Pick Your Wine, Pick Your Treats, and Don’t Forget to Pick Up Your Friends for the First Annual Pick of the Piedmont Festival

Slowly, smoothly, serenely: eight skydivers make a graceful descent from the heavens, soaring, twirling, gliding their way towards the grassy landing space of Skydive Orange. Buttercup yellow, rich plum, and patriotic red, white, and blue parachutes draw the eye of every land-bound spectator upward, to where the acrobats of the sky unwittingly perform for the audience below. On a perfect fall afternoon, in the waning weeks of October, at the peak of fall foliage for Virginia’s Piedmont region, the vibrant chutes compete with the glory of the tree limbs in the background. From the ridge of Boosters Park – a youth baseball field turned special events venue – a tree line of deciduous beauties stretches into the horizon, as far as the eye can see. The scarlet, burnt orange, and golden foliage along country route 20 is set ablaze by the late afternoon sun as the revelers at the first annual Pick of the Piedmont Wine Festival revel in the vino and joie de vivre that flow freely at this fall celebration.

Within the state of Virginia, Orange County might pass under the radar of most residents living more than 30 miles away, but on the national wine circuit, Orange is leaving its mark as home to some of the finest vineyards in one of the country’s premier wine-making regions. Virginia is host to the fifth-largest contingent of wine producing enterprises in the nation, with 85 wineries and 262 vineyards in operation as of 2004. And Orange County is home to two of the most lauded wineries in the state: Barboursville Vineyards and Horton Cellars. Based upon the astronomical success of its seminal red wine varietal, Octagon, Barboursville Vineyards has become a respected presence in some of the most prominent national and international wine competitions. In addition to the gold medal that the varietal earned at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition in California in 2008, the Octagon Eighth Edition 2005 was named Best Overall Red Wine at the World Wine Championships in Chicago in 2009. A less traditional but no less exciting accolade came in the form of the selection of the Octagon Eighth Edition as the red wine of choice for the Inauguration Conservation Gala thrown for Barack Obama by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation.

Having established itself as a major force in the competitive field of winemaking, Orange is hosting a celebration of sorts with the Pick of the Piedmont festival, inviting neighboring wineries to come to the County's home turf and display their wares for hundreds of thirsty revelers. With a dozen vineyards each showcasing selections of up to ten wines, ranging from the standard red and white varietals to seasonally-inspired specialty makes, there is guaranteed to be a taste (or two or three) to please every palate. Wines are poured under a wooden pavilion that normally serves as a concession stand arena on Saturdays during the fall and spring, when little league football and baseball teams compete in the grassy fields adjacent to today’s festival grounds. Buyers who plan ahead can get a bargain price for the event, spending a mere $12 to sample wines from a dozen vineyards, which have set up booths under the wooden pavilion; most of these wineries charge a higher price just to sample their individual, in-house varieties. From the rosy glow and animated chatter of the attendees on Sunday afternoon, the finale of the 2-day festival running from October 24th to 25th, it seems that people are taking advantage of the sampling bonanza.

Though the “pick of the piedmont” happens to be wine at this particular event, there’s plenty of other tasty treats, not to mention music and entertainment, to please all ages and tastes. If the next vineyard stand on your tasting notes guide – a handy, bright yellow brochure distributed at the entrance booth – happens to be mobbed, take a moment away from the wine and line your stomach with some tasty food. Though there’s a certain refinement associated with the world of wines, the food at Orange’s oenophile festival is decidedly understated; more fair food than gourmet cuisine. This is not necessarily a bad thing, if you happen to be one of the dozen or so kids scampering about Booster Park or if your taste buds tend to gravitate towards the simpler things in life. Orange County may not be known as a multicultural food mecca, but the vendors at today’s event are selling an interesting array of culinary treats. What would a Virginia festival be without that Southern staple: pork BBQ? Luckily, you won’t have to worry about that frightening scenario at this event, for a tell-tale charcoal roaster can be seen from ten feet away, indicating that slow-roasted pork goodness awaits. At the family-run BBQ stand, two teenage girls stand ready to take your order or, if you’re struck by indecision at the choice of either the sweet Memphis or tangy North Carolina-style meat, to offer you samples of both, fresh from the grill. While the prices are slightly steep, with a simple BBQ pork sandwich – coleslaw included – running at $6.50, you’ll forget about your wallet qualms when you take a big bite of the tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned meat.

Aside from home-style Americana, there are also Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes available from the Pick of the Piedmont food stands. At Luigi’s bright yellow vending van, classic Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs and specialty subs, including chicken parmagiana, can be bought for $6 or $7 apiece. About five feet away, a unique amalgamation of foods, ranging from chicken wings served atop French fries to lamb kabobs and gyro sandwiches, are on sale in a Near Eastern-style fast food tent. Free market principles are apparently on display in this tasty treat corridor, for each of the entrees at this latter stand are advertised for $6 as well. Let your stomach guide your step; based on the smiles of the diners seated at the yellow plastic picnic tables or lounging upon blankets on the expansive grassy spread of the park grounds, there’s not a bad meal to be had.

Just as with wines, the dessert options are the stars of the show at the Pick of the Piedmont (okay, maybe there’s a little bit of bias behind that statement, but the lines at the sweet treat vendors can’t be ignored). Simply Susan’s, a catering company specializing in baked goods, has a series of tantalizing sweets displayed on a tabletop bursting with autumnal colors and harvest décor. The deep orange pumpkins imprinted on the tablecloth beneath the goodies and the plastic decorative gourds in the cornucopias on display hint at the fall harvest theme that is baked into the dishes. Apple turnovers and tarts, pumpkin rolls, and a gorgeous pumpkin pie cupcake are the highlighted foods of the fall menu at Susan’s, but traditionalists will find plenty of standard bakery fare, such as chocolate muffins and oatmeal-raisin cookies, when perusing the baskets of goodies. The longest lines extend from the Virginia Kettle Corn Company booth, a ubiquitous presence at the fairs and festivals of the Piedmont region and a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. And as the temperature flirts with 70 degrees, CJ’s Soft Serve begins to steal patrons from the wine booths, as men and women suddenly become more intrigued in a vanilla cone than a glass of pinot.

Rising above the buzz of the crowd, whose animated chatter emanates from the wine booths at the center of Boosters Park and spreads as far as the gravel parking lot at the outer edge of the ballfield, comes the musical accompaniment of the afternoon: Radio Nowhere. Walking toward the event, the refrains of “Free Bird” bring a smile to my face, setting the tone for an afternoon of laid-back fun, yet another reminder that wine can be enjoyed in the open air, in jeans and tee-shirts, and in the company of old friends and gregarious strangers-of which there are many on this particular afternoon. The instrumentals of the group are solid, though the lyrics, when you get close enough to actually discern the words, are being sung slightly off-key. Whether it’s an effect of the free-flowing wine or the absolutely invigorating fall country air, the audience doesn’t seem to mind the tone of the lead vocalist in the least, and there’s a collective sigh of disappointment when the group prepares to exit the stage mid-afternoon.

Music lovers might be disappointed, but true foodies are ready to rush the stage as the next act, Chef Randy Cooper from the local restaurant Elmwood at Sparks, sets up for a cooking demonstration. Onlookers pack the small seating area arranged in front of the demo table and line the white picket fence that encloses the exhibition space. Though the acoustics for the event are unfortunate – only front-row viewers have any shot of hearing the chef’s play-by-play of how to cook a white wine, cranberry-glazed chicken – the sight and smell of the dish holds the attention of the salivating audience members. Within fifteen minutes, the breaded chicken cutlets have been doused in the fruit and wine reduction, and the chef’s assistant has cut the meat into bite-size portions, distributed as samples to the eager demo spectators. The dish has a definite kick to it, with the supremely tender meat and vibrant fruit elements taking a back seat to the white wine flavor. Sadly, the taste of the entrée is less impressive than the appearance, but after the unique experience of witnessing a highly trained chef executing his craft, you'll still walk away satisfied. The closing event of the wine-tasting weekend is an apt metaphor for the two-day festival itself: elegant fare served in an approachable fashion; audience-pleasing, live entertainment; and an inescapable joviality that seems to fall from the sky, in tandem with those skydivers.