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Walter brought a lot of business to that Total Wine & Beverage - the bottles of wine that we tasted during our class were offered at a 10% discount to us that evening and most of us would leave with several bottles or even a case.  And this was a weekly class!  At some point, though, a new owner took over the chain and renamed it "Total Wine."  They also renamed Walter to "pink slip."  My wine-buying trips to that store stopped.

I then moved on to visiting my local wineries in Virginia.  Luckily, there are many to visit!  We have close to ten wineries within ten miles of our home making for lovely impromptu wine tasting tours.  Some of my favorite local wineries are:

Hillsborough Vineyards & Winery which has a lovely tasting room and amazing hillside views from their patio.  Their red wines are especially good.

Loudoun Valley Vineyards has a great deck with a view of the vineyard you can sit out on with your glass of wine.  You can even order a snack to pair with your wine, such as a plate of brie cheese.
   
Tarara Winery is located on a hill overlooking the Potomac River.  They have a fun tour that takes you into their cellar that was carved into the hillside and they have many festivals throughout the year.

Chrysalis Vineyards is considered one of the top vineyards in Virginia and is run by a colorful owner who enjoys partaking with her guests.  You can join their wine club which provides you with wine by mail each month and exclusive invitations to their seasonal events.  Their winter holiday tasting is great fun.  The grounds are beautiful to take a stroll around and the farm dogs are fun to romp through the vines with.

Doukenie Winery and Corcoran Vineyards are also local favorites.  They are both small, family-owned wineries and happen to be the closest to our house.

We have also joined up with a group of our wine-loving friends to hold our own wine tastings.  Everyone brings a bottle to share and we rotate homes and wine "themes."  A theme might be varietal-based like Pinot Noir, or regional such as Europe or "below the equator."  Tips for starting your own home-based wine tasting group: eat lots of food, sleep over or have a designated driver.  Expect to drink a bottle.  Really.   

This Saturday is the fall Virginia Wine Festival in Leesburg.  These events are particularly enjoyable because for about $20 you can sample wines from 40 - 50 of the state's wineries.  There are always surprises from familiar wineries and from those that are new to the landscape.  If you go early enough, you might even get to sample the top wines before they run out! 

So, wish me luck that the wine is tasty, the weather holds and that I make it home in one piece.  At least it will be a low sodium event.