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Posted October 2006
Virginia Wine Tasting Tips
 (VIRGINIA) – Every area has its own unique features and
flavors, some of these are the results of the characters, mavericks,
and businessmen who undertake wine grape growing and wine making
in a region. Other aspects of a region’s character come from
the laws and political philosophies of an area.
Hours
Since the Virginia wine making industry is still relatively
new, you will find that a large portion of the tasting rooms
are only open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and frequently holiday
Mondays. That’s not to say you can’t go wine tasting during the
middle of the week. Just check out your itinerary and call ahead
to schedule appointments, or include wine bars as part of your
day. Tasting room hours are typically 10:00 or 11:00am to 5:00
or 6:00pm (5:00pm in winter).
Fees
Wine tasting fees are becoming more and more common. Expect
to pay for your tasting, though most tasting room fees are still
very nominal -- $2 to $4 per person. The higher fees of $10 usually
include a souvenir glass, or a large number of wines to taste.
Buying and Shipping Wine
Due to current Virginia laws and economics, many boutique wineries
ONLY sell their wine through their tasting room or website. Many
of these same wineries will not, or cannot, ship your wine to
you if you live in a different state than Virginia. So, if you
are planning on buying (and you should) you will probably be
responsible for getting your own wine home.
Itineraries and Tasting Trips
Check your wine map before heading out for a day of wine tasting.
Some of the wine maps provided are not to scale and are only
informational in purpose. Winery locations that look to be adjacent
to each other may, in fact, be more than a mile apart. Some wine
trails are meandering, small country roads that are fabulous
drives through the countryside, but could be more time consuming
than they would at first appear when you are mapping out your
route. In some areas a full day of wine tasting may only be three
winery stops. Also, be aware that some country street signs might
bear the street’s name, but the map shows the route’s number.
If you have to keep to a schedule, you may want to call ahead
to the wineries to get local driving tips.
The good news is – it is easy and pleasurable to take your time.
Many tasting rooms sell cheeses, salamis, crackers, and chocolates
to enjoy with your wine and there is almost always a picnic bench
or café table waiting for you to savor the wines, and your experience. |
