“We have to be in Virginia, that’s the only rule of the Virginia Wine Festival,” explains Charlie Adler, the founder of Taste USA Event Management, the official organizer of the 43rd annual Virginia Wine Festival. In the company’s first two years of managing the festival, Taste USA held it at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville and Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria. This year the event will set up in Rosslyn, making it even more accessible to grape fans throughout the region.
“Northern Virginia to me is really about the Maryland suburbs, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia all combined,” says Adler. “It really is bringing people from all those jurisdictions to the Virginia Wine Festival.”
Adler says that Virginia wine makers have established themselves as a source of quality in the region, which makes the festival a big draw. About 20 wineries, offering tastings of more than 200 Virginia wines, are expected to be on hand to showcase that quality, including Blue Valley Vineyard & Winery, Jefferson Vineyards and Narmada Winery.
Adler has made it a priority to highlight more than just the local wine scene. Local craft breweries (not included as part of an event ticket) and more upscale, local food trucks are also on tap at the fest. But it’s the addition of the VA Oyster Pavilion that has proved to be a real hit.
“When I took over the event I said, ‘I’d like to add something unique from Virginia.’ That’s when I created the VA Oyster Pavilion,” Adler says. Entry into the pavilion is included in the price of a ticket, where patrons can get freshly shucked oysters from the Chesapeake regions. Last year, they sold out of the 5,500 oysters they had just before the end of the two-day festival.
In addition to highlighting local vendors inside the ropes, Adler says the Rosslyn location allows attendees to explore Arlington. When the event was at Bull Run in 2016, he described that as a “destination festival,” where you go for the event only. Rosslyn, and Oronoco Bay last year, offers more than just the festival.
“It’s near Metro; it’s near Georgetown. It’s near restaurants; ride-sharing is convenient,” explains Adler. “My preference is always to organize a festival where my audience can leave and continue to find other forms of entertainment.”
So, how would Adler make the most out of this year’s wine festival experience? “I would come hungry. I would obviously sample as many wines, within reason, and then partake of other things around the area.”
The 43rd annual Virginia Wine Festival at Gateway Park in Rosslyn takes place on Oct. 13-14. // Tickets: $40 general admission, $55 at the door; virginiawinefest.com
