To your health
Ask Mondavi - Virginia wine is coming into its own

by James C. Allen

Robert Mondavi knows a thing or two about the good life. In his 88 years, he helped turn California's Napa Valley into one of the premier wine-growing regions in the world. So doing, he has promoted his idea that wine is as integral to living well - just as important - as art, music, family and friends. Spreading his vision, he travels hither and yon hosting everything from special wine tastings to tours to jazz and blues concerts and art exhibits.

So when Mondavi says that Virginia's burgeoning wine industry will become an important part of the world market, he does so with some authority. "Virginia is going to do a lot to popularize wine in the United States and to prove what Thomas Jefferson knew about this area," says Mondavi, who was visiting a forum in April hosted by the McIntire School at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Everyone is going to hear about Virginia [wines] in the next several years."

Indeed, the quality of the wines created by the state's vineyards and wineries is reason enough for thousands of Virginians to get out into Virginia's lush countryside every weekend. And to make the experience more enjoyable and memorable, the state's wineries are using some of the techniques Mondavi thinks are necessary for living well.

Old Dominion wineries will hold more than 300 wine festivals and special events this year, all with some uniquely Virginian twists. Gray Ghost Vineyards in Amissville, for example, will combine wine tasting with an afternoon of croquet this summer, while Leesburg's Willowcroft Farm Vineyards will give visitors a look at vintage cars at one of its events. The Oasis Winery in Hume will host not only a murder-mystery night but also a day of polo.

The point of these events, obviously, is to sell more wine, says Randy McElroy, Jr., owner of First Colony Winery south of Charlottesville. "It gets people to come here and try our wines," he said. "Hopefully, they will go home and tell their friends about us."
First Colony's special events run the gamut from two formal "Winemaker's Dinners" - five-course meals with wines to complement each course - to an authentic pig roast complete with appropriate live music. Its regular offerings include having a jazz pianist entertain guests every Saturday during the summer from noon until closing at 5 p.m.

McElroy, a former Richmond building contractor whose family bought the winery nearly two years ago, said he is taking a low-key approach to special events for the time being. Part of his reasoning is related to business. He doesn't want to take on too much too soon. More important, though, are the regulatory restrictions. Albemarle County currently restricts the number of events the winery can hold each year, and while it allows the winery to have music, it can't have the music playing outside.

Still, McElroy hopes that the dinners and pig roast will eventually take on a life of their own. "I think once people realize who we are and where we are, the events will become more popular," he says.
Further north in Nelson County, Marlin and Sue Allen of Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery have developed a loyal following of visitors coming out to pick their own blackberries from the winery's three acres of blackberry plants. Along with the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the pick-your-own experience gives visitors a chance to get out into the Virginia countryside and get a little exercise to boot.
More often, though, wineries prepare the food for their visitors. Nearly half of the more than 70 wineries in the state offer cheese and crackers to go along with their wines. Some, like Chateau Morrissette in Floyd, Barboursville Vineyards near Charlottesville and Prince Michel in Leon offer full meals.

Barboursville supplements the Italian fare served at its Palladio Restaurant with its "Guest Chef Series," dinners that provide a forum for the winery's own inventory as well as foods prepared by some of Virginia's best chefs. The winery also uses the ruins of the Thomas Jefferson-designed home of former Virginia Governor James Barbour - the house burned except for the columns on Christmas Day 1884 - as the backdrop for its annual Shakespeare at the Ruins festival. It also hosts an occasional opera presentation on the site.

All in all, the events offered by Virginia's wineries are the kind that Mondavi said help tie a winery to the public and make the experience more enjoyable. And if it helps the wineries sell more wine, then they get to enjoy the good life, as well.

Return to Virginia Business - June 2002