James River Cellars offers four Civil War-themed labels

James River now has four Civil War-themed labels, each a work of art, each with a story on the back talking about the specific scene. Lee's Last Stand is featured on two labels. The battle of Cold Harbor is the scene on another, and the fourth label depicts the Monitor vs. CSS Virginia battle of ironclads. Read more...

By: Jack Berninger | Richmond Times Dispatch

Wine 101 Primer for Wine Pairings

I, like most wine lovers, are always trying to learn more about wines and food pairings. This is a nice little Wine 101 primer by AllRecipes.com. Thanks to Xplorador for sharing this. Read more...

by AllRecipes.com

Top 10 Wine (and Food) Bloggers Tips From Eric Asimov & Jancis Robinson

Check out the experts' tips from the Fourth Annual North American Wine Bloggers’ Conference held in Charlottesville this month. Read more...

By: Genevelyn Steele | Richmond.com

Congratulations 2011 Wine Blog Award Winners!

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2011 Wine Blog Awards:

1. Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography, & Presentation - Vino Freakism
2. Best Industry/Business Wine Blog - Fermentation
3. Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog - Enobytes
4. Best Single Subject Wine Blog - New York Cork Report
5. Best Winery Blog – Tablas Creek
6. Best Writing On a Wine Blog - Vinography
7. Best New Wine Blog – Terroirist
8. Best Overall Wine Blog - Fermentation

For a complete description of the categories, awards, nominees and voting go to 2011 Wine Blog Awards.

The Virginia Gazette: Wine, Battlefields United in Sesquicentennial Effort

The Virginia Wine Board today presented the Virginia Sesquicentennial Winery Passport, a guide to 23 Virginia wineries with special labels commemorating the150th anniversary of the Civil War, and the 42 battlefields located near them. Read more...

By The Virginia Gazette

Virginia is for Wine Lovers: Tours and Tastings Across the State

Photo Courtesy of
VirginiaWine.org

The beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia is a wonderful place to tour, taste, and vacation. Virginia is home to nearly 200 wineries and more than a dozen wine trails. Read more...

By Touring & Tasting | JustLuxe Affluent Lifestyle Guide

Wine Bloggers Conference pops a cork in Va.

The Wine Bloggers' Conference 2011 convenes this weekend in Charlottesville. What's that, you say — there aren't enough wine bloggers to hold a convention? Shows what you know! The conference is sold out, with more than 300 participants... Read more...

By Dave McIntyre | The Washington Post

Williamsburg Winery voted fan favorite

With nearly 200 Virginia wineries to choose from, visitors have chosen Williamsburg Winery in the favorite in the Official Virginia Wine Lover publication’s First Annual Visitor’s Choice Awards.  Read more...

By The Virginia Gazette

Ingleside, Rockbridge each win 4 golds in competition

Wine competition winners Read more...

By Richmond Times Dispatch

Viognier Night: A Virtual Tasting of Virginia Viogniers

A virtual tasting organized by Virginia Wine Board will be held on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 from 7PM - 9PM.  The virtual tasting will include Viognier from one of the participating wineries: Barboursville Vineyards & Winery, Blenheim Vineyards, Cooper Vineyards, Delaplane Cellars, Horton Vineyards and King Family Vineyards. Participants will be tasting and tweeting about each wine for about 20 minutes before moving onto the next Viognier.

You can download the tasting notes for the wines at: http://www.virginiawine.org/industry/documents/

Check out the event on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208507095861621.
On Twitter you can follow the tasting notes and comments using hashtag: #VaViognier

An article from Washington Post about tomorrow night's Virtual Viognier Tasting! http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/a-wine-tasting-live-from-your-own-couch/2011/07/12/gIQAasvHCI_blog.html.

Blues festivals, with or without wine

BLACK DOG WINE & BLUES FESTIVAL
In 1987, Chateau Morrisette launched its Black Dog Jazz Concerts, named for its signature semidry red wine. This year, Paul Thorn headlines the festival.  Details: 11 a.m. Chateau Morrisette, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 171.5, Floyd. $20, advance; $25, gate; $20, to designated drivers; free to children and young adults accompanied by paying adult.

By Tad Dickens | The Roanoke Times

Mid-Summer Ashland Wine Festival

Mid-summer wine festival on July 16th is part of 2011 Ashland Street Parties outdoor music series. Lake Anna, Cooper, Grayhaven and James River wineries will be featured.

By Richmond.com

Virginia's New Corkage Law Took Effect on July 1

Excerpt from the Bill:

"…any restaurant licensed by the ABC Board may permit the consumption of lawfully acquired wine by bona fide customers on the premises in all areas and locations covered by the license. The bill provides that a licensee may charge a corkage fee to such customer for the wine so consumed; however, the licensee may not charge any other fee to such customer."

Local restaurant owners share their plan, and expectations, for the new law via Richmond.com.

Megan Headley also shares some good advice on how to take advantage of our new corkage law graciously at Charlottesville News & Arts.

Roanoke-area restaurants mixed on new corkage law - Some eatery owners have a glass-half-full outlook on the law; others aren't exactly thrilled about it.  By Amanda Codispoti and Lindsey Nair at The Roanoke Times.

Tasting Your Way to Better Wines

A wonderful wine tasting post featuring our very own Dezel Quillen.

By Jason Phelps of The Unreserved.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Virginia Wine Pointer Site.  This site is dedicated to the pursuit of Virginia wines.  Check out my favorite Virginia wine bloggers to the left.  I also try to maintain a current list of Virginia Wineries.  But the "Virginia Wine In My Pocket" iPhone app contains a much more comprehensive directory (click here to see more).