A Minor Diversion

We took a little jaunt this weekend out to Virginia's wine country in Shenandoah Valley. The mission wasn't all for fun we had to pick up our wine from the wine club we belong to before shipping out. Unfortunately we had to suspend our membership for a while, but we are looking forward to Luxembourg wines! Plus we'll be only a short drive over to the Champagne and Alsace regions of France...yea!

 If you find yourself in or around Mt Jackson, Virginia, you're doing yourself a major disservice by not dropping in on Randy Phillips and his amazing vineyard - Cave Ridge.

Idyllic setting nestled in the Shenandoah Valley

Virginia has plenty of great vineyards and vintners, but Cave Ridge is our absolute favorite! Randy is a true craftsman, and his varieties range from the standard-bearer of VA wines, the Chambourcin Grape, to chunkier varietals such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Petit Verdot. These he bottles on their own and blends into all sorts of tasty concoctions. Since Virginia is a bit cold in the winter, his white wines include Traminette (my personal favorite), Reisling and Vionier. The traditional hot and dry summers out in the valley create some top notch wines. I think Randy and his cohorts in the valley are really making their mark on the wine world. Don't take my word for it - go out and see for yourself!

No caption really needed...

Here we are with the wine-master himself - Thanks Randy!