My husband and I hit up the Virginia Wine Expo in Richmond yesterday, and I must say we had a great time. A wide range of Virginia wines were represented, from classic styles like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to those made from Virginia’s native grape, the Norton. We also got to sample some delicious Italian wines, as well as discover some new wineries making really unique and interesting wines.

As this year’s “Guest Region,” Italy was well-represented in tastings throughout the show. I discovered two reds from Sardinia, made by winery Argiolas.

Virginia standbys Barboursville Vineyards had a large tasting booth and plenty of wines to try.

Sumerduck, Virginia’s Rogers Ford Farm Winery brought a bevy of interesting wines. Standouts were their First Frost Vidal Blanc 2014 and Brandy Station Dulce.

Other favorites from the show:

Notaviva Vineyards‘ “Back Dat Glass Up” white

Byrd Cellars‘ Winter Solstice red

Mattaponi Winery‘s Miskwamin red (“grownup grape juice”)

Cobbler Mountain Cider‘s hard cider