The State of 'locapour' Around Washington

The Washington Post   Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Maureen McDonnell was on a mission. Chagrined that Virginia wines are hard to find on retail shelves and restaurant wine lists, the commonwealth's first lady spent time in late August introducing Washington area retailers and sommeliers to wineries in Loudoun and Fauquier counties.

Her message: Forget what you remember about Virginia wines and taste them anew.

"When I dine at restaurants and see that they don't have Virginia wines on the list, I introduce myself to the manager and ask, 'Why not?' " McDonnell said in an interview after two days of tours, attended by representatives of 28 restaurants and eight retailers. "They usually have impressions of the wines from long ago and didn't take the chance to reexamine them as they improved.

"As the "eat local" movement has taken root in restaurant kitchens across the country, a "drink local" movement has blossomed as well. It started, ironically enough, in California, where the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year that area vintners were complaining about locavore restaurants that glorified local farmers but stocked their lists with imported wines. Washingtonian magazine food critic Todd Kliman took the argument national this summer with an essay published on TheDailyBeast.com entitled "The Locavore Wine Hypocrisy."

"Why is it that the lust for local stops short when it comes to local or regional wines?" Kliman asked.

Why, indeed? Vineyards are farms. Many local wineries are small-output, boutique producers with an artisanal approach. So why aren't there more local wines on local wine lists? Read the story .