Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year.
While the summer scatters everyone into the wind, the cooling temps bring friends and family back home for dinner parties, fire pit conversations, and plenty of shared bottles.
Wineries are reporting that now is the time to see peak fall foliage. My ‘Bottle of the Week’ is the type of red wine I'd sip while looking out a sea of burnt orange and yellow leaves.
The event worth building your weekend around is the Early Mountain × Barboursville wine dinner this Saturday. These two benchmark estates are sitting down for a collaborative event that’s worth the splurge.
But there are plenty of other activities worth doing …
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: The Early Mountain × Barboursville dinner, HELLAWINE at Lightwell Survey, Poloween, Breaux Harvest Festival, and more Halloween weekend picks.
🍾 Bottle of the Week: King Family Vineyards’ 2023 Meritage
🏆 Awards: Barboursville’s 1804 Inn and Cottages earns a top overnight pick from Washingtonian.
🍷 New Releases: North Mountain’s touching new blush, Bisou Bisou.
📰 News: Four new wine shops in Northern Virginia and a new Loudoun winery opening its doors
🌱 Behind the Scenes: Winemakers are moving from the vineyard to the cellar
💰 Deals: A flight of five gold-medal wines for $15 at Ingleside
Events
EDITOR’S PICKS
Sat., Oct. 25 · Madison
Early Mountain × Barboursville
Two of Virginia's most celebrated estates sit down together for one night. It’s an evening of shared tables and stellar pours.
Fri., Oct. 31 · Waynesboro
HELLAWINE
Lightwell Survey is throwing their annual Halloween party celebrating their latest fall wine releases. There will be a costume contest, raffles, and plenty of revelry.
THIS WEEK (OCT. 21-27)
Fall Wine Dinner · On Oct. 23, chef Rachel Pennington of The Pie Chest leads a four-course family-style dinner at Hark Vineyards (Earlysville).
Arterra Harvest Dinner · Arterra Wines (Delaplane) is hosting their harvest celebration dinner on Oct. 24 featuring limited-availability pours from the cellar.
Poloween · King Family Vineyards (Crozet), Oct. 25. The annual Halloween polo match returns. Costumes are encouraged and the horses don't judge.
4th Annual Harvest Festival · Riverside Vines (Sutherland) on October 25th will have local sellers, hayrides, pumpkin painting, food trucks, and views of Lake Chesdin.
Breaux Harvest Festival · Breaux Vineyards (Hillsboro) has their harvest festival weekend with food, live music, and fall tastings at one of Loudoun County's most scenic estates.
Saudé Creek Fall Flower Sale · Visit Saudé Creek Vineyards (Lanexa) on October 24th to buy fresh fall flowers along with your wine, offering a unique shopping experience at a Northern Neck estate.
NEXT WEEK (OCT. 28- NOV. 4)
NOCTURNE II: Halloween Ball · Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard (Keswick) is hosting their annual 21+ Halloween ball with indoor dancing on both floors, fire pits, and small bites. Come dressed to haunt.
Halloween Cocktail Class · A spooky-themed cocktail class at Revalation Vineyards (Hume) on Oct. 31 where you’ll discover how to make craft hot cocktails like mulled wine and hot port.
Wine Library Tasting · An intimate open-house tasting on Nov. 1st at Gray Ghost Vineyards (Amissville) in the barrel room and wine library featuring five wines from the 2014 vintage.
SPONSORED
Raise a Glass to Virginia Sparkling! Join Revalation Vineyards near Madison on Sunday, November 15 for your chance to explore the variety, craftsmanship, and elegance of Virginia’s sparkling wines, all in one place.
Do you like this new design of the ‘Events’ section?
Bottle of the Week
King Family Vineyards — 2023 Meritage
Crozet • Bordeaux Blend • $38
Why it’s here
King Family’s Meritage has won the Virginia Governor’s Cup three times, most recently with the 2019 vintage in 2024. Bold and decadent, it’s a Bordeaux blend built for aging. They just released their 2023 vintage, which is considered to be one of the strongest years on record. Now is the time to grab this bottle while you can.
Tasting notes
🍒 Bright cherry • 🫐 Blackberry • 🌶️ Warm spice • 🧱 Structured tannins
Wine News
Four New Wine Shops in Northern Virginia
NoVA Magazine profiles four new wine retail shops that have quietly opened this year:
Chord Bread & Bottle (Alexandria), a wine-and-provisions shop built around natural and small-producer selections
DCanter (Alexandria), focused on organic and sustainable wines since opening in April
Kinship Wine + Wares (Reston), led by sommelier Jen Monago with an emphasis on discovery over brands
Tysons Corner Wine & Gourmet (McLean), rounding out an increasingly deep Northern Virginia wine-retail scene.
In other news
A new winery opens in Loudoun: Jiya Vineyards (Hillsboro) is opening its doors for the first time this Halloween weekend. The estate is framing its debut as "the intersection of history and new beginnings." Grand Opening follows the next weekend, Nov. 7–8.
Awards & Reviews
Best for an Overnight: 1804 Inn and Cottages at Barboursville Vineyards (Barboursville) has been named one of the best weekend wine destinations for an overnight stay by Washingtonian Magazine.
New Releases
North Mountain Bisou Bisou: North Mountain Vineyard & Winery (Maurertown) has released Bisou Bisou, a new semi-sweet blush crafted from Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The name — French for "Kiss Kiss" — is a tribute to winemaker Jill's mother.
Gray Ghost 2023 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Gray Ghost Vineyards (Amissville) has released its rarest red in years — the 2023 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Only two barrels were produced.
Behind the Scenes
The cellar takes over
The winemaking is moving from the vineyard to the cellar. How will winemakers approach this challenging vintage?
Over in the Blue Ridge foothills, Jim Law from Linden Vineyards (Linden) is draining his reds after just two weeks on the skins, which is half the time he usually spends on cuvaison, and pressing them gently.
The reason: the growing season didn’t produce the silky skin tannins he looks for, and longer contact risked a coarse finish. However, he said it did deliver “pretty cherry and raspberry characteristics along with a stony mineral acidity” that could become the vintage’s signature. His full update is worth reading.
Bluemont Vineyard (Bluemont) posted the most detailed cellar report of the week. Whites and rosé have completed fermentation and are nearing bottling. The last Petit Manseng is aging in puncheons for a reserve blend until April. Cabernet Franc has finished fermentation and is going into barrel, while Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Norton are still finishing fermentation and are monitored daily.
Pollak Vineyards (Greenwood) wrapped up its last press day for harvest 2026, and all the wines from this vintage are now cozying up in their aging vessels. Over at DuCard Vineyards (Etlan), they’ve pressed and drained their grapes before moving to barrels for malolactic fermentation. Lost Mountain Vineyards (Delaplane) has started draining tanks and pressing the skins, with the wine finishing its fermentation in barrels before heading to the caves for a nice, long rest.
At Crimson Lane Vineyards (Linden), assistant winemaker Sam Kreiner demonstrates pump-overs on estate Merlot. Pumping fermenting juice back over the cap of skins is how the team pulls color, flavor, and tannin while keeping the ferment in check.
Other updates
Sunday Brunch at Early Mountain: Early Mountain Vineyards (Madison) critically acclaimed restaurant has launched their Sunday Brunch service. It’s yet another new reason to make the trip to Madison this weekend.
Deals & Promotions
Gold Medal Flight for $15: As part of Colonial Beach Restaurant Week, Ingleside Winery (Oak Grove) is running a Restaurant Week special through Oct. 25 — five gold-medal wines for $15 in the tasting room, with a souvenir logo glass available for $3 more.
Byrd Cellars spiced wine syrup: Byrd Cellars has released a Hot Spiced Wine Syrup Packet. It’s a new seasonal product designed for warming up a glass of Virginia red as the temperatures drop. A fun gifting option heading into the holidays.
Boxwood fall estate pairing: Boxwood Estate Winery (Middleburg) has debuted a fall estate pairing — a curated experience built around the estate's latest releases paired with seasonal bites.