Although it started with a meager 50 bottles in its collection, the Vintage Cellar now boasts over 800 varieties of wine.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan of slap-the-bag, but there's a time and a place for it. For me, what comes to mind is freshman year, Slusher Wing 211 - both my place of residence and my choice locale for inebriation. For those who wish to graduate from Franzia and begin to explore the intoxicating world of wines, Blacksburg and the New River Valley offer a variety of choices for everyone, from an amateur white zinfandel sipper to a full-bodied red connoisseur.
For an easy start for complete beginners, visit the Vintage Cellar located at 1338 S. Main St. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., this unique wine nook offers a wine tasting comprised of seven full bottles free of charge.
Owner Keith Roberts beams with pride over what his store has become. Formerly the owner of Old Man and the Sea, a fresh seafood market, he showed me what his wine selection used to consist of.
"See this rack? This was what I had. I built it myself," Roberts said, remembering when his collection doubled to offer about 50 bottles. When he saw wine sales growing and seafood sales waning, he took a chance and renamed his business the "Vintage Cellar."
Growing popularity of his weekly tasting, now in its 25th year, he ditched the last shrimp and hasn't looked back since.
Along with wine, the Vintage Cellar also boasts over 800 varieties of beer. Its primary focus is on education, which the staff encourages by answering questions and researching wines extensively for each customer. Manager Randall Horst offered me a small tasting of four wines on the house.
Horst informed me on each wine, from a $4 Portuguese Sauvignon Blanc to a complex blend of Spanish reds that came home with me for under $10. On Saturdays, employees form The Cellar ensure that each taster leaves with any questions answered.
A trip down North Main brings me to Zeppoli's and a long talk with owner Doris Fleming: half-Italian and full wine enthusiast. Zeppoli's showcases not only rich, authentic Italian food and a full wine store, but also one of the cheapest, most impressive date ideas in Blacksburg. Every other Wednesday for $15, you can enjoy an hour and a half of wine tasting and heavy hors d'euvres.
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