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By Joe David
Rappahannock News Writer
Thousands of wine lovers battled the heat and humidity this weekend to taste more than 300 wines from 46 Virginia wineries. Dressed and jeweled in everything from the flamboyant (corkscrew earrings and skin-tight leotards) to country chic (designer shorts and a discrete touch of 18K gold jewelry), wine lovers met and mingled in The Plains to swirl, sniff, taste and try new wines.
Despite the broad mix of dress, it was like a private garden party catered by fast-food cooks, on 200 picturesque acres of beautiful Virginia countryside.
Invthe background, a pleasant and continuous flow of live music soothed away the heat, helped along by a spray of mist from the “Rain Room,” compliments of WMAL-AM.
Although visitors were temptingly distracted — with eveiything from sweet cream almonds to exotic sauces, sparkling Virginia cider to costume jewelry — the focus of the weekend was the wine. An hour after the gates opened on Saturday, the Vinifera Wine Growers Association underscored the theme of the festival by presenting its awards and trophies to the 2003 Virginia Wine Competition winners.
The coveted 123-ounce sterling silver Tiffany Monteith Trophy was given this year to the WineAmerica (formerly the American Vintners Association) in Alexandria, for its outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the American wine industry.
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