In 2000 there were around 2,000 wineries in the US, 850 of which were in California. By 2020 that number had grown to over 11,000, with 5,000 in California alone. Every state in the US has at least one winery and many have burgeoning wine regions. Virginia is a good example. Rising demand for wine in general and higher end wines continues to drive expansion of prime California wine growing areas. Land where cattle roamed has now become vineyard, driving out most agriculture other in favor of grape production. With open space dwindling, land prices have increased exponentially. So, what’s a wine loving .com billionaire/sports figure/regular rich person who aspires to be a vintner to do? Go elsewhere. Other areas of California, Oregon and Washington state have benefited from this surge, but so has Virginia.

With a combination of hospitable climate for grapes, an existing tourism infrastructure (Virginia is for Lovers has been around for over 50 years) and accessibility to Washington, DC, the Virginia wine industry continues to flourish. Wineries have popped up across the state and wine quality improves steadily. In 1979 there were 6 wineries in Virginia, now there are over 300. We only had a few days so limited our visits to recommended wineries in the Charlottesville area -what the Virginia is for Wine Lovers site calls the Monticello Wine Trail.

To prepare for the wine trail, we needed to find one of the other trail variety to burn off some calories from the previous evening’s dinner. But due to Problem # 1 discussed in the “Virginia” post, most of the obvious hiking spots were closed. Our friend Google found the Ivy Creek Natural Area just north of town. We walked a few different trails and logged a few miles, mostly in the snow (glad we brought the hiking boots). It was not so bad, there was only a few inches snow and it made for gorgeous views.

Our first wine stop was King Family Vineyards in Crozet, VA. The facilities are expansive, with multiple buildings and both indoor and outside seating, including gas firepits that were getting good use on this chilly day. In the summer they host polo matches. The classic tasting is $12.00 which includes four varieties that you select. I tried the Chardonnay, the dry Rose, the Cabernet Franc, and the Meritage red Blend. We had picked up salads at local favorite Ivy Provisions in Charlottesville and tasted the wines along with our lunch. They were all good, but nothing inspired me enough to buy. So much about what influences perception of wine are other things than the wet stuff in the cup, things like the setting and what you are eating. I suspect if we were sitting in a lawn chair with friends sipping rose, snacking on a cheese platter, and watching a polo match I would have a very different opinion. The braised apple, goat cheese and arugula salad was tasty, but it didn’t do the wine any favors. We will just have to go back!

Before heading back to our room at the Farmhouse to nap before dinner we stopped by the winery to sample what wines they offered that we had not yet tasted. Veritas Vineyards and Winery is a lovely facility with pretty views and a variety of outdoor seating options. Fortunately, since there was snow on the ground the tasting room is spacious and well appointed. The huge stone fireplace was a great spot to be on a late afternoon in February. We were the only guests tasting at the time and since we were both staying at the farmhouse and it was about closing time, we had the chance to sample whatever they had open. My favorite of their white wines is the Viognier, nice combination of floral nose with some viscosity and spice on the palate. It was a tasty match served with a pasta dish I made after we got home that featured white beans, kale and lots of parmesan. The wine cut through and mellowed the salty cheese united the other components. My favorite of the reds is the Petite Verdot. That is a varietal you usually see as part of a blend, but in Virginia it does well and is able to stand on its own. This wine had more concentration than the other reds tasted thus far, with notes of blackberry and a hint of floral on the nose. The winery notes that this is a Governors Cup Gold medal winner. We enjoyed their other reds as well- the Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Claret. Good wines, lovely facilities, and fantastic views. Veritas is very much worth a visit.

The next day we visited, Barboursville Vineyards, the grand daddy of the Virginia wine industry with quite a storied history. When Gianni Zonin purchased the property in 1976 with the goal to plant grapes everyone thought he was crazy. Thomas Jefferson (who designed the house for Governor Barbour) tried and failed to establish a vineyard at nearby Monticello for decades before finally giving up. But Zonin, the heir to a centuries old wine enterprise in the Veneto of Italy, was not to be deterred. More than 40 years later, Barboursville makes quality wines including Octagon, their flagship wine, which can stand proudly alongside wines from California and his home country.

Barboursville offers two different tasting options. The hostess who greeted us when we arrived was pleasant but didn’t do a very good job explaining them. Option one is the Discovery Tasting room, which is self- serve. You get a card and a glass and insert the card in the slot, press a button and it dispenses a taste of the wine you selected. The card is $15 which gets you six one-ounce tastes from the 16 different current releases. This was fun, but if you want to try any of their other wines you should go for option 2, which is Library 1821. There the full depth and breadth of their current and library wines are available to taste at your table guided by the knowledgeable staff. Tastings are seated in the Virginia colonial style room where they also offer a trattoria style menu. My favorites were the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, the Cabernet Franc Reserve, and the Octagon. We tried the 2015 and the 2017 and of course liked the older and more expensive one better. Nobody ever said I was a cheap date. Now you know why I cook!

So, onto the beer and deer story.

We stayed at the Farmhouse at Veritas for two nights. Night one we ate there; night two was bookended by two big fancy meals so we wanted something more casual. And why not give a little love to Virginia’s excellent craft brew scene and Beer Guy a few more clicks on his Untappd Ap total. The recommendation was nearby Blue Mountain Brewery, known for good beer, great scenery, copious outdoor seating, and a nice casual menu. But it was cold and dark, so the cozy indoor taproom would do nicely. The lights of the brewery were in site around the next bend when Problem # 3 leapt onto the scene. Mr. Deer was a big buck, with a full rack, who exited stage left after bouncing off the right front corner of the car. We were fine, the air bags didn’t deploy, and the car was drivable, so we continued on to dinner. The beer was good and much needed. The food was unmemorable which says more about our state of mind that the true quality of what showed up at the table. Any day everyone walks and drives away from a collision is a good day. Yes, it was a very good day.