My First Taste of the Superlative 2017 Vintage

by Richard Leahy | Dec 30, 2018 | Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine

In my last post, I highlighted my favorite tank or barrel samples of the infant 2018 vintage. As Maryland vintner and friend Mike Fiore would say, “Not so bad!” Vintners may have lost up to half of their potential crop, but from what I’ve seen they did a great job...

My First Taste of 2017 and 2018 Virginia Wines

by Richard Leahy | Dec 27, 2018 | Regions & Terroir, Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine, Winery Visits

So first, let me take back the complete and total write-off I made of the 2018 vintage in Virginia recently. Nobody will dispute that as far back as we can remember, this vintage was the pits, for the inches of rain and crop loss either due to poor fruit set in May or...

Michael Shaps Wineworks Purchases Shenandoah Vineyards

by Richard Leahy | Nov 6, 2018 | News/Announcements, Virginia Wine

Michael Shaps of Michael Shaps Wineworks announced on November 6th, 2018 the purchase of Shenandoah Vineyards, the second oldest active winery in Virginia.  Shenandoah Vineyards was founded in 1976 by Jim and Emma Randel, two visionaries who recognized the...

Barboursville Vineyards’ Autumn Vertical Tasting an Elegant Finale to Virginia Wine Month

by Richard Leahy | Oct 28, 2018 | Tastings/Evaluations, Virginia Wine, Winery Visits

To me, it doesn’t feel like Virginia Wine Month without closing it out at Barboursville Vineyards, where today they hosted their semi-annual Vertical Tasting. For $40, you get to taste four flights of a single wine going back several years, or decades. It’s highly...

VA Wine Month Event: Meet Richard, have him autograph a copy of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines

by Richard Leahy | Oct 25, 2018 | Events, News/Announcements, Virginia Wine

Meet Richard for a Book Signing and Wine Tasting Celebrate October Virginia Wine Month: wine author Richard Leahy will give a 10 minute presentation on “Virginia Wine Today”, followed by autographing copies of his benchmark book on Virginia wine, Beyond...

The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Names 2018 Competition Winners

by Richard Leahy | Aug 16, 2018 | Competitions, Virginia Wine

The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA) held its 14th annual wine competition August 4 and 5 at the Marriott Tysons Corner, VA. ASWA’s Wine Competition is the largest in the nation focused exclusively on East Coast wines. A panel of nineteen judges scored 483...