Nation’s Capital
Blessing of theVines The Nation’s Capital Chapter held its Blessing of the Vines at Walsh Family Vineyards on a beautiful day in August. Blessing the vines is a centuries-old tradition that happens all over the world, however, some scholars say that the ceremony may be older than originally thought. Some ancient Roman texts show that a celebration, centered around wine, happened in April every year to ask the Roman gods for good weather and a bountiful growing season. Our own Reverend Kevin McLaughlin blessed the vines this year in hopes of a good harvest. He quoted Benjamin Franklin with the reminder that, “Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” He also paid homage to Ernest Hemmingway who said, “I drink to make other people more interesting.” We were hosted by Nate and Sarah Walsh at their beautiful vineyard in Loudon County, Virginia who shared their story and wine with us. Nate and Sarah farm 50 acres of grapes on five distinct sites. The wine tasting consisted of a 2017 Viognier, 2018 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Merlot 2017, and a 2016 En Passant. The En Passant was a “blind” blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The delicious food was sourced from local Virginia businesses also from Loudon County.
Nation’s Capital Cadre with Rev Kev and Nate Walsh
Carl Brandhorst and Dave Barber
Joe Alt and Richard Abelkis
Sarah Walsh pouring the tasting and telling their story 12
The Arbor
