1. t was Avril, the winery’s mascot and
Brad’s German Wirehaired Pointer,
who greeted me with a friendly bark
one sunny Saturday afternoon in late
February during my visit to Blenheim
Winery—a warm and fuzzy welcome in
the midst of the bare vines of Blenheim
vineyard in Albemarle County. Brad
McCarthy popped out and, after a quick
handshake, offered me a tour of the win-
ery. As we entered the monumental wood-
en building flooded with the warm after-
noon sun, he explained how the entire
building was built by hand from reclaimed
wood including hard pine, fir and English
white oak. Wood from old cider tanks was
used for the flooring. The building, com-
pleted in 1999, was designed to become a
part of its natural surroundings. The land
dates back to the 1730s when it was a part
of the 9,000 acres “claimed” by John
Carter, secretary of the colony.
I realized how serious Brad is
about “not damaging the grapes” as soon
as I saw the bright yellow giant whole-
cluster press; this is the most delicate way
of squeezing the juice from the grapes.
Brad explained that to maintain the quali-
ty and integrity of the “holy” juice at all
stages of winemaking, almost the entire
process is dependent on gravity, and the
best pumps in the business are used mini-
mally. His organic and sustainable farming
practices are not only good for the envi-
ronment but also contribute to a lasting
and better tasting wine. Brad makes sure
that all his wines go in “harmony with
nature” and are “mellow” with respect to
the land. He is a real terroir-oriented wine
maker.
“If I do not like a wine or think
that it is not perfect, I will dump it,” says
Brad. “I would rather dump it than try to
sell it to people who would not know or
understand the difference.” Now, that is
integrity and passion in today’s wine
world. His honest approach to farming and
winemaking shows well in all of his star-
bright-like single-vineyard whites and his
feminine and sexy reds blended from a
number of local vineyards including
Blenheim.
Brad is not only the winemaker
but also the managing partner with local
recording artist Dave Matthews. For many
years Brad worked closely with all of the
local grape growers to maximize the atten-
tion to detail in growing the highest quali-
ty fruit while at the same time showing
utmost respect for the land. He stayed true
to every vineyard’s own personality in
each wine he made so that its exceptional
character and personality would be able to
tell with honesty its own story in every
bottle. For example, each of Blenheim’s
white wines showed its own strong identi-
ty and strength sampled from the bottle or
the barrel. The 2004 Ox-Eye Chardonnay
showcased brilliant focus and a crisp-dry
finish, delicious with any simply grilled
white fish. The 2005 Tra Vigne
Chardonnay, tasted from the barrel,
showed luscious fresh caramel with a hint
of licorice that reminded me of a Grand
WINE
Virginia’s Own Brad McCarthy
Poetry of Love and Nature in Every Blenheim Wine
Daniel Mahdavian
I
Brad examining the vines
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2. Cru-style wine from Corton-Charlemagne
village in Burgundy, good with a juicy
roasted pork loin and stewed apricots.
Drinking the 2005 Mount Juliet Viognier
from the barrel was like a celebration of
life in my mouth. It had a fragrant nose of
rose water, with tropical fruitfulness,
intense and complex. It was just incredi-
ble.
In the case of reds, Brad loves to
blend them from the barrel to balance the
final wine from each individual vineyard
site. His 2004 King Family Merlot is still
the king of reds year after year with its
cool and focused velvety fruit finish. It is a
delicious complement to any grilled beef
or stewed lamb dish. The 2004 Meritage is
another well rounded claret-style wine that
would quench any Bordeaux drinker’s
thirst for an earthy, terroir-expressed qual-
ity wine with a great deal of finesse.
Personally, I fell in love with his Petite
Verdot still sleeping in the French Oak
barrel. With its sweet-violet nose and core-
of-red cassis, it is going to be a gorgeous,
sexy wine that could stand upright without
the glass bottle! And for dessert, we shared
the most exquisite of sweet wines I have
tasted in Virginia. His 2004 Scipio is a
late-harvest magic potion of silky and
sweet Petite Mansang blended with rich
and fragrant exotic Gewürztraminer.
Brad is also a sportsman. He
shoots with one of his favorite Beretta
shotguns or his grandfather’s 1927
Belgian Browning A5, a vintage shotgun
that remains a beauty. Doves, ducks and
pheasant are some of his favorite birds. He
also enjoys cooking the birds, using fresh
seasonal produce from local farmers.
After 18 years, Brad McCarthy
has mastered the art of bottling wine and
finally settled down at home at Blenheim.
I believe his wines will continue to get bet-
ter with every vintage because he pours his
unconditional love and dedication into
every bottle. The 2005 vintage—both
white and red wines, to be released later
this year—shows great potential for deli-
cious drinking as well as cellaring. I know
Avril, the German Wirehaired Pointer, will
be watching over the wine angels in the
cellar!
Daniel Mahdavian is the president of
Refuel (www.refuelconsultants.com), a
fine wine and hospitality consulting com-
pany in Washington, DC. He has devel-
oped dozens of successful, award-winning
wine and spirit programs for luxury hospi-
tality clients such as St. Regis Hotels, the
Ritz-Carlton, and Lima Restaurant down-
town. Daniel writes regularly for industry
publications, invests in wine for private
collectors, and frequently travels with his
wife to vineyards around the world in
search of the next perfect bottle of wine to
share with his clients and readers.
Brad with his favorite shotgun and Avril at his
side. (Photo by Daniel Mahdavian)
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