Main Street Station Train Shed in Richmond, Virginia

On Tuesday, February 27th we attended the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala held at the Main Street Station Train Shed in Richmond, Virginia. The trail station was an elegant setting for the casual chic event that turned out being a bit more formal than casual. The venue was a wonderful setting for an evening of wine and awards. Walking up the stairway from Main Street, wine enthusiasts passed through the lobby and took a stairway to the second floor. After registering and receiving a tasting guide, they were handed wine glasses and set off to experience Virginia’s gold medal winning wines.

This year marked the largest number of gold medal awards for the Virginia Governor’s Cup awards. The judges awarded 99 gold medals from 442 entries. Many of these wines were tasted by the large number of attendees. The rectangularly space had wineries set up on three sides. Islands of food were in the center of this large space. Small stand-at tables were near the food islands. Even though the event was crowded, the venue spread out the attendees and there was plenty of room to amble, taste, eat and talk. Another section of this immense space was set up for the awards.

The 2018 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala

Of interest were the wines that were selected for the Governor’s Cup Case. Twelve of the 99 gold medal wines were selected for this case. These wines included:

Barboursville Vineyards 2014 Paxxito
CrossKeys Vineyards 2015 Ali d’Oro
Early Mountain Vineyards 2015 Eluvium
Jefferson Vineyards 2016 Viognier
Jefferson Vineyards 2015 Viognier
Keswick Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Franc Estate Reserve
King Family Vineyards 2014 Meritage
North Gate Vineyard 2015 Petit Verdot
Potomac Point Winery 2016 Cabernet Franc
Veritas Vineyards & Winery 2015 Petit Verdot
Virginia Cellars 2015 The Barns at Hamilton Station Petit Verdot
Virginia Cellars 2015 The Barns at Hamilton Station Meritage

Of these twelve wines, the winner of the 2018 Virginia Governor’s Cup was King Family Vineyards for their 2014 Meritage.

As we ambled amongst the tables, I found that I was gravitating toward wines that were crafted with Petit Verdot or Tannat. Just a few of these wine are included with description.

Upper Shirley Cellars 2015 Tannat

Upper Shirley Cellars 2015 Tannat was a dark ruby color. The aroma and taste reminded me of blackberries with some blueberry notes along with baking spices and a hint of leather. The medium bodied wine had bold tannins. The finish had fruit yielding to spices.

Doukenie Winery 2015 Petit Verdot was an opaque dark ruby to black color. The aroma offered black fruits. The taste was reminiscent of blackberries, plum and black cherry. This full-bodied wine had bold tannins. The finish had fruit yielding to baking spices.

Bozzo Family Vineyards 2nd Act Meritage was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The opaque dark ruby colored wine had baking spices and dark fruits on the aroma. Blackberries and black cherries were predominant on the taste. The wine was medium bodied with medium tannins. The finish had fruit yielding to baking spices.

This is a wonderful event for wine enthusiasts. If you missed the 2018 event, start looking for the announcement for the event next January.

Cheers,
Terry