Virginia Wines...they've come a long way, baby

It's Fall harvest and that means it's the perfect time to take a vineyard or winery tour. Even if you've never visited a winery before (some people worry the tours are too "pretentious" and they'd be uncomfortable with their lack of wine expertise) I highly recommend you take the time. The smaller Virginia vineyards are often mom and pop operations and very visitor friendly. Trust me, you don't have to be a wine-snob to enjoy them! Here are several local events happening this weekend.

November 4-5, 2006 – Horton Vineyards Fall Barrel Tasting gives visitors a chance to taste the ’05 and ’06 wines from the barrel. Of course the fall colors are also peaking in Orange County. $5/person includes glass. Info: 540-832-7440.

November 4-5, 2006 11am to 5pm--Heart of Virginia Wine Trail – Harvest Passport Weekend. Four of Central Virginia's premier wineries, including Cooper Vineyards and Lake Anna Winery will greet visitors. Fee includes glass and tasting. $10.00 per person, member discounts.

Lake Anna winery is celebrating a "Best in Show" award received earlier this month. More proof that Virginia wines may be coming of age.

Call me a cynic...

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO, now Dominion Power) began construction of a nuclear power plant near the North Anna River. In 1971, the river was dammed, forming a 9,600-acre lake to provide cooling water for the plant. That's how Lake Anna was created. Now, Dominion Power wants to add two new reactors.

My guess is if you asked most Lake Anna residents their views on nuclear power, you'd get a real mixed bag. I personally have to admit to being a bit conflicted. I have covered, as a journalist, more Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings over two decades then I care to remember. Being assigned to an NRC hearing was always the assignment from hell. Boring, complicated and the deck always seemed stacked in the utilities favor. In fact, the commissioners seldom had detailed questions and clearly just wanted to move the utilities' request to the next stage (most often, approval). However, that doesn't by definition mean nuclear power is evil, in my opinion. But certainly, not everyone agrees. The Blue Ridge Environment Defense League and Friends of Lake Anna have made impassioned arguments against approval of Dominion's request.

Now there's news this weekend about potential shenigans on the state level (Virginia must make its own review of the Dominion request before the feds ultimately rule). The Virginian-Pilot reports on a letter written by a state environmental quality officer and alleged attempts to squelch it:

The group Friends of Lake Anna has asked Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Attorney General Bob McDonnell and the inspector general of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to look into how the letter was received, scrapped and now apparently revived.

This is the kind of thing that certainly makes people suspicious. I for one would just like to believe that if we as a nation decide (as we have) that nuclear power is an important part of our national energy mix then everything that can and should be done to make it safe is happening. The cynic in me can't help but wonder if we're meeting even that bare minimum expectation.

Fall at the Lake

My friends always ask..."Do you get to the Lake much once summer's over?" Unfortunately, the answer is usually "not enough".
But Fall is our favorite time of the year at Lake Anna. The weather isn't so cold that you can't take the boat or the canoe out. Some are still hard-core enough to ski (although, you can't count me in that category).

The colors are absolutely gorgeous reflecting off the calm waters of autumn. Fewer boats, fewer people and the crisp cool nights are to die for. We've taken our past 4 family Christmas pictures at the lake in the fall because it's truly the perfect setting. The kids especially love to hike in the woods this time of the year.

There have been alot of anglers working our Cove lately and the fishing is apparently good. Glenn Briggs is just one of the Lake Anna fishing guides and by the look of his "recent catches" photos there are fish still to be caught!

Long before I had ever heard of Lake Anna, Virginia, my screensaver was a peaceful lake scene. You've probably seen one just like it...setting sun, reflective waters and trees blowing in the breeze. Never in my wildest dreams (well, OK maybe in my "what would I do if I won the lottery" daydreams) did I believe that some day I would have a view just like my screensaver outside my own window.

In 2000, my husband and I loaded up our young daughter and hit the road on a daytrip from Washington, D.C. We found several "surprises" along the way, Lake Anna being the largest. A few trips later and we took a walk on a lakefront lot (not planning to buy, mind you) and a few hours later we were land owners. Land owners?!?! We didn't know a drainfield from cornfield. We'd never even built a house and certainly didn't know diddly about the unique challenges of building on the waterfront.

That now seems like a long time ago. We can tell you all about septic systems, building on lakeside slopes, wells and beavers (and their fondness for young weeping willows). We've been in our lakefront home for several years and now have an investment condo on Lake Anna, too. We're hooked. Chances are if you've ever visited then you are too.

I suppose that's why I'm blogging. It seems a crime that so many of us in the D.C. and Richmond area who are overscheduled, overstressed and overworked don't even know Virginia's biggest "hidden treasure" is just down the road.