Local Wine Events

Event Details

Wine OR Wine & Food

Tags:   Food   Wine   Walk Around Tasting   Party  

The expanded 5th Annual Virginia Wine Expo (VWE) has firmly established itself as Virginia’s premier wine event, exclusively featuring Virginia wine.  Voted “Best Wine Fest Overall” in Virginia by the readers of Virginia Wine Lover magazine, VWE offers attendees a unique opportunity to taste and buy more than 400 bottles of Virginia wine.  Benefiting the Virginia Wineries Association, the Central Virginia Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, more than 10,000 attendees are expected at this year’s three-day event.

The Expo takes place February 24-26, 2012, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia.  Tickets are on sale now at VirginiaWineExpo.com.  All attendees receive a beautiful RiedelÒ crystal wine glass and are permitted to sample wine from more than 65 Virginia wineries and gourmet food from some of the region’s finest chefs and specialty food purveyors. 

VWE has added new events to the schedule for 2012. A new Walk-Around Grand Tasting will be held from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.  Additional events include two luncheons, two “Virginia Wine Expo After Hours at T-Millers” parties, a wine and food pairing soiree, and a brunch are making their debut.  

The Virginia Wine Lovers’ Luncheon at Acacia Mid-Town will be prepared by one of Richmond’s culinary stars, Chef Dale Reitzer, who was selected as one of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in America in 1999.  He has also been named a semi-finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2010 and 2011.  The Late Winter Harvest Luncheon at Lemaire Restaurant will be led by another Richmond culinary star, Chef Walter Bundy, named Chef of the Year by Richmond magazine.  Esquire magazine named Lemaire Restaurant as one of its Best New Restaurants (in America) in 2009.

VWE will feature four new wine and food pairing seminars, including an extraordinary seminar about pairing modern charcuterie with Virginia wine led by Richmond’s premier artisan charcuterie and butchery, Belmont Butchery.  Also, Bob Talcott, the renowned Wine Director at Can Can Brasserie in Carytown (Richmond), will give a 90-minute seminar called, “Your ‘Pleasure’ Senses and Professional Wine Tasting Techniques.”

VWE is distinctive.  No other wine event in the nation offers the chance to taste and buy more than 400 bottles of premium Virginia wine. Virginia boasts about 210 wineries and VWE is the best chance to sample and buy the best the Commonwealth has to offer.