Drink in color

As summer disappears and temperatures begin to drop, wine drinkers look for more weight, more depth, and more complexity in their glass. This is, in part, to temper the chill in the air, but it also means wines that will better pair with the food of the season. Autumn leads to more roasting, smoking, stews, […]

Tough call: Some local businesses reopen, while others hold off

On Friday, May 15, a number of Virginia businesses got the green light to reopen (with restrictions), as part of Phase One of Governor Ralph Northam’s plan. But locally, response has been mixed, with some establishments instituting new safety measures to bring in badly needed customers, while others stay shut for now. Though the number […]

Fall for it: Expert tips for throwing a wine harvest party

After the harvest rain-out of 2018, this year’s Virginia wine vintage brings especially welcome news: a healthy, plentiful crop of ripe reds and whites, now bubbling merrily away in fermentation tanks before their long winter’s rest. Wineries are preparing to celebrate with harvest parties scheduled for the weekend of October 19, including events at Valley […]

Buzzkill: Government shutdown put squeeze on Virginia wineries

Even though the federal government shutdown is temporarily on hold, Virginia’s winemakers have taken an economic hit that will only worsen if the freeze resumes as announced, on February 15. Regardless, the negative effects are likely to linger into the spring and summer,  industry sources say. The primary sticking point is the Alcohol and Tobacco […]

LIVING Picks: Week of October 18-24

Health & Wellness Working Woods Walk Saturday, October 21 Hike through Montpelier Demonstration Forest to learn about forest conservation and its many perks, today and historically. $5, 2-4 pm. James Madison’s Montpelier, 11350 Constitution Hwy., Montpelier Station. (540) 672-2728. Family Apple festival Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22 This fall festival includes food vendors […]

War on weddings: Looming legislation troubles local businesses

Some professionals in the wedding business see Albemarle County’s attempts to further regulate events at farm wineries, cideries, breweries and distilleries as a blatant attack on a burgeoning industry—and they’re not sure why. Amid crowd murmurs that the county is working toward finding “a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist,” senior planner Mandy Burbage […]