Cigars at Fabbioli Cellars in Northern Virginia

I have to admit when I first heard of wine and cigar pairings, I questioned the idea. Growing up one of my favorite uncles, Uncle Elmer, smoked a big cigar. My parents always had a cigar tray ready for him when he came to visit and sat in my dad’s armchair. As a child, two things remain clear, yes that was my dad’s favorite chair and no one but Dad sat in that chair when he was in the room. We children respected my dad so there was a sense of awe that my Uncle was allowed to sit in Dad’s chair.

The other thing that remains in my memory is my uncle’s penchant for smoking cigars. No one in my immediate family smoked. Not much was said about it, but we knew smoking was taboo. But when my uncle visited nothing was said and my smiling, talkative uncle would take the ring off the cigar and put it on my finger where I would wear it for hours or until it fell off. My uncle made me feel special by giving it to me. The thing I remember about the cigar was the smoke that offered an interesting aroma.

I don’t know if my uncle imbibed in wine but most certainly he would have been served some of my parents’ wonderful homemade grape juice. It’s a wonder my parents did not try to make wine since my ancestors were originally from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. Occasionally a bottle of the homemade grape juice would pop due to fermentation taking place in the bottle but that happened in the cool cellar of the 1870s home and no one seemed surprised.

But why pair wine and cigars today?

In recent years we have traveled to more than 1,200 wineries. We have come across a few that offer wine and cigar pairings. Numerous wineries have a display of cigars properly stored in cigar humidors. The first one I remember the most was located in beautiful Temecula, California. In this case the tasting room was located a long walk away from the cigar and wine tasting venue. So it worked, although smoking a cigar was not exactly something I was interested in. We’ve been to a few boutique wineries that have wine and cigar tastings much closer together. I continue to wonder, “Doesn’t the aroma of the cigar smoke affect the wine tasting?” It has to but perhaps there is comfort in having a relaxing time with a cigar in one hand and a glass of wine in another.

The most recent winery we have visited that supports wine and cigar pairings has an ideal setup  for cigar lovers. The Barns at Hamilton Station, in Northern Virginia, has a separate building a short walk from the tasting room. The winery participates in the Virginia Cigar and Wine Trail. In our article about our visit to the winery, we wrote, “Cigar lovers will note that they have their own building next to the barn. The wood covered walls cast a warm glow in the room. Tables and chairs are in the room with a vintage wicker couch. Cigar enthusiasts can purchase cigars next to the tasting counter in the barn.”

Undoubtedly, Virginia is the ideal state to have The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail. With the state’s history of tobacco farmland and its more recent intense involvement in vineyards and wineries, it is an ideal match of wine and cigars.

A nice explanation of wine and cigars is in a Wine and Cigar Trail pamphlet. “Drinking wine and smoking cigars are similar aesthetics, marrying a combination of sensations; the bouquet of the wine, the room aroma of the cigar, the feel of a dry wine or a full smoke in your mouth or the complex flavors of either and both playing on your palate. Combine that with the camaraderie that goes along with the enjoyment of both and you describe the foundation for The Virginia Wine and Cigar Trail.”

Currently nine wineries are part of the cigar and wine trail. Participating wineries include:

Attimo Winery
The Barns at Hamilton Station
Bogati Bodega
Catoctin Creek Distillery
DeVault Family Vineyards
DuCard Vineyards
Fabbioli Cellars
Keswick Vineyards
Loudoun Valley Vineyards
Notaviva Vineyards
Potomac Point Winery
Ramulose Vineyards
Rogers Ford Farm Winery
Rosemont Vineyards
Sans Soucy Vineyards
Three Fox Vineyards
Unicorn Winery
Veramar Vineyards
Wisdom Oak Winery

If you enjoy cigars and wine, check out the above wineries sometime.

Cheers!
Kathy