The Heck with Matt Lauer - Where in the World is Brad McCarthy??!!

The Answer?

EVERYWHERE!

When we started out wine tours about 6 years ago, our guests' favorite stop was with Winemaker Brad McCarthy!

They loved his no-nonsense wine explanations, they loved his dog Avril, and, best of all, they loved his wine!

Since he's gone off on his own again, we keep getting asked where the heck he went so we made it our mission to find out.

He went everywhere! He went virtual! He's making wine at several local wineries - and this year, 2008, is his 21st vintage.

His independent label Bradford Reed Wines has released a 2006 100% Merlot, made again with fruit from King Family Vineyards. We tasted it (11/22/08) at the Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville. I'm loving the fruit forwardness which to me is a typical Brad style wine. Here are his tasting notes on his first two 2006 releases:

Bradford Reed 2006 Merlot
This is a ripe, intense, single vineyard Merlot (100% King Family Vineyards). Its deep purple color alludes to its full flavor. This wine has the flavor of a lot of black fruits with an earthy undertone. Medium body with supple tannins and good acidity. It pairs well with a broad range of foods.

Bradford Reed 2006 Virginia Meritage

This Virginia Meritage has the classic Bordeaux flavors. It is a supple wine with a cedar edge to the currant and spicy flavors. 45% Cabernet Franc, 42% Petit Verdot and 13% Merlot. It has a full, complex flavor that will take the first glass to fully explore.

Bradford Reed wines soon to come in 2009
from Ox-Eye Vineyard fruit grown by John Keirs:

Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc!

Monticello's New Welcome Center Opens!

We had some free time so drove the two miles from our B&B to Monticello to check out the new welcome center. It's about time! When we moved here in 2000, tickets were purchased in an old mobile unit, and the only food available was at a little outdoor stand.

It's beautifully done in wood and other elements that blend in with the surrounding forest.

We found that they moved the nursery to the front which we love. They don't have much to offer right now as winter is approaching, but you can see that it will be beautiful when spring and summer hits.

The building is designed around a courtyard. Right now the Welcome Pavilion, the Café at Brix, and the Monticello Museum Shop are open. Down the road they will also have the Carl and Hunter Smith Education Center. I thought I saw some areas that will house artist studios, but I'm not sure yet.

While I'm sorry to see Brix no longer operating at the end of our road (how convenient was that!) we are thrilled to see them running the Café at the Welcome Center.

In the past when guests planned to tour Monticello, lunch was another trip to either Brix for fabulous sandwiches, salads, pastries and more for outside picnics, or to Michie Tavern or Kluge.

Now you can see above that the Café is lovely and allows visitors to lunch right there after touring Monticello. And we can still visit
Brix's other beautiful location in Pantops in Charlottesville to get our sandwiches for our Wine Tour lunches.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the people making the choosing "chose wisely" as the saying goes, and chose Brix to manage the food venue here.

We didn't have time to enter the Museum Shop, but noted that it sure is spacious compared to the little shop up by Monticello! Lots of room to walk around and check out all the wares.