Capital Region wine trails lead to London

New Horizon Wines Ltd, a UK and Virginia-based importer of exceptional ‘medal-winning’ Virginia wines into the UK and provider of luxury ‘wine lifestyle’ tours of Virginia, is exhibiting for the first time at this year’s London International Wine Fair (londonwinefair.com), in association with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

This specialist company, whose founder and CEO is a Brit who has been living in Virginia for the past 20 years, will be presenting more than 30 of the best wines from this, the USA’s fifth largest wine producing region.

New Horizon Wines will be joined at the exhibition on stands S24 and S22 by eleven independent wineries representing the Virginia wine regions, the largest number ever to participate in the LIWF.

The following wineries and winemakers will be present: Luca Paschina, Barboursville Vineyards; Chris Blosser, Breaux Vineyards; Jim Corcoran, Corcoran Vineyards; Chris Pearmund, Pearmund Cellars; Justin Bogaty, Veramar Vineyards; Andrew and Patricia Hodson, Veritas Vineyards; Tony and Edie Champ, White Hall Vineyards; Matthew Meyer, Williamsburg Winery; DelFosse Vineyards, Keswick Vineyards and Rappahannock Cellars.

Over the past 30 years the number of wineries in Virginia has grown from just a handful to more than 150. Some are gaining an international reputation for the excellence of their wines. Many wineries are family-owned and set in stunning locations such as the Blue Ridge Mountains, the verdant beauty of the Shenandoah Valley or on the sparkling Chesapeake Bay. This is the perfect foil for participation in a wide range of grape-harvest festivals, special tastings, musical and culinary events and experiencing wine trails across the Capital Region.

A new website called MyCapitalGardensUSA.co.uk showcases a collection of Virginia wineries and provides visitors with the opportunity to win a fabulous 11-night holiday for two to the Capital Region (closing date 31st May 2009). Trade visitors to the London International Wine Fair will have the opportunity to enter the prize draw.

New Horizon Wines, in partnership with specialist UK tour operator, America As You Like It (americaasyoulikeit.com) offers tailor-made fly-drives to Virginia and can arrange Wine Experience holidays, including wine tastings, behind-the-scenes vineyard tours, wine pairing dinners and more.

A seven-night fly-drive to Virginia, including two nights at the Loews Madison in Washington, DC, three nights at Keswick Hall near Charlottesville, with a select wine tasting at Keswick Vineyards and two nights at Wedmore Place in Williamsburg with a tour and tasting at the Williamsburg Winery, plus return flights on Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Washington Dulles and seven days’ compact car hire, start from £1,320 per person.

Wine experiences (other than the tastings mentioned) are additional and can be designed to suit individual preferences.

New Horizon Wines will be posting a daily blog from the floor of The London International Wine Fair - winesofvirginia.blogspot.com/. Also visit NewHorizonWines on twitter.com.

For further information about wines and travel to Washington, DC, and Virginia visit capitalregionusa.co.uk and newhorizonwines.com.