Make your Picnic Special with Amazing Food & Wine Pairing at TWABR

Its quite easy to pair food with wine even if you don't have fair knowledge of the same. You can look into the tasting notes available on the labels of most wines for that purpose. Taking consultation from a proficient sales person present at a winery or a wine shop will help you in a better way. As far as packing food for a picnic is concerned, you may know it better that what food you like and so may pack the same accordingly. However, you may never know which wine you may get to drink at the picnic, unless you are a regular visitor at our winery. 

You need not care a bit for your next picnic as we have arranged picnic-focused food along with wine pairing guide to make things easier for you. We have divided all the wines in categories - reds, all whites, acidic whites, softer whites, and dessert/sweet wines. Merlot, Norton, Petit Verdot, and Meritage Reserve are the wines forming the Red category. Its good to pair protein based food like prosciutto, chicken, sausage, salami, and turkey with our reds. It might prove to be a protein heavy lunch for you. However, you will find that the fat in the meat complements nicely with our reds. 

Our Delaney, Pinot Gris, Petit Manseng form the acidic whites and are most suited with nuts and fruits. The wine taste is enhanced due to the acid contained in dry fruit. As for cheese, the creamier cheese & spreads will be quite suitable with the acidic whites. Our softer whites, Viognier and Chardonnay feature fruit & oak flavors and a less acidic nature. Breads, crackers and sharper cheese will pair quite well with these two. Any of our offered white wines pairs exceptionally well with hummus. The savory flavor of hummus enhances the flavors in white to a good extent. Fish, chicken dishes, and cold shrimp are some of the other protein based food pairing best with our whites. 

Our dessert & sweet wines category includes the Fort NV and Classic Blueberry. A port-like wine, Fort NV features vanilla, chocolate and dark fruit flavors. Chocolates & nuts form the best pairing with Fort. However, there are two other amazing matches for Fort that include chocolate or vanilla pudding and crunchy popcorn. The tasty flavors and creaminess of pudding bring out the best flavors in the Fort too. Similarly, our Classic Blueberry tastes best with brownies and chocolate chip cookies. You can enjoy this amazing food-wine pairing when you visit TWABR for your picnic. When you visit our winery, you can also get the opportunity to take tour of the best VA vineyards. So, come and join us at the winery.

Wine Making at TWABR is Somewhat Different From the Traditional Methods

Over the past centuries, the wine making process has not changed much. In the early 1600s, Virginia's first settlers tried cultivating grapes and followed a specific wine making process. Its only in terms of sophistication that the wine making process has changed these days, the basic process yet remains the same. As for the wine making process followed at TWABR, our grape stomping process is different from the one followed in the old days. We de-stem and then crush the grapes in our clean wine cellar. Further,we remove the stems from fruit and then place it in big size T bins. 

In these bins, the grape undergoes fermentation process and after some weeks, proper separation of skin and seeds occurs. Separated skin & seeds fall to the bottom of bin. After completion of this process, wine is clarified in a stainless steel tank and finally moved to the French Oak barrels where aging takes place. Its almost for a year that our Red wines age in the barrels. It simply means that the grapes harvested in a particular year are available for tasting the next year. When sufficient aging has occurred, the Red wine is ready for being bottled. Further, the wine is poured in attractive bottles carrying the TWABR logo. 

Merlot and Norton varieties of grape are extensively used for production of tasty wine. A wine grape used for varietal wines as well as blending, Merlot features a dark blue color. Wines made using Merlot are normally medium bodied and have hints of currant, plum and berry. Some of the most highlighted features of this grape are its softness and tendency to ripe early. Its on account of these features that Merlot is the preferred grape for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon, a later-ripening grape variety. As for Norton, this grape variety was grown for the first time in Richmond. Dr. Daniel Norton is credited with the development of this grape variety. 

Norton variety features a typical deep blue-purple color and red juice. Its naturally red juice enables making a wine that is jammy, fruit forward and has high content of anthocyanins. You will find our Norton wine to be quite rich & balanced in terms of taste & composition. Tastings are conducted on a daily basis in our nicely decorated tasting room. We charge a tasting fee of $12 that includes 9 tasty Virginia wines. Our winery is also the perfect site for arranging wine festivals in Virginia and so you have the liberty to participate in the organized festivals as per your convenience.

Going Back in Time to Know the Rich History of Norton Grape

Many people must be aware of the fact that Thomas Jefferson failed in his attempt to establish a vineyard at Monticello. However, many previous attempts from other people to plant vineyard in this new place didn’t succeed either. Virginia's wine producing history dates backs to the year 1619. In this year, Act 12 was passed by the the Virginia House of Burgesses. Under this act, each head in every household was supposed to plant ten wines and to attain the vineyard dressing experience.

After facing & recovering from a devastating period in life, Dr. Richard Norton managed to experiment in his home garden by cross-breeding a European grape vine with a wild American vine. Dr. Norton's experiment created the first grape that was able to grow successfully and also produced a tasty wine. As the news of Dr. Norton's experiment spread, people took deep interest in planting Norton grape all over the place. The extraordinary variety also bagged award at a wine competition held in Paris. 

Norton grape plantation was quite prevalent in Missouri before it got prohibited which further resulted in demolition of Norton grapes vines. In the 1990s, Dennis Horton, one of the preeminent winemakers of VA, brought Norton back from Missouri to Virginia. In an endeavor to tell the story behind Norton, we at TWABR brought the original plantings from Missouri to our property, when we opened. The people working at Monticello ate all the grapes produced at the location. 

Jefferson was told that the vines failed. However, the reason for the same is not yet clear. Quite possible that the people said so as they felt bad for consuming all the grapes or may be they produced really awful wines. Jefferson was quite similar to George Washington as he kept serving his country for a long time. Monticello is located on a large hill's top that offered him an ideal location. However, Jefferson's rootstock didn't work fine with the available soil & weather conditions. 

You will definitely like to try Norton after becoming aware of its rich history. At The Winery at Bull Run, we present to you heart-winning Norton wine that will impress you to the core. You can relish tasty wine and can also plan an event of your choice by contacting our event management team. Among the several birthday, wedding sites in VA, TWABR holds a special place due to the relaxing ambiance it offers to guests. So, you can make a booking at our winery without thinking twice.

The Story Behind TWABR's Decision to Lease VA Vineyards

At The Winery at Bull Run, our Norton vineyard is spread across 3 acres of land. When you travel up our driveway, this is one thing you will never like to miss. We produce 10 types of wine, all of which are made using different varietals. But two crucial questions that arise are that where these wines come from and what is the reason behind not growing these delicious wines at our property. You must be quite familiar with the fact that a vineyard is quite different from a winery. In vineyards, grapes are grown while in winery, wines are made and so these are two different businesses.

To maintain high quality grape, we took the decision to take both of these business lines. You may be aware of the fact that different grapes need varied growing conditions and so we took the decision to lease 7 different VA vineyards for that purpose. For choosing these vineyards, we took special care to ensure that we get the best ones only. Virginia has several old family orchards spread over the place and growing conditions for grape wines are ideal for apple and peach trees as well. So, it simply implies that a site having an old orchard will grow good vines. You can assess the vine-growing potential of a site using this fact.

As the wine industry in Virginia flourished, several growers opted for converting their orchards to vineyards. It is an overall smooth transition for the property owners as the maintenance for both is nearly the same. We chose a 1,000 acre vineyard in southwest VA. The experienced owner gives a close attention to detail to ensure maintaining a higher quality fruit.

Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains are the ideal sites in Virginia to cultivate grapes. These areas have lower humidity and higher elevations besides lower-than-average rainfall and better air flow that makes them ideal for growing grapes. Also, the soil in these areas drains quite well, that is another reason for these areas to favor excellent grape cultivation.

 If you are interested in knowing more about our vineyards and various award-winning wines, do visit TWABR. Our tasting room will provide you the ideal place to relish our exotic wines while our friendly staff will tell you everything you want to know about wines. You can come to our winery with your family and friends during the opening hours to have a great time.

TWABR Serves as an Incredible Place to Celebrate your Crucial Occasion

At The Winery at Bull Run, we are always excited about celebrating the holiday season with the best of wine, cuisines and absolute cheer. When its about celebrating private events in style, our Main Barn serves the purpose fully throughout the year. However, when its the holiday season, the same Barn becomes a welcoming place for everyone. Our elegantly decorated tasting room & lounge offers the perfect site for arranging holiday parties.

As far as planning the party is concerned, you can rest assured of getting the best assistance from our event specialists who are competent to keep the party theme as per your needs. Whether you require to arrange a casual reception or an intimate party, we ensure that the food & beverages are precisely as per your requirements and in a way that delights your guests to the max. We are popular in Northern Virginia as the preferred event organizers for a host of events. 

Besides having a good time relishing the tasty cuisines served in the party, your guests would be also able to make a selection from the delicious wines we serve them. Whether its our award winning Red wine or the White one, your guests will enjoy every sip of it. We also arrange meetings, corporate events, private wine tastings, fundraisers, weddings and wine festivals in Virginia apart from entertaining holiday parties. If you too are interested in planning your next special occasion with us, simply get in touch with our event specialists to make your reservation. 

Each of our wines is quite popular among wine lovers. You can even use our red wine to make hot mulled wines at your home. A favorite holiday tradition, mulled wine features a heavenly taste and is also easier to prepare. Its Charles Dickens who gets the honor for elevating mulled wine to a holiday drink. The wine's place got secured in culinary history after it appeared in the eminent short story "A Christmas Carol". Red wine is a major ingredient of all mulled wines.

Mulled wine taste may differ depending on the recipe used. Some recipes may involve addition of citrus fruits along with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg while others may require adding sugar or honey to make the wine sweeter in taste. Irrespective of the recipe used for mulled wine, the final prepared wine is a real treat to taste. You can have a great time relishing it or visiting our winery to taste the several wines we offer. 

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Enjoy a Great Selection of Virginia Wines Only at TWABR

In Roman times, the middle of March marked the start of spring. You may also be surprised by the fact about Romans and their love for wines. Wine was given prime importance in the Roman diet and was available to slaves & peasants in the same way as to aristocrats. Its also said that an average Roman, whether slave, peasant, aristocrat or some other; had a daily wine intake of around 1 gallon. However, poor quality drinking water was considered responsible for such amazing Roman wine intake. 

Its also said that Romans never consumed any of their wines in full-strength. Rather they used to considerably add water to wine in order to decrease its strong sensation & alcohol content. The impact of Roman empire on viticulture was quite profound as production of wine was done throughout the empire. Roman's influence can be seen on the wine making areas existing in Italy, Portugal, France, Germany, and Spain. 

Romans were also quite skilful in creating refreshing beverages by adding several ingredients to wine. One of such beverages is Mulsum, a delicious mix of honey and white wine. You can make it easily at home by following the right procedure. Take half cup clear honey and half bottle medium-dry white wine. You can use our Dry Riesling wine for that purpose. Having arranged all the ingredients, warm the honey and then mix it with white wine. Chill the mixture in refrigerator for 24 hours and then serve accordingly. 

Our award-winning, light-bodied wine Delaney can also serve the purpose perfectly. Delaney is a semi-dry white wine that can be used for mulsum. It has won many awards at prestigious wine competitions including a gold medal at the Wines of the South Competition and a silver medal at New York International Wine Competition. You will be delighted to take sips of our Delaney besides a host of other wines that are available at our winery for daily tastings.

Live music & food is available on weekends. If you are looking for having the best wine tours in Virginia, then do consider The Winery at Bull Run for the same. We offer an exotic selection of Red wines, White wines and fruit wines that you can taste by paying a nominal charge. Our winery is also perfect to have the best vineyard tours in Virginia. We also offer the ideal site for arranging parties and events as per your convenience. So, come celebrate with us.

Revealing the Rich History of Hillwood & The Winery at Bull Run

Our location is right next to the historic Manassas National Battlefield Park due to which the visitors at our winery are attracted towards the stone ruins of Hillwood house. The foundation and chimney of Hillwood house still stand and have ideally become our link to the past. Hillwood's rich history can be traced back to 1840 when Weir family acquired the land on which the winery sits at present. At one point of time, the estate covered 513 acres land. 

Hillwood closely witnessed the first & second battles at Bull Run and surely we would be privileged to hear more about these historic battles if just the walls of Hillwood could speak. A Stone Bridge located south of Hillwood, close to Route 29, holds great historical importance. This bridge is also the source of TWABR's unique label. Built in 1825, this beautiful bridge was partially ruined in the spring of 1862 when Confederate soldiers destroyed its middle span. Later the bridge was built again, but Union soldiers ruined it again after they were defeated in the second battle of Manassas. 

This may make it seem as if Hillwood was ruined as well. However, the house survived, but post Civil War, its ownership changed a number of times. Later, Julius T. Richards became the owner of the house. Being a passionate collector of Civil War artifacts, Richards made the National Battlefield Museum containing more than 100,000 artifacts. The museum was built on Route 29, to the east of Stone Bridge. Tourism got severely affected due to World War II and so Richard considered it better to close the museum. Having closed the museum, Richards moved to Vicksburg, Miss. Later, Hillwood was again sold in 1944 and then two years later, in 1946. 

The house got severely damaged due to a fire in 1990. Not only the roof collapsed but the second floor also came down. For the next couple of decades, Hillwood sat idle. Finally, in 2008, Jon Hickox bought the remaining 21 acres and started making plans to make a winery adjacent to it. If you want to know more about Hillwood, you can visit our tasting room. We have displayed Civil War relics as well as the house photos in our winery's tasting room. TWABR is one of the best wedding venues in Virginia. Our winery's spectacular location makes it perfect for arranging entertaining parties, events and wine festivals in Virginia. You can visit our winery to have a soothing time with your friends while sipping exotic wines.