Southern sippin’

“VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS,” testifies the mid-atlantic state’s tourism slogan, but forget romance. With its long growing season and mild climate, Virginia is for devotees of another intoxicant: high-quality booze. Wine, hard cider, craft beer and smallbatch spirits stream through the state, particularly in the north, central and Shenandoah Valley regions. Virginia has the sixth highest number of wineries in the United States, and its artisanal alcohol producers put on a number of fall and winter festivals and special events across the state (see online extra, below). Here’s a taste of the many libations Virginia can tempt you with. —Michela Rosano

Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Greenhill Winery and Vineyards Middleburg This winemaker is one of many in Loudoun County, but its award-winning French-style wines are top shelf. Sip the Blanc de Blancs 2013, a velvety smooth sparkling white given to 2016 Oscar nominees, or savour the crisp Seyval Blanc — reportedly good enough for Michelle Obama to have kept on hand at the White House. greenhillvineyards.com

Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards North Garden American founding father Thomas Jefferson brought European wine grape vines to Virginia just 24 kilometres east of this bucolic farm and vineyard. Although Jefferson’s vines failed, Pippin Hill is now one of more than 40 wineries in the Monticello American Viticultural Area. Sample the viognier, the official state grape, for an authentic Virginian experience. pippinhillfarm.com

Cider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Albemarle Ciderworks North Garden Albemarle Pippin and Old Virginia Winesap sound like names Tolkien might have created while writing The Hobbit, but these rare and heirloom apple varieties are no fiction. Get a taste of their complex and varied flavours in sparkling ciders made with apples grown in Albemarle’s own orchard. And don’t miss trying the hard-to-come-by 1817, a rich, smooth and complex beverage based on a recipe found in a text about orchards and cider-making published the same year. albemarleciderworks.com

Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Murlarkey Distilled Spirits Bristow Irish whisky in Virginia? Not quite — but Murlarkey’s Brutality, a limited reserve, barrel-aged “battle strength” dark whiskey inspired by the owners’ Irish heritage, is a formidable take on the spirit. Its complexity, smooth finish and aromas of vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and smoky oak make it easy to see why the first cask of the stuff sold out in three weeks in 2016. Thank God, then, that the second cask is available in November. murlarkey.com

Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Port City Brewing Company Alexandria Port City has earned a slew of accolades for the well-balanced brews it produces in the historic city of Alexandria, not far from George Washington’s plantation in Mount Vernon. Their most popular beer, Optimal Wit, is a citrusy Belgian-style white ale that can be sampled along with their four other flagship beers and a selection of seasonals at the brewery. portcitybrewing.com

Pale Fire Brewing Company Harrisonburg Grab a beer and a book at Pale Fire’s tap room, housed in a renovated ice house featuring a little free library and local snacks such as Route 11 Potato Chips. Dry and hoppy brews are what Pale Fire does best, so lift a pint of their awardwinning Salad Days American Saison, which has notes of grapefruit, peach and bubblegum, or the orange-and-lemon-tinged Arrant IPA. palefirebrewing.com