Tasty, well-made wine using an ascendant white grape in Virginia. Petit Manseng wines can match—even surpass—Sauvignon Blanc’s vibrant acidity, but Petit Manseng is richer, fuller-bodied, and more aromatic. This wine checks all those boxes and deserves a spot on your wine bucket list. $25–28
Petit Manseng enjoys the embrace of Virginia’s warm, moist climate. In 2011, only 68 acres were planted with that grape in the state. Today, Virginia may have more than 180 acres. On one hand, that is not massive acreage. On the other hand, Petit Manseng is a somewhat rare variety and Virginia likely has the third-most Petit Manseng acres in the world.
The grape works in Virginia because its loose clusters improve airflow, helping it fend off rot and gray mold. Its thick skin makes it both weather and insect resistant. Winemakers have to deal with the grape’s high acidity—even in warm climates—and its natural propensity for high sugar levels. Petit Manseng can be a challenge to make into a dry table wine. For that reason, more wineries make a sweet rather than a dry version in its native France. The cliché: Winegrowers love Petit Manseng. Winemakers hate it. Virginia winegrowers and winemakers have made peace with the grape, and it appears Petit Manseng has found a home in the U.S. in the same way Malbec flourishes in Argentina and Carmenère in Chile. Virginia’s Petit Manseng offerings in general are worthy of your exploration.
Members of the Twyman family own Woodbrook Farm Vineyard. In 1950, Delmar Twyman—grandfather to the current owners—moved his family to his mother’s property in Montford, Virginia. Delmar was an elite horse showman, inducted in both the Virginia Horse Shows Association Hall of Fame and the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. His son, Noel Twyman, began riding at age two. Following in his father’s footsteps, Noel also is in the two halls of fame. In the late 1960s, the Twymans changed their focus from Show Hunters to Racehorses and steeplechasers. Noel built a successful business breaking and training two-year-old Thoroughbreds and steeplechasers, which led to the establishment of Woodbrook Farm.
Woodbrook Farm is a baby operation. Its first grapes, which included Petit Manseng, were planted in April 2022 in what formerly was the family’s Thoroughbred training location. These 2024 vines are in their slightly awkward but full-of-promise stage. Woodbrook Farm built the “Training Barn” for horses at the location in 1982. Today, the barn is completely renovated and serves as the winery’s tasting room.
Noel’s children, Vaughan (Twyman) Jenkins and Robert Twyman, and their spouses, Noel Jenkins and Carey Twyman, run the business. They manage the agriculture and tasting room elements. The wines are made by Michael Heny of Michael Shaps Wineworks, Virginia’s first and largest contract winemaking operation.
Woodbrook Farm Vineyard Estate Grown Petit Manseng, Monticello, Virginia 2024: Deep gold-yellow color; yellow peach, passionfruit, lime, honeysuckle, pineapple, ruby grapefruit, honey, oak notes on the nose and palate.
Dry; medium-plus acidity balances Petit Manseng’s fruitiness and inclination toward the illusion of sweetness due to high alcohol and glycerol-rich texture. Rich, round, unctuous mouthfeel. As Petit Manseng is wont to do, this wine may flirt with off-dry. There are no published residual sugar (RS) numbers, so it is hard for me to tell if this hint of sweetness is a genuine flirtation or the illusion caused by the qualities of Virginia-grown Petit Manseng and winemaking decisions. Part of the charm of this bottle, BTW.
Pairing—Pad Thai with shrimp; other spicy Vietnamese/Thai food if it is moderately spicy (15.5% ABV does not mix well with big spice). Pan-seared scallops over sweet corn purée; roasted duck breast; roast pork tenderloin glazed with apple chutney. Cheese—Aged Gouda or Comté; Taleggio, Époisses; chèvre.
Woodbrook Farm Vineyard website
