“Mer-Lots of Fun”: Wine in Virginia

September 12, 2008 by Lauren G  Send to a Friend

When my friend called me and announced that for her birthday she wanted to rent a bus and go to various wineries in Leesburg, Virginia I went through a series of emotions. First I was scared- Leesburg… I’m really more of a city girl. Second- wine… I’m more of a vodka girl. Third- Leesburg, what the hell is out there besides outlets? Then I started to get excited. Finally, we would be doing something fun and different for a birthday instead of going to some bar or having a house party.

Visiting wineries is a very sophisticated and cultured thing to do as a professional, young adult. Not only can you catch a little buzz in a classy atmosphere, but you can impress your employers, clients, friends and potential friends with your vast knowledge of wine gained from going to a winery. So this was basically a win-win situation.

Distilling vodka has always interested me, but wine … not so much. Sometimes I drink what my roommate buys. Sometimes I buy it at the store as a gift, usually something in the $19.99 range. I knew that this birthday trip would prepare me for my entry into wine sipping adulthood.

I made sure to tell everyone that I was going to visit some wineries in Leesburg for the weekend. I figured this would give me mad culture points with my bosses and made me look super busy and important among my peers.

On our way to the designated meeting point for bus departure (no drinking and driving at this party,) my friends and I slurped down a growler of beer from Sweet Water Tavern. It was important to get our taste buds heightened for all the tasting. The first winery we went to was called Breaux. It was very beautiful, with field after field full of grape vines. We were unable to enjoy the outdoor beauty though as it was pouring (Hannah!!!), but I could definitely imagine myself sitting on a blanket under the vines feeding grapes to a carbon-copy of Jason Schwartzman.

After about ten minutes of twenty crazy half-drunk people wandering around, the winery workers got control and ushered our group back to a private room for tasting. Our guide was Nate and he gallantly led us through the various wines they had to offer. We started with the whites, then to the reds (which actually looked more like a burnt sienna) then to the sweet dessert wines. Nate gave us all sorts of info: types of cheeses to eat with the wine, the differences between wine aged in wood vs. wine in steel, the grapes, and the effects of toasting the barrel lid on flavor. I wish I could tell you wealth of knowledge I should have gained from Nate, but I by the end of tasting thirteen different wines, plus the Bud Lights from the bus, I retained no useful or impressive knowledge.

I also wish I could recommend other wineries, but sadly we were kicked out of the second winery before even tasting a drop of their elixir. Thus our winery journey ended with us all going to some crappy ass sports bar.

Overall, I highly recommend trekking out to the country to hob-knob while sipping wine. The wineries are stocked not only with bottles you can purchase, but baguettes, various cheeses, dips and crackers to further enhance your tasting. The price is right too, perfect for a cheap date since tasting is only about $10 and at most places you can bring your own food for a picnic to enjoy on the vineyard grounds.

http://www.virginiawine.org/wineries/browse/

 Send to a Friend