Sunday, May 6, 2012

PoLo has now visited 141 wineries. There are over 200 in the state now. FYI, VA is the 5th largest producer of wine in the US. Not too shabby. Loved Annefield. Beautiful old home, friendly owners, and great wines. The glasses we are amassing are OUT OF CONTROL. We have over 200 easily. The are taking over my life. At one winery, Mike dropped the glasses. I was thrilled, until he went back and got more. We DO NOT need more glasses. We need to have a huge party! Hunting Creek stayed open late for us and it wasn't the owner but an employee that did. Very nice guy. Visited Sans Soucy. We have been mispronouncing it for years! It is Sans Soocie. Very nice server, precious 3 year old daughter, and stuffed monkey named Minkey. Sans Soucy means "No worries". I like that. Visited Molliver and was served by Diane. Can't go wrong with a name like that. She was a "hoot". We cannot say it enough... this journey is about so much more than wine. We don't blog about the taste of specific wines because everyone's palate is different. We just love the experiences we have - atmosphere, people, stories! The people really make it. speaking of people. We were at a wine fest recently and had at least 2 or 3 awful servers. I realize that wineries get volunteers. But the volunteers need to represent the winery well. Some are friendly and therefore make up for their lack of knowledge about the wines with their personalities. But others basically schlep wine. That does not reflect well on the winery. Pourers need a crash course in the wines, a handy cheat sheet for tasters who want more info, and a big, warm smile. Tastes need to be more than a teaspoonful. With that little, you cannot truly taste the wine. Okay, I'm off my soapbox... for now. Greenwood was another place that stayed open for us. Winery owners are so nice that way. He served us, gave a tour, and shared his story without making us feel like we were imposing.