Get ‘a little extra love’ when visiting wineries this winter with a few magic words

Nearly 40 wineries in Virginia are offering an extra pour of holiday wines, slushies, sangrias and cocktails through New Year’s Day to help hostesses make selections to share at gatherings with family and friends.

The wine promotion titled “Virginia Wine Love Encore Pour” gives those attending wineries the chance to try a variety of wines including seasonal or limited-edition selections.

Guests to participating venues should mention Virginia Wine Love or Encore Pour when purchasing a wine tasting or flight to receive the treats.

“I love this time of year at Virginia’s wineries,” said Nancy Bauer, event organizer and founder of the Virginia Wine Love website, where the promotion was launched. “With all the success Virginia’s had in recent years with red blends and up-and-coming whites like petit manseng and albariño, it’s easy to forget we also make some really lovely port-style and dessert wines.

“Virginia’s winemaking spirit of adventure may even be most evident in our holiday wines,” said Bauer. “They can be a chance for winemakers and the tasting room teams to be a little less serious and try some things just for fun.”

Participating wineries span the state and include:

• MountainRose Vineyards in Wise, in the far southwest, is offering an extra pour of their locally-famous OkieDokie
• Hickory Hill Vineyards at Smith Mountain Lake is pouring hot mulled wine
• Zoll Vineyards on Virginia’s Middle Neck peninsula is giving a choice of wine cocktails
• Briede Vineyards in Winchester has uncorked their Arandell, a red similar to Cabernet Franc and the only single varietal Arandell in Virginia

“We’re excited about this promotion,” said Loretta Briede of Briede Vineyards. “When it gets cooler, things slow down a little and we can spend more time with our visitors. That’s important for us, since we’re growing varieties customers may not be used to seeing. We love to educate, so we chose Arandell as our extra pour.”

Many of the wines being poured are seasonal or limited-edition selections.

Here’s a sampling:

• Seasonal pours include Morais Vineyards’ caramel apple sangria (Bealeton) and Christmas in a Glass spiced wine from Castle Glen Winery (Doswell).
• Red lovers can try Arterra Wines’ (Delaplane) 2019 Trilogy Red, a blend that includes the rare-for-Virginia fer servadou grape, and Bozzo Vineyard’s (Purcellville) Sei What? blend, which won a gold medal in this year’s Virginia Governor’s Cup competition.
• Port-style wines are offered at a half-dozen tasting rooms, including the white port-style, Cincinnatus, from James Charles Winery (Winchester).
• Sweet dessert wines are available at Old Farm Winery at Hartland (Aldie), Reynard Florence Winery (Barboursville) and Veramar Vineyards (Berryville).
• Perennial holiday favorites include Noche, the first chocolate-infused red wine made in Virginia, from Fifty-Third Vineyards (Louisa); nearby Lake Anna Winery’s warmed-up Concerto, a “cherry bomb” red with Montmorency cherry juice; and Vinocello from Chateau Merrillanne (Orange), the lemon-enhanced wine equivalent of limoncello.

“Visiting wineries is a great way to spend a winter weekend,” said Nancy Bauer. “Grab a wine flight, settle in next to a firepit, relax. That’s what the holidays should be about: enjoying each other. Sharing a little extra love.”

A map of all participating wineries is available online at VirginiaWineLove.com.