TateCamp 2012: Northern Virginia

Tomorrow I will be hitting the road to head to TasteCamp 2012. This will be my second TasteCamp. My first was to the Finger Lakes back in 2010. After missing out on the Niagara TasteCamp of last year, I am eagerly awaiting my return. TasteCamp 2012 will be visiting the wine trails of Norther Virginia.

So, what is TasteCamp? Here is a little snippet exactly what TasteCamp is:

The concept for TasteCamp is a simple one: getting enthusiastic journalists and bloggers together in a region that is new to them to taste as much wine as possible and speak to as many winemakers as possible over the course of a weekend.

Most smaller, lesser-known wine regions in the world would love to get their wines in front new audiences, it can be a challenge. With TasteCamp, the new audience comes to them.

This is not a junket — attendees pay their own travel expenses — including for their hotel rooms — and meals. Through generous sponsors, some meals may be deeply discounted.

My agenda will be packed with opportunities to speak to winemakers, wine growers and vineyard owners. I will have and opportunity, along with 40 other writers to experience the Norther Virginia Wine Country first hand with grand tastings, vineyard dinners and a highlight for me is vineyard walks. These enable us to get into Virginia Wine and get a feel for the place these wines come from. The greatest experience from my first TasteCamp was the Vineyard walk at Daminai Vineyards in the FInger Lakes. There is no better way to understand wine and the winemaking process than to walk the fields where the grapes grow that become the wine you and I enjoy.

I hope that you will all enjoy the posts that I will write about my experiences in VA Wine Country. If you follow me on twitter, there will be alot of tweeting. Follow the #tastecamp hastag and you will be fully educated by those that attend TasteCamp. For more information about this TasteCamp, please visit their website.

Here is the agenda that I awaits us in Virginia:

Friday, May 4

11:15 a.m.: Depart National Conference Center Transportation sponsored byVisitLoudoun.com

Noon – 2 p.m.: Welcome and lunch with Boxwood WinerySponsored by Boxwood Winery

2 – 3:30 p.m.: Grand tasting of Virginia Wines at Boxwood Vineyards.

Confirmed wineries: Ankida Ridge, Annefield, Barboursville, Boxwood, Blenheim, Gadino, Glass House, Hume, Notaviva, Paradise Spring, Pearmund, Rappahannock and White Hall

4 – 5 p.m.: Check-in at National Conference Center

5:15 p.m.: Depart National Conference Center

6 – 9 p.m.: Dinner at Breaux VineyardsSponsored by Breaux Vineyards

Saturday, May 5

8:00 a.m.: Depart National Conference Center Transportation sponsored by VisitLoudoun.com

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Vineyard walk and tasting at Fabbioli Cellars

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Grand tasting of Virginia Wines at Tarara Vineyards

Confirmed wineries: Bluemont, Corcoran, Delaplane, General’s Ridge, Horton, Loudoun Valley, Narmada, Philip Carter, Stinson and Zephaniah

12:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Lunch with Tarara Vineyards Sponsored by Tarara Vineyards and VirginiaWine.org

3 – 4:30 p.m.: Vineyard walk at Tranquility Vineyard and Tasting of 8 Chains North and Otium Cellars wines

5:30 p.m.: Depart National Conference Center

6 – 9 p.m.: BYO dinner at North Gate Vineyards, with BBQ by Smokin’ Willy

Sunday, May 6

8:30 a.m.: Depart National Conference Center Attendees drive themselves

10 a.m. – noon: Visit and tasting at Linden Vineyards

Noon: TasteCamp 2012 Closes

Many thanks go out to the Host Wineries, the wineries who take their time out to meet up with us at the tastings, the wineries that host the vineyard walks and the founder of TasteCamp, Lenn Thompson and the team that put this together, Remy Charest, Frank Morgan and John Witherspoon.