I’ve written about club membership a few times. I don’t know that my thoughts have changed, though I’ve left a few clubs since the last time I wrote about it all. It’s kinda funny. I was googling the meaning of “In the club,” and for Brits it means pregnant, but in the US, it can mean you’re a gay person noting that someone else is gay (before you report this as a hate post, I’m gay and have used this slang before). Funny people those Brits are. But I’m not writing today about slang in different countries and how to understand it all. Rather, this is to share info on the what/how/why in my phi ..read more

Pollak has been on the “to visit” list for a mighty long time, and it was time to go. Good timing, because they were hosting a “Virginia Wine Love” weekend event! I made my reservation and showed up, charcuterie and notebook in hand! There were two people already there when I arrived, and one of the hosts and her husband also got there soon after. I went right after the “Gold Medal Flight” (four of their wines that took Gold in the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition) and settled in for some nice conversation about Virginia Wine. It was really nice because Pollak treated Virginia Wine Lov ..read more

Wouldn’t you say yes to the tannat? I know I would. And if you seat me at the Winemaker’s Table? I might actually in fact “squeeeeee.” I really was looking forward to this event. I mean, this is seven years of Tannat stored up, paired very intentionally with food by Nomad Provisions (no website, facebook link only), and served in a thoughtful order that highlights characteristics of this varietal that must be experienced to be understood. Education, science, farming, food, wine, all coming together in one glorious evening. And all this happened shortly after a lovely sampling of new white win ..read more

You’re gonna get a two-fer this weekend! Well, I’m busy with my paying job, so part two will take a few days, so try to be patient. Since I live in the Charlottesville area now, it’s harder for me to get to the wineries I used to frequent in Northern Virginia. Add that to work schedules for both me and my husband, and things start to get really complex. Top it off with a side of old age aches and pains that get exacerbated with two plus hours in the car and it’s just not pretty. But it’s a price worth paying for incredible wine and great experiences. So Saturday’s afternoon and evening at Arte ..read more

I cannot believe enough people read my writing that in 4 ½ years I’ve had more than 10,000 hits on this blog.  No doubt some of them are me going to the darn thing and finding a link to something I wrote and sending it to someone. Some of them are probably people googling and somehow landing by mistake here and likely closing the tab very quickly. But still, some come back. If you haven’t already closed this tab, thanks for reading. Back in the 90s I went on a really boring date with someone to go see The Fifth Element. People rave about this movie like it’s the greatest ever.  While ..read more

Who wants to party on a dreary, rainy day? I do! Especially when it’s a wine club pickup party! Because when I walked into the tasting room, there was a big fire in the fireplace and the promise of good wine from magnums of rosé at the end of the counter. Talk about lifting your mood. I’m always a little early, because as an epic introvert I really want my choice of seats, preferably where I can be by myself to jot notes, sip wine, and be with my thoughts. I checked in and was sent to the Garden Room. Kent was running today’s tasting. Walsh is up and running at a high level of production of ..read more

Luke Trainum, Hazy Mountain’s winemaker, asked me what made start writing about wine. I haven’t answered that question in a while. I never think of myself as a “Social Media Influencer.” I’m not blond and I don’t post pictures with my head thrown back, wine glass in hand in front of the mountains. I don’t write so I can get free stuff, (trust me, I love free stuff, but that’s not the point of this blog). Rather, I write because I enjoy wine and learning from winemakers and growers about their process and goals and seeing how its reflected in the wine. I really believe winemaking is an intersec ..read more

What a lovely day. We had heavy rain yesterday and ended up at a birthday party at Mt Ida Reserve in the afternoon. It was lovely and they still have a good burger. I don’t know who is making their wine right now – it’s ok, but it’s not distinctive, and I don’t write about it because of that. Today, on the other hand, was sunny and a bit crisp. It was a day of errands, followed by work, followed by yard work, followed by sauvignon blanc and goat cheese. It’s 4:30 and I’m feeling accomplished and tired. My #1 Virginia Sauvignon Blanc is Linden’s Avenius Sauvignon Blanc. There is something speci ..read more

I first checked out Stinson based on the advice of that wine blogger who has been to ALL the Va Wineries, about a year and a half ago, for my 51st birthday. Wonderful Husband actually even accompanied me on a surprisingly warm and sunny October day. I started a post and never posted nor finished it. But it gave me all that time to be ready for today’s visit and the yummy goodness we got to taste. When we arrived there were only a handful of people there. There were some ominous clouds and even rain on the far hillsides. We took a look at the flight options (no traditional tasting at the bar h ..read more

When my sister and Favorite Brother in Law (FBI) came to visit last week, they stopped at Culpepper’s Mountain Run Winery. This is the perfect opportunity for a first here on your favorite Wine Blog, a Guest Post! I told Dan that he was very brave to let me ramble on about wine, but here it goes. First I want to say how lucky I am.  In the span of a week I was able to taste Vermont’s sweet liquid gold, Maple Syrup, directly from the boiling pan (Shout out to my good friend at Leahy’s Maple Farm).  Now my wife and I get to enjoy the awesome wine of Virginia.    On the driv ..read more