As I traveled Virginia talking to wineries about the other end of the connection, the aesthetic of wine drinking combined with cigar smoking, I soon realized that the the link went deeper than the enjoyment of the two in Virginia. The two are inexorably linked here, especially in Southern and Southwestern Virginia where many of the new vineyards are grown on converted tobacco farms. Wineries and the wine industry are becoming an important part of a state’s economy In 1979 there were only 6 wineries in Virginia and now there are over 200, making it one of the fastest growing agricultural commodities. But, as recently as 2007 the value of grape production was only 3% of that of tobacco production in a state where agriculture is the single largest industry with no others even close. This link between wine and cigars is as interesting at the creation, the agricultural end, as it is at the consumption end, well almost. This has led me to create The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail . There are 24 wine trails in Virginia, most of them regional and most of those specific to specific highways and secondary roads. There are notable exceptions that may or may not be called wine trails but highlight the commonality of a group of wineries like the Virginia Wineries and Battlefields (http://www.virginiawine.org/sesquicentennial) , created to help commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial celebration. The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail (www.VAWineAndCigar.com) is starting out small, with six wineries that promote and encourage the combined cigar and wine drinking aesthetic but I hope to focus more on the agriculture end as this develops. The best part of this is that, regardless of the outcome, the process of linking two of my favorite things is bringing me great enjoyment. An example was a recent wine and cigar tasting at Sans Soucy Winery (http://www.sanssoucyvineyards.com/) where the idea for much of this germinated (I am getting more agricultural already). Owners, Paul and Jackie Anctil and their son Paul talked passionately about their converted tobacco farm, growing tobacco as long as was economically feasible before converting them to grape vines. They continue to use the farm outbuildings in the production of their wine and one of my favorite wines, their Petit Verdot, has a cigar band label and has a subtle tobacco flavor that comes from the tobacco-rich terroir and the aging of the wine in old tobacco sheds,When I first arrived in Virginia I rode my motorcycle out of Richmond, cruising along and across the James River by old plantations, riding under canopies of oak trees and past acres of cotton, soy beans and tobacco. As much as I enjoyed it then it will mean even more now. I love this job!
