On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Virginia Wineries Association, Virginia Wine Marketing Board, and the Virginia Vineyard’s Association revealed the results of the 2021 Virginia’s Governor’s Cup competition.

Along the east of Lake Garda, the province of Veneto, in north-eastern Italy, lies around the picturesque town of Bardolino. The wine region takes its name from this town, but it also encompasses a broader area. Wines labelled as Bardolino Classico are those made specifically near the town of Bardolino, itself, from original vineyards.

As the temperatures drop and our bodies attempt to adjust to the cooler temperatures of the fall into winter, we don heavier fabrics or add layers of clothing, sit in front of a roaring fire in the firepit or fireplace, and look to hot drinks to warm us from within. This week’s blog features warm wine concoctions, to ease in with the seasonal temperature transition.

Cabernet Sauvignon’s parents are Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. In the mid-1990s, Carole Meredith and John Bowers, at UC Davis, identified these grapes as the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon through DNA testing. The naturally occurring cross-pollination is estimated to have occurred as early as the 1600s.