Ashland Midsummer Wine Festival - July 16, 2011

"We knew there would be khakis".

I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to hold a wine tasting in the middle of July on an asphalt plaza, but according to the Ashland Street Parties website there is going to be a wine festival in Ashland,VA this Saturday, July 16th from 7-11pm featuring Virginia Wineries.  The website doesn't indicate how many wineries or which ones will be there, but presumably it will be more than one because of the use of the plural: wineries. The location is behind the Ashland library at 201 S. Railroad Avenue. 

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the entrance and are available at places in town like Cross Bros. Grocery and The Caboose Wine & Cheese shop.  I saw a flyer about the event in the Cross Bros. window earlier this week and it had more information, but unfortunately I can't find a pdf of the poster online at the time of this writing.

Even though these events take place just a few blocks from where I live, I've never attended one, although I can usually hear the music from my house and have walked by previous parties while walking the dogs.  All I can say is that these things attract an older, boomer crowd ready to "dance the night away" to generic wedding bands playing cheesy covers of oldies, surf and motown hits.  That's Ashland for you.  The band they have this time - King Edward and the BD's - looks to be no different.  Would it kill them to get a decent bluegrass or jamband some time?  Surely the average couple off the street wouldn't know the difference, and at least us music lovers would have something to enjoy.

I should write how I really feel about it!   In actuality I'm one to talk considering the crappy music I put out there.  Nonetheless this event appears to be on my calendar and unless I have a change of heart on the day of, as a Virginia Wine lover, I am going to check it out.  Maybe I'll wear some ear plugs though. But definitely not a Hawaiian shirt.  There will already be plenty of those for sure.

Virginia Wineries with Hiking Trails

Virginia has awesome hiking and many excellent wineries, so why not combine both!  Here are three wineries offering tasty wines plus fun hikes.

Mountain Cove Vineyards, located in Nelson County near the town of Lovingston, VA, has a challenging 5.5  mile hike adjacent to it called Fortune's Cove Preserve: a demanding loop that steadily reaches an elevation of 1,500 feet.  That effort is ultimately rewarded by mountain views.  Download a trail map here.

View from Fortune's Cove hike

I recommend hiking the circuit trail first and then stopping by the winery for a tasting, not the other way around!  Mountain Cove is Virginia's oldest active winery, founded in 1973.  The atmosphere in the tasting room is very laid back and rustic, and it is surrounded by beautiful scenery and places to picnic.  Mountain Cove's wines are of the high standard now expected from the Monticello region's vineyards.  My favorite varieties are the Tinto and Harvest Apple.


Just north of Mountain Cove, off of Route 29, is DelFosse Vineyards and Winery.  DelFosse offers French-style wine in a serene setting.  It's a somewhat newer winery, being founded in 2000.  DelFosse has wines ranging from $16 to $29 per bottle, perhaps allowing for a compromise between taste buds and wallet.  You may have a hard time finding a favorite though.

DelFosse Winery and Vineyards

The on-site hiking trail at DelFosse winds for about five miles and was built by Nelson County and the DelFosse Winery.  I believe more trails are planned.  There is also a historic log cabin which you can rent for a reasonable cost. Not far from Mountain Cove and DelFosse is Albemarle Cider Works, suppliers of local VA cider and fresh squeezed apple juice.

View from Devil's Backbone patio

While out that way you could also cut through the mountain and stop by Devil's Backbone Brewery, which has great beer amidst incredible Scandinavian-like vistas.  Multiple rugged hiking options are available at nearby Wintergreen.  Also - many other wineries and two other breweries are a short distance away.

Finally, In the Southern portion of Virginia (Halifax County) I have been wanting to visit Molliver Vineyards.  It is situated on 134 acres with primitive on-site camping (tent or RV) and has extensive trails and 12 different varieties of wine.  It's about a 2.5 hour drive from Ashland, so when I visit Molliver I will definitely camp there for the full experience.

Let me know if I've missed any VA winery/hiking combos!