Celebrate Virginia Wine Month at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s second annual Virginia Vines wine festival on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 6-9 p.m.
This year’s event will feature wine selections from some of Virginia’s best wineries and vineyards, live jazz from the Weldon Hill band, food trucks, and after-hour access to museum galleries, including “Cheers, Virginia!,” the museum’s newest exhibit focused on the history of brewing, distilling and fermenting in Virginia.
Although the modern era of Virginia winemaking is less than 40 years old, winemaking was listed among the possible revenue generating industries considered by the settlers at Jamestown. In 1611, Virginia Governor Thomas Dale established a three-acre vineyard to test native grapes such as scuppernong (muscadine) and Catawba. In 1619, the House of Burgesses passed “Acte 12” requiring every male householder to plant 10 vines of European grapes for making wine. Some European vines were brought to Virginia but ultimately failed to grow.
Virginia is now one of the top five wine-producing regions in the country with more than 300 wineries. Virginia’s five geographic regions support more than 28 varieties of grapes on more than 4,000 acres.
The Virginia Vines event is the third and final of a series celebrating the history of alcohol in the Commonwealth this fall.
Virginia Vines is scheduled for October 15 and will exclusively focus on the vineyards that have made Virginia an internationally recognized and awarded region for winemaking.
The exhibition, “Cheers, Virginia!” runs through Jan. 29, 2023.
Early bird tickets for Virginia Vines are on sale through October 1.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is located at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. in Richmond.
For more information about Virginia Vines or to purchase tickets, visit VirginiaHistory.org/events
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Crystal Graham
