Wine Work. With Oysters. Welcome to Episode 76 and a laugh-filled conversation over wine with siblings Tim 'Rex Knightly' Gorman and Sarah Gorman of Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery. http://edacious.co/076 Cardinal Point was the first winery The Hubby and I visited upon moving to Charlottesville a decade ago, so it’s poetic they would be my first winery conversation! And their November Oyster Roast? Still my favorite food-related event.
Summer is an extremely busy time, both for events and its growing season. We walk through the seasons of a winery. What needs to happen and when. Did you know birds, deer, and squirrels threaten grapes? Such is life at a winery, essentially a grape farm. A lot is determined by weather. Praying for rain and hoping the rain stops. If you recall, 2016 was abysmal with over 40 straight days of showers. How does 2017 look? Pretty promising. Keep your fingers crossed. Knock some wood.
As recently as a few years ago, Route 151 in Nelson County was a rural route of farms, churches, and pastoral views. Now it's a tourist destination of wineries, cideries, breweries, orchards, and farms. A true agritourism mecca. Tim is one of the founders of Nelson 151, a group of business owners in the area who hope to use their strengths to not only market more efficiently but make sure development stays within reason. How important is tourism to business in Nelson County? Extremely. Small wineries don't make enough in volume to make their mark on a national level, so getting folks to come try Cardinal Point is paramount. Without agritourism, many of the farms and wineries in the area wouldn't be able to continue using their land for agriculture. Tourism dollars help the community. It's a double-edged sword certainly, but Nelson 151 realizes that, keeping it in mind as they make decisions affecting its citizens. How does the threat of a pipeline affect things? We discuss the possible ramifications.
Tim's process is fascinating a great combination of science, inspiration, inventiveness, and using what you already have readily available. Working with the land rather than against it. This is a Virginia-based winery with Virginia-grown grapes with Virginia-based winemakers who can explain why the 2016 tastes different than the 2015. No big corporations or importing done here. No big investors wondering why there isn't more consistency year to year. None of the typical white-to-red lineups of varietals like you see at corporate wineries. Again, working with terroir rather than catering to big corporate demands.
What does it take to run a family-owned business? Does every family dinner turn into a board meeting? How do they relate to the slew of awards Cardinal Point has garnered, most recently the 2017 Monticello Cup? How big a factor is terroir? How does Virginia terroir differ from other regions? Is it recognizable as a region? Why do so many ex-punk rockers now work in food? What is the story behind the statement, "These are my credentials," which appears on every bottle? We cover it all.
Enjoy this episode then crack open a bottle or two of Green or your other favorite wine from Cardinal Point. We sure did! Cheers!
