Did you know October is Virginia Wine Month? It is, and there is much to celebrate. Virginia wines are fantastic. Who needs Napa Valley when we have Loudoun County? Visit the Virginia Wine Month website for details about what is happening out and about.

I love a good wine tour as much (maybe more than) anyone. But if you don’t want drive out to the countryside, you can join us at the wine bar. All month we’ll be featuring different Virginia wines—by the bottle or the glass. Snag me when I wander by your table and I’ll tell you about them.

Here’s what we have right now (but there are more to come) …

Rockgarden White ‘Voyage Vert’ 2019.

This is a vinho verde style white wine using 100% Vidal Blanc grapes. Vinho verde is Portuguese for “green wine,” but means “young wine” in this instance—the wines are released three to six months after the grapes are harvested. This one has a hint of effervescence, flavors of citrus fruit, and tart green apple.

Early Mountain Vineyards Rose 2020

This wine is bone dry, which means it’s not sweet. Dry wines have little to no residual sugar content, so they generally are not sweet wines. This one uses mostly Merlot grapes. It has an herbal note and flavors of strawberries, white peaches, and grapefruit.

Fabbioli Cellars Paco Rojo 2020

This wine is juicy, tasting of dark fruit, cranberry, and pomegranate and with bright acidity, which is what does a little tap dance on your taste buds and makes you want more. The wine contains a field blend of grapes honoring the hardworking Latino team that help make the wines of Fabbioli a reality.

Blenheim On The Line Red Blend 2020

Dave Matthews owns this label, and creates the label art! That fun fact aside, this Bordeaux style blend is full bodied, dry yet fruity with pronounced savory notes, hints of raspberry, tobacco, and baked plum. It is delicious. And all proceeds from the wine benefit the World Central Kitchen founded by Jose Andres.

Fun Facts about Virginia Wines

I visited the Virginia Wine website to gather some more cool info about Virginia wines for you. Here are just a few.

Virginia is home to 10 wine regions and 8 distinct American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. Northern Virginia is our very own region.

The Middleburg Virginia AVA encompasses the Town of Middleburg, bounded by the Potomac River to the north and mountains to the east, south and west. The viticultural area covers approximately 190 square miles and contains 229 acres of commercial vineyards, 24 wineries, and 8 vineyards.

The Norton is America’s oldest wine grape and was born in Virginia.

The first settlers, and a few founding fathers, attempted to produce wine in Virginia. But it wasn’t until the late 1970s when the industry began to take root here.

There is more, of course. Suffice it to say, Virginia wines are seriously good. But don’t trust me…come try some yourself.