While visiting their son in Warsaw, Cheryl and Dean Hering of Kingman, Ariz., stopped by Belle Mount Vineyards. FILE/SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

- FILE/SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Grapevines were ready for summer growth at Oak Crest Vineyard in King George. FILE/SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Crecevcio Cervaytes picks traminette grapes at Belle Mount Vineyards in Warsaw. FILE/SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

New video featuring vineyards and wineries of Northern Neck produced as marketing tool

Date published: 4/29/2008

SOME SAID they got into the winery business after carefully researching the business of growing grapes, making wine and struggling to make a profit.

Others at a special reception launching a video on "The Vineyards and Wineries of the Northern Neck" said their businesses grew out of hobbies.

One newcomer even "blamed" the jump into the wine business on a home kit purchased at Kmart, that grew from a basement operation to a garage-filling experiment to a full-fledged vineyard.

"I'm just surprised that so many people want to lose so much money these days," joked veteran Doug Flemer of Ingleside Vineyards, hosting the event for the video that highlights stops on the relatively new Northern Neck Wine Trail.

Flemer said that when his family got into the wine business in Westmoreland County's Oak Grove in 1980, there were eight wineries in Virginia.

"I think the latest count is 150 wineries in the state," he said. "And the number is still growing."

Flemer and Patty Long of the Northern Neck Tourism Council, which coordinated the making of the video, said they hope it will become an effective marketing tool.

Long, whose position was recently discontinued by the Tourism Council due to funding shortages, said the video on the vineyards and wineries grew from a different idea.

"Initially, we had talked about making a DVD that could be used to market the entire Northern Neck," Long said.

When it became clear that might be too much for one video, the Tourism Council and video producer Mark Huffman of Northumberland County, decided to split the subjects up.

One video includes museums and historic attractions, and has sold out all but a handful of its first run.

Huffman, who got his start in radio, said making a video featuring the interesting operations on the Northern Neck Wine Trail was a natural.

Included on the video are Athena Vineyards and Winery in Burgess, Belle Mount Vineyards in Warsaw, Ingleside Vineyards in Oak Grove, Oak Crest Vineyard and Winery in King George, Vault Field Vineyard in Kinsale and White Fences Vineyard and Winery in Irvington.

Also on the trail are Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery in Stafford and New Kent Winery.

Huffman said the video came together nicely, and features different aspects of the business--types of grapes, equipment used, how to taste wine and personal stories of those starting the vineyards.

"One of my favorites is a whole section on how to correctly taste wine, done by one of the wine-makers known to all," Long said. "I never knew so much went into tasting wine the right way."

Flemer said most people outside his industry don't know how important tourism and marketing tools like the wine trail are to small wineries like those featured on the DVD.

"It's so important to get people to visit the wineries," where they can buy wines directly, he said. "We are never going to be a force in the open market. There is too much competition for shelf space from the big companies and conglomerates."

Others agreed, noting the many ways they welcome visitors for tours, tastings or to enjoy the natural beauty of their properties.

The DVD is being sold for $12.95 at the vineyards and wineries, at Northern Neck museums and historic attractions and through the Wine Trail Web site.

northernneckwinetrail.com

Rob Hedelt: 540/374-5415
Email: rhedelt@freelancestar.com

Date published: 4/29/2008