Hark Vineyards is a family-owned winery in Earlysville, Virginia, focused on the belief that beautiful views and delicious wine can bring people together. (Pictured above, R to L, Becky, Becky’s husband Lou and our friend Debbie.) The winery is a multiple gold medal winner at the Virginia Governor’s Cup competition.
We enjoyed a wine dinner at River and Rail Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, featuring Hark Vineyard wines. The R&R chefs obviously took a lot of time and put much thought into the wine and food pairings presented that evening.
My favorite wine of the evening was the Petite Verdot 2023, shown above with a lovely roasted beet salad – beet greens, black pepper, and strawberry au jus. I enjoyed this full bodied red wine with notes of blackberry, cedar, and violet.
Petite Verdot grapes thrive in Virginia’s warm, humid summers. Considered by some to be THE Virginia grape. Available locally at Gladheart Wines and Brews. Hark wines are relatively reasonably priced. The Petite Verdot is $38 and their other wines are in the $30 – $40 range.
My favorite wine and food pairing was the buttermilk biscuit – Benton’s country ham and whipped butter paired with Chardonnay 2021. The Chardonnay was buttery which complemented the buttery biscuit perfectly.
