Drink Local Wine

Who doesn't like low carbon footprint wine?

If you love wine but you can’t move to Sonoma, don’t fret, wine country isn’t far away. Just south of DC, in the valleys and rolling hills of Virginia lie some great vineyards. If you drink Virginia wine, you can sleep well in the knowledge that barrels of fuel weren’t used to ship it from the west coast to your glass. In addition, many Virginia wines are grown using organic and sustainable methods.

To find a listing of local vineyards with information about the wines they grow, visit VirginiaWines.org. Below are a few organic Virginia vineyards.

Permund Cellars: This vineyard produces grapes using natural fertilizers and controls pests with elemental nutrients and organic fungicides. The 7,500 square-foot winery is geothermal and produces Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Late Harvest Vidal, Merlot and more. The vineyard is located in the foothills of eastern Fauquier County, Virginia. Read more about it HERE.

Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint: This winery and vineyard is situated on a hilltop off of I-66 in the Northpoint community of Markham, Virginia. The rootstock of the vineyard was imported from France and grafted with American rootstock in rocky soil among steep slopes. Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Grigio and more are grown in the vineyard. Their website is HERE.

Blenheim Vineyards: This vineyard’s claim to fame is its rock star owner, Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band. Located right outside of Charlottesville, the vineyard takes a laid back approach to enjoying wine. The Winemaker and Managing Partner, Brad McCarthy has been making wine for 20 years and is known as one of the East Coast’s hottest winemakers. Organic and sustainable practices are a priority in the creation of Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs and a red Meritage. Tastings are by appointment, visit the site HERE.

Photo Credit: CC-licensed by Flickr user emdot