On Wednesday, VinePair named DuCard Vineyard’s 2024 Black Bear as one of their 30
Best Red Blends in 2026 in their Buy This Booze report.
“Red blends aren’t a new concept — they’ve existed in regions like Bordeaux and the Southern Rhône for centuries — but it’s certainly a category that continues to evolve,” article author Keith Beavers wrote. “And once the concept of the ‘red blend’ took off in the U.S., winemakers here ran with it, crafting endless combinations of creative cuvées. “For this roundup we explored the most interesting and delicious red blends that define the category today.”
VinePair conducts dozens of tastings throughout the year, trying wines as a typical wine drinker would, knowing the producer of the wine, the price and information about the wine.
This non-blind method assigns a score to each of the wines using a 100-point scale based on the quality and intensity of aroma, flavor, texture, and finish. The scores are then compiled to an editorially driven list that meets the criteria of the best red blends to buy right now.
The bottles are submitted free of charge by the wineries with the understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.
Scott Elliff, owner of DuCard Vineyards said “it is great to see Virginia is well represented with seven other wineries included on this august list.”
Along with DuCard the other Virginia vineyards included on the list of thirty wines are Crimson Lane Vineyards (Fauquier County), Lightwell Survey (Waynesboro), Parallax Project (Richmond), Ashton Creek Vineyard (Chester), Linden Vineyards (Fauquier) Pollack Vineyards and Veritas Vineyards & Winery (Albemarle County).
The 2024 DuCard Black Bear is described as “A wine was created as an homage to the winery’s stunning neighbor, the Shenandoah National Park – it shows that absolutely great wine can be made in this region.
“It brings together Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot into an impeccably balanced wine. Aromas of crushed wild berries, cracked black pepper, and autumn leaves fill the nose. The palate is soft and juicy with a slight tannic edge working into the core of the wine.” Rating: 94 points
The wine can be purchased at the tasting room or online at DuCard Vineyards. 40 Gibson Hollow Lane, Etlan, Va., 22719.
Learn more about the 2024 Black Bear by visiting DuCard Vineyards website.
This post originally published by The Piedmont Journal Recorder at https://pjrnews.com/articles/fairs-agri-environment/ducards-2024-black-bear-one-of-vinepairs-30-best-red-blends-for-2026/