Heat, Harvest, and Heritage: Celebrating 25 Years of Veritas
September 17, 2024
Summer 2024 Retrospective
Read on for Andrew’s reflections as we look back at the record-breaking summer of 2024, from extreme heatwaves and early harvests to milestone celebrations and reflections on our 25-year winemaking heritage. Explore the season’s highlights that tested and rewarded our commitment to crafting high-quality wines.
Harvest Time is Here
It is time to harvest the grapes and make the wine.
I think of Summer as the season of expectation, then before you know it, it’s over. As Summer fades into Autumn, I sometimes get a sense of unfulfilled expectations, a kind of letdown, almost anti-climactic feeling.
I don’t know if it is this particular Summer, but I seem to keep reading articles that refer to the “Summertime blues” or “the blahs” of Summer. Remember when we used to refer to the “dog days of Summer”? The days from late July to mid-August when the “dog star” Sirius is bright in the sky and sets with the sun.
Those hot, sultry days of torpor were associated with sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, and more. Well, those days are gone, and we sure experienced enough hot days and drought to be glad that as we approach the official last days of Summer and look to the can-do days of Fall when the kids are back to school and life goes on.
Heatwaves Like None Before
This year has been the hottest on record for countless states and cities throughout the U.S. and, for that matter, the entire planet. In the U.S., the heat was much less severe on the East Coast compared to the West Coast.
Virginia’s average summer temperature was 78.1 degrees Fahrenheit, with Florida at 84.6 degrees and Maine’s average at 67.3 degrees, all over a three-month period. California’s average temperature was 96.2 degrees, which is why it is called “Caliente HOT Fornia Furnace.”1
In Virginia, the heat has put us way ahead as far as harvest is concerned. This year—for the first time ever—we hit a record of picking over one hundred tons of fruit before September 1. Yes, folks, harvest is in full swing despite Hurricane Beryl in early August. The yields are good, and thanks to our outstanding Field Marshal and Vineyard Manager, Bill Tonkins, the fruit is of high quality and disease-free.
We have already picked most of the white grapes, except Petit Manseng, which is always the last white grape to come in. We’ve picked the reds for our Rosé and the Chardonnay for our Scintilla, and if things continue as they are now, we will be finished by the end of September. The last time that happened was in 2010, a year that counts as one of the best in our twenty-five years of being in business.
The Veritas Heritage Continues
Talking of being in business for 25 years brings me to the ongoing saga of how Veritas became the company it is today.
Last spring, I covered how we planted the vineyards from 1999 -2001. The next major milestone was learning how to make wine, something we had never done before at a time when our lives depended on it.
Up to this point, Patricia had taken the lead with her love of plants and growing things; she was the lead on planting the vineyard. Now, with my medical background, it was my turn to take on the basics of understanding fermentation chemistry. This I did with a lot of help from friends and winemaking consultants. I learned winemaking using a “hands-on” or heuristic approach. Our first harvest was in 2001. We produced about 24 tons of grapes. Each ton of grapes makes roughly 150 gallons of juice, from which we made 3600 gallons of wine. One gallon of wine makes five bottles, so we produced 18,000 bottles or 1,500 cases in our first year.
By 2002, we had planted almost 12 acres of vines in their third leaf. It so happened that 2002 was spectacularly dry and hot. It was so dry that the restaurants in Charlottesville served food on paper plates with plastic cutlery. We planted Petit Verdot (P.V.), a very intense, deeply colored grape, with Chris Hill’s advice as a blending grape to give the Cabernet Franc and Merlot more color. Remember, this was our second harvest with baby vines.
There is a widespread belief that “the older the vine, the better the wine,” but to every general rule, there is always an exception. Often, with vines in their very early years, vines can produce exceptionally good quality fruit. Well, that was the case with our 2002 Petit Verdot; the wine was so delicious that instead of blending out with the Cab Franc and the Merlot, I decided to make a bottle of just P.V. (In Virginia to call a bottle of wine Petit Verdot the wine has to consist of at least 75% Petit Verdot.) In fact, ours was 75% Petit Verdot with 25% Merlot.
Along with White Hall Vineyards, we were one of the first wineries in Virginia to make a single varietal, Petit Verdot. In 2023, in the Wine Advocate, our 2002 Petit Verdot got a score of 89+, described as a “Gem from the Boondocks.”
We thought we were in for a hay ride, but then came 2003, the wettest and most miserable harvest we had ever experienced, which brought us back to the reality of wine grape growing in Virginia. Every year, there seems to be a different set of variables we have never experienced before.
Plan the Retreat of a Lifetime in Virginia Wine Country
In 2010, ten years after purchasing Saddleback Farm and starting this wine-filled journey, Patricia and I wanted to prove that we could live without wine. We signed up for a Health Filled Holiday in Vermont, held at a summer ski resort for three weeks. We would start first thing in the morning with Qigong (breathing and postural exercises), eat a calorie-restricted breakfast, go on a 2-3 hour hike, then have a restricted lunch followed by afternoon strength training and or swimming, evening yoga, and a calorie-restricted dinner. However, more than just the hikes and exercises, there was a sense of camaraderie that came from the shared experience. At the end of the retreat, we walked away with some best friends forever. We did and loved it, and then we thought, what if we followed a similar but shorter health routine, but this time with glorious food and wine pairings? Forget the sackcloth and ashes.
Patricia, Chloe, and Mia have perfected the retreats at The Farmhouse at Veritas into a four-day immersion of exercise and education, enhanced with the best of food and wine, in the comfort of The Farmhouse. The outstanding natural beauty of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains tops off this time to relax and reset. To get more details, visit our website. You’ll see that we are booked up to the gills, so book early for 2025 if you’re interested in joining us. I hope to see you there!
News from the Winery
Featured Wine – 2023 Cabernet Franc
This is a new idea for the newsletter. I thought it would be fun to highlight one of the Veritas wines that has stood out in recent tastings and been recognized by one or another major magazine or wine critic, and our 2023 Cabernet Franc is as good as Cab Franc gets. In Decanter magazine, our 2023 Cab Franc received a score of 92 from Decanter Editor, Clive Pursehouse:
“A delicious and impressive Cabernet Franc from one of the first names in Virginia wine wonderfully balances elements of smoke and dusty minerality with ripe dark fruits and a beautiful varietal herbal quality. Mature aromas of dusty violets, roast hatch pepper, and dusty blueberries come together in a palate that offers a melange of peppercorn, muddled blackberry and mint, and a freshly finished acidity that lifts the entire affair.“
In our 25 years of winemaking, we continue to learn how to grow and bring out the best in Cabernet Franc, and the 2023 vintage does it in spades. Years of careful viticulture combined with consistent winemaking have perfected this wine. Check out our Decanter Trio on sale until Thursday, September 19, 2024.
A Tribute to One of Our Own
I wanted to acknowledge the passing of one of our best employees. Larry Barber was one of those people who made our lives much fuller and sweeter. Larry’s enthusiasm was infectious. He always spoke from the heart, was utterly convincing, and was truly an ambassador for our wines at a time when we needed him the most. Everyone at Veritas—what he and Donna, his wife, called our “Veritas family”—was deeply shocked and saddened by his unexpected passing, and he will be sadly missed. Read my full tribute to Larry here.
Vines and Violins
You know about pairing food and wine, but over the years, we have been pairing music and wine, particularly classical music provided by Wintergreen Music.
We wanted to do something special this year to continue celebrating our 25th Anniversary. On July 8, we hosted a full orchestra concert of Mozart’s 29th Symphony paired with a tasting of our best vintage and current wines. Hosted by Erin Freeman, Music Director of Wintergreen Music, and George Hodson, CEO of Veritas Winery, over 200 guests luxuriated in a glorious evening of classical music and fine wine.
Starry Nights
Boy, were we lucky! The hurricane that could have ruined the whole affair passed by the day before, and we were blessed with sun and balmy winds. What a day! Three bands: AbbeyRoad, our original Starry Nights Beatles cover band; followed by Koda and Marie of Chamomile and Whiskey; a spectacular, never-before-seen drone light show culminating in the final glorious stretch with The Legwarmers—what a great show.
Supper Series
The Supper Series continues to exceed expectations, and Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois‘s return was met with great expectation after his first splendid showing last year. We had blue crabs cooked Cajun style from the Chesapeake Bay and every combination of authentic New Orleans cuisine you could think of—a truly unique gastronomic delight.
More recently, we had the pleasure of hosting Chef Michael Hunter from Antler Kitchen and Bar in Toronto, Canada! As our first international chef in the series, he knocked it out of the park! From the blue crab and caviar canapes to the scallops, risotto, and summer truffles, it all was truly decadent and paired perfectly with our selection of Veritas wines. If you couldn’t make it, I highly recommend buying a copy of his cookbook “The Hunter Chef” and trying his dessert course for yourself: Chaga Chai Chocolate Mousse and Black Walnut Florentine Cookies.
Our final Supper Series of the season with Veritas Executive Chef Andy Shipman on Friday, October 18, is now sold out. To be added to the waitlist, please email contact@veritaswines.com.
Wine Club Pick at The Farmhouse at Veritas
Harvest 2024 is upon us as summer drifts into the Fall. To celebrate the harvest and our 25th Anniversary, we invited members of the wine club to help us pick the block of Vidal Blanc immediately in front of the Farmhouse, and they did. Forty people volunteered within the first twenty-four hours of us sending out the notice. The block was picked within the hour, and then it was time to relax and enjoy a glass of wine.
Employee of the Summer
A native of Charlottesville, Kovie Bowen started working with us in 2020, primarily as an assistant to our vineyard manager. Before long, he was working with Emily and Elliott in the cellar, showing his keen interest in everything related to crafting wine. There is little that Kovie has not tried. I was most impressed when I met him on his way back from another vineyard, having attached our New Holland tractor to a trailer, securing the tractor on the trailer with chains, and driving the tractor and trailer for 45 minutes in our heavy-duty truck. He then proceeded to offload the tractor entirely on his own.
Kovie has deservedly worked his way into our wine-growing and winemaking team. He is an excellent asset to our team, and we are glad to have him!
Family Updates
Over the summer, a lot has happened, including Lydia’s selection to row for Boston University at the Henley Royal Regatta.
George and Tralyn’s oldest, Hailey, was admitted to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in June to everyone’s delight. She survived what they call “Plebe” (a plebe is a naval freshman) training that, from what I can gather for six weeks, the Navy does its best to make you quit. Congratulations to Hailey. All she has to do now is concentrate on her education and running!
Bill and Di had their two granddaughters visit: Robyn for three weeks and Holly and her significant other Jay for almost ten weeks. During that time, we kept them busy helping with all things Veritas, including Bill and Di’s garden party to celebrate King Charles III’s birthday.
Bill and Di’s Garden Party
The kids, including George and Elliott, are now all back at school and work.
I hope this longer-than-usual newsletter has helped to ward off the end-of-summer blues. We have had a lot going on over the summer, and I never fail to rejoice in the sense of commitment from everyone who works with us.
Recent events have brought about a long-overdue cultural shift, one that is uplifting and fills me with optimism. Let’s look forward to the glory of autumn and its joys.
From us all at Veritas, thank you for enjoying what we pour from our hearts.
Andrew Hodson.
Raconteur and Retd Bottle Washer.
- Livingston, Ian. “In Another Brutally Hot Summer in the U.S., These Six Things Stood Out.” The Washington Post, 1 Sept. 2024. ↩︎
Thanks for another great newsletter. Makes me almost feel like I’m there. Happy for you and the business and the family. Missing you all.
Blessings and Peace,
Dean
Thanks Dean,Always lovely to hear from you. I trust you are continuing to make the best of your life.
Andrew.
Thank you Andrew for another lovely newsletter. I really enjoy the vineyard updates and stories of the vineyard over the year. Hearty congratulations to Hailey for surviving Plebe Summer! My brother graduated from the Academy in ’85. So I know about Plebe Summer. Best wishes for her for a successful career! Looking forward to the next newsletter…
Cheers!!
Lisa