Written by: Debbie Martinez • October 26, 2023• Travel

A Wine and Soup Weekend in Virginia

The day could not have been more perfect to explore a local winery: a cool 73 degrees and blue skies. There are many vineyards and wineries in the Virginia area, so I picked the closest one, Ramulose Ridge Vineyards, jumped in my Jeep with a friend in tow and off we went. The drive on the backroads and through farmland was spectacular, and soon we found ourselves on a gravel road to the vineyard. What a hidden gem!

Pulling up to the tasting room, my first thought was, “This is going to be a great day” because off to the side, by the rows of grape vines, was a cornhole game. My second thought was, “I’m sure glad I brought my friend”; and after finding out that he had never played before, my third thought was, “Oh, this is going to be good!”

The tasting room inside was spacious with a stone fireplace and cozy corners to sit and sip, but it was the patio, with the apropos iron tables and chairs, along with vignettes of comfy sofas overlooking the vineyard, that lured us outside.

Armed with our two combo (red and white) flights of wine and a charcuterie board, we made our way to a table where I was in direct view of the cornhole game. Ramulose Ridge offers dry white and red wine, semisweet wine and homemade Sangria. The woman pouring was very knowledgeable, which was helpful in deciding on our choices. Each of our flights consisted of two reds and two whites — and all different, so it gave us a nice sampling of their wines. I must say, I thought the wine was very good and the price point is not that of Sonoma. Two thumbs up!

In time, the charcuterie board had but a few slices of cheese left; and the wine was all gone. So, you know what that means? Cornhole time! Fast forward, for someone who had “never played,” my friend sure racked up the points … hmmm. Despite my embarrassing loss, the day was perfect; and I look forward to another visit to Ramulose Ridge Vineyards.

That was on a Friday. Saturday brought a rainy, chilly day; but it was perfect for my next outing: a soup tasting downtown hosted by Purple Door Gourmet Kitchen & Catering. Having never been to a soup tasting — well, to be totally transparent, I didn’t even know such a thing existed — I wasn’t sure what to expect. Boy, was I surprised! The venue was quaint and inviting, and the soup stations each had something different and very, very delicious. One station had chili and butternut squash bisque with tiny grilled cheese wedges. Another station had a seafood bisque with biscuits, and the third station had French onion, potato leek, sausage and tortellini, sweet potato curry and chicken and dumpling soups, along with pumpernickel bread with melted Swiss cheese and croissants.

Michelle Ayers is the owner and chef of this amazing establishment and puts on a monthly brunch, which I understand is fabulous. She also offers a monthly charcuterie board class with each month being different. Note to self: Plan my next visit to Lynchburg around the Purple Door brunch and a rematch over wine at Ramulose Ridge Vineyards.

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