Wild Wolf Brewery

The Brew Ridge Trail is the series of breweries and cidery that runs from Nelson County to Crozet to Charlottesville.  I’ve been to three on the trail--Devil’s Backbone, Blue Mountain, and Starr Hill—but hadn’t been to Albemarle Cider Works and Wild Wolf.  Since I was completing my “bucket list” of wineries and breweries, Ellie and I went to Wild Wolf.  

For a long time, Wild Wolf Brewing Company was in a smaller location, but recently opened a permanent home in an old, refurbished school house.  Also on the property are five tobacco barns that have been refurbished and turned into boutiques.  The whole property is a great statement to found spaces and revitalizing the old. 

Wild Wolf has both a BrewPub and Sports Bar.   Originally, Ellie and I had planned to just have a snack and try the beers, but the trip to White Hall had been such an adventure that a full meal seemed in order. 

Because this was my one shot, I wanted to do a tasting to sample all the beers.  I tried the main five for $5 and then paid an extra $1.50 to try the seasonal beer, the Double Saison.  The five beers were four Wild Wolf creations—Autumn Ale, Pils, Howling Pumpkin, and a Porter—and a guest beer called the Hoppyum by Foothills Brewing Company.   Each had very different flavors. . . .

1. Hoppyum:  I’m not a big fan of IPA’s, and the Hoppyum was a little too bitter with strong grapefruit notes for my taste. 
2. Wild Wolf Pils: Clean, smooth, with a slight corn finish. 
3. Howling Pumpkin: Very interesting with a strong pumpkin flavor.  Good for sipping in the fall while enjoying the foliage.
4. Wild Wolf Porter: The favorite.  Coffee notes and full body, but not a porter that leaves you feeling full.
5. Autumn Ale: A good standard red and somewhat like Killian’s Irish.  Overall, a very nice sipping beer
6. Double Saison: Lots of honey and peaches, making for a sweet beer.  On first sip, Ellie and I were big fans and then it got a little too sweet for a before dinner or sipping beer.  Better with food to help cut the sweetness.

As well as interesting beers, I enjoyed the food.  Full of exciting appetizer options, like Root Beer BBQ wings or mussels and chorizo, and entree options, like butternut squash risotto or seared salmon with cheesy polenta, but I decided to try the “Veg Delight.”  The “Veg Delight” is a sandwich of puffy bread, basil marinated tofu, portabella mushroom, parmesan, spinach, and a slight dressing.  Although tofu sandwiches are very hit or miss, this was really satisfying.  Although the roll was a little too much bread, the tofu was flavorful, the mushroom rich, and the combination satiating.  Served with a side of seasonal vegetables consisting of Romanesco, cheddar, and purple cauliflower, it was a very appeasing and fabulous meal. 

Wild Wolf confirmed a hypothesis I’ve had.  Route 151, the road the runs through Nelson County, is turning into a must visit for the microbrewery crowd.  Within about 45 minutes, you can hit three fantastic breweries and enjoy both well-developed beers and menus.  Just make sure to pace yourself and enjoy the scenery.  

Thanksgiving Recipes: Sausage and Apple Wine Stuffing

Last time I was at Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery, I bought a bottle of their Mountain Apple Wine. Since I had so much fun playing around using beer to make seasonal scones, I decided to see what I could do with the Apple Wine.  After playing around with dessert ideas, I did a 180 and started thinking about how to use the wine to brighten a stuffing/dressing recipe.   Since so many stuffing recipes pair sausage and apples, I thought a Sausage and Apple Wine Stuffing would be a natural match. 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground sausage

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 small onion sliced into slivers

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 tsp. rosemary

2 tsp. sage (about four leaves)
8 cups sourdough bread, cut into small cubes

2 cups chicken broth

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup apple wine

1 cup celery

½ cup dried cranberries

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped into small cubes

2/3 cups walnuts

Directions

1. In a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat, add sausage, salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds.  Cook till nice and brown.  Then, remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.
2. Reduce heat to medium and then, in the same pan, cook the onions in the sausage grease.  If there is too much grease, then sop up with a towel—if not enough, then add a little olive oil.  Keep stirring the onions and continue to cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes or so.  When done, remove from heat.  
3. In a bowl, throw in the bread crumbs, thyme, rosemary, and sage.  Then, add the broth, vinegar, and apple wine.  Stir till all the bread is moist. 
4. In the bowl, add celery, cranberries, apples, walnuts to the moistened bread.  Then, add the drained sausage and caramelized onions.  Stir to incorporate. 
5. Remove mixture to the original pan.  Place in a 350°F oven and cook for 1 hour.  Stuffing will be brown on top.  

Farm Weeks: Mountainside Petting Farm

Today, my farm adventure is to a place not in which I procured things to eat, but in which I fed others.  

Four-legged others. 

After going to Hill Top Berry Farm, Ellie and I stopped at Mountainside Petting Farm.  Ellie had heard about this place over the summer.  Since it was right on Route 151, only $6 a person, and on the way back to Staunton from Hill Top, it seemed silly not to check it out.  

Mountainside is quite a find.  Most of the animals are rescue animals, and the owners have filled in with a just couple animals they purchased.  When you arrive, the owner greets you with a nice friendly smile and a warm feeling of welcome.  He explained the different pins, some do’s and do not’s, showed us where to make smores when we were done, and then got us a pale of feed for the animals.  

We got to feed horses, some regular some rather tiny, a cow, ducks, pigs, sheep, and goats with amazing horns.  The animals are smart; they have picked up on the dynamic of you feed and only then can you pet them.  As soon as the moment of feeding is done, they just might reject your advances.  But, you have a whole pale and they do like eating, so it all works out. 

My two favorite attractions are Cloe and Wally.   

Cloe, the camel, is the one animal you aren’t allowed to feed because she has sharing issues.  But, she will trot along the fence behind you and nuzzle your head when you aren’t looking.  She even gave the owner a kiss when he asked her.    

Wally, the albino wallaby, is worth the admission alone.  He lives with ducks and peacocks and was hanging around the fence with his eyes closed.  If he is close enough to the fence, he will let you scratch his head and Ellie found his favorite scratching spot near his forearms.  The owner told us that he and his wife got Wally when he was a Joey.  His wife had to carry him around in a sling and feed him from a bottle.  Now, Wally and the owner’s wife are so bonded that Wally drives around in the truck with her.  The owner also said that since wallabies keep their balance in their tail, when they need Wally to do something they just grab his tail and then steer him around. 

Although not big, the Petting Farm feels like a place you want to be at.  There are old rocking horses and a wooden train to play in.  The kids run around smiling and laughing.  You get to watch the older ones squeal at rough and excessively wet cows tongues on their hands.  Or, you can watch the littler ones struggle with how to keep the feed in their hands when instructed to flatten them to allow the animals to eat.  I giggled to myself as a very little girl, would fill her hand with feed.  Then, outstretch her hand at an angle to feed the animal, only for all the feed to roll off her fingers before the animal could get there.    

Talk about a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Farm Weeks: Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery

I hadn’t been back to Hill Top Farm and Winery since my first visit in April.  So, when I heard that they had their new seasonal wines and meads available for tasting, I made a return trip.  

Sadly, I missed the Cranberry Table Wine since it had already sold out.  I almost very nearly missed trying the “Hunter’s Moon,” which is the Pumpkin Mead.  Evidently, it is also flying off the shelves.  Given how few pumpkin meads are out there in the world and it is the season, it is no wonder. 

 

I had mixed feelings about the “Hunter’s Moon.”  In my head, I kind of imagined a thicker, orangish-brown concoction in which pumpkin pie was somehow fermented and made in to something drinkable.  "Hunter's Moon's" color, though, does look more like most white wines.  The nose is strong of pumpkin pie spice, particularly cloves.   

After the tasting, I went ahead and got a full glass to give it a better taste and see what happens when you have multiple sips.  What I found is that as a sipping mead, I wasn’t won over.  It was too much spice and not enough pumpkin.  As a pairing wine, though, I liked it a lot more.  By chance, my friend Ellie had packed pears and brie along with soup.  What I found is that the “Hunter’s Moon” was at its best when drunk in partnering with the pear and cheese.   That gave a better palate balance, allowing the pear to bring out the strengths of the mead and the mead brought out notes of the pear.  I think a glass with a slice of Pumpkin Pie or a baked brie in pastry would be the best way of enjoying the pumpkin mead. 

Other new wines I got to sample this time around was the Sweet Vixen and the Peach Wine.  The Sweet Vixen is a strawberry wine created to celebrates the owner’s daughter’s graduation from Sweet Briar College.  The nose and taste is a little jammie for my taste.  It makes a great cooking wine, though; Ellie used it to make strawberry ice-cream as well as in brownies and as a sauce reduction for them.  Both were superbly decadent.  I did really like the Peach Wine.  It fits the tasting notes description of “biting into a ripe juicy peach, without the pit and the fuzz.”  I actually got a stronger note that reminded me more of white peaches and that made my day. 

The visit to Hilltop was a much needed trip.  The semester has been so crazy that I was starting to feel like I was missing Fall.  Sitting in the rocking chairs, looking over the blackberry fields and turning leaves, and appreciating a glass of pumpkin mead, I got to have a perfect Fall moment.  

Devil's Backbone

Before I ever went to Blue Mountain Brewery, there was Devil’s Backbone.  Nestled at the foot of Wintergreen Resort, just a swish and a swoosh away, lies a respite of beer, food, and music.  You can sit indoors in the cabin like interior or enjoy sitting outdoors to enjoy sunsets and mountains.

In terms of beer tastings, $4 gets you the four regular beers, $7 gets you the six seasonal, and $12 buys you a little of everything.  I have hunted and pecked over the beers on several occasions (and had just been through three winery tastings), so I went with a pint of the Eight-Point IPA and a half-pint of the Reilly’s Rye.  I’m not really an IPA person.  I love the first bite of hop, but hate the bitter finish.  What I like about Devil’s Backbone’s Eight-Point is that it has all the hop, but a much smoother and mellower finish.  The Rye was a new one for me because I’ve never had a rye beer--rye liquor, yes, but no beers that I can remember.  This rye was like drinking a field.  I liked it.  That description may not work for you, but the beer worked for me.  My friend Erin had the Nelson Brown, which is a must for fans of brown ales.

Dark and Stormy

If beer isn’t your thing, Devil’s Backbone also makes their own ginger beer and root beer.  One of their specialties is a “Dark and Stormy” which is homemade ginger beer and rum.

For food, my friend, Jen, ordered fried pickles for us to share.  I like a good fried pickle.  Normally, I prefer pickle chips, but the chunky, beer battered spears at Devil’s Backbone, served with cool cucumber cilantro sauce, was a good beginning and I didn’t miss the chips version one bit.  For the main dish, I had Rob’s Bonedipper, which is just as scandalous and dirty as the pun on the name calls for.  It is beef brisket, toasted ciabatta, bacon, provolone, Habanero-horseradish (although it could be even more Habanero heavy for me), and a cup of smokehouse au jus to dunk it in.  Are your lips smacking from the description?. . . they should be.    

 There is a Charlottesville blog, Mas to Millers, who I just discovered has really great Cuisine Cage Matches between similar establishments.  I like reading them and I am a fan of the concept—comparing Christians to Vita Nova and Spudnuts vs. Carpe Donuts.  Having just recently written about Blue Mountain Brewery and, given their proximity, I thought about trying my hand at a brewery smackdown and putting them pint to pint for a frothy head to head.  But, alas, I couldn’t make up my mind to compare them, pro for pro and con for con.  I am a relativist, or maybe just a restaurant polygamist.  I also believe that at the end of the day, I don’t think you can go wrong either way.  As long as you are enjoying both on a regular basis, then that is all the harmony your beer universe needs.  I’ll just say, eat, drink, and be merry at Devil’s Backbone, and then go do it again at Blue Mountain.  Just take a designated driver.  

Fried Pickles; Fish and Chips; Hamburger; and Tuna Sandwich

Pollak Vineyards

I want to say from the very start that Pollak is a fabulous vineyard.  That way, if you don’t read any further than this opening paragraph, you will come away with that knowledge.  If you are planning a wine tasting adventure in the Nelson/Crozet area, go to Pollak.  You won’t regret it. 

Fortune brought us there because the vineyard gods knew we would be fools not to go.   Our wine tasting group originally planned to go to Afton Winery, but found out from Melissa at Cardinal Point that they are actually closed on Tuesdays.  Instead, she recommended we go to Pollak. 

Pollak has everything you could want from a trip to the vineyard.  It is a beautiful piece of property with a great seating area that overlooks a pond.  It has a grand, open tasting room that offers wide views and gorgeous sunlight.  There are about nine wines (5 whites and 4 reds for $5) and the option of getting a cheese plate with homemade jam (with ½ baguette for $14, and a whole for $16, so go with the whole).  Plus, our tasting was conducted by a delightfully cheeky woman, Casey, who not only told us about the wine, but entertained and sassed us as well.   

The wines at Pollak were my favorite of the day, too.  I gave most of them 4 or more stars.  There are playfully tart scents and full fruits; hints of apricots, citrus, orange blossom, and quince dapple your taste buds; and rich, full colors of purples and cherry red splash around twinkling glasses.  Why would you want to be anywhere else? 

The car favorite white was the ’09 Durant White.  It is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Viognier, and 10% Pinot Gris.  The tasting notes call it “crisp and elegant,” and I would agree.  It has hints of lime, pear, quince, and passion fruit which give it that crispness while also helping give it smoother and deeper notes.  

The two favorite reds were the ’08 Cab Franc (90 point California Cabernet Shootout) and the ’08 Meritage (another 90 Points California Cabernet Shootout).  The Cab Franc has black pepper, blackberries, and dark cocoa and fulfills its promise of a “velvety texture.”  The Meritage, which is 44% Cab Fran, 43% Merlot, and 13% Petit Verdot, also is “smooth, rich, and silky.”  The color is deep purple, a perfect shade of lovely.  The nose is full and I got hints of cherry and raspberry.  It is also somewhat chewy and has “spice, cedar, and earth notes” which make it a marvelous balance of full, bright, and earthy.  

If just great wine and perfect scenery isn’t enough, on the last Friday of every month (May through November) Pollak has free concerts with food and wine available to purchase.  Free music + Great wine = the Friday night scene.  If I were a more outspoken blogger, I’d say why go to Veritas and pay $15 for the music when the wine and scenery are just as great at Pollack and it is free.  But, I won’t say that because I am not that kind of person.  

Cardinal Point

The tasting at Cardinal Point reminded me of the best part of going wine tasting in Nelson County: you will drink some good wine and you will meet interesting people.

Melissa, who was conducting our tasting, started off a little reserved and not quite so welcoming.  But, when she settled in with us, was a blast.  She had great knowledge of the wine and the wineries background, which she shared with us.  The name Cardinal Point is not named for the state bird, but is instead tied into the military tradition of the four star general who stared the winery.  The initials, cp, is for “command points” and references the points of a compass.  These compass points are what the wineries emblem on the glass references. 

Melissa also gave an insider hint of making sure to go to wineries during harvest seasons.  Then, you might be able to try some of the grapes straight from the vine.  She also talked about that with Cab Franc grapes, you want to make sure to bite the seed because it is a big burst of pepper. 

Melissa also has pretty fantastic opinions on The Averett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. In talking about how depressed Mumford and Sons music got after hanging around the Averett’s, I told her about a friend whose nickname for Mumford and Sons is“emo Pogues.” 

As for the wines, the tastings at Cardinal Point are $5.00, but that is waived is you are in the military, a teacher, or if you buy a bottle of wine.  We sampled one rosé, four whites, and three reds.  

For the whites, I liked the ’09 Barrel Select Chardonnay, which is made in both French and Appalachian oak and with all VA fruit.  It has apples and lemon and a slight hint of butter on the finish which cuts the tartness.  I also like the ’10 Quattro, but the group was fairly divided on it.  Ellie and Erin really didn’t like it, but Chad and I did.  What I enjoyed the most was that it made my mouth buckle from the tartness on the finish.    

In the red category, I liked the ’09 Ca. F+Vio, which is bold and chewy.  For the ’10 Rockfish Red, we got to try it both chilled and room temperature.  At room temperature, I gave it three stars, but bumped it up to 3½ when it was chilled.  I was undecided about the ’09 Clay Hill Cabernet Franc, and
Chad gave me a better description of it being like BBQ sauce.  It is peppery. 

Cardinal Point was a fun in the middle trip that rallies you on.  They are good size tastings and the wines aren’t too bold so they won’t overwhelm your palette before the next vineyard.  It was particularly a good middle trip for us because we had planned to go to Afton Winery, but found out from Melissa they were closed.  She instead sent us to Pollack, which you will find out about next post.  

Blue Mountain Brewery

Picture yourself sitting at a table, relaxing in the cool evening air, looking at the Blue Ridge Mountains, and sipping a great beer.   No, you aren’t in a hops scented dream; you are having an evening at Blue Mountain Brewery.

Blue Mountain Brewery is one of several microbreweries in the Shenandoah Valley, and the strands of cascade hops they grow on premises are a testament to how seriously they take their product.  With both indoor and outdoor seating, it is a place where twenty and thirty-somethings converse over pints, where families with young children can feel welcome, and all relax with good food and great beer.  

To start, you should orient yourself with the beer sampler (only $5 to try all six beers) and the meat and cheese plate ($13).  The beer sampler is a great way of taking a flavor journey through the fruitier wheat beers to the fuller, hoppier IPAs, and then end with the bold, rich stout.   While the beers stimulate your thirst, the meat and cheese plate acquaints your belly with the finest meats, cheeses, and fruits from Goodwin Creek, a local farm.  Our cheese plate featured smoky pepperoni and salami, coupled with jalapeno cheddar, mustard seed cheese, and gruyere, brightened with fresh oranges, pears, apples, blueberries, and blackberries.  You won’t be sorry for having ordered it. 

For the main course, I got the Nitro Chili Dog ($9) and Dennis got the Beer-Boiled Local Bratwurst ($9.50).  The beer bratwurst is from Double H Farm, a Nelson County Farm, and is boiled in Blue Mountain’s Lager.  It was plump, juicy, and heaping with sauerkraut that gave it a pungent and vinegary balance.  It also had a drizzle of their homemade beer mustard that has a great grainy texture without being too spicy.  The Nitro Chili dog combines a juicy all-beef hot dog with a bold and zesty chili that is spiked with their Nitro Ale.  I loved the chili dog and got a big kick out of revisiting a grandstand favorite, but I do have to admit that the beer bratwurst stole the show.  But, I don’t think you can go wrong either way. 

Although the sausage and hot dog were satisfying, the star dish of Blue Mountain is their Bratwurst Pizza.  A homemade thin crust dough cooked crisp pairs with toppings that are an unexpected combination for a pizza.  It has the standard pizza components of marinara and mozzarella, but the addition of brauts, apples, caramelized onions, and finished with a balsamic reduction, make this a one of kind flavor experience.   It is complex, smoky, sweet, and savory.

As well as the unforgettable food, there was also the beer.  For the beer, I’m not going to say more, I’m just going to let your curiosity make you try for yourself.  The only thing I’ll say is IPA lovers, get the Full Nelson.  If you want to experiment, try their Dark IPA which was a beer that four local breweries, Wild Wolf, Devil’s Backbone, Star Hill, and Blue Mountain, came together to create.  It is not a traditional IPA, but almost brown ale meets IPA--a combination I whole-heartedly support.   

If you live in the Staunton, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, and Nelson County area and have not been to Blue Mountain, drop what you are doing and put it on the schedule.  But, for everyone who  loves beer, good food, and a restaurant committed to local farms, all combined with a great mountain escape, than get to Blue Mountain Brewery.         

Wintergreen Winery

My friend Ellie was on Spring Break and planned a day of wine tasting in Nelson County, VA.  We went to three vineyards, which I’ll be blogging about throughout the week. 

 The first vineyard on the trip was Wintergreen Winery, a charming vineyard tucked away at the foot of Wintergreen Resort.  They have picnic tables, a cozy stream, and a great deal of scenery.  Wintergreen Vineyard encourages you to feel at home on the grounds, offering cheese plates and picnic baskets to enjoy with a bottle or glass of wine.  Marian, who did the tasting for us, was sociable and very knowledgeable about all the wines.  Her welcoming personality coupled with the homey appearance of the tasting room has a feel of going to visit friends. 

 Wintergreen’s tasting is free and we sampled eight wines.  The offered some older vintages because they are currently in the middle of a bottling period and some of the noteworthy wines are being replenished.  Of the eight wines, there were 2 whites (Black Rock Chardonnay ’09 and Viognier ’08), 4 reds (Cab Franc ’08, Cab Franc ’04, Merlot ’04, and a Three Ridges Red), and 2 fruit wines (Mill Hill Apple and Mill Hill Raspberry). 

Of the whites, the four of us in the car picked the Chardonnay as the favorite.    The tasting sheet mentions that the wine has notes of pear and apple with a little citrus.  I definitely got the tartness of the apples and the citrus gave the chardonnay a lot of brightness. 

Of the reds, my car chose the Three Ridge Red.  This wine has just recently been bottled and was chewy, bold, and with plum notes.  It was great to sip but would also be fantastic with a juicy steak.  The other car of our friends chose the Merlot as their favorite.  This was also a solid wine that had a nose that starts off sweet and then finishes smoky.  The palette of the wine mirrors that dynamic because it starts cherry and finishes smoky.

The fruit wines were also noteworthy.  Between the seven of us, we were fairly divided on which of the fruit wines we preferred.  Some liked the raspberry.  Wintergreen gives you some chocolate morsels to eat with the tasting and that influences the flavor, reminding me of eating a piece of raspberry-chocolate candy.  Without the chocolate, it was a little too sweet with not enough tartness.   I preferred the apple wine which was tart and sweet and really rang of apples.  After tasting it, I tried to talk Ellie, who is a wiz with an ice cream machine, into experimenting with an apple wine ice cream.  She liked the idea and thought about adding caramel.  I was in full support.

 Wintergreen Winery was a great start to the wine trip.  They have quite a range of tasting options so there is a wine for everyone.  The wines also are unique; the ’08 Cab Franc had lavender notes, which I’ve never experienced in a red.  The beauty of the setting and the welcoming feel of the staff and the tasting room go a long way to making you feel just as excited about the wine as they are.