The very first "Virginia Wine Love" weekend was held May 13-14, 2023. Planned by the Virginia Wine Women, and promoted as the biggest meet-up of Virginia wine lovers ever, it spanned two days across 50 wineries from just about every wine trail in the state.
I decided to visit a region I haven't been to in more than 10 years - the Chesapeake Wine Trail and more commonly known as the Northern Neck. I planned to visit two wineries in the area who were participating in the weekend with tasting specials giveaways, and more.
My first stop was Ingleside Vineyards, one of the oldest, largest and premier wineries in the state. They were most recently honored with a gold medal for their 2021 Albarino from the 2023 Virginia Governors Cup competition. And, yes, I came home with this one. It's no surprise that it took home the gold! This refreshing wine is very smooth on the palate and perfect for seafood, Thai or sipping outside at a summertime concert series.
The next and final winery stop on the trip was The Hague Winery in Hague, Virginia (part of the Northern Neck). This was my second time visiting and I remembered how much I loved the small town charm of this winery. The views are very serene. While the tasting room is modest, you get to enjoy a lovely view with pleasant people and just overall good vibes - which as you all know, is my thing!
This Virginia Wine Love weekend was a great excuse to get out and visit some wineries I haven't been to in quite some time. I also got to meet up with some old / long-time Virginia wine friends. If you are a Virginia wine lover then you should definitely check out Virginia Wine Love website for literally anything you need to know about our wineries. There is also a robust Facebook community page which is actually where it all originated in 2020 as a way to support the Virginia wineries during the Covid-19 pandemic.