The Shenandoah Valley is quickly developing in to an attractive, respected area to grow grapes. This location has shown to be prosperous with European wine grape varietals. The rolling hills create great drainage, and cool air, which help with producing sweet grapes, while protecting the vineyards from frost. Not to mention some of the prettiest countryside in Virginia that creates the perfect destination for wine tasting and touring. Bluestone Vineyard is in the center of a beautiful valley, named after the "bluestone" (a type of limestone) that is a main component of the local soil.

No, not the restaurant. The real Outback consists of the western third of the country of Australia. The population—and most importantly, the grape growing, and winemaking in this region—is concentrated in the southwest corner. The main city is Perth.

This week’s tasting at City Vino features wines where there wasn’t really a particular theme in mind. I considered calling it a “Variety of Varieties,” until I realized that one of the wines was technically a blend of 85 percent of one grape, and 15 percent another. Though many places around the world, legally, the 85 percent means it can be labelled as the predominant grape variety without mentioning the secondary grape at all, but let’s stick to the non-themed theme, shall we?

This coming weekend, September 10th and 11th, City Vino will be featuring wines that fall under the classification as “orange” wines. They are not made from the citrus globes of fruity delight, though they may have a color that is more in the orange color palette.