Gray Ghost Vineyards, a small family owned and operated winery, is located in Amissville, Virginia, and was named "Best of the East" by Vineyard and Winery Management magazine.

They grow and make wines from noble varieties like this Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also craft wines from Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc (including a late harvest Vidal Blanc that I’m interested in)

This is the first time I’ve tried any of their wines but with the interstate shipment ban potentially being lifted this year, I’m always looking for new finds.

Gray Ghost Vineyards’ 2000 Cabernet Sauvingnon was fermented in stainless steel and blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc (couldn’t track down the %). It spent 18 months in American oak (I don’t think much of it new) and wasn’t filtered (which I like).

Eyes: Rich, medium ruby that reminded me of several of the Cabernet Francs I’ve had, which made me wonder what the proportions are for this Bordeaux-style blend.

Nose: Lots of cherry with hints of cocoa and sweet raspberry.

Tongue: Loads of cherry again with super-soft tannins and a really nice velvety texture. Much more interesting and elegant than I expected. Not a "big" wine, but well balanced and refined.

Price: $24 at FineWine.com

Food: I’d serve this with anything that used to moo…and because of it’s fruitiness, you could even serve it with oinkers as well.

Overall: Even without knowing it was it a blend, you can tell. This is much more Bordeax than California, but it’s a very nice pour. You can do better at the price point, but it was tasty.

I even used the last cup or so in a sauce for over a grilled flank steak.