In the annals of human invention, wine deserves at least an honorable mention. At first blush, allowing fruit to rot, ferment, and drinking the result seems an uninspired idea.

But then, I once saw a documentary about monkeys on the Africa savannah gorging themselves on apples. The fruit fermented in their stomachs making them drunk. Hilarity ensued. If monkeys can figure it out, I guess it's not so surprising that man would stumble upon the idea eventually.

But it’s a long way from stomach fermented fruit to the advanced state of today's viniculture industry. In case you haven't noticed, Virginia's wine industry is booming. New wineries are popping up all over the place, and the wines they are producing continue to improve in both variety and quality.

It can be a bit bewildering to plan a trip to local vineyards; so much wine, so little time. Recently, I drove west to Albemarle and Nelson counties to visit a few wineries, take in the scenery, and, of course, to taste some Virginia wine.

For anyone planning a day trip to the wine country around Charlottesville, here a few things to consider, and a few suggestions, before you go.

The Monticello Wine Trail folks helpfully suggest an itinerary by region - north, south, east and west. My suggestion would be to pick a region and choose a few wineries to visit that are close together. The Virginia Wine Marketing Office in Richmond (804) 344-8200 has a Virginia Winery Guide, including a map marking the locations of all the state's wineries.  

I plotted my destinations on Google maps before I left, but once I visited my first vineyard, I began improvising based on suggestions gathered along the way.

Do a little research before you leave. Nearly every winery has a website which includes hours of operation, events, directions, a list of the wines they make, and much other helpful information.

Weekends during the summer are busy times for wineries. Be forewarned: if you visit on Saturday or Sunday, you might not get as much attention as you'd like from the staff. I visited during the week and there were few other visitors, so most times I was well-taken care of.

Most wineries don't have restaurants in them. If you plan on lingering at any one stop, you will want to have a plan regarding food. Greenwood Gourmet Grocery has everything you need to nosh on for a day (a reader's suggestion, thank you), and it is in the area.

I had chosen five vineyards to visit, all located in Rockfish Valley, which straddles Albemarle and Nelson counties. It took less than ten minutes to drive from one destination to the next.

There's something about vineyards, I've never seen an ugly one. At day's end, I wanted more time to linger at my favorite stops, to taste more wine, to sit and stare at the clouds.

My first stop was King Family Vineyards. Consider this a mandatory stop on your tour. The winery sits on a flat plain surrounded by green mountains rising on each side, with verdant, manicured lawns running off to the horizon in every direction.

Tables and chairs are scattered about an outdoor patio, each with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. On Sundays during the summer months they hold polo matches.

From the gift shop, I was able to see a room full of oak barrels. Inside these barrels was the golden harvest, wine being aged. Something about the sight of oak barrels was reassuring. There is nothing mysterious here, just wine in barrels, or so it seemed to me at the time.

The winemaking at King Family Vineyards is in the capable hands of Matthieu Finot, who grew up in France's storied Rhone Valley. He has travelled widely in search of wine knowledge, working in France, South Africa and Italy before landing in Virginia five years ago.

The King Family Vineyard is somewhat representative of what's happening in the Virginia wine industry at large. They grow their own grapes, producing a maximum of five thousand cases of wine per year.

The majority of their market is local. They hope to increase sales by using distributors, leaving them to concentrate solely on growing grapes and making wine.

King Family wines have been selling briskly, as have Virginia wines in general. Even though Finot grew up in a region that makes some of the most famous wines in the world, he insists he isn't interested in creating French, or even California, style wines. He is making wines that reflect the region, the local climate, and, not incidentally, the tastes of local wine consumers.

It has taken winemakers some time to realize which varietals grow best in Virginia's climate. The consensus seems to be that Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Chardonnay each do well in Virginia. Some wineries focus on other varietals, but each vineyard I visited made wine from these three grapes.

My next stop was Veritas, less than ten minutes away. Veritas sits among rolling hills, and the driveway is lined on either side with vineyards yielding their gifts to sun and air. The tasting room is open and airy, with plenty of light to show-off the traditional European chateau style interior.

There is a banquet hall for weddings, bar mitzvahs, or any other event that involves food and wine. The staff was open and friendly and the wines were very good, particularly their Petit Verdot. One could easily spend a few hours at Veritas, taking in the scenery and enjoying one of their 15 wines.

Afton Mountain Vineyards is up the hill, a very short drive away. Afton Mountain is a bit of an object lesson in how the wine industry has evolved in Virginia in a relatively short time.

There isn't much to recommend a visit here. The staff seemed not unfriendly as much as uninterested in visitors. The owners seem little interested in a visitor's experience at their winery, and have wasted little time and money on developing a welcoming atmosphere.

The vineyards were behind an eight-foot wire fence, a jarring visual metaphor for the whole experience. This is a destination that could easily be skipped.

It was a relief then when I pulled into Cardinal Point Winery, located a short distance away. The vineyards are perched on  hillsides that roll away to wooded farmland. It is a charming, lovely setting for a winery.

If many local wine makers have decided to embrace a chateau style atmosphere, the Gorman family decided on a different tack. You will find winemaker Tim Gorman out on his tractor among his grapevines during the day.

He does everything, from tending vines to welding broken winemaking equipment to fixing wine barrels. His sister Sarah handles anything business related, and Susan, Tim's wife, runs the tasting room.

Gorman designed and built the gift shop, a sleek, modern interior that is at once comfortable and nice to look at. On summer weekends the vineyard hosts live bands.

On June 14, Richmond favorites the Cashmere Jungle Lords will be playing (check the Cardinal Point website for a schedule). Cardinal Point is a must-see, so make sure to include it in your itinerary.

Gorman talked to me at length about his business, and the industry at large. His is a small operation, so he has to contract out some parts of the business.

Gorman periodically hires a mobile service that specializes in re-surfacing the inside of the oak barrels used in winemaking. He also contracts with a mobile bottling enterprise, which sets up for several days at a time. The bottling plant is on a trailer and moves from vineyard to vineyard as needed.

If anything illustrates the success of Virginia's wine industry it is the establishment of such auxiliary businesses, highly specialized operations that exist solely to cater to the wine trade.

Gorman recommended two destinations nearby, Pollack Vineyards and Blue Mountain Brewery, because man cannot live by wine alone. Both recommendations proved to be winners.

If you are traveling with a barbarian (or if you are a barbarian yourself) who likes his alcoholic beverages with carbonation, take them to Blue Mountain Brewery. It is no more than a ten minute drive from any of the vineyards mentioned here.

They call themselves a brewery but they are much more than that. Not to be outdone by the many vineyards in the surrounding area that grow their own grapes, the Blue Mountain folks grow their own hops.

There is a small bar menu, with a few select sandwiches and appetizers. The homemade pretzel is highly recommended.

As an added convenience, while the adults are inside slaking their thirst with beer, the kids could be across the road from the brewery picking their own strawberries.

My last stop on the whirlwind tour was Pollack Vineyards. The tasting room is located in a cathedral type building nestled between vineyards and a pond surrounded by shade trees.

The inside is spacious with an abundance of natural light. There are comfortable looking couches and tables scattered about. At the tasting counter I met Susan, an enthusiastic booster of Virginia wine. She fervently believes Virginia is going to be the next Napa Valley.

Over a glass of Pollack's excellent Meritage, Susan passed along some hot tips, take them for what you will. She thinks Sugarleaf, a very young winery, is making the best reds in the region. Lovingston Winery, another relative newcomer on the scene, is also making very good reds.

Susan seems to be among good company in insisting that a stop at Barboursville is mandatory. The Zonin family were pioneers in Virginia wine history, still going strong after thirty years.

We are all feeling the pain at the gas pump. An hour's drive west to Rockfish Valley won't break the bank. In all, my trip totaled 200 miles, but wine country feels like a very different land altogether.

Wars, recessions, and other problems of modernity were for a short time held at bay. My new friend Susan said her favorite way to spend a day was to visit a new winery, hang out, taste wine and take in the view. Hard to argue with that.

The Wine Country File

History

Virginia's first vintage was in 1608. It's been fits and starts since then, until Prohibition brought everything to a crashing halt. Wine making resumed in the 1960s, expanding each year since. Today, Virginia ranks fifth among all states in wine production.

Lodging

Try one of the bed and breakfasts in the area. The Mark Addy Inn in Nellysford (434) 361-1101 is convenient to the many wineries in the area. The Afton House Bed and Breakfast in Afton (540) 456-6759 or toll free (877) 214-8133 commands a nice view of the countryside and sits smack in the middle of wine country. Don't confuse this with the Afton Mountain B and B (540) 456-6844 or (800) 769-6844 in a Victorian farm house, which also allows guests a pretty spectacular view.

Restaurants

Greenwood Gourmet Grocery, 6701 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, (540) 456-6431. Blue Mountain Brewery (540) 456-8020 has sandwiches and appetizers to tide you over. The Mark Addy Inn (434) 361-1101 has fine dining options in its Fountain Room with a plethora of local wines for you to drink. Wintergreen Resort is nearby and offers four options for dining, The Copper Mine (434) 325-8090, The Edge Restaurant (434) 325-8080, The Devils Grill (434) 325-8100, and Stoney Creek Bar and Grill (434) 325-8110.

Shopping

Each winery has a gift shop and tasting room. They will gladly sell you their wines, along with selected wine accoutrements, t-shirts, and other gift items.

Attractions

The Viette Farm and Nursery in Fishersville is holding its Daylily and Wine Festival July 19, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be wine, beer, music, food, and the daylily gardens. Tickets are $15 in advance, $19 at the gate; (540) 324- 1133 or (540) 949-8203. King Family Vineyards (434) 823-7800. Veritas Winery (540) 456-8000. Afton Mountain Vineyards (540) 456-8667. Cardinal Point Winery (540) 456-8400. Pollack Vineyards (540) 456-8844.

Have you made the trip through wine country before? Have a favorite restaurant or attraction? Have a day trip you want to recommend? Add it to the comment section below.