Wine, revelry abound at Montpelier festival

MONTPELIER STATION — Although people were merrily reveling at every winery stall at the annual Montpelier Wine Festival, there was an unparalleled level of gaiety surrounding the Peaks of Otter tent.
In a scene evoking the blithe rowdiness of a fraternity tailgate, wine aficionados there donned stickers, hooted and hollered, and let employees of the Bedford vineyard spray “easy cheese” onto exposed flesh.
“Nothing says fun like easy cheese body shots,” bellowed John Hargash, who poured Chili Dawg wine to accompany the cheese-from-a-can delicacy.
And on a serene and sunswept Saturday afternoon, nobody in the crowd argued with that declaration.
This weekend more than 9,000 people are expected to attend the festival, held on the grounds of James Madison’s hallowed estate. Twenty Virginia vineyards are represented this year, most of them located in Central Virginia.
The cozy atmosphere and diversity of wineries is what attracted people from across the state to the heart of Orange County. Though the festival has grown steadily during its two decades, it retains the intimacy of a backyard barbeque, many said.
“It is just small enough where you can interact with the wineries, but big enough to get a good cross section,” said Steve von Hitritz, who came with his wife, Kim, from New Kent County.
Those too young to imbibe still had plenty of options Saturday: kite flying, rides, blues bands and, of course, funnel cake.
“Some people don’t think of wine festivals as family friendly, but we’ve oriented it that way,” said Barbara Bannar, the executive director of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, which helps run the event.
Madison’s home provided a stately backdrop to the carousing, and festivalgoers could tour the mansion.
But for most, the priority was sampling as many wines as possible. Kristin DeBord, sporting an I Heart Boxed Wine T-shirt, and Marianne Drowne carpooled to the festival from Washington with 10 friends. They resolved to visit all 20 winery tents before returning home and, if still on their feet at the end of the day, to see Montpelier.
“We didn’t see the house the first two years, so I swear we are gonna do that this year. Maybe,” DeBord said.
This being Montpelier, the festival also offered an historical experience. Children could ride in oxen-pulled wagons and Revolutionary War re-enactors set up a military camp.
David Snyder, playing a member of the English 64th Regiment, noted that only officers were likely to drink wine during the war, but that all British soldiers received a daily 4-ounce ration of rum.
“Given the state of water sanitation back then, it might not have been a bad idea,” he said.
By late afternoon the wind had picked up and empty wine bottles cluttered the floor of winery stalls. Linda Merritt, of Chateau Morrisette, said her winery had given out at least 120 bottles’ worth of free samples.
A man entering the Barboursville Vineyards tent succinctly summed up the feeling of many after a long day of wine tasting:
“I’m on top of the world and the world is on top of me.”
The festival continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Tickets at the gate are $20; $5 for ages 13 to 20; and free for children under the age of 13.