Wine in Real Life is a series on My Nova Wine Blog about how wine shows up in everyday moments—the planned and the accidental, the celebratory and the oddly ordinary. These posts aren’t full tasting notes or winery profiles; they’re snapshots of real life with a glass in hand. From weeknight dinners and snow days to holidays, friends who feel like family, and the strange in-between moments where time doesn’t quite make sense, this series explores Virginia wine as it’s actually lived: opened, shared, paired with comfort food, and woven into the rhythm of daily life.
The past two months have been a whirlwind. Between the “snowcrete” adventures in Virginia and a spike in the workload, life has been busy—but the wine has been tremendous. I’ve spent the last few weeks zipping between local favorites and digging into my own racks at home to enjoy those special bottles I’ve been saving.
First Stop: Hark Vineyards
When a close friend visited from Northern Virginia, our first stop was the new tasting room at Hark – she’s never been. We tackled the Gold Medal Flight, celebrating Hark’s five recent gold medals. Every wine was beautiful, this lineup was particularly strong:
- 2024 Roussanne
- 2022 Spark
- 2023 Cabernet Franc
- 2023 Petit Verdot
- 2022 Ember
We loved the entire flight. I brought home some 2024 Rosé and a bottle of Ember—a dessert wine that hits the perfect balance of sweetness without being overpowering- I think my daughter-in-law will love it.. It’s the dessert wine I’d want to sip on a warm summer night.
Sunday with the Wine Crew™ at Pollak Vineyards
The next day, we met the Wine Crew™ at Pollak for the launch of their Gold Medal Flight and a special “Smuggler Sunday” library tasting.
The standout for me was the 2023 Merlot Reserve (keep an eye on this one!). While their gold-winning Nebbiolo was not officially on the flight, an employee was kind enough to bring us a “splash” to sample. It’s spectacular. The 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve was also probably one of the best I’ve had from this grape (I know, I know….).
We also dove into the Library Gold Flight, comparing 2015 and 2017 vintages of Cabernet Franc and Meritage. Pollak’s reds are built for aging; the fruit holds up wonderfully, though the 2015 Meritage was just starting to pass its prime. Kenny’s post has the skinny on comparing the various vintages. I couldn’t leave without snagging some Nebbiolo—they lifted the bottle limit that day, which felt like a true win!
And the following Sunday, Pollak hosted the first Out and About winery visit of 2026! I worked with Sarah in the tasting room to make a custom flight (they were so wonderful to do this!) that included the 2023 Pinot Gris, Gold Medal 2023 Chardonnay Reserve, 2023 Merlot, and 2021 Meritage. While we had a smaller turnout, it was a beautiful day and the wines were spectacular. People gravitated to the Chardonnay Reserve and a few also scooped up the 2023 Merlot Reserve (which was on point this weekend).
It was a ton of fun. Where were you?
A Run to the Mountains: Mountain and Vine & Ankida Ridge
After dragging my husband to three wineries in two weeks, I gave him a weekend off and headed to the mountains solo.
At Mountain and Vine, I was curious about the gold medal winning 2023 Screaming Hawk Meritage. It was crafted by Stephen Barnard, and I wanted to see how it compared to previous years. While the tannins are currently a bit rough and need time to integrate, the foundational fruit is fantastic. I bought two bottles to age. We’ll check in on these in about six months to see and report back to you.
My final stop was Ankida Ridge. Even five minutes after opening, the deck was hopping! With a 72-degree breeze and a glass of bubbles in hand, I inhaled their amazing pizza and then sampled the 2024 Gamay—their first in the bottle. It is pure joy: fruit-forward and incredibly juicy. I also revisited the eternally gold medal 2022 Pinot Noir, which remains rich and elegant, and better with each cork popped. I still don’t understand why this didn’t get a gold medal this year, but the competition really is a snapshot on a single day, and any number of things can impact perceptions of a wine.
Between the fresh mountain air, the friendly team (especially Melinda who always finds time to chat even when it’s busy), and their new pizza oven, Ankida remains the perfect place to recharge. Christine also came by and we chatted over bubbly about the winery, the weather, and the upcoming Virginia Wine Benefit event.
Pro Tip: All of the gold medal wines are fantastic right now. Go grab these flights while they last, and remember to check in on the Virginia Wine app to earn your swag!
Checking in on The Virginia Wine Collective
This warm and amazing spot has revamped their menu and opened a few more nights per week. Eastwood (who own this great spot) also has a number of Gold Medal wines from this year, and many are at the Collective. We went for a pizza and pop-up tasting with Josh Cataldo, pouring Petit Manseng from his Cataldos Perfezione brand. Josh has joined the Eastwood winemaking team while also launching his brand. The Collective is bustling with new energy and a new design upstairs (check out their instagram feed – shuffleboard while overlooking the barrels and tanks!). We loved Josh’s Petit Manseng, and I cannot wait to check out his entire lineup. We also had a blast with a bottle of Eastwood 2025 Albarino and I took home some Present Company rose and Delve Cabernet Franc in addition to an extra Albarino for our upcoming trip to the beach.
TL;DR – There’s so much great stuff out there. In the coming months I want to check out Valley Road again to sample the gov cup winner, check in at Mount Alto to sample the 23 blend and that special Merlot-leading release of 24, and maybe get myself to Afton and Veritas to see their medal winners. What medal winners or other incredible Virginia wine have you been sipping?
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