On the Road with Virginia Wine Lovers.
Vol. XIII, Issue No. 7                                                                                                                     July 3, 2018    
   
       WEBSITESUBSCRIBE | ADVERTISECONTACT US SIGN UP | NEWSLETTERS          

letter
  

We will be "On the Road with Wine Lovers" this month, celebrating America's Independence with Red, White and Blue events and activities across Virginia. We have some celebrating  to do ourselves as the Official Virginia Wine Lover™ marks its 13th year.  Our online newsletter is more popular than ever, thanks to your continuing interest and support.  

July's featured festival is the Purcellville Wine and Food Festival on July 21 in Northern Virginia.  Check out July Events for additional festivals and other special activities, tastings and pairings and happenings.  As you travel the wine trails, stop at the breweries and distilleries you will find along the way.

Hill Top Berry Farm and Vineyard is our Winery of the Month.  Located in Nellysford in picturesque Nelson County, Hill Top's Tasting Room is a favorite of Wine Lovers, and in July you can pick your own blackberries.  Enjoy our Recipe and Drink of the Month, both of which feature these delicious fruits.

 
Cheers!

  
J une Britt
Editor
 
       FORWARD TO A FRIEND  
         
 

sponsor

 

VIRGINIA WINE LOSES A LEGENDlegend 
Virginia's wine community is celebrating the life and achievements of one of its giants, Dennis Horton, the Maverick vintner who defied conventional wisdom by planting grapes few people had heard of, and in so doing convinced many skeptical oenophiles that Virginia could make great wines.  Horton died on June 19.
 






festivalofmonth


JULY 21, 2018
PURCELLVILLE WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
Award-winning festival in the heart of DC's wine country in the charming town of Purcellville features a fantastic line-up of wines, brews, foods and other fineries.  Entertainment includes the acclaimed Potomac Groove, King Street Kats and Virginia Southpaws.  The venue is the beautiful, tree-shaded Fireman's Field Complex.  Hours are 2pm to 8pm.

 


A FAVORITE TASTING ROOM OF VIRGINIA WINE LOVERS BERRY
Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery in Nellysford is perched on a hilltop in the rolling hills of the Rockfish River Valley. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are spectacular views of Pilot Mountain, Three Ridges and the ski slopes of Wintergreen Mountain. Hill Top was originally a pick your own berry farm which became the fifty-first winery to open in Virginia in 1998. Visitors have the opportunity to taste award-winning "True to the Fruit" wines and "Authentic Honey Meads".
 
    
 
READ MORE    

Check Future Festivals futurefest1     
for Dates and Opportunities
to Purchase Tickets at Early Bird Savings

BLACKBERRY OR TRIPLE BERRY CRISPrecipe                  
This is a delicious berry crisp that begs for a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.  It may be made with all three berries, or just one.  You can pick your own blackberries at Hill Top in July and August.
 
 
  

 

BLACKBERRY SANGRIADRINK 
It's blackberry season, so what could be better than a cool, refreshing blackberry sangria. Technically it should be made with red wine, but with a preference for white wine, we used it instead for this easy recipe.  It actually turns out red because of the simple syrup of blackberries and sugar.  The sangria is easy to make and there's no waiting to ferment.  
 

DEMOCRACY VINEYARDS CLOSESetc
Democracy Vineyards near Lovingston has been a labor of love for Susan Prokop and Jim Turpin for the past 10 years. They were true road warriors, promoting Democracy at over    35 festivals a year. The winery won over 100 medals in its decade long run. As Executive Director of the Virginia Wine Council, Jim continues to be involved in the Virginia wine industry.


VIRGINIA WINE: FOUR CENTURIES OF CHANGE
This new book by Andrew Painter presents a comprehensive record of the Virginia wine industry, from the earliest Spanish accounts describing Native American vineyards in 1570 through its astonishing rebirth in the modern era. It chronicles the dynamic personalities, diverse places, and engrossing personal and political struggles that have established the Old Dominion as one of the nation's preeminent wine regions.


 
2018 CRAFT BEER CUP WINNERS
This year 375 beers in 27 categories competed for awards in the Virginia Craft Beer Cup competition. The winners will be featuring the beers in their tasting rooms, at festivals and through their wholesale and retail partners. 
Here are the First Place Winners . . .
      Strong American Ale:   Precarious Beer Project, Everything Is Lava                                     
                                          But The Swings Are Base
      Strong Belgian Ale:      Belly Love Brewing Company, 50 Shades of Gold
      Trappist Ale:                 Barrel Oak Farm, Taphouse, BOFT Dubbel
      Wood Beer:                  Brothers Craft Brewing, Resolute

 
VIRGINIA WINE, 
CIDER, CRAFT BEER & SPIRITSjulyevents2018
 
 HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! 
 Summer is a great time for weekend outings and visiting Virginia wineries, cideries,  
 breweries and distilleries.  There are festivals, special activities and events across the state. 
 Many are listed below and at
www.virginiawine.org and www.virginia.org. 
July 3-4:  Drunken Watermelon
James Charles Winery & Vineyard (Winchester)
Add a grown-up twist to your Fourth with drunken watermelon in the Tasting Room.

 
July 4:  Reds, Whites & Bluegrass
Keswick Vineyards (Keswick)
Great food choices to pair with great wines.  Music by East of Afton.  No entry fee.
July 4:  Red, Wine & Beer
Beliveau Estate Winery (Blacksburg)
Live music, gourmet picnic buffet, wine and beer.
 
July 4:  Pre-Fireworks Party
DuCard Vineyards (Etlan)
Music by Mattie Fuller, BBQ for purchase then Graves Mtn Lodge for fireworks.
July 6:  Summer Concert Series
Rosemont Vineyards & Winery (LaCrosse)
A fantastic night of wine, food, fireworks and music by The Feature Attraction Band.
 
July 7:  Wine-A-Ritas / Ice Cream & Wine Pairing
Veramar Vineyards (Berryville)
Celebrate the Fourth with music by Acoustic Soul and $5 Wine-A-Ritas all day.
Then Virginia wine and four ice cream flavors.  Complete with pairing guide.
July 7:  Music in the Blue Ridge
Devil's Backbone (Roseland)
Soak up warm sunsets and campfire camaraderie while enjoying live music and award-winning craft beer.
 
July 7-8:  Gray Ghost Anniversary
Gray Ghost Vineyards and Winery (Amissville)
Celebrating 24 years with wine tastings, vineyard and winery tours, live music and food.
July 8:  French Crepe Day
DelFosse Vineyard (Faber)
Freshly made, chef-prepared crepes paired with salad and wine selections.
FOR COMPLETE LIST OF JULY EVENTS
SUBMIT AN EVENT by sending details (what, where and when, as well as contact information) to info@vawinelover.com no later than the 15th of the month prior to the month of the event.  Our information comes from many sources so we encourage you to verify dates and times, as well as costs and reservations that may be required.  (We are not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate information.)   Because of space limitations, we do not list recurring events.  You will find them at www.virginiawine.org.
FOLLOW US
 

© 2006-2018 Britt Marketing & Public Relations



INDUSTRY AFFILIATES

 

 © 2018 Official Virginia Wine Lover eNewsletter. All Rights Reserved.