Category — Wine tasting

This month, the Southern Virginia Wine Trail (SoVa) will host its first annual indoor winter wine festival. 12 local wineries will participate, including Moneta’s own Hickory Hill Vinyard.

All advanced tickets are SOLD OUT! The festival kicks off at noon on February 18, so get there early to get your ticket!

For more directions and more information about the participating wineries and vendors, visit the festival website.

Wrap up the summer at Chateau Morrisette with their Friday Night Live, Cinema on the Lawn and Labor Day Monday events coming up on September 2, 3rd and 5th, respectively. Chateau Morisette is located in nearby Floyd and is convenient to all Smith Mountain Lake Residents, offering spectacular mountain views and regular fun-filled events for all tastes.

If you’re in the mood for a more rambunctious good time, live entertainment and fun, upbeat music, Friday Night Live features Southern Remedy from 6-9 p.m. Southern Remedy is a returning band that performs classic rock music, and while you listen you can dine from the outdoor grill, drink wine and dance with friends. Tickets cost only $8 apiece and you must bring your own seating. This event will continue rain or shine.

Next on the agenda for the weekend is the Cinema on the Lawn event. This is a more relaxing event for those who would like to curl up in a lawn chair and watch the sun set and have some delightful cinematic entertainment to round out their weekend. The Hitchcock classic “Dial M for Murder” will be shown and wine and food will be sold separately at the event. You must bring your own seating and blankets and picnics, coolers or outside food and drinks are not permitted. Tickets are $5, much less expensive than your average movie and with scenic sights surrounding you as the movie lights up the silver screen.

Finally, come celebrate your Labor Day Monday at the winery and join them for lunch followed by a tasting and tour. The restaurant will be open on Monday from 11 am to 2 pm and the winery hours are from 10 am to 5 pm. Take this opportunity to relax and enjoy some delicious beverages and food and pamper yourself a bit on your day off!

Chateau Morrisette would like to offer you a wonderfully relaxing weekend with their 3-day lineup of exciting events so close by to Smith Mountain Lake. If you haven’t visited the winery before, take your chance now in the midst of so many wonderful activities!

What is the best way to keep vacation costs down? Consider vacationing in your local area.

If you live in Virginia, Smith Mountain Lake is the perfect vacation spot. There are so many wonderful activities for you and your family to enjoy.

If you follow these tips, this beautiful vacation spot can be very affordable:

First, with the rising price of gas, take advantage of one of the credit cards that offers rebates or rewards when you purchase gas using their credit card. In order to reap the most benefits from credit card offers, make sure these charges are included in your vacation budget.

Second, consider planning your vacation during mid or low season. Peak season at Smith Mountain Lake is from June through August. Peak season demands the highest rental rates and the least amount of flexibility on check-in and check-out dates, as well as the length of your stay.

If you visit Smith Mountain Lake during mid season, four to six weeks prior to or after peak season, not only will it be less crowded, but your rates will be discounted. You will also have flexible check-in and check-out dates as well as the option of daily or weekend rates.

You will get the best bang for your buck if you visit Smith Mountain Lake during the low season, from mid-October through mid-April. Rental rates can be discounted by as much as 50%; check-in and check-out dates are very flexible; and you will have the option of renting by the day, week, or month.

Third, take advantage of Mariners Landing vacation packages. They offer a variety of packages from fishing and golfing to romance, wine, and honeymoon packages.

Fourth, as Rachel Ray always suggests, check with the locals to find the most affordable restaurants that offer the best food. Smith Mountain Lake locals are always friendly and will be glad to offer up some advice.

Remember, Smith Mountain Lake is not just a summer resort. No matter when you plan your visit, there will always be activities and events for your family to enjoy.

Or, call me, Vicki Millehan. I will be more than happy to give you some suggestions. I have over 19 years of experience in selling waterfront homes, and am a long-time resident of Smith Mountain Lake. My web page always has a current list of events that are taking place in Smith Mountain Lake.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or want to broaden your tastes, the Sedalia Center’s 4th Annual Jazz & Wine Festival has something to offer everyone. Come out for a classic evening of wine tasting and jazz music featuring talented artists and a rare chance to sample the tastes of some of the region’s best vintners. The smooth voices and musicianship of Jane L. Powell, Nat Reeves, and the Vince Lewis Trio will provide the perfect backdrop to your wine-tasting experience while you sample wines from Blue Ridge Vineyard, Century Beverage Distributor, Chateau Z Vineyard, and Fincastle Winery, among many others.

The event takes place in the Sedalia Center’s shaded, atmospheric open-air pavilion. The artists are local legends, with Jane Powell beginning her singing career in Roanoke, Virginia and Nat Reeves being born in nearby Lynchburg. Powell has been described as having a soulful style and a five-octave range, performing throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean and has been featured in a national McDonalds commercial, a Dino DeLaurentis film Marie and in the 1999 New Line comedy, The Bachelor. Nat Reeves and The Vince Lewis Trio have also received national acclaim and airplay. These artists are divine jazz musicians who will put on a performance you won’t want to miss out on at the Sedalia Center!

Bring your friends and family out for a night of refined relaxation and all sorts of live entertainment with music, dancing, and drinks from 4:00-10:00 pm on August 27th at the Sedalia Center located at 1108 Sedalia School Road in Bedford, VA. It is convenient to Smith Mountain Lake and only costs $15 for an advance ticket and $20 at the gate for a night of music, wine, vendors, festival food and beverages. Advance tickets may be purchased here.

For more information, call (434) 299-5080 or visit www.sedaliacenter.org

For more live musicians and entertainment as well as an opportunity to enjoy some great local wine, consider stopping by Hickory Hill Vineyards and Winery located in the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake area on Saturdays this summer.

Each event will be held on Saturdays through September 3rd and will run from 7:00-10:00 pm.

The lineup of local musicians is as follows:

July 2nd: Kevin Marshall-a songwriter from Charlotte, NC who previously played in the Sutton Ain’t Right band. He is the cousin of local musician Scott Sutton.
July 16th: Square Peg-a jazz duo performing live
July 23rd: Kat Mills-an acoustic singer/songwriter based out of Blacksburg, VA
July 30th: Sparks Will Fly-A blues/rock/acoustic group based out of Roanoke, with Brittany Sparks on vocals, Billy McCray on guitar, and Scott Sutton on bass.
Hear some of their music at ReverbNation
September 3rd: Larry, Mike & Chip-a group of songwriters who will be performing as “songwriters in the round.”

The cost is $10 including glass and tasting. Kids & DDs get in free.

Bring lawn chairs and a picnic spread and sample Hickory Hill’s fine wines, available for purchase by the glass or bottle, all while enjoying live local musicians!

Offering fine wine and delicious gourmet cuisine, Chateau Morisette is the perfect place to spend your Sunday listening to free live music and enjoying grilled foods, soft drinks and wine available to be purchased beginning at noon. You can even bring your own picnic and just enjoy the atmosphere and free entertainment.

Chateau Morrisette holds these events every Sunday through October. On Sunday, June 26^th, the live music and entertainment begins at 1:00 pm and ends at 4:00. They are located at:
287 Winery Road SW in Floyd, Virginia.

This Sunday’s entertainment is Crusher Run, who has been playing bluegrass, traditional folk country, and folk music since the fall of 2000. They describe themselves as a “Goodtime Band”. You can hear their music at http://www.myspace.com/crusherrun

Come out for free entertainment and purchase some food from the grill. Be sure to bring your own seating.

If you’d rather do something earlier in the morning, a Sunday Brunch Buffet is held every Sunday June-October from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.

The buffet is $23.95 per adult and $12 for children under 12.

A limited a la carte menu is also available.

Take advantage of Chateau Morrisette’s special summer events!

For more information visit http://www.thedogs.com, email info@chateaumorrisette.com, or call (540) 593-2865