Virginia Blue Ridge Wine Tours

I keep two bottles of 1973 and 1975 Vega Sicilia as a memento of my Vega Sicilia vertical grand wine tasting in 1991.  In this wine tasting, the owner, and wine master of Vega Sicilia accepted the invitation of the Chaine des Rotisseurs to display and promote their wines which can only be acquired through membership or through estate inheritance.  We drank that night the comparable allotment for the country of Canada.

In this unusual wine tasting event, I was impressed that both the owner and wine master humbly declared that in a blind wine tasting, it would be difficult to pinpoint the differences in the vintages and tastes of same varietal wines from their selections.  If the venerable owner and wine master themselves of this awesome vintners of tempranillo wines from Spain’s Duero region were prudent enough to remain humble, shouldn’t wine snobs take note?  This is an industry where wine snobs’ preference for their particular fermented grape juice has intimidated normal wine lovers.  In 1977 I read the book “WineUpsmanship”, and concluded that wine snobs  tend  to remember the label of a bottle, but have bare familiarity or knowledge of the grape.  In vino veritas, truly only the knowledge of the grape will set you free.

My tours are designed for non wine snobs, or recovering wine snobs.  I want visitors to see the Blue Ridge and its beauty, and learn about grapes and why they grow here profusely.  Touch flesh, so to speak.  I also prefer small tours because I want visitors to feel happy but tranquil.  And when I bring them back to their hotels after five hours of seeing beauty and tasting good wines, they will say with conviction:  “That was truly uplifting!”