4 years ago today, my father passed away. Spending the day alone (my husband was at the cemetery with my mother in Texas) didn’t seem like the way my Dad would have wanted me to commemorate his passing. Since I have been planning to launch a blog about one of my passions, wine tasting and visiting vineyards, this turned out to be a perfect day to begin!

He would have enjoyed being outside on a beautiful Indian Summer day in the heart of the Piedmont wine country, watching the swans floating on the pond and the slideshow of cloud formations passing overhead. Today, I felt he was with me.

I am not a wine connoisseur, anything but! I started out tasting a small glass of wine in the Mosel River Valley in Germany as a young child-no minimum age there and I guess I liked it. However, after returning to the United States there wasn’t the same level of appreciation of wine that we are experiencing today. Instead of refining my palate, I deteriorated to (Yes, I’ll admit it!) BOX WINE-ugh! Providence stepped in and we moved from Texas to this beautiful landscape and a burgeoning wine country of Central Virginia!

I love everything about wine- from the clusters of grapes on the vine, the shapes of the leaves themselves and the neat rows undulating over the rolling hills to the presentation of the wine itself. The bottles are interesting, the labels are clever and the stemware sparkling. Beer is fun but wine is romantic! This blog is an attempt to give tips and suggestions to people who are not familiar with Virginia or are just starting to become passionate about wine!

My first choice was Keswick Vineyards because they are so friendly and not intimidating, plus the scenery is reminiscent of the English countryside!  The wines are award winning, the tasting room is intimate with generous bar space and is pet friendly to boot! Sunday afternoons is “Yappy Hour”, bring your canine sidekick and a picnic for a laidback event which periodically is a fund raiser for local S.P.C.A’s. There are plenty of shaded picnic tables, so bring your basket or purchase some delectables from the tasting room shop.  More details to come tomorrow about upcoming weekend events and award winning wines!