In Albemarle, wine lovers taste the works

Wine lovers twirled their glasses between sips and raved about quality and unique taste at the first Virginia Wineworks Wine Festival in Albemarle County on Saturday.

“For me, it’s a lot about: What can I eat with this wine?” said Therese Verkerke, 21, adding that good wine must have a “refreshing” taste that’s “not too sweet.”

Verkerke’s mother, Tracy Verkerke, is a partner for Well Hung Vineyards, an area winery and one of nine vineyards offering dozens of wine samples Saturday.

For $14, causal and expert wine drinkers were given glasses and set loose to sample the wines. Bottles are also for sale at the event, which continues from noon to 6 p.m. today at 1781 Harris Creek Way, behind First Colony Winery.

Virginia Wineworks co-owner Michael Shaps plans to make the festival an annual event. Virginia Wineworks is a winery in southern Albemarle.

Shaps said he’s expecting 300 to 500 people to attend the festival this weekend. The vendors include independent growers, award-winning makers and wineries offering new vintages.

Sharon Enoch, a restaurant owner from the Outer Banks of North Carolina who attended the festival, said many of the wines were unique.

“It’s so great to sample so many different grapes,” Enoch said.

Jim Turpin, who co-founded Democracy Vineyards in Lovingston earlier this year, showcased wine for $15 a bottle. He said Democracy Vineyards aims to produce wine that is “affordable” and “enjoyable.”

Tracy Verkerke attributes the taste of Well Hung Vineyard’s wine to art, science and agriculture “all in one bottle,” with quality being the focus. Most of the bottles cost about $18.

Nevermind the vineyard’s humorous name — by the way, “Well Hung boxers” are sold at their booth — “well hung” refers to the grapes used for the wine.

“The key to wonderful wine is the person taking care of the grapes,” Tracy Verkerke said, noting that the vineyard’s grape-caregiver is a former nurse who treats every grape like a patient.