ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996 TAG: 9609250034
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: the wine list
SOURCE: BETH CRITTENDEN
As the popularity of premium wines continues to rise in the United States and in Southwest Virginia, we see a corollary rise in wine-related events. Auctions, festivals, wine dinners and wine books abound these days, and some are in (or at least near) our own back yard.
*For starters, the Roanoke Valley Wine Society will be tasting a selection of Red Meritage wines from California and Washington state on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salem. Breads, cheeses and appetizers will be served. A tasting fee of $12 per person will be collected at the door.
*The Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce will kick off its Eighth Annual Wine Festival on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bernard's Landing Resort. Sixteen Virginia wineries will be represented, offering samples of current-release wines and answering questions about the wines, wineries and Virginia's wine industry. There'll also be an art show, musical entertainment and food booths.
Daily tickets for tasters cost $10 in advance and are available at many wine shops or the Smith Mountain Lake Visitors Center. Tickets at the gate will cost $15. Designated drivers and attendees under 21 get in for $5. Call 721-1203 or (800) 676-8203 for more information.
*October is Virginia Wine Month with an abundance of festivals, barrel tastings, vineyard concerts, wine tastings and winery-sponsored dinners planned throughout the state. One of the largest is the 16th annual Monticello Wine & Food Festival, sponsored by the Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers Society in Charlottesville.
The rain-or-shine festival, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 under tents at the Boar's Head Inn, will include exhibits, music and gourmet foods. The $12 per-day admission cost includes a souvenir wine glass, wine tastings, free parking and admission to all exhibits. Advance tickets cost $8; $2 admission is charged for exhibits only; children under 12 get in for free. For more information, call (804) 296-4188.
*Christiansburg's Voluntary Action Center is gearing up for its annual Virginia Wine & Food Festival on Nov. 3 at the New River Valley Mall. Tickets cost $12 per person and are available by calling the center at 552- 4909.
*For a little local lore, get a copy of "Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson" by James M. Gabler (Bacchus Press Ltd.). This "Best Wine Book of 1995" winner chronicles Jefferson's travels throughout the wine regions of France, Italy and Germany and gives insight into this great wine connoisseur's ideas and wine preferences, many of which are still known as universal favorites today.
Eighteenth-century growing techniques, wine orders issued to France for himself and President George Washington and the wines Jefferson drank and served, as well as other well-documented facts, are compiled to make this a fascinating historical account of this great man and his passions.
*Finally, kudos to Mill Mountain Theatre for its second annual Cork & Curtain wine auction, held Sept. 6 at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. An estimated $50,000 was raised from ticket sales and live and silent auctions of special wines, wine dinners, trips, jewelry and more from private and corporate donors. Proceeds will help support live theater in Roanoke for the 1996-97 season.
For more information on other festivals and happenings, get a copy of the free 1996 Virginia Wineries Festival and Tour Guide at a wine shop or visitor's center and join in the fall celebrations of Virginia Wine. Cheers!
THE WINE LIST runs once a month in the Extra section. Beth Crittenden is a local wine wholesaler, wine educator, writer and founder of the Roanoke Valley Wine Society, which meets for wine-tasting programs on the fourth Thursday of each month. If you have a wine-related question, or would like more information on the society, call 992-3285.
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