540 Red Wine - A Shenandoah Valley Red Blend Perfect With Food, Family, and Friends

The other night I shared some wine with friends, and one of the standouts was the %$) red wine blend from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. %$) is an award-winning wine made by members on the Shenandoah Wine Trail in the 540 area code. The participating wineries on this bottling were Bluestone Vineyard, Wolf Gap Vineyard, and Kindred Pointe. The wine is a stunning non-vintage blend of 66% Petit Verdot and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the wines in the blend are from 2021 and some are from 2022 - so there is some oak to it.

The wine is a big red wine with up front notes of black currant cassis, stewed dark plums and blackberries, and fresh black sour cherries. There's a subtle hint of vegetation, but not distracting. There's also notes of dark, bittersweet chocolate, toasty oak, espresso, cured tobacco leaf, and a touch of earth and smoke. The cherries linger.

Several regions have done something similar - Tierce Riesling in the Finger Lakes, Open Source  project from The Winemaker's Coop in New Jersey, and several others. These are always fun projects, and usually quite notable. 540 is notable! A delicious, dark wine, that packs layers and layers of flavor over a well balanced wine that has that little zip of acidity, and that powerful fruit statement to carry it all. It paired well with roasted meat and vegetables. In short it's the kind of wine that features the exceptional fruit being grown in the state and the region. It is a showcases to highlight the region's potential. 

540 Red Wine is an excellent blend, with a curious name. It goes great with food....family... and friends.