October is Virginia Wine Month — the perfect excuse (as if I needed one!) to open bottles, make new connections, and celebrate what I love most about wine: community. This month, that spirit came to life in the best possible way.
If you haven’t picked up from other posts in this blog, my “thing” is sharing wine I love with people and bringing people together in community around them. So when I had the chance to work together with Out and About, Black Women Who Wine, and the Oenoverse Club and make a meetup for Virginia Wine Month at a place designed for connection, it felt like everything I care about in one evening.
Out and About exists to offer a space for community and connection for people who identify as LGBTQ or are allies, which feels more important than ever now. Likewise, Black Women Who Wine and Oenoverse Club exist to create space for people to come together in community over wine. I’ve watched the socials for both groups and connected with a few members of each over the last year or so, and felt that our groups would blend beautifully over a few pours of Virginia Wine.
We gathered at Ethos a space whose mission — “building community and authentic connections” — couldn’t fit better. I’ve been there before (and even hosted Out and About once), so I knew it would be the right vibe. After a couple months of planning, everything came together exactly as I’d hoped.
The whole concept was to hold a “bottle social.” Everyone bought a bottle to share, pouring a little for others to taste — an easy way to discover new favorites and spark conversation. To help with that, we added bottle tags with fun prompts to get people talking. The goal wasn’t just to hang out in the same space, but to actually connect.
There were so many great wines served too! Ethos has a broad selection of Virginia Wines, and people were choosing from:
- Blenheim Syrah
- Blenheim Roussanne
- Blenheim Cabernet Franc
- Rosemont Sparkling Brut
- Joy Ting Amuse Cabernet Franc
- Lightwell Survey Electric Chair
- Parallax Project What’s This?
- Stinson Wildkat
- Stinson Cabernet Franc
- Stinson Lido Deck
- (Flying Fox) Sly Fox Feora
- Wound Tight Free Lens
There were a handful more I cannot recall. I didn’t get to try everything on this list. I did truly love the samples of Blenheim Syrah, Wound Tight Free Lens and Lightwell’s Electric Chair.
Hubby and I met so many great people, and the energy was exactly what I’d hoped for — welcoming, curious, and full of laughter. By the end of the night, after the last pours and the group photo, we were already talking about when to do it again.
Because honestly? Community is everything. Having a space to connect with people who share your experiences — and your love of good wine — is something worth raising a glass to.
Cheers to What’s Next
Events like this remind me why Virginia Wine Month means more than what’s in the glass — Virginia Wine is also about who’s across the table. Here’s to more shared bottles, more laughter, and more spaces where everyone feels they belong.
My NoVa Wine Blog 