Barrel Tasting

A few weekends ago Angela, Jordie, and I went back to the Chateau Morrisette for the Hokie Bird Wine festival. It was a mild summer afternoon and we found many choppers out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The festival was very busy with hundreds of Hokies tasting wine together. Bill Roth, the voice of the Hokies for ISP Radio ran a lottery while the nation's top defensive coordinator, Bud Foster, was signing autographs. The best part of the trip was the fact that Angela and Jordie work with a people whose family grows grapes for the winery. We were able to have a private tour of the barrel rooms, which was great, but we had seen those previously. What made it amazing was the fact that we were able to taste wine directly from the wooden casks and the stainless steel tanks. Our guide was very knowledgeable on the growing Virginia wine industry and the issues it has with growing grapes in a climate that produces unpredictable frosts. The guide was taking job out in California, but was excited about two Tech professors who had conducted work to pioneer the Virginia wine industry but were largely unknown. It was fascinating, particularly since the wine was perfect. The dry reds, Angela and mine least favorite, were great right out the cask!