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August 2018 WINES&VINES 75 WINE EAST WINEMAKING O ver the past decade, Barboursville, RdV and Linden have developed an informal relationship of sharing experiences and expertise. When time allows, consultants and production teams trade visits. Time in the vines and tastings are emphasized. Earlier this year, the three producers met to discuss experiences with variety and site relationships. Some of the discus- sion from this meeting contributed to this article. Although each site and flagship blend are unique, we are finding a certain commonality in our observations. Barboursville Vineyards is in central Virgin- ia, and the first vines were planted in 1976. The winery's Octagon wine is a Merlot- based blend with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot playing significant roles in some vintages. Small amounts of Cabernet Sau- vignon are included in drier vintages. The 182-acre vineyard is planted on a density of 2.3 meters by 1 meter on clay-based soil at an elevation of 600 to 800 feet. RdV Vineyards is in the Northern Vir- ginia piedmont. Using grapes from vines planted in 2006, the Cabernet Sauvignon- based Lost Mountain is the flagship wine. RdV was the first Virginia vineyard site selected after extensive soil and site analysis. Only red wine is produced. The 17-acre vineyard is planted at a density of 2.1 meters by 1.2 me- ters on granite-based soils at an elevation of 600 to 800 feet. Linden Vineyards is a high-elevation vineyard on the Blue Ridge in Northern Virginia. The original vines were planted in 1985, but all the reds have now been replanted on different soils. Hardscrabble Red, Linden's flagship wine, is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot playing an important role. Cabernet Franc and Pe- tit Verdot may be used in small amounts. The 20-acre vineyard is planted at a density of 2 meters by 0.8 to 1.2 meters on both greenstone and granite at an eleva- tion of 1,200 to 1,400 feet. Vintners from three vineyard sites: (left to right): Daniele Tessaro (Barboursville), Jim Law (Linden), Joshua Grainer (RdV), Fernando Franco (Barboursville), Rutger de Vink (RdV), Luca Paschina (Barboursville), Jonathan Weber (Linden). COMPARING NOTES PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDEN VINEYARDS ONLINEMARKETINGSYSTEM Wines Vines Analytics Visit winesandvines.com/OMS or call 866.453.9701 to set-up your free demo. Reach Thousands of Winery Decision Makers The Wines & Vines Online Marketing System is designed to help your business: • Increase sales • Generate winery leads • Manage clients and sales territories • Improve marketing effectiveness