Wine enthusiasts are rewarded with a little extra this holiday season with Encore Pour.
Followers of the Virginia Wine Love Facebook group were delighted with the presentation of Encore Pour, a promotion designed to get people out to Virginia’s wineries during the colder months, and to introduce wine enthusiasts to special wines only available this time of year. At first, the promotion was targeted towards the Facebook followers, but it has caught on with those outside the group, and is now available to anyone who knows the “special password.”
So far, more than 35 wineries throughout Virginia have joined Encore Pour, with more to come. Find a complete list at Virginia Wine Love’s website at https://www.virginiawinelove.com/ or join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/206245544030181. (While on the website, subscribe to the Virginia Wine Love News for wine industry news, travel tips and insider offers.)
The Encore Pour promotion runs between October and December 31st, 2022. To partake, all you have to do when you purchase a tasting or a flight is mention Virginia Wine Love and the Encore Pour to get an extra pour of spiced, mulled, Port-style, chocolate, limited-edition, and other fun wines! Winery personnel are happy to show off their special selections!
How Encore Pour Came About
Encore Pour was the brainchild of Virginia Wine Love founder Nancy Bauer. “I try to think of things that will keep people going to wineries, and I thought this would be a fun promotion,” she explained. Bauer got the idea from her Facebook followers, who started asking at which wineries they could find mulled wine. “Those inquiries encouraged me to think of a way to draw attention to the holiday beverages the wineries sell and to encourage people to think about, while they’re there, bringing Virginia wine to their holiday gatherings.
Mulled wine has become quite popular, and many wineries have begun offering it this time of year. Most Virginia wineries are also presenting a port-style wine, while others are offering sparkling wine, holiday slushies, and wines they bring out only during the holidays. “These very special wines are available in very limited quantities and you can’t get them anywhere but in the wineries,” Bauer continued. “You’ll need to visit the wineries to taste and purchase them.”
Holiday Happenings
Of course, I had to try out the promotion myself, and took a day off from work to visit some of the wineries on the list. Not only did I taste some of the most outstanding and unique wines not normally available, I was delighted by the some of the other holiday promotions I saw scheduled throughout the season.
In addition to live music, wineries are offering winter activities like wine glass painting, wreath making and porch sign painting workshops, holiday open houses, Thanksgiving flower arranging, paint & sip, and even a murder mystery dinner. Check with your favorite wineries to see what’s coming up.
Don’t-miss happenings include:
- Nov 25: The “Walk Off Your Wobble” hike to the 868’ elevation at 868 Estate Vineyards on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Get to the top and you receive a ticket for two free chocolate truffles!
- Nov 25–December 31: Lighting of the Vines at Bluemont Vineyard, where more than 10,000 vines are decorated with holiday lights to create a winter wonderland throughout the holiday season.
- Dec 3: Holiday Open House at Breaux Vineyards
Don’t miss your opportunity to get an “insider’s” taste of some of this holiday season’s specials. Lift your glass for your Encore Pour!
Encore Pour Participating Wineries (partial list)
BRIEDE VINEYARDS, Winchester, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of Arandell. (The only single varietal Arandell in Virginia.)
BREAUX VINEYARDS, Purcellville, NoVa Region. Extra pour of port-style Lineage.
BARREL OAK WINERY, Delaplane, NoVa Region. Extra pour of Winemaker’s Choice.
ARTERRA WINES & HAWKMOTH ARTS, Delaplane, NoVa Region. Extra pour of limited-edition 2019 Trilogy Red. (Rare chance to taste Fer Servadou in a blend!)
BOZZO VINEYARDS, Purcellville, NoVa Region. Extra pour of Governor’s Cup Gold Medal winner Sei What?
BRIX & COLUMNS VINEYARDS, McGaheysville, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of port-style Six Penny Postscript.
CARDINAL POINT WINERY, Afton, Central VA Region. Extra pour of soon-to-be-released Nouveau Red.
CASTLE GLEN WINERY, Doswell Central VA Region. Extra pour of Christmas in a Glass spiced wine.
CHATEAU MERRILLANNE, Orange, Central VA Region. Extra pour of the limited edition Vinocello. November only.
CORCORAN VINEYARDS & CIDERY,Waterford, NoVa Region. Extra pour of housemade mulled wine.
DEMELLO VINEYARDS, Quicksburg, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of seasonal mulled wine port-style Aurora.
FOX MEADOW WINERY, Linden, NoVa Region. Extra pour of Freezeland Red or mulled wine.
FIFTY-THIRD VINEYARD & WINERY, Louisa, Central VA Region. Extra pour of chocolate-infused Noche.
GOOD LUCK CELLARS, Kilmarnock, Northern Neck Region. Extra pour of (not yet released) 2021 Seyval Blanc.
HICKORY HILL VINEYARDS, Smith Mountain Lake. Extra pour of mulled wine, Saturdays in November and December.
HORTON VINEYARDS, Central Virginia Region. Extra pour of Winemaker’s Choice.
JAMES CHARLES WINERY, Winchester, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of Cincinnatus White Port-style wine.
JOLENE FAMILY WINERY, Quinton, Central VA Region. Extra pour of season-special slushy or mulled wine.
LAKE ANNA WINERY, Spotsylvania Courthouse, NoVa Region. Extra pour of mulled warm Concerto.
LITTLE WASHINGTON WINERY,Washington, VA, NoVa Region. Extra pour of hot spiced wine.
MAGNOLIA VINEYARDS, Amissville, NoVa Region. Extra pour of blush sangria (Oct) and hot mulled white wine.
MATTAPONI WINERY, Spotsylvania, NoVa Region. Extra pour of warm mulled spice wine or warm chocolate wine.
MOLON LAVE VINEYARDS, Warrenton, NoVa Region. Extra pour of port-style Ariadne.
MORAIS VINEYARDS, Bealeton, NoVa Region. Extra pour of caramel apple sangria.
MOUNTAINROSE VINEYARD, Wise, Heart of Appalachia. Extra pour of the famous wine cocktail, OkieDokie! Oct – Dec.
NARMADA WINERY, Amissville, NoVa Region. Extra pour of port-style Allure. Oct – Dec.
NORTH MOUNTAIN VINEYARD, Toms Brook, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of spiced holiday wine—warm or straight from the bottle.
OLD FARM WINERY AT HARTLAND, Aldie, NoVa Region. Extra pour of Sweet Vixen Dessert Wine.
POTOMAC POINT WINERY, Stafford, NoVa Region. Extra October pour of one white and one red (Winemaker’s Choice). Nov/Dec features spiced grog.
REYNARD FLORENCE, Barboursville, Central VA Region. Extra pour of Riesling 21 dessert style wine.
THE BARNS AT HAMILTON STATION VINEYARDS, Hamilton, NoVa Region. Extra pour of 1910 Port-style wine.
THE HAGUE WINERY, Hague, Chesapeake Bay Region. Extra pour of (not yet released) 2020 Chardonel Sur Lie.
THE WINERY AT KINDRED POINTE, Mt. Jackson, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of mulled wine.
VERAMAR VINEYARDS, Berryville, NoVa Region. Extra pour of D’Ora dessert wine.
WIND VINEYARDS, Tappahannock, Chesapeake Bay Region. Extra pour of seasonal sangria.
WISTERIA FARM & VINEYARD, Stanley, Shenandoah Region. Extra pour of mulled wine.
ZOLL VINEYARDS, Dutton, Hampton Roads Region. Extra pour of your choice of cocktails, including Glühwein, Sweet Life, Silver Fox, & Dutton Sour.
All photos credit: Linda Barrett
