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10 excuses to visit Virginia’s vineyards this fall

Rachel Nania | rnania@wtop.com

October 27, 2016, 1:54 AM

From junk-food pairings to holiday markets to scenic runs, Virginia's vineyards offer a variety of events and activities to keep you and your tastebuds entertained this season. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
“Deck the Halls” at Early Mountain Vineyard  Nov. 26 and 27, Early Mountain Vineyard in Madison, Virginia, will hold its “Deck the Halls” event to kick off the holiday season with Virginia wine, farm-to-table food and craft vendors. Can’t wait that long? Early Mountain features live music in its tasting room every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
MIAMI -MARCH 22: Bags of chips manufactured by PepsiCo Frito-Lay brand are seen on a shelf on March 22, 2010 in Miami, Florida. PepsiCo announced plans to cut sugar, fat, and sodium in its products to address health and nutrition concerns. The maker of soft drinks including Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade also makes Frito-Lay brand snacks. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Junk Food and Wine Pairing” at Paradise Springs Winery  Think wine pairings are just for fancy four-course meals? Think again. Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, Virginia, is pairing popular junk foods with its wines. Expect chips, chocolates and cupcakes from a local bakery. The tasting is $25 a person. (Getty Images/Joe Raedle)
Getty Images/Joe Raedle
Oyster Day at Otium Cellars  Nomini Bay Oyster Ranch will be on-site at Purcellville, Virginia’s Otium Cellars Saturday, Nov. 5 from 1 to 5 p.m., serving raw and charbroiled Virginia oysters. To add to the festivities, Otium will release its 2015 chardonnay. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
MIAMI BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Trump winery on display at Farm To Table Brunch presented by Whole Foods Market hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, Julie Frans & Friends during the 2015 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE at The Palms Hotel & Spa on February 22, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Rives/Getty Images for SOBEWFF)
Race and Taste at Trump Winery  Drinking wine can be healthy. The third annual Race and Taste 10K is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. at Trump Winery. The course winds through the scenic Charlottesville, Virginia, vineyard and ends with a party in the barn. Put your politics aside: 100 percent of the funds from the event will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (Getty Images for SBWFF/Dylan Rives)
Getty Images for SBWFF/Dylan Rives
Fall Oyster Crawl on the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail Explore all that Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay region has to offer, one sip — and slurp — at a time. The 2016 Fall Oyster Crawl includes nine wineries that will pour vino alongside an oyster dish. The event runs Nov. 12-13. Normal tasting fees apply at each winery; oysters will be available for purchase. (Ashley Rodriguez via AP)
Ashley Rodriguez via AP
BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 16: Fudge from the United Kingdom lies on display at a stand at the International Green Week agricultural trade fair (Internationale Gruene Woche) on January 16, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The International Green Week is the world's largest agricultural trade fair and is open to the public from January 16-25. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
The 8th Annual Fudgeapalooza at Fox Meadow Winery  Fudge and wine — need we say more? On Nov. 6, Fox Meadow Winery in Linden, Virginia, is pairing six different wines with six different types of fudge from a nearby shop in Winchester. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images
BINGEN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 09: A field worker uses a knife to pick pinot noir grapes during a harvest in a vineyard at Rochus mountain on October 9, 2007 in Bingen at Rhine, Germany. A winegrower said that this harvest will be a good class of yield and quality. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Autumn Festival at Morais Vineyards and Winery  On Nov. 19, Morais Vineyards and Winery in Bealeton, Virginia, is hosting an Autumn Festival, complete with live music, kettle corn and chestnuts roasted on an open fire. (Getty Images/Andreas Rentz)
Getty Images/Andreas Rentz
The Christmas Cork and Cheese Celebration at Gray Ghost Vineyards  Gray Ghost Vineyards does not let a single cork go to waste. Each year, the Amissville, Virginia, winery constructs towering holiday-themed figures out of wine corks for its annual Christmas display. Catch a glimpse Dec. 3 and 4 when Gray Ghost plays holiday music and pairs its wines with cheeses from the local area. Tickets are $20 a person. If you can’t wait until December, swing by Gray Ghost Oct. 29 and 30 for the winery’s 2013 Reserve cabernet sauvignon release party. (Courtesy Gray Ghost Vineyards)
Courtesy Gray Ghost Vineyards
Grapes ripen on the vine at the Philip Carter Winery in Hume, Va., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Get schooled at Little Washington Winery  If you’re looking to build your knowledge base on all things wine, Little Washington Winery is the place to go. The Washington, Virginia, vineyard has a wine school that offers classes on everything from grape-specific seminars to sessions on food and wine pairings. Classes book up fast, so make sure you snag a seat this fall. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - MARCH 25: Fresh country bread and red wine are served with lunch at the Carmella Banahela bistro on March 25, 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel. World food prices are soaring in the face of what some analysts are describing as a perfect storm of circumstances; increasing demand from developing economies in Asia, rising fuel prices, severe weather impacting recent harvests and an economic shift to biofuel production. All this leaves the consumer paying more for basic staples such as bread and milk and is likely to have its hardest impact on poorer nations. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
Taste the best wines for the holidays at Lost Creek Winery Not sure what to pour alongside the Thanksgiving turkey? Confused on what to serve at your holiday party? Lost Creek Winery in Leesburg, Virginia, will put an end to the confusion Nov. 13 with its holiday wines tasting series. The event, which runs from 1 to 3 p.m., will feature six different wines from around the world that fit right in with the upcoming holiday season. (Getty Images/David Silverman)
Getty Images/David Silverman
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From junk-food pairings to holiday markets to scenic runs, Virginia's vineyards offer a variety of events and activities to keep you and your tastebuds entertained this season. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
MIAMI -MARCH 22: Bags of chips manufactured by PepsiCo Frito-Lay brand are seen on a shelf on March 22, 2010 in Miami, Florida. PepsiCo announced plans to cut sugar, fat, and sodium in its products to address health and nutrition concerns. The maker of soft drinks including Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade also makes Frito-Lay brand snacks. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
MIAMI BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Trump winery on display at Farm To Table Brunch presented by Whole Foods Market hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, Julie Frans & Friends during the 2015 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE at The Palms Hotel & Spa on February 22, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Rives/Getty Images for SOBEWFF)
BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 16: Fudge from the United Kingdom lies on display at a stand at the International Green Week agricultural trade fair (Internationale Gruene Woche) on January 16, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The International Green Week is the world's largest agricultural trade fair and is open to the public from January 16-25. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
BINGEN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 09: A field worker uses a knife to pick pinot noir grapes during a harvest in a vineyard at Rochus mountain on October 9, 2007 in Bingen at Rhine, Germany. A winegrower said that this harvest will be a good class of yield and quality. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Grapes ripen on the vine at the Philip Carter Winery in Hume, Va., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - MARCH 25: Fresh country bread and red wine are served with lunch at the Carmella Banahela bistro on March 25, 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel. World food prices are soaring in the face of what some analysts are describing as a perfect storm of circumstances; increasing demand from developing economies in Asia, rising fuel prices, severe weather impacting recent harvests and an economic shift to biofuel production. All this leaves the consumer paying more for basic staples such as bread and milk and is likely to have its hardest impact on poorer nations. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — From junk-food pairings to holiday markets and scenic runs, Virginia’s vineyards offer a variety of events and activities to keep you and your taste buds entertained this season.

Scroll through the gallery above for some of the top picks.

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