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By Frank Morgan
Alexandria, VA – Virginia is residence to over 275 wineries, about 3,200 acres of grapevines, ranks sixth within the U.S. for wine grape manufacturing and is broadly thought of probably the most promising American wine areas.
The winemakers, wines and wineries of the Shenandoah Valley have performed a key position in serving to increase the stature of Virginia wine. Initially established in 1982, the Shenandoah Valley American Viticultural Space (AVA) is the oldest AVA within the Commonwealth of Virginia; overlaying 2.4 million acres, it’s additionally the state’s largest AVA.
A pastoral wine area framed by the Appalachian and Allegheny Plateaus to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east, the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is residence to 23 boutique, family-owned wineries.
The northern finish of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Path is only one hour west of Washington, DC. From Veramar Vineyards in Berryville, the Shenandoah Valley Wine Path stretches about 175 miles southwest alongside the valley, by means of Harrisonburg and Staunton, right down to Blue Ridge Vineyard in Botetourt County.
Alongside the wine path, guests will discover historic websites, charming school cities, scenic drives, picturesque views from vineyard tasting rooms and world-class wines.
The area is residence to over 440 acres of grapevines planted atop rolling hills and boasts a various horticultural scene with dozens of grape varieties cultivated for wine.
Wines made within the area commonly garner high scores within the annual Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition and in different prestigious nationwide and worldwide competitions.
Adventurous wine fans can expertise a broad vary of world-class wines alongside the Shenandoah Valley Wine Path; from dry to candy to glowing, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Chardonnay, Petit Manseng to Cabernet Franc, Riesling to Norton and Traminette.
The local weather within the Shenandoah is cooler and drier than most different areas of the state. White wines like Chardonnay and Riesling are typically recent and shiny with pronounced minerality and crisp acidity. Reds like Cabernet Franc are delicate with a particular minerality whereas Bordeaux-style crimson blends are strong but balanced.
In between vineyard visits, there’s loads of outside actions out there within the Shenandoah Valley — snowboarding, mountain climbing, horseback using alongside scenic countryside trails, and kayaking or fishing on the Shenandoah River. Resorts like Massanutten and Bryce supply a spread of indoor and outside actions year-round.
For history-minded wine fans, the area affords a research in early American historical past with Nationwide Historic Landmarks, over a dozen preserved Civil Warfare battlefields, the George Washington and Jefferson Nationwide Forests, and traditionally important downtowns.
Whether or not you’re an skilled wine lover or novice, there’s by no means been a greater time to expertise the award-winning, world-class wines of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Path.
COMING NEXT MONTH: Expanded story with maps and wineries.
A Virginia native, Frank Morgan is the writer of the wine web site Drink What You Like, began 9 years in the past to chronicle his wine journey experiences and to share tales of the wines, wineries, and winegrowers of Virginia. Morgan is the wine columnist for VA Growler Magazine (The VirginianPilot Online), and a contributor for Savor Virginia Magazine, Piedmont Virginian Magazine, the wine web site Snooth, and the founding father of the month-to-month digital wine tasting sequence Virginia Wine Chat. www.DrinkWhatYouLike.com
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