Grand Opening Party at Virginia Wine Collective

You may already be aware that I adore this space. Conceptually and in execution, I think the Virginia Wine Collective is awesome. I have been here a bunch of times, I brought Out and About here, visited with some Wandering Winos, and had a few other stops. The wine is great, the people are fan-damn-tastic, and the vibe is 100% what you want when you head out with friends.

Today’s Grand Opening was the official launch party. They’ve been open for a bit – soft promotion, a little bit of social media buzz, and some fun bar takeover nights. This was a great event to showcase what their kitchen can do and highlight wines from some of the winemakers there. It was also a club pickup day, and it made for a ton of fun.

I swung in for the early shift and found myself amidst a pretty good crowd already. There was a tasting of five Collective Wines paired with food in progress. We were all greeted with brochures inviting us to play along with a “match the winemaker to their past” game:

This was harder than it looks, but after a bit of conversation/coercion, winemakers dropped some hints.

The first wine was Dogwood and Thistle‘s Riesling, grown at Swope Vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley. Another great example of what Virginia Riesling can be. I told Erin Robertson (co-owner of Dogwood and Thistle) how much I enjoyed their White Blend and she sighed and said she missed it too. It was paired with pita, cucumber and dill sauce and matched beautifully. I ended up taking a bottle of this home because I’m suddenly finding myself enamored with high-altitude Virginia Riesling.

The second pairing was Delve’s Aurora (you know I love me this Roussanne/Albariño blend) paired with some seasoned shrimp. The pairing was divine, and this wine showed up bright and cheery and refreshing as it usually does. Julie was pouring and said she isn’t quite sure yet whether the 25 vintage will be single varietal Roussane and Albariño, or whether the Aurora blend will make an appearance. I’d personally vote for “and” here and do all three.

Jake was next, pouring his Cabernet Franc from 2022. I think this wine has been showing amazingly for the last few months, and it was paired with a salami and pepper appetizer. I think this wine will be great for the next several years – it has not peaked yet.

Eastwood’s wines were the final two, with the 2022 Petit Verdot paired with a chocolate cordial. Petit Verdot is my jam, and this dark wine with the sweet chocolate cordial was perfection. I really enjoyed this. It was followed by Eastwood Petit Manseng with a Curried Sweet Potato. The small bites were out of sight, and matched expertly with the wines.

Afterwards I sat at the bar and enjoyed a few glasses and some great conversation.

Josh Cataldo was at the bar, repping his brand Cataldo’s Perferzione.

I talked to Josh for quite a while about his history as a Somm in Florida, followed by stints at Barren Ridge, King Family, and most recently Glass House here. He is now making his own line called Cataldo’s Perfezione, and has a rosé of Tannat coming, maybe as soon as January! He’s really after a lighter style of wines, and wants to emulate Bordeaux. He has Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in barrel, and some interesting stuff coming with Petit Manseng. I’m pretty excited about his wines coming out over the next few months. His instagram feed shows the progress with the 2025 vintage, so check it out.

I also got to speak with Chris Tropeano for a while, who will very soon be releasing Present Company Wines. The bottles on the bar were from the 2024 vintage – a Pet Nat made with Chardonnay and a Carbonic Maceration Petit Verdot. Chris has a background in North Carolina breweries, and currently works at King Family. This will be the launch of his personal line, and there is plenty more to come from him too! He has a really interesting perspective, and talked about one project he is doing with a brewer that involves something like a co-ferment with Sauvignon Blanc (mind blown).

Hubby got there, and we enjoyed a glass of Aurora. The Collective is a warm spot that is wonderful to bring friends for sipping and chatting while we sample wines that bring something exciting and different. The food they offered today was fantastic. People sitting nearby got the Shrimp Boil which looked and smelled amazing (and they ate every last bite!). I don’t think it’s possible to have a bad time when you visit. I’m particularly excited about some of these new wines/brands that will be released over the next few months.

So as you can tell, I love the Collective and everything it represents – it provides new winemakers space to create and innovate, and a home base to share their work. The menu is tremendous and offers a wonderful space to grab a bite and sip while you hang out with friends. I cannot wait til they have a regular schedule of events and tastings, with frequent pop up tastings with their own winemakers as well maybe some guest winemakers too. The environment is intimate enough that you can nerd out with the winemakers hearing them talk about their craft, or just sip and chat with your friends. They’re open Fridays right now, so make your plan and drop in to check it out!