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sip local bubbly with your sweetie

Virginia wineries expect sparkling wine sales to soar for Valentine's Day.

By CATHY JETT

Date published: 2/14/2004

By CATHY JETT

ngleside Vineyards uncorked a trend when it introduced the first Virginia-made sparkling wine 24 years ago.

The Westmoreland County winery's Virginia Brut was a novelty at the time, and owner Doug Flemer wasn't even sure it would be profitable.

"But it was successful right from the start," he said.

Today, Ingleside sells nearly all of the 250 cases of sparkling wine it produces in a year. And it is no longer the only Virginia winery making bottles of bubbly.

Oasis Winery in Fauquier County has produced sparkling wine since 1981, and recently released its new "Infinity" Celebration Cuvee D'Or Brut.

Other Virginia wineries with sparklers include Barboursville Vineyards and Horton, both in Orange County; Prince Michel Vineyards in Madison County; and, most recently, Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard in Albemarle County.

All are expecting sales to soar like champagne bubbles today as people toast their valentines.

"We sell most of our sparkling wine at Valentine's and at the holidays at the end of the year," Flemer said. "Lots of people also want it for birthdays, weddings, any festive occasion."

Virginia's sparklers--only wines made in the Champagne province of northeastern France truly can be called "champagne"--aren't household names. But they are gaining respect. Wine Enthusiast magazine, for example, has named Oasis Brut one of the top 10 sparkling wines and champagnes in the world.

And Kluge Estate's new Virginia Champagne won raves from food, wine and travel writers who attended a breakfast held in New York City Tuesday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the "Virginia is for lovers" slogan.

"We served Kluge's champagne with oysters, and the New York press loved it," said Mary Davis-Barton, the Virginia Wine Marketing Office's program director.

Barboursville Vineyards' Barboursville Brut also has gained national attention, and is featured in the February edition of Country Living magazine.

"We're seeing more and more attention toward Virginia wines in general, especially in magazines," said Luca Paschina, Barboursville's general manager and wine maker.

While Virginia's sparkling wine output is growing, it is still dwarfed by states with bigger wineries, such as California, Davis-Barton said.

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Date published: 2/14/2004