The Botetourt Wine Trail—
A Taste of the Good Life

Fall-Winter 2007

Discover a taste of the good life as you explore the Wine Trail of Botetourt County. The crisp, fresh air and fertile valleys of Botetourt County provide the ideal conditions for growing grapes.

The county's three wineries place a special emphasis on quality wines made with old-world techniques. You'll find a wine to please every palate, from a light sweet white to a full-bodied red. The scenic views and old-fashioned hospitality of Botetourt County create the perfect environment to enjoy these fine wines.

The Wine Trail of Botetourt County features three charming, family-run vineyards offering tours, tastings and special events throughout the year: Blue Ridge Vineyard, Fincastle Vineyard & Winery, and Virginia Mountain Vineyards.

So no matter where you start, The Wine Trail of Botetourt County begins and ends with great taste.

Follow the Monticello Wine Trail

Fall-Winter 2006
by Theresa Curry

The wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail fulfill a vision of Thomas Jefferson, whose aim was to produce wines of exceptional quality like those he had tasted on his travels to Europe. Today, 500 acres of vitis vinifera vineyards surround Jefferson's historic Monticello estate. In just over two decades, the wine industry in the Charlottesville area has flourished, achieving national and international acclaim.

Within the boundaries of the federally-designated Monticello Viticultural Area are twenty-one farm wineries, the largest concentration of such in Virginia. The wineries vary from the largest, producing over thirty thousand cases to smaller operations of several thousand cases. They all have their own grape plantings, although many also lease vineyards in order to increase their production. Most of the wineries have tasting rooms open to the public.

As the last of the grape harvest ferments in barrels, Charlottesville-area winemakers relax a little and think about cool-weather celebrations. Barboursville Vineyard, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has lined up a series of special wine dinners with guest chefs through the fall and holiday season. Any meal at Barboursville's Palladio Restaurant is an event—the regular chef, Melissa Close, does a wonderful job of using fresh local produce and herbs for lunch and dinner seatings open to the public. Other events focus only on the wines, and you'll find many opportunities both to taste Barboursville's award-winning wines and to stock up on wines for the holidays.

While you're in Barboursville, make sure to stop by Horton Vineyards, Barboursville's innovative neighbor just down the road. Don't let the spectacular tasting room distract you from the high quality of the wines, many of them made from European grapes that survive in conditions similar to Orange County. Horton also has a line of wines made from orchard fruits, combining intense flavor with traditional grape fermentation techniques. Order any of Horton’s 40 different wines and find out about the early November barrel tasting on their website.

A dizzying drive up the rugged hills of Greene County to the north of Charlottesville brings you to Stone Mountain Vineyard, a breathtaking spot planted on slopes so steep you wonder how the grapes are harvested without anyone falling off! The slopes have a purpose—air drainage keeps late frosts from settling on the leaves and early frosts in the fall from settling on the grapes. Try the Bacon Hollow Revnuers Select, a wine made from rkatsiteli grapes. There's a harvest festival and several opportunities to learn about wine.

Be sure to visit the new tasting room at Keswick Vineyards, opening September 2006 at the vineyards east of Charlottesville, on the historic Keswick Estate. This gorgeous vineyard makes small-quantity elegant wines, including a dessert blend of viognier and traminette and a wonderful French-style viognier with lovely fruit overtones. The new tasting room is a quiet, inviting spot overlooking the winemaking operation.

Follow the Monticello Wine Trail and discover your favorite Monticello area winery. Enjoy breathtaking views, sample award-winning wines, and meet the people who today are producing world class wines in the heart of Virginia.

Article text ©2006, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.

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