Tag: Ankida Ridge Vineyards

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Culture Living

Thanks, Virginia: Go local at your holiday table this year

Drinking well-crafted, locally sourced wines, beers, and ciders will be easy at this year’s Thanksgiving table. Staff photo

If you are looking for the perfect beverage to accompany your Thanksgiving meal, area producers have many options, ranging from beer to wine to cider. Here are some recommendations to help you drink well while also drinking local.

Amber and brown ales are obvious options for pairing with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and gravy. The seasonally offered Apple Crumb Apple Ale from Three Notch’d Brewing adds an extra dimension by incorporating apples and cinnamon into the brew. These notes combined with malty, bready, and caramel flavors will remind you of freshly baked apple pie.

A sour or funky farmhouse ale, or even a full-on sour beer, can bring a bit of acid to the table. The sourness  cuts through the fattiness of roasted meats, while side dishes with fruit flavors or sweetness bring out similar fruit notes in the beer. Starr Hill’s Carole Cran-Raspberry Gose, only available through December, delivers autumn berry flavors and a nice balance of sweet and sour fruit.

The vanilla, caramel, and chocolate notes found in porter are a great match for dessert. Strange Currencies, from Reason Beer, was originally brewed as a birthday present from the head brewer to his wife. It’s currently available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans direct from the brewery. It’s full and satisfying enough that it could be served on its own instead of dessert, but who is going to pass on that slice of pie?

Two wines deserve a second recommendation in these pages because they are perfect for Thanksgiving: The 2017 petit manseng from Michael Shaps Wineworks and 2017 pinot noir from Ankida Ridge Vineyards. Shaps’ petit manseng is a dry, white wine with weight and texture that brings flavors of honey, tropical fruit, and nutmeg spice at the finish. As a white wine, it can pair with lighter fare, and with roast chicken or turkey. Pinot noir is the classic red wine to pair with Thanksgiving turkey, and the pinot noir from Ankida Ridge Vineyards is the best example of the varietal in Virginia, full of flavors of cherry, cranberry, plum, and cola. Its long, fruit-filled finish will have your mouth watering and anticipating the next bite or sip.

The 2017 Small Batch Series Viognier from King Family Vineyards should also be on your radar. Winemaker Matthieu Finot ferments these white grapes on their skins, more like a red wine would be produced, thus adding aromatics on the nose, and creating a fullness on the palate, and texture in the mouth that will stand up well to the dishes of the season. Similar to the petit manseng mentioned above, this white wine holds up well throughout the meal.

When it comes to Virginia red wine, we can’t forget cabernet franc, which has the perfect weight and flavors for stewed, roasted, grilled, and smoked meats. The 2019 Madison County cabernet franc from Early Mountain Vineyards is a wonderful example of what this grape can be when grown on a good site and in an excellent vintage year. It’s full of ripe red and black fruits with undertones of green herbs and a full finish highlighted by soft, fine tannins.

For many, cider evokes visions of dry falling leaves, pumpkin patches, and hayrides on the farm. Our local industry continues to push forward with creativity and passion, and cider-lovers are benefiting from interesting small-batch, craft products.

The Cranberry Orange Blossom Cider from Potter’s Craft Cider is a limited and seasonal release. With subtle hints of sweet and sour flavors and a pleasant acidity, it will cut through heavier, fattier dishes and can serve a similar role as the sour beers mentioned above. Intentionally produced at only 5.5 percent alcohol by volume, it’s bright and easy drinking that won’t weigh you down before your celebration is over.

Another intriguing option is the just-released 2019 Bricolage Sparkling Cider from Patois Cider. Featuring wild, unsprayed local apples and a minimal intervention fermentation process, this cider develops fine bubbles in the bottle that are sure to please. The palate shows textural weight expresses a depth of caramelized fruit flavors without being too sweet. Delicious on its own, it will also complement a wide range of dishes. This versatility means you can drink this through the entire day of feasting, or at least until the turkey and football games lull you to sleep.

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Culture Living

Warm ups: Virginia wines for chilling out in autumn

The 2017 Wildkat Rkatsiteli from Stinson Vineyards is an aromatic, heavier white made locally with one of the world’s oldest varietals. Courtesy stinson vineyards

With current temperatures and humidity remaining high, many of us are likely still enjoying crisp and refreshing white, rosé, and sparkling wines, and the thought of drinking something heavier seems impossible. However, soon it will be autumn, and the cooler weather will bring crisper evenings, more time outdoors on porches and decks, and food from the barbecue, grill, or smoker.

The change in season also brings out the heartier wines. White wines with more weight on the palate and aromatic complexity take over from the bright, lean, high-acid summer go-tos. Fuller-bodied red wines, with more structure from tannins and heavier flavor extraction, become welcome companions that promote conversation, comfort, and inspire contemplation.

Virginia wine has many options well suited to this time of year, including familiar varieties such as chardonnay and cabernet franc. Here are some less-well-known examples that are worth seeking out.

Rkatsiteli

Rkatsiteli is perhaps not a variety that immediately jumps to mind when it comes to white wine in Virginia. It’s one of the oldest known grape varieties and it originated in the country of Georgia. The wine is spicy, floral, and a bit textural on the tongue. These characteristics make it a good pairing for roast pork, smoked vegetables, beans, and stews. It also pairs well with Asian- or Middle Eastern-spiced cuisines, such as dishes from India, Lebanon, and Vietnam.

There’s not a lot in Virginia, but I can recommend two excellent examples: the 2019 Rkatsiteli from Blenheim Vineyards ($19, blenheimvineyards.com) and the 2017 Wildkat Rkatsiteli from Stinson Vineyards ($27.99, stinsonvineyards.com). The Blenheim bottling is a bit lighter in weight with a floral nose and flavors of apricots, roasted peaches, and tarragon. Stinson’s version utilizes skin contact, a process similar to how red wines are made, which extracts more flavor, color, and tannins (also known as “orange” wine). The result is a darker, heavier wine with aromas of honeysuckle, Asian pears, and dried apricots, and flavors of white peaches, pumpkin, and a slight bitterness on the finish reminiscent of grapefruit and orange peel.

Both of these wines benefit from being served a bit warmer, which allows the many aromas and flavors to fully express themselves.

Petit Manseng

Petit manseng is beginning to fulfill its early promise, drawing rave reviews and gaining recognition here in Virginia. Made into a white wine, it has full and complex aromas and flavors that often include honey notes, spice characters, and tropical fruits. With a heavier body and lots of complexity, it’s a perfect wine for fall.

I highly recommend the Michael Shaps Wineworks 2017 Petit Manseng ($30, virginiawineworks.com). If I could have only one white wine from Virginia to drink during the autumn months, this would be the one. It exhibits lime, white flowers, and wet stone on the nose. It has a broad, rich, luxurious feel with complex flavors of lemon-lime, beeswax, and papaya. A very long finish extends with a pleasant hint of white stone.

Like rkatsiteli, this wine is better when served a bit warmer than most white wines.

Pinot Noir

If there is one grape variety that many identify with autumn, it’s pinot noir. This red variety produces wines of medium weight, relatively lower tannins, and complex flavors of red and black fruits, Asian and baking spices, and savory characteristics such as mushroom, fall leaves, and dried tea leaves. While there isn’t a lot of pinot noir in Virginia, Ankida Ridge Vineyards makes an excellent example, and the 2017 Pinot Noir ($44, anikdaridge.com) is a great wine from a great vintage. On the nose are aromas of cherry, plum, blackberries, and baking spices, echoed in the flavor, along with a pleasant cola and a long finish that presents hints of vanilla. Fans of pinot noir should also be on the lookout for Ankida Ridge’s yet unreleased 2017 Pinot Noir Reserve, which should be available soon.

Cabernet Sauvignon

For some red wine fans, the bigger and bolder the better. In other regions, cabernet sauvignon fits that bill, but it can be difficult to fully ripen in the local climate. As a result, you don’t see a lot of cabernet sauvignon as a single variety bottling in Virginia. Instead, big red wines often consist of blends that may also include cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, and tannat. However, the right vineyard site combined with an excellent vintage year can bring success, and this is the case for the Pollak Vineyards 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon ($50, pollakvineyards.com). On the nose there are hints of vanilla with lots of red fruit and a bit of stewed black plum. On the palate, there are red fruits, vanilla, baking spices, cinnamon, and a hint of smoke with a lingering finish that includes some crushed stone characteristics. This wine has solid tannic structure and great potential to age, but is also balanced and approachable if you are drinking it now. It’s a wonderful wine and winner of the 2020 Monticello Cup.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to try these wines as you raise a glass to autumn in Virginia. These bottles showcase great things happening in local vineyards and wineries, and they will definitely reward your time and attention.

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Living

Raise a glass to 2019: Winemakers reflect on a great vintage

Luca Paschina, winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards, has high hopes for the 2019 vintage. "We will be celebrating this growing season for many years to come," he says. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith

Like all agricultural endeavors, growing grapes is subject to the vicissitudes of weather. In Virginia, after a difficult 2018 harvest (because of rain, rain, and more rain), 2019 was good—some would say great—thanks to timely precipitation and stretches of warm, sunny weather.

“This vintage is a beautiful gift to the faithful farmer,” says Luca Paschina, the winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards. “We will be celebrating this growing season for many years to come, for giving us white wines of great intensity and fragrance and reds of unquestionably long age-worthiness.”

Part of this optimism flows from a sense of relief after 2018. Overcast and wet conditions can present serious challenges in both the vineyard and the winery. Lack of sunlight hinders the fruit’s growth and ripening, decreasing sugar content (it is this sugar that is fermented into alcohol), and producing grapes that lack flavor and can taste “green,” or undesirably vegetal. High moisture can also allow mold, mildew, and disease to take hold, leading to damaged fruit and diminished yields. In one of the sadder images of 2018, some winemakers simply left grapes to rot on the vine, because they had burst from too much water and, regardless, the ground was too soft to move harvesting machinery into place.

The next growing season could not have arrived fast enough. Chris Hill, who has been cultivating grapes in Virginia since 1981, says that better vintages share “the common thread of dry weather from mid-August through mid-October.” In his opinion, 2019 should be compared to great vintages such as 1998, 2002, 2007, 2010, and 2017. But Kirsty Harmon believes 2019 is the best vintage since 2008, when she started as winemaker at Blenheim Vineyards.

Joy Ting, research enologist for the Winemakers Research Exchange (and this writer’s wife), explains that, in addition to a dry season, an abundance of sunlight helped to ripen fruit much earlier than in previous years. “The white grapes came in quickly since daytime temperatures were high and sugar accumulated rapidly,” she says. “A little bit of rain and slightly lower temperatures allowed the red grapes to stay on the vine. This led to very good flavor and tannin development.”

Ting also puts forth a theory, shared by a number of winemakers, that the exceptionally wet conditions of 2018 led to higher groundwater levels in 2019, compensating for rainfall one to three inches below average last July through September. Winemakers Emily Pelton at Veritas Vineyard and Winery, and Michael Heny at Michael Shaps Wineworks, agree with Ting. “I was thankful for all of the rain that we had in 2018,” Heny says. “We had so much groundwater that the vines [in 2019] had everything they needed.”

But what about the 2019 wines? High quality, fully ripe fruit picked when the winemaker thought it had achieved optimal conditions (rather than because the next storm was coming), should lead to high quality, aromatic whites and full-bodied, age-worthy reds. It’s impossible at the moment to recommend specific bottles from the vintage—because, well, the wines are unfinished and unbottled—so I asked winemakers which 2019 wines held the greatest promise. “I feel that, in general, red wines more acutely express the quality of a vintage,” says Nathan Vrooman, winemaker at Ankida Ridge Vineyards. “The white wines coming from the region will be very good, but the red wines will really shine.”

Among those, cabernet franc appears to be rising to the top. Finot says the King Family cabernet franc “performed very well this year.” At Veritas, Pelton calls the 2019 crop “bright and vibrant and full of depth.” Paschina singles out Barboursville’s harvest from Goodlow Mountain, about a mile south of the winery, as perhaps its “most elegant wine of the vintage.” Similarly, Rachel Stinson Vrooman, the winemaker at Stinson Vineyards, points to her cabernet franc as “ripe and concentrated, but also maintaining some of the pretty florals and herbal aromas that I look for.” At Keswick Vineyards, winemaker Stephen Barnard believes the estate’s Block 2 cabernet franc to be “the best expression of terroir yet—savory, extracted, spicy.”

Other varieties to look for in 2019 include pinot noir from Ankida Ridge—one of the few area wineries growing the grape—and chardonnay from Loudoun County’s Wild Meadow vineyard. At Michael Shaps, Heny will use the chardonnay in a vineyard-specific wine; he anticipates the 2019 bottling to rival that of 2015, one of my own personal favorites. Also worth noting, according to Harmon, are albariño, a grape grown mostly in Spain and Portugal that’s still relatively rare in Virginia, and cabernet sauvignon, which the lingering dry heat of 2019 helped to achieve full ripeness and flavor.

With uniformly high hopes for the 2019 vintage, Pelton provides some perspective. “I think it is important for us not to lose sight of how fantastically wine tells the story of the year,” she says. “Great years tend to get all of the attention, but the fact that we get to capture all of the aspects of the fabric of a year—whether it was cool or windy or dry or wet—all speaks to the final product, and I find it thrilling to be a part of that story.”

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Knife & Fork Magazines

A taste of home: Virginia wine pairings for classic holiday meals

There’s a Virginia wine for every classic holiday dish. Just follow our little guide! Photo: Morgan Salyer

If you haven’t already noticed, it’s time to take a look. Over there, in the wine section at your favorite market, the made-in-Virginia selection has grown. The commonwealth’s industry is coming into its own, presenting a bounty of bottles that will not only please the crowd but also impress the connoisseurs at your holiday table. That said, we understand there are still choices to be made, so we’re here to remove the guesswork. We can’t guarantee you won’t be dissed by that guy, the wine know-it-all. But opting for local wines—like these exceptional bottles—will make you look just that much more enlightened. We even throw in a cider recommendation, because…cider.

Easy-drinking white

Deer Rock White, DelFosse Vineyards

This wine checks all the boxes for a one-size-fits-all white: Its blend of four grapes comes together with light, tropical aromas and a touch of sweetness on the tongue for under 20 dollars. The 2017 bottling—a blend of viognier, pinot gris, petit manseng, and sauvignon blanc—won gold in this year’s top Virginia wine competition, the Governor’s Cup. $18. DelFosse Vineyards. 500 DelFosse Winery Ln., Faber. 263-6100. delfossewine.com

Easy-drinking red

Table Red, Flying Fox Vineyard

A versatile, smooth, semi-dry blend of cabernet franc and merlot, Table Red fits in anywhere, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert. Drink it chilled or mull it for warmth when you go a-wassailing—just heat with a few cinnamon sticks and cloves. $18. Flying Fox Vineyard. 10368 Critzer Shop Rd., Afton. 361-1692. flyingfoxvineyard.com

Easy-drinking cider

Ragged Mountain, Albemarle CiderWorks

Albemarle CiderWorks is known for crafting complex ciders that rival wine in finesse and the knack for elevating food flavors. Crafted from a blend of apples including Albemarle Pippin, Goldrush, Pink Lady, and Virginia Gold, Ragged Mountain is among the cidery’s simpler styles, with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, making it approachable for cider newbies, and also a good pairing for rich foods like aged cheddar cheese. $15. Albemarle CiderWorks. 2545 Rural Ridge Ln.,, North Garden. 979-1663. albemarleciderworks.com

 

Appetizer pairing

2011 Blanc de Noir, Keswick Vineyards

The region’s abundant fall produce makes it simple to whip up an over-the-top platter: think beet hummus, smoky grilled zucchini, roasted peppers with feta and oregano, and homemade spiced apples. All of these flavors demand a vibrant sparkling wine like this one, which is made from the red cabernet franc grape but using the traditional methods of the France’s Champagne region. $35. Keswick Vineyards. 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. 244-3341. keswickvineyards.com

Roast turkey pairing

Pinot Noir, Ankida Ridge Vineyards

Ankida Ridge Vineyards’ Burgundian-style (meaning, earthy and refined) 2016 Pinot Noir is available online and in some local shops, but consider taking a leisurely drive to buy a few bottles at the winery’s views-for-miles mountain-top tasting room. Each time you pop a cork, you’ll remember the beautiful journey. This wine, which is “rich with ripe red fruits [and] cranberry,” according to Ankida’s website, is perfect with turkey. (For an elegant touch, add some wine to the gravy.) $44. Ankida Ridge Vineyards. 1304 Franklin Creek Rd., Amherst. 922-7678. ankidaridge.com

Holiday ham pairing

Riesling, Cardinal Point Winery

Dry or semi-dry riesling is a classic holiday food wine, but the grape isn’t typically suited to Virginia’s hot, humid climate. At Cardinal Point Winery, though, winemaker Tim Gorman has been nurturing some riesling vines for years, mostly for use in blending. The 2017 harvest gave him just the right conditions to make his first varietal riesling since 2007. With just a touch of sweetness, the pairs beautifully with ham, whether it’s brown sugar-glazed, smoked, or brined with a peppery crust. $25. Cardinal Point Winery. 9423 Batesville Rd., Afton. (540) 456-8400. cardinalpointwinery.com

Veggie pairing

Petit Manseng, Horton Vineyards

Raw veggies can make for a difficult wine pairing, but adding a little heat and spice opens the door to inspiration. Brussels sprouts roasted with onions and beets, savory sweet potatoes with nutmeg, and green beans sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and fresh-cracked black pepper (are you hungry yet?) will find a flavorful complement in Horton Vineyard’s dry, citrus-y 2016 Petit Manseng. $25. Horton Vineyards. 6399 Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville. (540) 832-7440. hortonwine.com

Dessert pairing

Paxxito, Barboursville Vineyards

Barboursville Vineyards’ voluptuous Paxxito is a classic dessert wine. Crafted from early-harvest, air-dried moscato ottonel and vidal grapes, the apricot and nectarine flavors tease out the sweetness of a ginger pumpkin pie with toasted coconut, while its rich texture and fresh acidity also make it a perfect foil for simple frosted sugar cookies. $32 (375 ml). Barboursville Vineyards. 17655 Winery Rd., Barboursville. (540) 832-3824. bbvwine.com

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Living

Getting the scoop on a new ice cream trend

J-Petal dishes out rolled ice cream in familiar flavors such as vanilla and chocolate, plus more adventurous options including green tea and Thai tea. Photos by Tom McGovern

By Sam Padgett

A new restaurant—J-Petal—has rolled into Barracks Road Shopping Center. And although the eatery offers both savory and sweet Japanese rice flour crêpes, and even serves drinks such as green tea and mojitos in a light bulb, its flashiest menu item is surely the Thai rolled ice cream.

Rolled ice cream is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: Liquid ice cream is poured onto a frozen platter and then scraped into cylindrical rolls. Think of a mix between Cold Stone Creamery and Benihana.

For anyone who watches elaborate dessert-making sessions online, J-Petal will feel like a dream come true, because it’s just as fun to watch your dessert being made as it is to eat it. Besides some of their adventurous flavors like lychee-infused Thai tea and green tea, most of J-Petal’s ice cream flavors can be found in many other shops (albeit in scoop form). After choosing your ice cream base you can select one of eight premade creations such as Monkey Business with bananas and Nutella, or add your own toppings.

Manager James Hardwick takes pride in the visual qualities of the food.

“When we see people taking photos of their ice cream, completely untouched, we know we’ve made something good,” he says.

We’re Tibetan on this one

In the location of the short-lived Breakfast House on Fontaine Avenue, a new “house” has opened up: The Druknya House. Owned by Gyaltsen Druknya (who also owns Salon Druknya on the Downtown Mall), the restaurant serves authentic Tibetan food such as momo, a traditional dumpling. “Whatever my mom cooks, we will serve the same way,” Gyaltsen says. He opened the restaurant to meet what he says is a demand for Tibetan food, and, so far, customers have proved he was right in doing so: The grand opening “was crazy” he says, smiling and shaking his head.

Parting ways

Tomas Rahal, longtime chef of the Belmont tapas eatery Mas, is no longer with the restaurant, according to several sources. Stay tuned for more details.

The Nook is back

After closing down for a few kitchen renovations (and worrying Downtown Mall brunch-lovers with its papered windows), The Nook has reopened. Though some new appliances and a few new menu options have been added, the restaurant’s ambience remains untouched.

Cornering the market

Armando’s has become a new late-night hub on the Corner. Located on 14th Street across from Revolutionary Soup, the restaurant serves Mexican food and drinks until 2am, and Armando Placencia is excited to be open. “I have been driving down the Corner for a while now looking for a space,” he says. “I really like the Corner. I love the energy, and I wanted to give everyone a nice place to relax and enjoy good food.”

More to love

There’s a new member in the Marco & Luca dynasty: Beijing Station offers the same great dumplings alongside an extended menu of Chinese food for visitors to the Corner, and the small storefront on 14th Street evokes the feeling of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant nestled deep in a big city.

Wine win

Ankida Ridge Vineyards’ pinot noir has been selected by Wine Business Monthly as one of the top 10 hot brands of 2017. Ankida Ridge is the only East Coast winery that made the list, and Christine Vrooman, Ankida’s co-owner and vineyard manager, says she is “excited to show the world that Virginia is indeed capable of producing world-class wines.”

Categories
Living

Ankida Ridge survives a threat to vine and home

Last month’s Amherst wildfires came within 30 feet of consuming Ankida Ridge Vineyards. “The miracle is that not one home was lost, no injuries,” says Christine Vrooman. Photos courtesy Ankida Ridge Vineyards

In the darkness of night on Saturday, November 19, Christine Vrooman of Ankida Ridge Vineyards looked out her bedroom window and noticed a fire on the southwest face of Mount Pleasant. From the comfort of her bed, the unnerving scene did not seem to be an immediate threat to her home, her winery or her special vineyard plot of about two acres that produces some of the finest pinot noir and chardonnay in Virginia.

Nearby, the U.S. Forest Service teamed up with the Virginia Department of Forestry, and later a Type 3 task force from Montana. They rushed to establish strategic fire lines. Fire lines—created by making lines of cleared ground at the head of a fire—can sometimes be enough to contain a forest fire.

But Vrooman’s concern grew as she watched the flames jump a fire line and spread to the neighboring mountain. At this point, her family’s home and adjacent vineyard were still protected, but the blaze continued to encroach on their land. “We spent Sunday watching the flames and smoke grow to our north, east and west,” she says.

The Vrooman family sprang into action to save their house and farm. A beloved flock of sheep that grazes on weeds and fertilizes the vineyards was shepherded to a safer area. By Monday, the fire grew closer from the west. “We worked in the backyard all day stomping out and shoveling little flareups,” Vrooman says. Firefighters flew overhead and dumped water on the Vroomans’ backyard—3,000 gallons at a time.

As darkness fell, the family felt the worst had been avoided. “We thought we were safe,” Vrooman says. “But our eyes kept going to the smoldering hollowed-out pine tree behind us. We watched it into the evening hours,” Vrooman says. “Then the winds picked up again, and one big gust swirled the embers from the tree like a mini tornado, spewing them everywhere. After that gust, at about 9:30pm, we could see the bank where the helicopter had dumped the water behind the yard suddenly become all aglow. It spread quickly. It was growing fast toward our backyard.”

Vrooman called 9-1-1. Swift decisions needed to be made. The family gathered their evacuation bags, and shared their priorities with the firefighters. “I did tell the early arrivals that if they had to choose between saving the house or the vineyard, they were to save the vineyard,” says Vrooman. “The house can be rebuilt in a year. To get back what we would have lost in the vineyard, it would have been three to five years, with no income during that time.”

With the fire 80 yards from the home, they thought they had enough time to evacuate. Then shouts came from the other side of the building: “It’s behind the house!” shouted Vrooman’s husband, Dennis, as part of the fire encroached from the rear.

“The flames were leaping in the air all along the bank just behind the house, about 40 feet away,” she says. “It grew to about 30 feet from the house before the local fire companies made it up the mountain. Bless them all. I was never so happy to see that line of cars, trucks and lights come up our road.” She watched from the winery, where she and her daughters took refuge.

“The firefighters worked for a couple hours and felt we were out of danger and would be safe to stay at the house. We took turns staying awake all night to monitor.”

But they still weren’t in the clear. The next morning, the fire traveled down to the vineyard. Task force firefighters got there in time to stop it at the eastern fence line, about 20 feet from the vines.

“We spent the next couple days watching in every direction for anything smoldering, glowing,” Vrooman says. The fire finally moved away from the winery and the vineyard, but thick smoke hung in the air and at times burned their eyes as they worked to restore things to normalcy.

“The miracle is that not one home was lost, no injuries,” Vrooman marvels. “Those firefighters from all across the land became our friends. We kept a pot of hot coffee ready. The Amherst community baked and baked and these guys were well fed. We had several states based here: Alaska, Montana, West Virginia, Minnesota and more. They are our heroes.”

The forest fire grew to consume 11,229 acres over 10 days. The now-burnt ground surrounds Ankida Ridge on most sides, evidence of the flames that came within 20 to 30 feet of the vineyard and the house. For the Vrooman family, coming this close to losing their vineyard amplifies the meaning of its name—Ankida is an ancient Sumerian word for “where heaven and earth join.” Last month, they seemed to have a little help from the former.