Archive for the ‘Wine Expos’ Category
Warning: As I stated previously, I am not nearly as kind in my reviews as the Guru is… I lost the ability to sugar coat years ago. That being said:
A few weekends ago I had a girlfriend visiting from out of town and since it was a beautiful day outside we thought maybe a little boutique shopping and wine tasting in a great part of the city sounded like a great way to spend an afternoon. While the weather didn’t disappoint, the shopping wasn’t every successful and the wine was extremely disappointing. I have attended the Carytown Food and Wine Festival on two other occasions and I seem to enjoy it less and less each time I go. There are always a few “usual suspect” vineyards who choose to attend every year with a rotating set thrown in which seem to be comprised of the smaller, lesser known vineyards in the state. That wouldn’t be a problem except those vineyards are in my opinion lesser known because they’re wines are of a lesser quality.
So the 4th annual Virginia Wine Expo has come and gone and after going over my notes and trying to remember the heady mix of wines and crowds, I think I’m ready to share my overall thoughts on it. Before I delve into the wine itself, I feel as though I should address the expo itself.
While anything could be better than the first year of the expo (not using the entirety of the venue was a major misstep), I felt as though the 2nd and 3rd year of the event were better than this one. That’s not to say that this year was bad – quite the opposite, just that a few regulars that I was hoping to see and some of my favorite vineyards bringing a limited selection of wines was somewhat of a let down.
All that being said, I had a great time at the 2011 Virginia Wine Expo, the staff and volunteers were great, and the venue continues to be a great choice with a great layout that facilitates the large number of people (10,000 people were expected through the weekend) that are looking to sample Virginia wine.
Now…on to the wines. Read the rest of this entry »
I just realized that I haven’t posted any of the photos I took from the Virginia Wine Expo. Here are just a couple.
Veritas Vineyards tasting booth
I’m a big fan of this vineyard if for no other reason than because my brother-in-law got married here. Anybody looking to get married at a Virginia vineyard should really consider them.
Stone Mountain Vineyards tasting booth
You may take your life in your hand to get to the tasting room, but Stone Mountain offers one of the best places to enjoy a bottle of wine with their deck overlooking the Shenandoah mountains.
Jefferson Vineyards tasting booth
Amazing Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are reasons enough to visit this vineyard.
Potomac Point Winery tasting booth
Potomac Point is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. With their amazing patio, great wines, and welcoming nature, whether you enjoy their wine or not (and I think you will), you’ll enjoy spending an afternoon at their tasting room.
Tarara Winery tasting booth
I’d never heard of Tarara before the Virginia Wine Expo, but they’ve quickly made their way onto my list of places to visit in the coming year.
Vino Curioso tasting booth
These guys just clearly enjoy making wine. With wines like Franc the Tank and Snake’s Den, there’s nothing pretentious or snooty about their wine, but it’s great quality wine that you’re sure to enjoy time and again.
This weekend I’ll be attending the second annual Virgina Wine Expo in Richmond, Virginia (stay tuned for numerous reviews of wines, vineyards, and the event as a whole), and it got me to thinking about first time wine festival attendees. Many of them are overwhelmed by the experience and don’t get to really enjoy their time with all that wine. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a list of things to keep in mind so that you have an enjoyable wine festival experience.
Eat Before You Go to the Festival
You’re going to be drinking wine all day, and take it from my own personal experience, that mixing differing wines is bad enough, but doing it on an empty stomach is just asking for trouble. Eat something before you leave that will help to counter the effects of the alcohol on you so that you can spend more time enjoying yourself at the festival.
Eat During the Festival
Most wine festivals I’ve attended have some kind of food available. It may be little more than snacks to help clear the palate, or it may be vendors offering everything from burgers and fries to more elaborate food. Whatever it is, make a point of having some food during the event, especially if you’re going to be there for a while.
Go With Friends
Not only does this give you somebody to compare thoughts on wine with, it also gives you a person to let you know if you’re maybe enjoying the festival too much. We all think we know our limits, but having somebody there to let yo know it’s time to head home is always helpful. Also, carpooling to the festival together is a great way to save on gas and parking.
If Possible, Avoid Driving to the Event
Get a cab, take public transportation, have somebody drop you off and pick you up later, anything to avoid having to drive back home after you’ve spent hours drinking wine at the festival. Spending some money on a hotel room near the festival is far preferable to getting a DUI. If the festival is in a larger city, spend some time walking around the city, get some dinner, whatever you need to do until it’s safe to drive your car. Better to waste the rest of your day than spend a night in jail.
Don’t Attempt to Try All the Wine
If the event is more than one day, this should be self-explanatory. However, if the festival is only one day (or if you’re only attending one day of a multi-day festival), keep in mind that you do not in fact have to try them all. Just because a vendor offers you a sample doesn’t mean you have to take it. I’ve seen people take samples of wine that they know they don’t enjoy just because it was free. Why bother? Most festivals will list which vineyards will be attending ahead of time, so take your time and pick out which ones you know you want to hit, try the wines you really want to, and then pick a few more that either look interesting or are clearly popular (or unpopular if you don’t want to wait in line).
Pace Yourself
If the event is five hours long, you don’t have to leave until those five hours are up. Take your time, try some wines, then walk around. Try some more wines, get some lunch. Try some wines, take some purchases out to your car. You don’t have to constantly have a glass of wine in your hand. Pacing yourself helps to prevent you from overindulging and from just exhausting yourself. Wine festivals are all about enjoying yourself, and nobody has fun when they’re stressed out.
Have Fun
Enjoy yourself! You’re drinking wine, mingling with people, eating food, and hopefully spending time with friends or family. This should be a great time, and so long as you take some of the above advice, there’s no reason you can’t have a great and memorable time. So drink up and have some fun.
Starting on February 27 and going through March 1, the second annual Virginia Wine Expo will again descend on Richmond, Virginia. Feauturing more than 300 wines from 50 Virginia wineries, the Virginia Wine Expo was a huge success in 2008, and looks to be much the same this year.
Tickets are $35 ahead of time, $45 at the door, but I recommend buying them ahead of time as last year a lot of wine lovers showed up, and as a result, the event is limiting ticket availability for each day of the expo.
Check out the schedule of events, buy your tickets, and come to the 2009 Virginia Wine Expo. I’ll be there, and will be reviewing wines, wineries, and the event itself following the event. Shoot me an email about your experience and it might make it’s way onto the site.
