Every wine enthusiast is aware of the big names in the wine industry whether it be wine regions, winemakers or labels. Even the new wine drinker will have heard of the names via news or advertisements. So what about the small, relatively unknown winery that makes quality wine?

Yesterday I heard from a small winery in Virginia that is currently producing 2500 cases of wine each year. In his email, Lew Parker owner and winemaker at Willowcroft Farm Vineyards emphasized that he appreciates any exposure for his winery, writing: “Definitely, would love any exposure we could get.”

This is the plight of the unknown winemaker. No matter how good his wines may be, there is always the difficulty of letting the public know about his wines and how to obtain them.

Wine trail organizations help to get the word out but not all wineries participate in wine trails. A number of states offer information about wineries in their states including Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. You may want to do an Internet search for wineries in your state. Consider trying a new wine from a winery that you haven’t tried before.

Cheers, Kathy