Virginia Is For (Wine) Lovers

Filed in archive Vineyards , Wine News , Wine Tours , Wine Trips , Wineries on July 15, 2007

According to the July 2007 issue of Travel+Leisure magazine, Virginia is one of the five up-and-coming wine destinations worldwide. Parts of Italy, Chile, Spain and New Zealand rounded out the Top Five. Virginia is home to over 100 wineries and there are wine trails that make tasting trips easy to plan.

From the Roanoke Times:

[Travel+Leisure's wine and spirits editor, Bruce] Schoenfeld said Wednesday that he based his choices on places that not only have noteworthy wineries, but are likely vacation spots as well. These regions have a mix of restaurants, lodging and other attractions, he said, such as the boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville.

"The idea is there's a critical mass of stuff," he said. "I think of it as great places to stay, a terrific local cuisine and wines worthy of seeking out to visit."

These regions don't match Tuscany or Napa Valley, but they are emerging as wine tourism destinations, he said.

"These are places that are the next echelon," Schoenfeld said. "Now the idea is where to go next with places that will surprise you."

This is a welcome boost for the state's wine industry after crops were slammed by a storm late last month. Many grape crops were ravaged by pounding hail and strong winds during a storm on June 29, and farmers will have to determine if any of the vines will survive.