LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA -- After checking out George Washington's handsome, stately home and ambling around the pretty shops lining the historic streets of Alexandria, it was time to take my Virginia sojourn to the hills. But alongside its gently rolling farmlands, clapboard houses enclosed by white picket fences and low-lying broccoli-green woodlands, this verdant state offers something that even surprises Americans.
With an amenable climate and enough investment money, in recent years Virginia has become one of the country's largest wine producers. And although it may never rise to the heady heights of California quality, a sampling of some of the 100 boutique wineries here makes for a diverting and highly convivial day out. Best of all, the region's warm and welcoming vineyards are a snob-free zone where you don't have to know your Shiraz from your Chardonnay.
Heading north, complete with my all-important designated driver, I made for Loudoun County, a centre of Virginia winemaking. First stop: Breaux Vineyards. Surrounded by leafy hills and 36 hectares of ruler-straight rows of vines, the grand approach road here leads to a large villa that looks like it was teleported from Tuscany.
A family-run concern, the relaxed staff is used to novice visitors who just want to have a few swigs and learn about wine types and how they're made. A $4 tour takes you into the hub of the facility, where the fantasy of medieval vats dripping with foot-pressed grapes is replaced with the modern reality of whitewashed rooms full of gleaming steel tanks and bottling machines imported from Italy.
After the 30-minute tour, the main attraction begins. Breaux has a rock-walled tasting room where $5 delivers 10 different tipples, including the vineyard's signature - a light, Pinot Noir-style Merlot that's a favourite among locals. As they pour, the staff recommends a few food pairings, suggesting that a peppery Cabernet Franc is ideal with spicy grilled foods and a fruity Chardonnay works well with piquant cheeses.
With my leaden palate, I favoured the heavier, Italian-style Nebbiolo, grandly proclaiming it to have a "leathery, tar-ish feel and a dark-cherry flavour." An opinionated wine snob after just a few samples, I had selected a reserve that, at about $60, is Breaux's most expensive. My daily travel budget had suddenly doubled.
Following a refreshing (or perhaps sobering) weave among the sun-dappled fields outside, I ambled back to the car and headed toward Hillsborough Vineyards, where vine-striped fields and landscaped gardens surround a converted stone barn that's strongly suggestive of Provence. The ambience is no coincidence, since this winery focuses on French-style blends.
Overlooking the grounds through the barn's large picture window, I talked to owner Bora Baki at a lacquered wooden bar. He told me that Virginia's wine sector has been around for 20 years or so and is a labour of love for most, rather than the life of luxury many imagine it to be.
"Ask any owner here and they'll tell you about the money, hard work and education involved in producing Virginia wine," he said.
Chatting to Baki, I worked my way through the six wines on offer (at a cost of $5) and discovered that the Garnet, a classy Bordeaux blend, is a light but fruity tipple for an afternoon of sunny quaffing, while the Bloodstone justifies its higher price with its peppery, full-bodied finish.
Languidly slipping into a lower gear, I perused the winery's cooler of regional artisan cheeses and considered spending the afternoon at a wooden table outside, with some wine and a basket of warm French bread for company. The tranquillity was suddenly shattered, though, when a bus rolled into the parking lot and a gaggle of chatty, middle-aged women spilled out.
Local business owners out for an afternoon of fun, they propped themselves up at the bar - some were already slightly red-faced - and told me all about their trip around the region's wineries. Momentarily overwhelmed, Baki soon switched on the charm and quickly had the ladies laughing and enjoying themselves.
My plan for a snoozy afternoon in ruins, I trudged back to the car and headed to the day's final pit stop.
Less concerned with creating a classical, Old World ambience, Chrysalis Vineyards is a laid-back winery, complete with a grassy picnic area where you're encouraged to hang out. After a free tour of the facilities that took in the large barrel room and shiny wine tanks, I shuffled up to the bar and indulged in a seven-wine sampling ($5) that included the popular Viognier, a fruity, rhubarby white that would please anyone with a dry palate.
When head winemaker Mark Bunter strolled by, I asked about the region's wine provenance. Hailing from California, he told me that Virginia wine was once a bit of a joke among those in the know, but quality has jumped in recent years and the state now produces wines that are appreciated both locally and nationally.
Consistency, though, remains a challenge. Growing conditions make it hard to produce enough European-variety grapes to sustain popular favourites such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, making blending and grape importation common here. One solution, pioneered by Chrysalis, is to use the Norton, a near-forgotten grape that's indigenous to Virginia.
Ready for anything, I tried the 2003 Norton Estate Bottled. Near-blackcurrant in colour, the taste was initially full, fruity and almost chocolaty. The difference came with a distinctly bitter aftertaste at the back of the mouth. This is the part that drinkers, more used to smooth wines, find most difficult to accept. But for those who like something more challenging than the mainstream, it's a revelation.
Not convinced that I was quite ready to expand my limited palate, I concluded my Chrysalis visit out on the patio, where barbecue and wine pairing events are frequently held. As the sun hung low over the rolling fields, I savoured a final glass of Petit Manseng dessert wine. Although I have always been an inveterate beer drinker, I was already making plans to hit the wine section on my next liquor store visit.
Pack your thirst
VIRGINIA WINERIES
Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville, Loudoun County; 540-668-6299; http://www.breauxvineyards.com. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hillsborough Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville, Loudoun County; 540-668-6216; http://www.hillsboroughwine.com. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Monday.
Chrysalis Vineyards 23876 Champe Ford Road, Middleburg, Loudoun County; 540-687-8222; http://www.chrysaliswine.com. Opens daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MORE INFORMATION
Loudon County wineries and accommodations http://www.visitloudoun.org
Virginia wines
http://www.virginiawineries.org
Virginia tourism
