The Great Grapes festival was a lot of fun. There were a number of nice wineries represented as well as the booths that usually follow the wineries. The festival was well-laid out and the lines were very short for the tastings.




Some highlights:

Lake Anna had an excellent 2004 Cabernet Franc. Very peppery with solid Earth tones, it was a great example of Virginia Cabernet Francs.

Peaks of Otter had two very unique wines. The first, called Chili Dawg is 97% Apple wine blended with 3% Chili Pepper wine. They serve it with a touch of Cheese Whiz and it really does taste like a Chili Dog. The second wine is not really a drinking wine, except on a dare. "Kiss the Devil" is made from 30 different Chili Peppers and it is H-O-T. This is really a spicy wine :). They have you follow it up with a shot of Apple wine just to cleanse your palette.

Veramar did not have their Cabernet Franc out, but they did have their Rooster Red, which is a light, well-balanced wine. Very enjoyable. They were also offering their famous mulled-wine, which was perfect for a drizzly afternoon.