Paul and I continue to slowly travel the wine trails of Virginia, and our last trek took us to Cana Vineyards. We had not been to Cana in quite a few years, and we learned that the winery is now owned by Lisa and Bryce Petty. They purchased the vineyard and winery from the Bell family in 2018. Co-owners Michelle and Tom Grant are now also part of the Cana team. The Cana facility now includes the expansive Sunset Pavilion which provided for adequate spacing of customers on a very cold afternoon.
Another noted change from our last visit, though, was the improved quality of the wines. I am an unashamed Chardonnay lover, and Cana’s 2019 Chardonnay hit all the right notes for me. It was elegant and well balanced with lovely pear and apple aromas, while the palate was treated to pear and citrus flavors accented with fall spice and a touch of oak. The 2019 Petit Manseng was another success and an example of what this variety can do in Virginia when in the right hands. Fresh tropical notes with a nice, refreshing acidity ended with a dry finish and destined to pair well with any seafood dish. The 2018 Le Mariage, a blend of Bordeaux varieties with Merlot taking the lead, presented a juicy berry entry on the palate followed by a spicy edge on the finish. Remember, 2018 was a very tricky vintage due to lots of rain and not a lot of sunshine in
This Article was originally published on Virginia Wine Time
