Organic Wine Hideaway: Q&A with Loving Cup Winery
I’ve been working on trying to eat healthier lately (#weddingbod), and this coming September I’m embarking on a nutritional cleanse, where it’s highly recommended to not have any alcohol for 30 days. I’ve done dry January before, so not having wine wasn’t a problem, but it did get me wondering if sometime during those 30 days I craved a glass a wine for whatever reason (celebration, bad day at work, tv binge, etc), what would be a healthier alternative than normal for me to feel better about breaking the cleanse’s rules? Well, enter organic wine.
I really have never knowingly had organic wine, nor shopped for it before. So I was excited and curious, but worried I would not like it. I read this article from Wine Enthusiast, which breaks down the many complexities of the organic wine world…but definitely made me feel I’ve barely touched the tip of the iceberg. I decided the best way to start my exploration of organic wines would be to try some. Naturally, I wanted to try a VA wine first.
Which brings me to Loving Cup Winery, a BEAUTIFUL winery 10 minutes away from Pippin Hill in North Garden area of Charlottesville. They’re currently the only winery in VA that is USDA Organic Certified. I stopped by on sunny Sunday afternoon on my way home to do a quick tasting and pick up a bottle to get me through my “clean eating” 30 days challenge. Here are some takeaways from my visit:
As this was my first experience with organic wine, I was not able to detect any noticeable structural differences. If I was at a blind tasting, I would not be able to differentiate from organic wine or regular wine, which was cool to me because I really thought it would taste weird for some reason. I will say all the wines at Loving Cup were more on the sweet side, but that is probably a winemaker’s choice versus a structural difference in organic wines.
All of the above being said, I truly think Loving Cup Winery’s wine selection has something for everyone. And quite frankly, I think all of their wines would pair well with light, clean meals full of veggies since they were in the light to medium body range. I felt pretty refreshed after the tasting!
My favorite wines from the tasting flight were the Sparkling Wine 2020, Loving Cup White 2018, Loving Cup Red 2019, and of course their red sangria.
The Sparkling White has soft, bright bubbles, that make it very refreshing and citrusy.
The Loving Cup White was my absolute favorite blend of the day, with delicious notes of white peach and citrus, making it a perfect summer sip.
The Loving Cup Red is the wine that will make me return to the winery in the fall when the weather is nice and cool, so I can properly enjoy all the berry, cherry and spice layers of this oaky red. It tasted like a less sweet (and not hot) version mulled wine, and it is truly perfect to get you in a fall mood.
I had a chance to do a brief Q&A with Karl, the owner of Loving Cup Winery, to get his thoughts on organic wine and learn about their journey of being a certified organic winery. I hope this is just one of many conversations to come, as I still have so much to learn about organic wine! And share!
What was the biggest challenge in getting Loving Cup Winery started?
We planted our first vines (for ourselves) in 2008. We began planting the field in 2010. There wasn't a template for "organic Virginia vineyard," so we were starting from scratch with much of it. Varieties, diseases, insects, weeds, etc. We were fortunate to have help from so many in the wine industry, and they helped us identify all the problems we didn't have answers for. Then it was on us to research and experiment until we had enough answers to get started.
What is organic wine and how did you guys learn about it?
"Organic" is a legal definition as codified by the NOP (National Organic Program) and I am reluctant to summarize the code and leave out details, but I will try: organic grapes are grown without synthetic materials and organic wines are made without synthetic processing aids. All materials used in the vineyard and winery are both natural and approved for organic production. How did we learn how grow organic grapes and make organic wine? Read lots of books, ask lots of questions, and then just do it.
Why did you guys decide to make organic wines?
Making organic wine from the organic grapes was the only way to preserve the value of the fruit. (You see, organic wine is not the accomplishment; the organic grapes are the accomplishment).
What was the process of getting organic-certified like?
A ton of compliance paperwork, annual recertification applications, and annual inspections. The initial vineyard certification was difficult, but the recertification is not too much trouble. The initial winery certification wasn't too bad, but the annual recertification is a bear. The vineyard and winery are separate entities, are certified separately, and each carries its own certificate.
Why do you think organic wine is not more popular in VA?
The reason that there aren't many more of us is that what we do is impossible.
What do you wish people knew about organic wines?
I suppose it would be nice if folks knew how incredibly hard it is to be organic in Virginia. Harvest is not a forgone conclusion. A combination of relentless hard work, luck, and a refusal to fail is usually enough to overcome Virginia weather conditions.
What's your most popular wine?
Our rosé.
What is unique about the wine industry in Virginia?
I've not worked for a producer outside of VA, so not sure if this is unique to us or not: the VA wine industry supports its own. Everyone is so helpful, especially to new growers. Collaboration before competition.
What is your biggest advice for someone wanting to start a business in the wine industry?
Take your time, do your research, and get a vineyard consultant.
What's in store for the rest of the year at Loving Cup?
A wet spring has yielded to a dry summer and right now fruit quality looks pretty good. If the weather cooperates, we could make some really nice wine this fall.