Taking Jolene Family Winery Beyond the Lake: Why We Love Wine Festivals
One of our favorite parts of being a winery is getting to share our wines with people, not just here at the lake, but all across Virginia.
Throughout the year, you will find the Jolene Family Winery team pouring at festivals, community events, and wine celebrations from one end of the state to the other. While these events are a great opportunity to introduce new people to our wines, they've become so much more than that.
More Than Just Wine
Every festival gives us the chance to meet new friends, reconnect with familiar faces, and hear the stories that make every bottle memorable.
One of our favorite moments this year happened at Hanover Vegetable Farm's Strawberry & Wine Festival. A guest who had grown up in Lithuania tasted our Vasara: Peach and immediately smiled when she saw the name. "Vasara" means summer in Lithuanian, and she was touched to learn that we chose the name to honor our family's Lithuanian heritage while celebrating the light, fruity flavors of summertime. Those unexpected connections remind us that wine has a wonderful way of bringing people together.
Wine Really Is for Everyone
Traveling throughout Virginia has opened our eyes to something we have always believed: wine doesn't discriminate—it's for everybody.
Whether someone enjoys crisp whites, bold reds, sweet fruit wines, or something in between, we almost always have a wine that becomes their favorite. Sometimes it's more than one! At a recent festival, one guest loved every single wine we brought and ended up taking home a bottle of each. Moments like that are incredibly rewarding and remind us why we love what we do.
Of course, some wines have become festival legends. Our Vasara: Peach continues to be one of our biggest crowd favorites, and we never head to a festival without it.
Learning Along the Way
Festivals also give our tasting room team a chance to step outside the winery, experience different communities, and bring fresh ideas back home.
We've discovered which festivals have become annual favorites, explored new events during our slower seasons, and even traded bottles with fellow Virginia wineries along the way. One year, we collected gold medal Virginia wines throughout the year from wineries across the state and hosted a staff tasting to compare each unique expression of Virginia wine. It's a fun way to continue learning and celebrating the incredible talent within Virginia's wine community.
Where Should We Visit Next?
As much as we love welcoming guests to our winery by the lake, we also love taking Jolene on the road.
If there's a festival, farmers market, community event, or town you would love to see us visit, we would love to hear from you. Sharing our wines and our family's story with communities beyond the lake is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do, and we're always looking for new places to explore.
We hope to see you at a festival soon. If you spot the Jolene tent, be sure to stop by, say hello, and enjoy a glass with us!