A Day in Wine Country

Living in Washington, DC, means that I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Virginia wine country, ranked in the top 10 wine destinations by Wine Enthusiast. I've lived here for more than six years but have never been to the Virginia vineyards, so I was excited that a group of us gals planned a day in wine country. October is Virginia Wine Month, so our timing was perfect.

Our first stop was at the Winery at La Grange in Haymarket, VA, where we tasted nine wines ranging from a Pinot Gris to a Cuvee Blanc to a Tannat. The Viognier, the state grape of Virginia, was my favorite by far; we learned that it's the "red wine drinker's white," which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. My other two favorites were both reds--the Cabernet Franc and the Norton, the native American grape. We each grabbed a glass of wine and walked the grounds, which were beautiful. 

Our second stop was Chrysalis Vineyards just outside of Middleburg, VA. Our visit coincided with the 12th Annual Norton Wine and Bluegrass Festival, and by this time the clouds had mostly departed so it was a bit livelier and much more crowded than our first stop. We tried a variety of reds and whites, and again I enjoyed the Viognier the most, followed by Sarah's Patio Red (made with the Norton) and surprisingly, the sweeter Patio White.