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Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery in Afton Makes a Grand Entrance
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, perched on a mountaintop with a million-dollar view at the western extreme of Albemarle County, is the newest vineyard and winery in the Monticello AVA (the grand opening was June 17th). Everything is impressive, from the 360 feet of...
Monticello Wine Trail Names Stephen Barnard New President for 2021-2022
[from a Monticello Wine Trail press release] Charlottesville, VA – The Monticello Wine Trail (MWT) has elected Winemaker Stephen Barnard to serve as president of the association beginning July 1 for the 2021-2022 board cycle. Current President George Hodson commented,...
Tasting Report from the Finger Lakes (NY): ’19 and ’20 Vintages (Sneak Preview of 2020 Reds)
Having been forced by the pandemic to avoid traveling to New York State last year, I eagerly drove to the Finger Lakes in early June. It was a good time to check out the wine scene; the “classic” 2019 vintage was still widely available but the great 2020 vintage was...
Tasting Wines of the “Appellation” Trail (Monticello AVA, Virginia)
May 15th was an ideal day to do most anything outdoors. Near Charlottesville, it was an ideal day to avoid the crowds near the University and visit wineries, especially since the CDC had OK'd not wearing masks when in groups outdoors. Wineries were serving outdoors...
Wine of the Week: Childress Cabernet Franc 2004
In 2004 I had the pleasure of traveling to Lexington, NC and interviewing Richard Childress, the famous NASCAR legend and then the owner of a new, eponymous winery in the Yadkin Valley AVA. The resulting story made the cover of a national wine trade magazine....
Wine of the Week: Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir Rose 2020
There's no winery event like one where a new label is introduced, and the world is coming out of pandemic restrictions. Last weekend in early May I drove to Ankida Ridge Vineyards in western Amherst County, to enjoy the lovely mountain views and top-notch Virginia...