to a B.  I found that it did not taste like a Chardonnay at first; a normal Chardonnay taste appears later.  The tasting notes observe that this is not a buttery Chardonnay – true - it is very dry and light, stainless production.

Cannonball Red from 2017.  This is 100% Chambourcin sourced from Tyro, Virginia.  This was a very light quaffing wine with no residual sugar, no tannin, and no appreciable finish.

After Hours (NV). This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petit Manseng, and 25% Chardonnay sourced from Danville, VA, and from Ashton Creek estates.  This wine struck me as wanting to be a rosé - in its color and lightness.  Like the Cannonball Red, it has no tannin or finish.  Good quaffing wine best served chilled.

Side Ways (NV).  This is another 100% Chambourcin red wine from Tyro, Virginia.  This wine is a little sweet and has some pepper and spice.  Again – not much finish.  Again – serve chilled. 

 

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