Episode # 13 Claude Thibaut/ Thibaut-Janisson

In this Episode I interview my friend Scott Elliff the Founder & Owner of DuCard Vineyard along with his winemaker Julien Durantie. It is an in-depth look at how one small Virginia Estate tackles the challenges of growing and producing world-quality wine from the Norton grape. For my part I say, "and they do produce world-quality wine". 

DuCard happens to be the first winery I ever tasted a bottle of Norton from in my now 45 years of wine industry experience. It opened my eyes to a world of wine I had never encountered which would start me on my journey to taste as many wines produced from Norton and learn exactly what this wine was all about. What I discovered was a rich storied history that dates back to the early 1800's in Richmond, Virginia and Dr. Norborne Norton who is credited with the first propagation of this Wild Grape. Thus the book the "Wild Vine" by Todd Kliman would eventually come to my attention and now serves as the best reference you can find about Norton. 

All of this as a result of a chance purchase of DuCard Norton by my wife at a farmer's market here in Charlottesville. Thank you Scott. 

Episode # 3 found me in my studio interviewing the owner of Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard Dave Drillock and his winemaker Chelsey Blevins who is quickly being recognized as a young rising star in the Virginia wine industry. 

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard produces an outstanding Norton along with a wide range of wines from both vinifera and hybrid grapes.  They are my favorite what I call off the radar winery here in the Old Dominion. But that is changing rapidly as a result of the steady leadership Dave Drillock provides and the high-quality wines that Chelsey crafts.

Fifty-Third is one of the upcoming stars in the Virginia growing constellation. A wine that should be on everyone's list who appreciates wine quality and the unique flavor characteristics that the best Virginia wines have to offer.  

Episode # 2 features Jennifer McCloud the Founder & Owner of Chrysalis Vineyards at the Ag District in Middleburg, Virginia. Along with producing some of the finest Viognier and Albarino in the country she is the proud owner of the largest single vineyard planting of Norton in the world. It makes up over 40 acres of the 70 acres of vineyard land she farms. 

Chrysalis was founded in 1998. and in addition to producing estate wines, she also has 10 Dairy Cows at the property from which they produce top-quality cheeses to compliment her wines and the food that is available for sale and enjoyment at the Ag District for its visitors and the public at large. Check out the cheeses along with the wines. 
Jake Blodinger the winemaker at Chrysalis, who joined the operation in 2019 is also part of this interview and brings a unique perspective to the conversation.

Because Chrysalis produces several different styles of Norton in both flavor profile and aging ability there is a Norton wine for every occasion whether the wine is to cellar and age or to enjoy today. 

The Episode is very informative and will give you, the listener, a deeper understanding of what Norton is all about.

This Episode kicks off my new series of Podcasts focusing on wines produced from the Norton grape here in Virginia. In Episode #1 I recorded a conversation between the judges at the Homestead Norton Cup Challenge the weekend of November 3rd & 4th, 2023. It was during the lunch break before the judges finished judging the Final Four Norton wines that had made it into the final round that morning. It is an interesting insight into their thoughts.

I especially enjoyed the conversation at the end between Dr. Bruce Zoecklein Professor Emeritus of Enology at Virginia Tech and Todd Kliman the author of the book Wild Vine which details the history of Norton and its origin dating back to 1823 and Dr. Daniel Norton.

This Epilogue to my Montage about Dennis Horton and his contribution to the Virginia wine industry you get the opportunity to hear directly from 3 generations of women in the Horton family.  

It was my intent to give them the last word on Dennis Horton. The interview was at Horton Cellars where I sat with Sharon Horton, his wife and partner, Shannon Horton their daughter and Caitlin Horton Shannon's daughter and the current winemaker at Horton Cellars. If was a fascinating experience to capture in their words what he meant to each of them.  

I know you will find this a fitting end to Episode #44.

Part 2 of Episode #44 Montage about Dennis Horton features my interviews with Jenni McCloud, Owner and Founder of Chrysalis Vineyards who was inspired by Dennis Horton and planted the largest vineyard of Norton currently in the World. Followed by one of the most respected individual in the Virginia Wine Industry, Luca Paschina General Manager & Winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards.  And last, but certainly not least Lucie Morton one of the foremost Ampelographers and Viticulturist in the world shares her thoughts about Dennis Horton.  

This is an action-packed Episode with plenty of stories and insights into what Dennis Horton meant to the Virginia wine industry both in the past and currently today through the continued efforts of his wife Sharon Horton in their vineyards and Shannon Horton their daughter along with Caitlin Horton the winemaker today and Shannon's daughter.

Take a listen below or download and read the transcript.  More to come in my Epilogue in the final part of this Episode.  I was fortunate to interview all three of the ladies here fore mentioned and let them have the final word.

Because I never had the opportunity to meet of know Dennis Horton before he passed away, I wanted to include his story and contribution to the Virginia Wine Industry in some fashion.   I was given an idea by Bruce Zoecklein Professor Emeritus of Enology at VA Tech.  He suggested that I interview a handful of folks in the Virginia wine community and have them share with me their thoughts on Dennis and 1 or 2 of their favorite stories.  I thought it was a terrific idea.  So, for Episode # 44 I have undertaken that challenge. In Part 1 of a 2-part Episode I interviewed Bruce Zoecklein, which only seemed fitting because it was his idea and Mike Heny who worked as the winemaker at Horton Vineyards from 1997 up through the harvest of 2017. 

What I found fascinating about my interviews was that each of the five folks I interviewed, Bruce Zoeckein, Mike Heny, Jenni McCloud, Luca Paschina, & Lucie Morton, all of who I have interviewed before in an Episode featuring them, was they essentially shared with me the same thoughts and impressions about Dennis and his significant contribution to Virginia winegrowing, but from their own vantage point.  I believe you will find Episode # 44, both Part 1 and Part 2 to be entertaining and enlightening. 

Listen to the audio below or read the transcript.

Arterra Winery was founded by Jason Murray in 2013. Jason is a veteran of winegrowing in Northern Virginia for over 20 years. Arterra, which means "Art of the Land" represents Jason's quest to grow wine in a fashion unseen by most of us in the wine business.  His Marketing moniker is " Clean Wine." When I first heard that I didn't really understand if it was yet another take on "Natural Wine".  I learned in my interview that it is much more than that.

Essentially, as Jason describes it simply, he tends his vineyard with the least amount of intervention possible.  His wines are meant to reflect the vintage, what the vineyard gives him is what is in the wine.  Ultimately sealed in Stelvin tin lined screw caps to preserve that character. No new oak is used and no additives or corrections to the wine are added or employed to do anything to adjust the character that the grapes give him in any given vintage. 

It is a very intriguing interview and tasting is believing.  After trying several of his wines I would tell you that the wines back up his story.  You should check them out for yourself and be the judge.  

Listen to the Episode below or read the edited transcript.