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Despite sales boom, Va. wineries are small grapes at wine festival

By WTOP Staff

Megan Cloherty, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Virginia wines are gaining acclaim and boasting record sales for the state, but a regional wine festival returning to Washington only features two wineries from the commonwealth.

Gaining respect in the wine industry is a slow process, Virginia vintners say. But those that are invited are glad to be a part of the fourth annual Capital Wine Festival.

“Up until a few years ago, people didn’t really know about Virginia wine,” says Amanda Galanis, manager at Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg, Va.

Her pouring arm didn’t get much of a break at the opening of the wine festival at The Fairfax at Embassy Row in D.C. Friday, Jan. 25. The demand was seemingly constant for Boxwood’s signature red blends.

“It’s very exciting for us to come here, show Middleburg wine, show that Virginia makes a wonderful wine,” Galanis says. “They come here, they want to learn about our area. They want to learn about … the history of wine making in Virginia.”

Wineries in Virginia produced 485,000 cases of wine in 2012, an all-time high, according to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office.

But wine making is far from a new trade in the commonwealth and traces back to pre-revolutionary times. In 1772, Thomas Jefferson grew his own grapes and stocked a wine cellar at his home, Monticello, according to Forbes.com. Jefferson later helped establish the first commercial vineyard in the United States.

Jordan Harris, general manager at Tarara Winery in Leesburg, Va., says that while Virginia vineyards have been around for more than a century, winemakers have had to work hard to make their mark.

At the wine tasting, Harris noticed more attendees had heard of the local wineries, but he says, he would still like to see more local wineries participating.

“I would like to see more local wineries as part of the [festival] wine dinners as well. I think we’re an up and coming region and actually I think we’ve established ourselves more over the last few years,” Harris says.

Boxwood Estate Winery, owned by John Kent Cooke, the son of former Redskins’ owner Jack Kent Cooke, recently opened its fourth tasting room. Galanis says she’s glad to see the public becoming more interested in learning about local wine.

“People are paying more attention to Virginia wine and now people are asking for Virginia wine, which is huge,” she says.

Organizers of the Capital Wine Festival say they reached out to three other Virginia wineries to be a part of the festival. They did not respond to the request.

As wine demand increases at Virginia’s 230 wineries, so do the sales. Export sales of Virginia wines grew by more than 300 percent in the last fiscal year, increasing from about 700 cases in 2011 to more than 3,300 in 2012, according to the Virginia’s agriculture department.

“From being named one of the top 10 wine destinations in the world by ‘Wine Enthusiast’ to having our wines served in India, Israel, Sweden, Montreal, London, San Francisco and New York City, the last fiscal year saw a lot of new recognition and opportunities for the Virginia wine industry,” Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, said in a statement this month.

Washington restaurant 2100 Prime, which catered the wine festival, is one of the dozens of restaurants in the D.C. area to carry Virginia products on its wine list.

A self-proclaimed wine enthusiast, D.C. resident Elaine Maslamani tasted the Viognier from Tarara on opening night of the event. Maslamani says she has been to at least 10 vineyards in Loudoun County.

“My favorite is Notaviva Vineyards. It’s one that pairs wine with music,” she says.

“I’m a huge fan, but the beauty of it is there are so many out there that you can be fans of so many of them, and you don’t have to be beholden to just one.”

The Capital Wine Festival has several upcoming dinners featuring wine makers from around the country. See the list here.

Editor’s Note: This story was modified 8 hours after publication to include the fact that festival organizers invited three other Virginia wineries to be a part of the event.

Follow @WTOPLiving and @WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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