Mickey Says:
My beautiful bride and I visited Pollak and King Family Vineyards on a recent Saturday afternoon to celebrate our 12th Wedding Anniversary! It’s hard to believe we have been married for 12 years as the time has flown by. It’s also hard to believe that neither one of us enjoyed wine when we were married and did not visit our fist vineyard until our 5th Wedding Anniversary. What a great 7 years of viticulture enjoyment and an even better 12 years of marriage!
Pollack Vineyards is simply beautiful!
We had visited Pollak Vineyards on two occasions in the past, but both times were several years ago and our tastes have since changed. We remember it to be a beautiful vineyard with great wines, so we took advantage of the beautiful late spring weather to visit once again and see if time would change our opinion. In general, we greatly enjoyed our visit and would highly recommend this vineyard to anyone wanting to enjoy very good Virginia Wines.
The wines were all very good, but very acidic. Not overwhelmingly so, but noticeable. They all, with the exception of the Pinot Gris, should be enjoyed with food in order to cut the acid. Pollak should consider serving food pairings with their tastings like some vineyards in the Northern Virginia area.
The tasting room is modern and spacious with nice views. However, it was slightly overcrowded when we visited and the two servers could not keep up with the number of visitors. All in all, more help and a better system of pouring would be welcomed. The bottom line is Pollak is a good winery that was a pleasure to visit.
- 2011 Chardonnay – This wine is fruity and light, but very acidic. Really needs to be enjoyed with food in order to really appreciate its flavor.
- 2011 Viognier – This light wine present noticeable notes of honeysuckle with a very balanced finish. However, as with the Chardonnay, the acidity was obvious.
- 2011 Durant White – A very crisp white with a long finish.
- 2012 Pinot Gris – The only wine at Pollak that did not present noticeable acidity. This wine was light and fruity and would be very enjoyable on the patio after a good meal.
- 2012 Rose’ – I have found most Rose’s from wines in the Monticello AVA to be somewhat acidic with an unbalanced finish. This Rose’ is no exception. The only wine I tasted at Pollak that I would definitely not recommend.
- 2011 Merlot – This merlot was of medium body with very slight tannins. As regular readers know, I am not a big fan of merlot and this wine is no exception. It was OK as far Merlots go, but not a wine that I would purchase.
- 2011 Cabernet Franc – This bright red was very peppery and would be very good with a backyard cookout. A very good selection.
The pond provides a nice backdrop to the vineyard, and it is a beautiful sight to take in from the wrap around porch.
Minnie Says:
Pollack Vineyards is just a few miles outside of Charllotesville, but is has the feel of being completely out in the middle of nowhere , in all the best ways possible. Even though we knew where we were going, we had a few moments of feeling lost as we traversed the winding roads into the vineyard. Then as we rounded the last corner, the vines and tasting room seem to spring out of nowhere. Practically flush up against the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pollack Vineyards boasts a quintessential central Virgnina Vineyard feel. The setting is beautiful and serene: a modern tasting room with wrap around floor to ceiling windows to take in the views: of the mountains and a quaint pond and the well manicured vines.
This is our third trip to Pollack Vineyards and we have always been impressed with the wines, from the first trip we made in 2005 (when they were less than 2 years old). I will leave the tasting notes to Mickey, but in general, I thought all the wines were solid. They all had pronounced acidity. And because of this, they would all be interesting to taste with food to see how they stand up to different ingredients.
This great table was made by an employee of Pollack. It is a wine barrel split in half, filled up with corks. If only I had an extra $500 lying around, it could be mine!
We hit the tasting room and had finished our tasting just before a big crowd descended upon Pollack. It is a good thing because they only had two pourers during the time we were there….which made for a long wait time, as we witnessed upon our departure. We were lucky enough to have our pourer all to ourselves, and he was quite knowledgeable about the wine making process and the wine industry. I always enjoy it when we have time to engage the staff at vineyards because we can always pick up some good tidbits.
- Two of the wines on the tasting list have the name Durant in them. When I inquired as to what significance this name had, I learned that ancestors of the vineyards owners lived in Durant, Colorado during the mining boom. They owned Smugglers mine. The name pays homage to that connection. Further, the newly forming Wine Club at Pollack will be nammed the Smugglers Society. One of the reasons I love to visit all the vineyards we can is to see how the personality of the owners are reflected in the tasting room and the decor and the feel of the vineyard. Pollack’s allusions to the Colorado mining side of their family is a prime example of such trends. And one of the more unique names I have encountered.
- While we were tasting, another patron asked if the glass was included in the tasting fee. To which the reply was no. When she indicated that another vineyard just up the road included theirs in the fee, the Pollack employee told her ABC laws would not allow them to give out glasses based upon an upgrade in the law just prior to them opening in 2003. Older vineyards are ‘grandfathered’ into the law, meaning they can still include the glass in the fee. Another change to this clause is being able to ‘waive’ the tasting fee if a bottle is bought, which is no longer allowed by ABC laws. I have often wondered about the different tasting fees at different vineyards, and have noticed how much the tasting fees have risen since we started our tasting hobby about seven years ago. I guess I never thought how much the laws and regulations affect the changes. This is especially interesting to me coming on the heels of our trip to Arrington Vineyards in Tennessee and noting how much their state laws affect the vineyard experience. Another thing to always remember in the tasting fee is how many wines are offered. We tasted 9 wines at Pollack for a $5 fee. The glass would have been an additional $4. We have tasted as little as 4 wines at vineyards and upwards of a dozen at others. Bottom line is, not all tastings are the same.
- The final interesting tidbit I will share from our tasting at Pollack is the affect of rain on the vineyards and ultimately what ends up in the bottle from each vintage. Ever heard people say such and such year was particularly good (or bad) for the wine making process? Well, as we all know, weather has so much to do with growing grapes. That is one reason that California is such an amazing wine making region: because the weather is so predictable. In Virgnina, not so much! Take 2011, when we had two hurricanes sweep through in the early fall. How does that affect the grapes, and thus the wine? Rain is wonderful for the vines all through the growing season in the spring. But once the grapes change color, too much rain can taint the fruit, and in extreme cases lead to rot. Winemakers are then faced with the decision to move up the harvest and alter the wine making process. The process of wine making is so interesting to me. It is so complicated, and it seems like the more you know, the more you realize what you dont know! It is a true science and art.
Now a few last words on Pollack Vineyards. Not this past trip specifically, but in general. When we first visited Pollack and they were fairly new, we were impressed with the young vineyards solid wine and felt it had amazing ‘possibilities’. Gorgeous views, first rate tasting room and solid wine. We thought it was poised to be one of the flagship vineyards in Central Virginia. Our opinions have not really changed in three subsequent visits. But the thing is, Pollack really has not changed either. The wines remain solid, the setting is as beautiful as ever, but there is a nagging feeling I had when visiting there that Pollack is underachieving. Admittedly, I have a bias on the ‘experience’ of a vineyard, but I find the experience at Pollack to be a bit sterile. The food offerings are minimal and in the flashes in time that we have been there, they do not seem to manage crowds well (as evident with just two visible employees). And on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, there was no entertainment. (although I do know they have an active Friday evening sunset series). I feel a little bad being critical of Pollack, and judging by the crowds they attract, they seem to be doing just fine. And, I would recommend anyone to visit there should they ask. But, it would not be one of the vineyards I offer up to visit, or even come close to breaking into our top 10 list……which is a shame, because they seem to have so much potential.
King Family
The absolutely wonderful King Family Vineyards.
Mickey Says:
Cheers to us on our 12th anniversary. We are lucky to share such a fun hobby together in wine tasting.
Once again, we were reminded why King Family Vineyards is one of our favorite wineries. The atmosphere is great, the view is breath taking, the service is good, and the wines are all solid. I did not keep notes on each wine we tasted at King Family Vineyards as the tasting room was crowded and there was not much room to take notes. However, they were all solid and could all be enjoyed with either food or by themselves.
King Family was very busy with the UVa Student/Yuppie crowd when we visited. However, the staff was well prepared and did an excellent job of handling the number of visitors. The only complaint was low number of restrooms for the large crowd, but a renovation is currently underway which will increase the number of restrooms.
This vineyard is absolutely spectacular and is a must visit for anyone wanting to learn about the Virginia Wine industry or for anyone wanting to spend a beautiful afternoon at a winery.
Minnie Says:
We have visited King Family numerous times, in fact, it was the first vineyard we ever visited in the Monticello region. So, in a sense, our love of wine tastings began here. Most of our visits in between have been to enjoy the Roseland polo matches on Sunday afternoons, which is an amazing experience in an of itself. But, we have not done a tasting in quite a number of years. When we arrived, the tasting room was practically wall to wall with patrons, and we stood there quite overwhelmed. I had just uttered the words, ‘maybe we should go somewhere else’ when an employee of King Family greeted us and took a moment to decide where to direct us best for a tasting. (there are 3 tasting bars, with multiple pourers at each bar). Shortly thereafter, another employee materialized and escorted us to the end of a bar where a large group was wrapping up their tasting. Amazing service. I love that! Because in a few short moments, we would have been on our way.
Currently, these doors lead to the barrel room. But King Family will be soon expanding the tasting room into this space, and establishing the barrel room elsewhere on the property.
I am so glad we stayed, however. We enjoyed speaking with our pouerer, who works for King Family on the weekends. During the week, she is a UVA Law student who is prepping for her bar quite soon. She was well versed in the operation at King Family, and had a solid knowledge of their wines. We learned that King Family is in the process of expanding to accommodate the huge crowds they get for tastings. A new barrel room is being built at the entrance of their property, and the tasting room is expanding into the current barrel room. And major great news, they are adding more bathrooms. (If I had a critique of King Family, it would be that they only have two bathrooms, and their location builds up a huge line that snakes through the tasting room! In fact, I would have this critique of most vineyards: not enough bathrooms!) But, I digress….
After sampling all their wines, we each got a glass and enjoyed the amazing views that King Family has to offer. They rival any views we have seen at any vineyard we have visited. There are many options to enjoy the grounds at King Family, and the place was packed with young and old, playing frisbee, picnicing, throwing footballs and relaxing.
As mentioned before, there is a polo field adjacent to King Family and a horse barn, and much of the merchandise that is sold in the tasting room, and indeed some of the wine is inspired by or related to the sport of polo. The Roseland Polo club holds matches on Sunday afternoons and they are open to the public, free of charge. It is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and we have enjoyed a few matches over the years. Taken directly from the King Family website, the Roseland Polo matches are described as follows:
Roseland Polo is a favorite activity of the Good Time Wine Club!
Polo matches are held every Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October, weather and field
Roseland Polo is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
conditions permitting. Matches begin at 1:00 pm and typically last about 1 1/2 hours. Matches may be cancelled depending on field conditions, rain, excessive heat or any number of reasons.
To me, King Family epitomizes everything I love about our hobby of visiting vineyards and doing tastings, and it is so quintessentially Virgina as well. It ranks high on our top ten list, and I could really argue that it is becoming a flagship vineyard of the Virginia wine industry. I thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon spent there, and imagine we will be back again real soon.
Mountains and Vines at King Family
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