The great thing about the many local summer and fall wine festivals, is that the wineries come to you.

At the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, in suburban Centreville, Virginia, you can taste wines from over 35 Virginia wineries. After sampling some of the 250 wines offered, attend one of the hourly seminars at the Seminar Tents, and learn about paring, wine making and its history, and the learn about the many wineries in Virginia.

Besides wine tasting, there’s activities for the kids, food and live entertainment.

Vintage Virginia Wine Festival
Bull Run Regional Park
7700 Bull Run Drive
Centreville, VA 20121 (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday and Sunday, May 31 & June 1, 2008, gates open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets – Adults – $25.00, Designated drivers and youth over 12 – $16.00, kids 3-12 – $5.00, kids under 3 FREE. The box office will be open 11 a.m. until 6: p.m. during the festival. Designated drivers are provided complimentary soda, water, and sparkling cider. Tickets are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Taking Metro to the festival is not viable, but a shuttle from the Vienna/Fairfax,/GMU Metro station (Orange line) to the festival will run hourly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($20.00).

Parking – Free parking included.

Images – Flickr – glass, grapes from personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

And the annual Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate is once such event.

The gardens at Mt. Vernon will be in full bloom and the views of the Potomac River from the lawn, accompanied by live jazz, should make for a perfect evening of relaxation.

An evening Candlelit Mansion tour is also available and includes a visit to the rarely-visited basement cellar. The ground’s outbuilding can also be toured, but not the wharf, Washington’s tomb, the pioneer farmer site, or the gardens. 

Expect an appearance by the General himself, George Washington.

Tickets for all three nights go on sale tomorrow.

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway – 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121 (map it)

Dates and Times – Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. nightly

Tickets – $30.00 and are available online at Ticketmaster or by phone at or 703-573-SEAT. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.

Note - No outside food or beverage is allowed. You can purchase a variety of food, desserts, snacks and beverages at Mount Vernon. No tables, pets,  Event occurs rain or shine. Designated drivers and under 21 visitors will receive free soft drinks.  ID required for purchasing alcohol. This event is designed for adults, not families.

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, then catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

Images – Flickr – people on blanket, all others – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti _____________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The Virginia Wine Showcase is this weekend in suburban Chantilly, Virginia.

Forty wineries will be serving, selling, and bragging about some of the 300 wines available for tasting.

The showcase also offers a series of fee-based wine seminars where you can learn about wine, winemaking, food pairings, and improving your enjoyment of the nectar of the gods.

Some of the more interesting seminars include:

• It’s All About The Chocolate – Perfect for planning a Valentine’s Day celebration, how to pair wines with chocolate. 
• Virginia Versus The World - Just how do Virginia wines compare to wines from other regions of the world? 
• Wine Futures And How to Buy - Similar to investing in stock futures? Find out.
• Winemaking Overview – Learn about the art and science of making high-quality wines.

Enter to win one of many door prizes and get a chance to win dinners, weekend get-aways and a 42″ LCD television. There’s also a Bounce Room to keep the kids distracted (they really shouldn’t be drinking wine anyway).

Virginia Wine Showcase
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Center
Chantilly, VA  (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9 – 10, 2008, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tickets – $35.00 and are available at the door, $15.00 for non-tasters

Parking – Free parking is available.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway – 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121

Dates and Times – Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. nightly

Tickets – $30.00 and are available online. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.

Note - No outside food or beverage is allowed. You can purchase a variety of food, snacks and beverages at Mount Vernon.

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, the catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

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Post from: The DC Traveler