The beautiful Veritas Vineyards & Winery near Charlottesville is offering a glittering new winter light display. Pull on your warm boots and head out to Veritas Illuminated for a charming holiday event where visitors can experience the beautiful countryside venue in a brand new light. Veritas, a 20-year-old family enterprise on the cutting edge of the Virginia wine industry, is located in Afton, in the Monticello AVA. The vineyard grew out of the passion Andrew and Patricia Hodson have for wine and their commitment to making exceptional wine. The winery also offers fine dining as well as luxury accommodation at the charming Farmhouse at Veritas on the property.
Enjoy a festive tasting area lit by glittering twinkle lights. Keep warm beside toasty fire pits for everyone to enjoy and relax by the cozy fireplace in the tasting room while you sip wine. The enchanting lit trees add sparkle and celebration to the occasion. Chef Andy Shipman has unveiled his mouth-watering new farm-to-table winter menu, and food will be available. Finish the evening toasting delicious s’mores over fire pits or drinking hot chocolate in the tasting room while you watch the flames dance. This is the perfect holiday tradition for spending time with family and friends.
Fireside Wine Tasting at Veritas Vineyards
Veritas wine excellence begins with the terroir of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Vineyard encompasses over 50 acres in the Monticello wine region and offers a diverse variety of wine ranging from sparkling to finely balanced red wines. Emily Hodson, Andrew and Patricia’s daughter, has been the Head Winemaker at Veritas for over 15 harvests. Her inspired old-world viticulture and vinification techniques capture the real essence and character of each variety. Expert Wine Educators are available during this unique holiday experience to offer delicious wine pairing suggestions for your s’mores and for other foods on offer.
Holiday Lights Wine Walk at Veritas
Embrace the season and the holiday spirit with an enchanting walk among the lights and vines. Stroll along a half mile walking track that takes guests through the illuminated woodland path. Charming displays dot the woods before guests emerge at the vineyard’s edge. There you are greeted by the vineyard transformed.
Thousands of shimmering lights bring the scene to life in a whole new way. After a few photos to capture the sparkle and the memories, guests can meander through the rows of elegantly lit vines. Be sure to dress for walking and for the weather when you visit Veritas Illuminated.
Winter at Virginia Wineries
Wine grape growers enjoy cold winters—but only when the temperature never stays below 10 degrees Fahrenheit for 48 hours. Deep cold spells like that can mean not only the loss of the crop, but also the death of the vine. Because different grapes have varied sensitivity levels to cold damage, viticulturists take those factors into account when selecting varietals and where to plant them on the property. Veritas founder Andrew Hodson shared that snow helps control pests and is actually good for the vines in other ways too. Not only does it provide a blanket effect against the cold but it also provides a degree of what farmers call “poor man’s nitrogen.” It is estimated that 2 to 12 pounds of nitrogen are deposited per acre as a result of snow and rain. If Veritas Vineyards & Winery is lucky enough to get a snowfall while the light display is live, it will be especially romantic as the snow mutes the holiday lights to a gentle glow.
Visit Veritas Illuminated
In 2023, Veritas has expanded their Winery Lights event. The winery has doubled the length of the walking trail and number of lights on the vines, added two illuminated walking tunnels and stepping stones and much more. They also have a special gourmet “Winter Wonderland” menu for their winery visitors who have come to enjoy the sparkling festivities. Five minutes away their sister winery Flying Fox Vineyard is starting their own holiday tradition by creating a full-scale Christmas Vacation display in their tasting room and mixing festive holiday cocktails.
Be transported to a Virginia Wine Country winter wonderland at Veritas Illuminated. The beautiful walking path is open on select Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights throughout the holiday season, November 17, 2023 through January 6, 2024. Timed entry begins at 5:15pm and ends at 8:30pm. Veritas Vineyards & Winery closes at 9:00pm. Click here for dates, times and tickets to experience Veritas Illuminated.
JENNIFER BRYERTON is Co-Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Wine & Country Life. She is an avid gardener, home cook and wine-taster. She enjoys learning about Virginia viticulture and sharing the story of our local farm-to-table makers.
R. L. JOHNSON is our co-publisher and creative director. Bethke studied at the prestigious ArtCenter College of Design and began her career as a professional photographer in Los Angeles. She moved into graphic design and art direction when she relocated to Charlottesville in 1994. As our company’s co-founder and visionary, she enjoys all aspects of storytelling.
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