Spring arrived this week, and Virginia’s wineries are not wasting any time.
Easter egg hunts, award-winning pours, rare library releases, and a brand-new tourism region — there's a lot on the horizon.
The dust from the Governor's Cup is also still settling, and Corry Craighill of Valley Road Vineyards has emerged as a new face of the state’s younger generation of winemakers. Craighill is also launching her own experimental wine project called Wound Tight (see ‘Events’).
Pour yourself something and let's get into it.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: Taste Lost Creek’s award-winning wines, Easter Weekend events, a collaborative dinner, and more.
🍾 Bottle of the Week: Good Spirit Farm — Albariño 2024
📰 News: A rising star emerges from the Virginia Governor’s Cup results
💰 Deals: Ankida’s rare chardonnays and big discounts on Early Mountain
🍷 New Releases: A preview of Linden Vineyards’ spring ‘Winegrower’s Selection’
Events
Saturday, March 28:
Lost Creek’s award-winning tasting: Echelon Wine Bar in Leesburg will host Lost Creek Winery, pouring four wines that recently earned Gold, Double Gold, Best in Class, and top James Suckling scores. $20pp.
Chrysalis’ new market: Chrysalis Vineyards will officially launch The Farm Market at The Ag District near Middleburg. The market will offer wine and cheese tastings along their other farm-to-table products.
A ‘romance dance‘ at Blue Ridge: Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery in Saylorsburg will host a Spring Romance Dance where guests can sip wine to love songs and sing-along favorites. FREE with reservation.
‘Flights & Bites‘ at Ashton: Sweet Peas Bakery and Cafe is partnering with Ashton Creek for a curated wine and dessert pairing experience.
Saturday, April 4:
Easter at SMV: Egg hunts, food trucks, face painting, and a bounce house will be at Southwest Mountain Vineyards in Keswick. Free with registration.
Sunday, April 5: Easter Sunday
A day of festivities at King: King Family Vineyards in Crozet will continue their Easter Sunday tradition with a 2,000-egg hunt on their polo field, mini photo sessions, hay wagon rides and food trucks.
Walsh’s egg hunt: Walsh Family Wine in Purcellville will host an Easter hunt for kids and parents — “The kids get an egg hunt. The adults get mimosas and a golden egg.
Saturday, April 18:
‘Taste of Virginia’ at Early Mountain: Wineries and restaurants from across the state will gather at Early Mountain Vineyards to celebrate the talent shaping the state. $95 pp.
Wound Tight release party: Corry Craighill, the winemaker behind this year's Governor’s Cup winner, is launching her own experimental wine project at Septenary Winery in Greenwood.
Thursday, April 23:
Collaborative dinner at SMV: Southwest Mountain Vineyards is teaming up with Common Wealth Crush and Luce for a special collaboration dinner.
Saturday, April 25:
Arterra’s Spring Soirée: Arterra Wines is hosting their one-of-a-kind spring whites release event where guests are invited to sample the latest vintages and some older vintages from their cellar.
Bottle of the Week
Good Spirit Farm — Albariño 2024
Northern Virginia • Albariño • $34
Drink this if you like…
Drink this if you like wines that taste like an ocean breeze, like Vinho Verde or Txakoli.
Why it’s here
Spring is officially here, which means it’s time to start drinking some zesty, refreshing Albariño. With 42 acres in Round Hill, Good Spirit Farm produces exceptional expressions of this Spanish varietal, earning a ‘Best in Show’ at this year’s Virginia Governor’s Cup.
Tasting notes
Bright citrus and a pleasant minerality and a tad of salinity. Pair with seafood.
🍑 Nectarine • 🍋 Lemon-lime • 🧂 Sea salt minerality
Deals & Promotions
Ankida’s rare chardonnays: For one weekend only, Ankida Ridge is opening their library of rare vintages for online purchase. Wines are $35 per bottle. 10% mixed case discount offered. Ends 3/22.
Michael Shaps’ gold tasting: For a limited time, standout, gold medal wines from Shenandoah Vineyards and Michael Shaps are being poured in their tasting room, featuring discounted bundle pricing.
Final hours on Early Mountain discounts: Enjoy 20% off Early Mountain’s ‘First Taste of Spring’ wines: Brut Rosé NV, 2022 Vidal Blanc and 2024 Foothills red blend. Ends 3/22.
Blue Ridge’s weekly special: Get half off Blue Ridge Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Terrior White. Ends 3/22.
Wine News
‘A rising star’: David McIntyre, former wine columnist for The Washington Post, writes on the Virginia Governor’s Cup results, highlighting Corry Craighill of Valley Road Vineyards and a ’fabulous 2023 vintage’ of red wines. Red wines earned about 64% of the gold medals. (Dave McIntyre's WineLine)
State launches Piedmont tourism region: The Virginia Tourism Corporation has approved a new tourism region, Virginia Piedmont. Several of the region’s wineries — like Valley Road Vineyards and Granite Heights Winery — were honored at the Governor’s Cup. (Fauquier Now)
Gray Ghost reps Virginia: Chosen over 300 wineries, Gray Ghost Vineyards in Amissville will represent Virginia at the International Eastern Wineries Exposition Conference (EWE) in Richmond March 24-26. (Rappahannock News)
New Releases
Linden’s special preview: Linden Vineyards released a preview of their spring's 6 bottle ‘Winegrower's Selection’, featuring vintages not previously released — including their Hardscrapple Chardonnay, Avenius, and Claret.
Arterra’s spring whites: Starting in early April, Arterra Wine will be releasing their 2025 Chenin Blanc, Zero Albariño, and Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.