Corcoran Vineyards
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Corcoran Vineyards is located in the countryside near the historic village of Waterford, Virginia. Lori Corcoran is the winemaker and friendly with a great sense of humor and adventure. The Corcoran family also makes hard ciders and brews.
Lori and Jim Corcoran are the owners of Corcoran Vineyards located outside of Waterford village in Loudoun County, Virginia. Lori is also the winemaker. The Corcoran family also produces hard ciders and beer.
Tasting Room
The Corcoran family has three tasting facilities. Two are located on the property and include the wine tasting room in one building and another tasting room in second building for tasting hard ciders. The brewery tasting room is located a short drive away in Purcellville.
Near the wine tasting room a pond has two large weeping willow trees overlooking it. The winery tasting room is located in an old 1750 log cabin that was renovated to house the tasting room. The outside of the cabin is modern but immediately upon entering the tasting room, visitors will see old log walls. A white plaster now seals the spaces between the logs.
In a glass vessel on the wood counter, chilled Sangria was available for purchase by the glass.
Vineyards
Lori and Jim began thinking about planting a vineyard in 2001. In 2002 they planted their first vines and sourced red fruit from the Charlottesville area. The following year they were ready to source white grapes and in 2004 produced 500 plus cases of wine in their home basement.
In 2012 they were able to produce 5,000 cases. Unfortunately recent winter cold weather destroyed the onsite vineyards. Lori expects to replant the vineyards, however; in the meantime they source the majority of their fruit.
Wine Blending
Lori explained how she blends wines. She likes to sit at a picnic table under the shade trees with the wines. She does not want any distractions while concentrating on the blending.
Lori also likes to travel to wine regions, but she doesn’t want to just visit and taste wines. When she travels she wants to get involved at the winery and volunteers to work at the wineries to get the experience.
White Wines
Take a close look at the wine bottle labels created by Lori and Jim’s niece. The logo has four circles that represent Lori and Jim’s four children.
The Apple Wine with no residual sugar was made like a Cabernet. The wine, produced with seven varieties of local apples, was pale yellow with apple notes throughout. The 2011 Viognier was a yellow color with an aroma and taste notes of floral with yellow stone fruit and some spiciness. The finish was crisp. Suggested pairings included turkey and chicken.
Red Wines
Cabernet Franc, Benevino Vineyards 2008 was made with Cabernet Franc and a little Tannat. The resulting wine was a translucent dark ruby with an aroma and taste of spices and dark fruits. Tannat 2011, a translucent red color, offered notes of spice and dark fruits. The finish was bold with chewy tannins. The Amber Creek Chambourcin was a beautiful red color. The wine offered notes of cherries with smoke. The finish was dry. Lori suggests pairing the Chambourcin with turkey. As one tastes the Pinot Noir, there is a sense that this is an “evolving wine” as the tastes moves through different notes including violets and bacon.
Fortified Wines
USB 2011 was a port-like brandy fortified with Chambourcin. The ruby translucent wine had a sienna tint. The wine offered dark fruit notes especially cherry. The wine was lightly sweet, with mild tannins and very little heat. Fortified Viognier was 16 percent alcohol. The light yellow wine was very floral with orange blossoms and peach notes. A touch of heat was on the finish and the aftertaste had floral and yellow stone fruit notes. Cello 2008 was a Late Harvest wine made with Petit Manseng. The wine offered yummy lemon citrus notes throughout.
Hard Cider
The apples used for producing hard ciders are sourced from local orchards. Visitors to Corcoran will discover several hard ciders. We tried one that was a light yellow with 5.5 percent alcohol. The cider with apple notes was dry and refreshing.
Hard ciders are poured at a separate location on the Corcoran vineyard property. The hard cider tasting room is spacious and has a large patio available.
When making plans to visit Corcoran Vineyards in Waterford, Virginia make sure to visit both the wine tasting room and the hard cider tasting room. Both are very different but delightful experiences.
Corcoran Vineyards
14635 Corkys Farm Lane
Waterford, Virginia 20197
GPS: N39º 12.755’ W77º 39.151’
Article written July 2014
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