Black Women Who Wine

Winery Visit: Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard

The three-day weekend is over, but for for some it was a four-day weekend. If any newish venue in central Virginia deserves taking a day off to visit, it is Merrie Mill Farm and Vineyard. Located in Keswick, VA, the location has become an Instagram darling for its eclectic decor and in lush color palette in shades of pink, gold and blue.

Walking in is like entering another world. It’s quite possibly the best-decorated winery in the state and it’s easy to see how much thought was put into the overall look and feel.

A member of the Merrie Mill team told us the artwork mostly consists of pieces from the owner’s personal art collection.

The actual building is quite simple consisting of a lower level that includes an extensive bar area, high top tables and a cozy seating area by a fireplace. Upstairs you’ll find a loft area that includes public restrooms and the door leading out to the the vine terrace.

We sat outside on the downstairs patio surrounded by views of more outdoor seating and mountains.

Now, about the wine. According to the Merrie Mill website, in 2020 it lost its first vintage to a late frost. So for now, it is offering True Heritage wine sourced from different vineyards in the region. The flight offered consists of all of the wines available for purchase with the exception of the chardonnay. The 2017 True Heritage Viognier, 2018 Estate White Blend, 2020 Rosé, 2018 Estate Red Blend, and 2017 Petit Verdot we all lovely. Standouts were the Viognier, Rose and the Petit Verdot.

Rosé is usually not my favorite wine type, but if I had to pick one to drink, I’d choose this one. It was not too dry, but not sweet at all. It was actually refreshing on a hot day with notes of strawberry and watermelon.

We chose the chicken salad plate to snack on.

Just 30 minutes from Charlottesville and about an hour from the Shenandoah Valley, Merrie Mill is worth a visit, and another, and another.

Eat and Drink Red on Juneteenth

June 19th is Juneteenth. Widely seen as a regional holiday that people in Texas and some other southern states recognized, Juneteenth has come to the forefront nationally in recent years, partially due to the growing desire of others to learn more about Black culture and reckon with the Unites States’ racist systems and backbone of slavery.

June 19, 1865 – over two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House – is the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The date is why most historians mark 1865 as the “end of slavery.” Texas made the holiday an official state holiday in 1979.

Juneteenth/Jubilee Day/Freedom Day celebrations often include music, prayer services, historical programs and recognition and of course food. So what food might a Juneteenth celebration include? Red food and drink are staples of Juneteenth celebrations, but why?

The color red symbolizes the blood and resilience of enslaved Black people, but also represents the hue of some of the foods brought from Africa. Red food and drink choices may include:

Watermelon
Hibiscus tea
Strawberry soda
Red velvet cake
Strawberry lemonade
Hot links
Strawberry pie and cake

Other norms of Juneteenth menus are BBQ, fried chicken, tea cakes, greens and other soul food dishes. If you are looking for a why to introduce your family and friends to celebrating Juneteenth, having a special meal and discussing the meaning of it is a great way to start. And who’s to say wine can’t be included, grab your favorite red and toast to Juneteenth and the enslaved Black people who built this country and continue to be left out of spaces and conversations about land use and more.

Winery Review: Eastwood Farm and Winery

Eastwood Farm and Winery is somewhat the new kid on the block. It opened in 2018 and due to the pandemic, many still don’t know about it. So, we decided to check it out and see what the buzz is about for a Mommy and Me winery day. We chose Eastwood for this particular event because it boasts kid-friendly options and has plenty of space to play.

Eastwood is located near some other wineries, including Thatch, Mt. Ida Reserve and Michael Shaps Wineworks in the Scottsville area of Albemarle County. The atmosphere at Eastwood was warm, with lush dark, neutrals inside and bright airy seating outside. There are several options for seating. The winery boasts indoor couch seating, an outdoor tasting room, veranda seating and picnic tables and adirondack chairs.

The winery offers flights, wine slushies, wine by the glass and bottles and snack boxes (including a brunch box and snack box for kids, as well as kids’ drink options). Outside food is allowed in the outdoor areas, but not inside the barn. Between us, we tried all of the wines available via flights. Standouts included the viognier, white blend, cabernet franc and raspberry rosé. The wine slushy was also fantastic and a great size.

The white blend was Eastwood Farm and Winery’s first wine, which was released in October 2019. This wine is made entirely from Virginia-grown apples and pears and was awarded a silver medal in the 2020 Virginia Governor’s Cup. It really is a refreshing offering and a great wine to buy a bottle of when visiting the location and sipping there. Our group also enjoyed the viognier a lot.

Eastwood Farm took home silver and bronze medals in the 2021 Governor’s Cup. It won silver medals for the white blend and raspberry rose and bronze for its 2019 merlot, chardonnay and Meritage.

It’s okay…to not like Rosé

Rosé. It’s trendy. It’s here to stay. I don’t like it. Rosé is made from red grapes, therefore making it a red wine (though with a much lighter hue). Just give me a full-bodied red. It’s more flavorful, has a higher alcohol content and is probably just a better wine.

I’ve tried to like rosé. I try it over and over again, hoping to one day understand why this is a choice wine variety for so many people. To date, I haven’t discovered one that I enjoy. Most are too dry for me. Some have an after taste I don’t like. Others seem flavorless or bland. So what determines the taste of a rosé? The type of grape used is a big determining factor in the taste and color of rosé, as well as the maceration period.

Even with all of this knowledge, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to not enjoy rosé. More often than not, any rose I acquire ends up frosé. And I’m cool with that.

If you are a rosé fan, check these out these summer.

Mead in Maryland

Mead is truly an acquired taste…or rather you like it or you don’t. If you’re not a fan of sweet wine – or sweet things in general – you probably do not like mead. But what exactly is mead? In its simplest form, mead is created by fermenting honey and water. Most likely, you’ve had mead that also included hops, fruit, and/or spices included in this process.

After winning a Maryland Wine Pass via an Instagram contest, the first place I used it was Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery. First, the name is misleading. While this establishment once apparently included a winery, it is no more, though I did see 4 bottles of what I assume is what’s left of the wine. There is also wine for purchase on the website.

Instead of wine though, there are two kinds of mead available – traditional mead and a line of single-serve sparkling mead concoctions from Elemental Mead Co. Tastings are offered for both. We did the traditional tasting, which included four mead varieties. As far as mead goes, these were really good. If you like mead or have never tried it and would like to, these are great to start with. I especially enjoyed the Monk, which included rose petals in the fermentation process.

I did try the Elemental mead, which is a sparkling mead beverage in a can. I tried the blackberry flavor. If you enjoy hard seltzer (or seltzer in general) – which I do not, this drink may be for you. Otherwise skip it. It’s not especially flavorful.

A highlight of the visit was the tasting room. As soon as you walk in the aroma of the mead and honey hits you and your experience starts before you taste a thing. It has plenty of space for groups inside and outside, is dog-friendly outside and the staff is knowledgeable, friendly and excited to introduce customers to mead. There is also some great artwork on display and for sale throughout the tasting room.

Virginia Governor’s Cup Trail: First Stop, Bluestone Vineyard

Over the weekend we started our quest to try some of the wines that took home gold in the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Cup.

Our first stop was Bluestone Vineyard. Bluestone is located in Bridgewater, Virginia, and thus part of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail. This was our first time visiting Bluestone and we chose it because it has a large variety of wines. It won gold awards in this year’s Governor’s Cup for three offerings.

2019 Petit Manseng
2014 Merlot
2017 Chardonnay

Of these gold medal winners, we only tried the Petit Manseng. Petit Manseng is one of my favorite Virginia wines and this one ranked well among those I’ve tried. The others in the group liked it as well. This was a well-balanced offering and would satisfy those who like white, but not sweet wines.

Bluestone is not currently offering tastings, but you can purchase as many of these small bottles as you’d like to try.

Aside from the Petit Manseng, I also very much liked the Quartz Hill Red. It is described as “two-thirds Chambourcin and one-third Cabernet Franc. Great, easy drinking wine that goes with just about anything.” No lies here! This is a great red to gift and have on hand for guests.

Bluestone is not the most picturesque vineyard in Virginia, but I know I’ll visit it over and over again. It’s a great choice for beginners, a good introduction to Virginia wine and a great space for a casual day at a winery. The staff was helpful and very friendly.

Weekend Wandering

This weekend marked the beginning of spring, and while covid-19 remains a very real problem, the thought of enjoying wineries without freezing outdoors is nice. This weekend, we went in a different direction when thinking of Virginia wineries and visited Lazy Days Winery and Mountain Cove Vineyards. Lazy Days is located in Amherst, Virginia, and Mountain Cove is located in Lovingston, VA.

First, let’s talk about Lazy Days. This was our original destination because they have sangria and wine mimosas on alternating weekends. This weekend, there was sangria. The sangria was awesome and really, the rest of the wines we tried were too. We got flights for $12. The pours were large and the wines I tried were all great. If you’re looking for a grand, fancy experience, Lazy Days may not be fore you. But if you’re looking for a relaxed, kitschy environment with a great hostess and fun wine, Lazy Days is for you. There is limited indoor seating and an abundance of outdoor seating and open space. It’s also a plus that outside food is permitted.

Next, we decided to visit Mountain Cove Vineyards. It was on the way home, so we decided to give it a try. Mountain Cove’s claim to fame is that is is “Virginia’s oldest winery,” though a quick Google search reveals that Wilowcroft Farm Vineyards in Leesburg also garners that title.

Mountain Cove is a small operation completely off the beaten path. It’s remote (i.e. in the middle of nowhere) even for a Virginia winery. However, with $5 tastings, you can’t go too bad. The owner, Al Weed, greeted us upon arrival and seated us outside right away. He was nice and helpful the entire time and it’s obvious he loves Mountain Cove and embraces all who come visit it. There was only one other group of visitors there when we were. As with Lazy Days, Mountain Cove allows outside food. It also has space for RVs and campers, which I am sure many take advantage of during the summer. I have to admit, the wine wasn’t bad. The chardonnay was actually REALLY good. Not sure this would make my list for a girls day or date, but if you’re seeking solitude and the great outdoors, this could be your spot.

What is the Virginia Governor’s Cup?

Virginia wine is in the news as winners of the Virginia Governor’s Cup were announced recently. The annual competition is a big deal, but what is it exactly?

The Virginia Wineries Association hosts the competition annually in partnership with the Virginia Wine Board and the Virginia Vineyards Association. For the 2021 competition, 16 judges sampled 544 wines from over 100 Virginia wineries. The highest 12 ranking red and white wines will become the Governor’s Cup Case, with one bottle winning the “Governor’s Cup.” You can read all about the full rules of the competition and the judging criteria here.

There are Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners. View all winners.

For the first time ever, this year the creation of the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Trail was announced.

From the trail’s website:

Follow the trail to taste the award-winning portfolios and discover the wines that embody the grace, grit and experimental spirit of Virginia. To sweeten the deal, we are offering a free Virginia Wine wine tumbler for checking in at 12 of our participating locations, while supplies last.

To participate in the fun is easy. There’s no app to download, just sign up and everything is done via text and email. Have fun and let’s see who gets to 12 first.

Winery Spotlight: Stone Tower Winery

Even though the pandemic rages on, many wineries are still working hard to give supporters a safe, get-away-from-reality experience. Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg is one. I visited Stone Tower for the first time in January.

If you know Leesburg, you know this winery is one that people constantly rave about. I understand why. With beautiful views and a more modern feel than some wineries, Stone Tower boasts “real” food (offerings beyond bread and cheese) and honestly, good wine. It is spacious, has decent parking, and you can tell that staff cares about your entire experience from start to finish.

One of the best parts about Stone Tower is that it is 21 and up. Yes, you heard that right, no kids allowed. While some people see winery visits as a chance to get away with kids, I honestly do not and would actually like to see more 21+ wineries. As the parent of a 4-year-old, I enjoy winery visits as an adults only activity. And unless they are set up to welcome kids, most wineries just aren’t really built for it.

I reserved the cottage just a short distance from the winery for a night, so they set up an outdoor winery reservation for me when I reserved the cottage. This was great because on weekends the Tower View Tasting Room is open to members only. The other venue, Harvest Barn, is open for walk-in guests and flight reservations. You can learn all about visiting here. The safety precautions taken were top-notch and I liked that while I was there, there were no large groups present. My friend and I had a bottle of riesling, the charcuterie board, truffle fries and a crabcake sandwich. All of the food was wonderful and the charcuterie board included some unique offerings. The bottle of wine we had was fantastic. If you’re looking for a multitasking winery that is great for a girls day or a date with your significant other, Stone Tower is a good choice.

A Letter from the Founder

Thanks for taking the time to visit Black Women Who Wine. I’m passionate about where I live, work and play and wineries – and agrotourism in general – are a big part of that space.

Born and raised in Nelson County, VA, agriculture has been a big part of my life. However, only in recent years since I moved away in 2008, has the wine industry in Virginia seen the monumental growth that we benefit from today. But that’s a question, who benefits? Most low-income and low-wage workers in my native county would say they benefit very little from the booming wine industry. It can be noted that there are few brown faces in the industry.

So, now that I’ve returned to Central Virginia after 11 years, I’m interested in bringing some black and brown faces to these spaces. In the process, we’d like to influence marketing and messaging and create opportunities for dialogue with wineries and wine educators.

I don’t know a lot of people in the area, so there is no core group for this group. I’m just looking for like-minded ladies who love wine and have somewhat of an agenda…to create spaces and opportunities for sisterhood and equity in the world of Central Virginia wine, and beyond.

Tasha Durrett
Black Women Who Wine, Founder