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Popping the Cork Cork Report
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The first-ever Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon took place June 4 and included a weekend full of wine dinners, winery tours and other celebrations of Virginia vino. The course wound through Northern Virginia, beginning at Breaux Vineyards and ending at Tarara Winery.
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The race was won by Tesfaye Dube of New York and Ethiopia, with a time of 1:05:38, and Brenda Schrank of Winchester, with a time of 1:25:27. A commemorative poster was created by French artist Jean-Pierre Got.
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Registration begins in September for next year’s race, which will take place June 9, 2012. VWL
“Kluge Estates is temporarily closed—Watch for our grand reopening” reads the message on the Charlottesville winery’s website. In the spring, real estate and media mogul Donald Trump purchased the financially-troubled, 600-plus-acre facility, established in 1999 by Patricia Kluge. Mums the word on what’s to follow, but in an April interview with The Washington Post, Trump indicated the purchase was more about the property than the wine. “I’m really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine,” he said in the article. “This place had a $28 million mortgage on it, and I bought it for $6.2 million.” If wine will continue to be produced, look for a Trump label. “Of course, it’s only Trump,” he told the paper. “Everything is Trump.” VWL
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PHOTO COURTESY OF STINSON VINEYARDS
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THE DONALD TRUMPS KLUGE
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.KLUGEESTATE.COM
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RUN FOR THE ROSES
Left: Stinson vineyards Below: Saude Creek Vineyards Grand Opening
INFO CUVEE In light of the new Virginia state corkage law allowing guests to bring their own wine into a restaurant, Chris Pearmund of The Winery at La Grange, Pearmund Cellars and Vint Hill Craft Winery is reimbursing visitors to his wineries 50 percent off the corkage fee they paid when they present a recent dinner receipt from a restaurant showing the charge for opening a Virginia wine. Pearmund says he will reimburse for the corkage fee paid for opening any Virginia wine at a restaurant, not just vintages from one of the wineries that he is affiliated with. Saude Creek Vineyards opened in July, the newest winery to call Virginia home. Located on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County, the historic site was once home to Frank’s Tavern, a waypoint for colonial travelers from Williamsburg northward. Current offerings include four whites, a rose and five reds. Stinson Vineyards also opened in July. The boutique vineyard is in White Hall, north of Charlottesville, and features the 1796 Piedmont House on its property; a custom-designed modernistic tasting room greets guests. Current offerings include three whites, a rose, a red and a dessert wine. VWL www.wineryatlagrange.com www.pearmundcellars.com
www.vinthillcraftwinery.com www.saudecreek.com
www.stinsonvineyards.com
Do you have wine news to share? Email to: patrick@virginiawinelover.com www.VirginiaWineLover.com n FALL 2011
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