{"id":332749,"date":"2025-12-07T03:40:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T03:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/happy-20th-anniversary-to-virginia-wine-time-virginia-wine-time\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T03:40:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T03:40:57","slug":"happy-20th-anniversary-to-virginia-wine-time-virginia-wine-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=332749","title":{"rendered":"Happy 20th Anniversary to Virginia Wine Time! \u2013 Virginia Wine Time"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paul and \u00a0I posted our first entry on Virginia Wine Time on November 23, 2005. \u00a0It was very short, and we used pseudonyms in our first few posts because we were both school teachers. \u00a0We were unsure whether we could safely write about our wine experiences on a blog using our real names. \u00a0As it turned out, we could; in fact, my principal enjoyed reading Virginia Wine Time. \u00a0We included a disclaimer on our homepage stating that our blog and the activities described in it were intended for adults. \u00a0Maybe that did the trick.<\/p>\n

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Paul and I took a picture at Oasis Winery for our first blog post on November 23, 2005. I guess I was trying to look cool! Paul always wore plaid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We launched Virginia Wine Time after a summer of traveling around the state tasting wine. \u00a0At that time, the Virginia Wine Board offered a passport program to encourage visits to as many wineries as possible. \u00a0Participating wineries stamped the passport, and it was returned to the Board\u2019s office after the required number of stamps was acquired. I think the passports were then tossed into a lottery, and the winner won a prize\u2014I\u2019m not sure what constituted the grand prize. However, we did end up winning a corkscrew. \u00a0Paul and I had a blast and decided to document our newly found passion on a blog. \u00a0We named it Virginia Wine Time. Click here<\/a> to read our first post about a tasting at Oasis Winery on November 23, 2005.<\/p>\n

Twenty years ago, Virginia was not regarded as a wine region of note. \u00a0Wineries were largely family-owned operations with small productions. \u00a0Most of what we tasted was of questionable quality, but we adopted the philosophy that every winery produced at least one wine worth drinking. \u00a0We sought out that one wine wherever we went. \u00a0Wine festivals featuring Virginia wines were the rage, and these were crowded, boozy affairs. \u00a0The wines then tended to be sweet and ready to drink now. \u00a0However, we encountered serious winemakers determined to make higher-quality wines, and we paid attention to this growing trend. \u00a0By 2010, Virginia was considered an emerging wine region, and in 2023, Wine Enthusiast described the state as a growing wine destination. \u00a0Virginia wine has come a very long way.<\/p>\n

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A much younger me enjoying a wine tasting at Keswick Vineyards in 2006.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reasons for this progression over time are obvious. \u00a0Better viticultural practices due to consultation with specialists, better vineyard decisions and management based on microclimate and terroir, and better winemakers have all contributed to this remarkable change.<\/p>\n

Of course, the most obvious change for Virginia Wine Time is the loss of Paul, my husband, best friend, and sidekick. \u00a0Paul created and maintained the blog, took the photos, and filmed the interviews\u2014Virginia Wine Time would not exist without his efforts. \u00a0Paul always cautioned me in the parking lot at wineries not to tell anyone we wrote a blog. \u00a0Yet Paul was always the dead giveaway. \u00a0He was always dressed in a plaid shirt and khaki cargo shorts, even on the coldest of days, with a professional camera and long lens draped around his neck. \u00a0Who goes to a winery with professional camera equipment? \u00a0He\u2019d snap pictures of wine associates pouring wine, winemakers behind the counter, staging poses, etc. Needless to say, we were either recognized or suspected of being something other than casual customers. We ended up making so many friends in the burgeoning Virginia wine community, and we truly had a blast!<\/p>\n

I will continue Virginia Wine Time, and I\u2019ve been getting out to wineries more frequently. \u00a0I hope to do more traveling in 2026 and look forward to documenting my experiences. In the meantime, take a trip down memory lane and read through our previous posts. \u00a0I would suggest you visit the wineries referenced in this post; however, Oasis is closed. \u00a0You can, though, visit Keswick Vineyards. Please mention Virginia Wine Time sent you.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Paul and \u00a0I posted our first entry on Virginia Wine Time on November 23, 2005. \u00a0It was very short, and we used pseudonyms in our first few posts because we were both school teachers. \u00a0We were unsure whether we could safely write about our wine experiences on a blog using our real names. \u00a0As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":332750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[125177],"tags":[5595,3108,1868,1231,14607,9182],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-332749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wines","tag-20th","tag-anniversary","tag-happy","tag-time","tag-virginia","tag-wine"],"yoast_head":"\nHappy 20th Anniversary to Virginia Wine Time! \u2013 Virginia Wine Time - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=332749\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Happy 20th Anniversary to Virginia Wine Time! 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