Virginia Wine Tours, TRIP ADVISOR REVIEW | 5 out of 5 STARS

My wife surprised me with a wine tasting weekend for my birthday, and Blue Ridge Wine Excursions was fantastic. Our driver and guide for the day, Bit, arrived at our hotel 10 minutes early in a sleek, black, late-model Mercedes. Our plan was to visit four wineries in about five hours, an ambitious goal, but Bit made it happen without making us feel rushed or pressured. We saw everything we wanted to see and had a great time doing it. Bit is extremely knowledgeable about the region, the wineries, and the wines.

It’s clear from reading other reviews that Blue Ridge is consistent in working with professionals who are passionate about crafting a truly memorable experience that begins the moment your tour starts. Every aspect of our excursion was absolutely first class, and we are already planning to return to do a Blue Ridge tour with friends.

- Evan D.

Visited February 2013

Virginia Wine Tours, Evan D., Blue Ridge Wine Excursions

March 18, 2013 4:11 PM

Virginia wines captured 61 medals in the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Commonwealth wineries earned five gold medals, 28 silver medals (including one cider) and 28 bronze medals.

The gold medal winners included Barboursville Vineyards, Barrel Oak Winery, Gray Ghost Vineyards and Narmada Winery.

The competition drew 5,500 entries from more than 25 states. The panel of more than 70 judges included members of the media, restaurant and hospitality industry wine buyers, retail wine buyers, wine educators, and winemaker and industry representatives.

The gold medal winning wines were: Barboursville’s 2008 Malvaxia Passito, Barrel Oak’s 2010 Cabernet Franc and 2011 Petit Manseng Reserve, Gray Ghost’s 2011 Adieu Late Harvest Vidal and Narmadas’ 2010 Cabernet Franc.

Virginia’s wine industry has grown from six wineries in 1979 to more than 200 today.

Virginia Wine Tours, Virginia Wine Tasting, Blenheim Vineyards Tasting

Virginia Wines Win in California, Virginia Wine Tasting

http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1187

The Virginia wineries featured at the San Francisco event were: Barboursville Vineyards, Bluestone Vineyard, Delfosse Vineyards & Winery, Glen Manor Vineyards, Jefferson Vineyards, Keswick Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, Potomac Point Winery, Tarara Winery, Trump Winery, Veritas Vineyard & Winery and White Hall Vineyards. The event also featured Virginia foods, several of which are distributed in California, including cheeses from Everona Dairy and Meadow Creek Dairy, Royal Oak Peanuts, Olli Salumeria, Chesapeake Bay Packaging scallops, Ayrshire Farm beef, and hams from S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

Raising the profile of Virginia wines and wine tourism are key components of the governor’s economic development and jobs creation initiatives. The governor has promoted Virginia wines at the Virginia Executive Mansion and throughout Virginia, on other domestic business recruitment visits, and on international trade and marketing missions to India, Israel, and countries in Europe and Asia. First Lady Maureen McDonnell has also incorporated wine and wine tourism promotions into her First Lady Initiative Team Effort or FLITE.

Only 45 cases of this limited edition wine are available at each winery and are on sale begining 3/3/13 for $33.33 per bottle. Maximum 3-bottle purchase.

http://www.virginiawinetours.com/

Virginia Wine Tasting

It was exactly 10 years ago, this month, when Decanter published Michael Broadbent’s praises of Octagon Third Edition (1998 vintage), informing the wider world of wine of our region’s strengths in Bordeaux red varietals. Much has changed in international expectations of Virginia wine in those years, and we have been pleased to see Octagon consistently leading the way in these advances. Regionally and nationally, since the 1998 vintage, Octagon has won more than 30 Gold Medals, two Monticello Cups, and extensive praise from wine critics.

Receiving this 4th Governor’s Cup in my tenure at Barboursville, following two for Cabernet Sauvignon and one for Cabernet Franc, is especially rewarding because Octagon is the product of the most stringently disciplined standards of selection, blending, and crafting of all our wines. It is harder for a grape to get into a bottle of Octagon, than any other wine we know. It is created only in a fine vintage, and only from the best lots we produce in our Bordeaux varietals. It will be superb, it will evolve stunningly over time, and it will cellar well for many years; or it would not have been made.

Barboursville Winery Tour

All excellent wines have an optimal release date. For this Octagon we envisioned two years of bottle age before release. On schedule, we will be presenting it this August, with more precise announcement of the date to follow. In the meantime, we are pouring the excellent 2008 vintage (also a Gold Medal at the Beverage Testing Institute) in our Tasting Room and it can also be purchased through us, online.

On behalf of our viticulturist, Fernando Franco, associate winemaker Daniele Tessaro, and founder Gianni Zonin, whose tireless support has made our pursuit of Octagon so fulfilling in every way, I cannot close this Note without thanking also the friends of our vineyard, who have rewarded Octagon with the most constant loyalty any wine has ever earned from our region.

Barboursville Vineyards, Blue Ridge Wine Excursions, Virginia Wine Tours

 http://www.virginiawinetours.com/

TRIP ADVISOR REVIEW

5 out of 5 STARS

I hired Blue Ridge Wine Excursions for a 5 hour winery and brewery tour for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was fantastic!  Our Wine Trail Guide was exceptionally knowledgable of the area — had interesting stories of each brewery/winery and its history, he was courteous, arrived on time, and added to the experience. Moreover, as the day progressed, we changed our minds a bit on which wineries we wanted to tour — not only was he flexible in changing the plan but had great advice to help make the best decisions. I absolutely recommend them to others, and I will be using them again, too!

TRIP ADVISOR REVIEW

5 our ot 5 STARS

My experience with Blue Ridge Wine Excursions was very positive.  They arrived early to pick up me and my party, and we all had a wonderful time on the Wine Trail!

Our Wine Trail Guide was charming and knowledgeable about the various vineyards. I didn’t know that the second vineyard my party planned to visit required a reservation for large groups, but our Wine Guide knew and called ahead while we were tasting at our first vineyard. He also was kind enough to offer to take photos for us, freeing us to enjoy the excursion while he was in charge of the camera. He was our guardian angel. I would definitely recommend Blue Ridge Wine Excursions.

Virginia Wine Tours, Wine Trail Guides

Blue Ridge Wine Excursions — TRIP ADVISOR

This is the Pryor-Haynes House – it’s located just blocks from the downtown mall!

If you are visiting the Charlottesville area, visiting Monticello, taking a Virginia Wine Tour, or just getting away from the D.C. area, be sure to check out all of Stay Charlottesville’s options for vacation rentals in the central Virginia and Charlottesville area.

2nd floor:

1 king bed with ensuite bathroom (Master)

Queen bed with ensuite bathroom

3rd floor:

Queen bed with ensuite bathroom

Terrace Level:

Queen bed, private entrance, kitchen, and full bathroom

4.5 bathrooms total

Chef’s kitchen with gas range and ice maker

Pool table

Deck with outdoor seating and gas grill

Wi-fi

Cable television

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Albemarle Limousine — Virginia Wine Tours

http://albemarlelimousine.com/services/virginia-wine-tours/

http://albemarlelimousine.com/

This is the first time (and not the last – that’s for sure) I booked a wine tour and dinner package with Blue Ridge Wine Excursions. It was such an incredible experience! I gave these guys less than 24 hours to help organize my weekend getaway and they exceeded my highest expectations! From initial conversation over the phone till lust drop off by the hotel – no hick ups, no delays.
They are a team of great professionals. You don’t need any other travel agent when you visit Charlottesville area.  Just call Blue Ridge Wine Excursion and they will make things happen.
Thank you and see you soon guys!

– Fuad M.

Romance Wine Tour Dinner Package – http://albemarlelimousine.com/services/virginia-wine-tours/romance-wine-tour-package/

Charlottesville Wine Tour Dinner, Virginia Wine Tours