Varietal: Touriga
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $20
A Portugese grape being grown in Virginia, the Grayhaven Touriga is made from 100% Touriga grapes, which are often used to make Port wines. Hints of vanilla and pepper on the finish follow a flavors of cherry and grapefruit for this medium to full bodied red wine. Pairs well with steak and other rich dishes.
Recommendation: I love Grayhaven Winery for their tasting room and surrounding area alone, but their wide ranging selection of wines, which includes being one of the few wineries in the state to offer a Touriga wine. My wife and I paired this wine with a dinner of grilled bbq chicken and roasted red potatos. I was worried that this somewhat more bold red might overpower the chicken at first, but after a generous basting of bbq sauce while it was grilling, the pepper and vanilla on the finish of the wine were a great compliment to the smokiness of the meal.
Being one of the few wineries in Virginia, if not the only, to offer a 100% Touriga, I almost want to recommend this wine on that fact alone, but the great flavors and ability to pair with more than just red meat means that this is a great wine to pick up when you’re in the area. I also recommend visiting the winery if you’re ever close as everybody there is incredibly friendly and welcoming.
