You’ve baked bread, you’ve binge-watched shows, you’ve cleaned out the junk drawer, you’ve organized all your photos, you’ve finally finished that puzzle you started in March, you’ve played all the board games, you’ve attempted to video your best tennis trick shot. Now what?
The coronavirus pandemic continues and while we are making a return to some daily activities outside of the home including playing tennis (safely), it is still important for people to find ways to maintain social distance and follow prevention measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
And for many of us, that means continuing to stay at home, which also means finding new ways to stay entertained while continuing to stay at home.
USTA Mid-Atlantic has a fresh way you can add some fun to your at-home activities AND give back to support the growth of tennis when you do!
Our “Taste of Mid-Atlantic” virtual wine tasting event.
This event is part of USTA Mid-Atlantic’s #ServeItForward campaign. #ServeItForward celebrates the power of tennis in the recovery process and provides opportunities for individuals to lend support to the sport and charitable tennis programs that help improve lives in our region through tennis.
We are partnering with Keswick Vineyards in Charlottesville, Va., for the event on Saturday, June 27. They will donate 15% of sales for the virtual wine tasting event to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section to support our charitable tennis programs (more details follow about how to RSVP and order the wine tasting package).
We recently caught up with the Winemaker and Tasting Room Manager at Keswick Vineyards, Stephen Barnard to learn more about Keswick and prepare for the upcoming event.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: How did you get involved with wine and this winery? What do you do for them?
Stephen: My journey into wine began while studying at Elsenburg College in South Africa. I needed a part-time job so I started working in the tasting room at Groot Constantia Winery, the oldest winery in South Africa.
In 2002, I received an opportunity through The Ohio State University to intern with Keswick Vineyards. At the time, Virginia was not known for wine because wine production was fairly new in the state. It was a very interesting opportunity.
Keswick Vineyards first planted in 2000 and had its first vintage in 2002. I had the opportunity to work with the first harvest and first wines Kewswick ever produced. I learned quickly that there is a lot more to making wine than what I learned at university.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What do you think people should know about the winery? What makes it special?
Stephan: Keswick Vineyards is owned and operated by Al and Cindy Schomberg and family. Everyone in the family is involved in the business and has a role – from daily operations to marketing to even growing and producing the wine.
We are all very passionate about wine. We recognize that first and foremost that we are in the hospitality business and work hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the wine and the atmosphere. Hopefully, you can taste our love for making wine in every bottle.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: If someone is new to wine, what would you tell them when trying wine?
Stephan: We help deconstruct the wine during tastings so that it is approachable because at the end of the day it’s just fermented grape juice! So don’t be afraid of wine. Trust your palette and trust your nose. Drink what you enjoy. Finally, what makes it an experience is sharing a wine you enjoy with someone you enjoy.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What if someone has tasted lots of wine, what would you tell them?
Stephan: What you want you to taste in the glass is how the grape was grown. Wine should communicate a sense of place. You want to make a wine that smells and tastes of where the grape is grown. The soil, elevation, and everything that goes with the grape needs to be expressed in the glass of wine, that is what makes it unique. Wine should be both emotional and intellectual.
At Keswick, we seek to challenge the stereotype of a varietal to highlight what makes the grape distinctive and unique. You may know what you like or think about a particular varietal but we want to challenge that by helping you discover something new.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What are your top tips for a good tasting experience?
Stephan: Enjoy the wine – should be fun, engaging, and informative. Also, a good wine needs a good glass; stemware is important!
USTA Mid-Atlantic: How do you approach making wine?
Stephan: At the end of the day we are farmers and at the mercy of the weather. We are winegrowers, not winemakers; that is at the core of what great wine is.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What is your favorite part about working in the wine industry?
Stephan: People and interactions are the best part of working with wine. I get the most satisfaction from people experiencing and enjoying the wine. That is what makes wine intriguing. I love meeting people that don’t know anything about wine and helping them find what they enjoy. It’s also exciting to challenge a seasoned wine drinker by helping them change their mind about a wine they thought they maybe didn’t like as much before.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What is the biggest misnomer or myth to debunk about Virginia wine?
Stephan: Virginia doesn’t produce a lot of wine so it isn’t as widely distributed, but that doesn’t mean that Virginia doesn’t make world class wine! There are some great varietals that Virginia does very well and better than other places. Also, Virginia wine is very competitively priced especially since there isn’t as much produced in the state as compared to California.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: Do you play tennis? Or have you played tennis?
Stephan: I have played some tennis recreationally. Both my father and grandfather played back in South Africa. I have long supported South African players. I love watching it, there is just so much skill involved!
USTA Mid-Atlantic: What do you admire about the work of USTA Mid-Atlantic?
Stephan: Tennis teaches you a lot about dedication, discipline, and hard work. I love how grassroots the youth tennis programming is and how USTA MAS really is following through to develop and promote the growth of the sport. It’s easy for kids to get involved with sports like football, baseball, or basketball, but USTA MAS does a great job getting more younger players involved in tennis.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: Do you think tennis has the power to change the world?
Stephan: Yes, because sports don’t discriminate. Tennis can bring so many backgrounds and people together. It fosters a sense of community in challenging times and in happy times. It is healing for those that play sports and those that watch them without a doubt.
USTA Mid-Atlantic: Do you have any final thoughts ?
Stephan: We are very excited about this opportunity and bringing people together through wine and tennis and being together as a community!
EVENT DETAILS
To learn more about Keswick Vineyards, please visit: https://www.keswickvineyards.com/
USTA Mid-Atlantic invites everyone to #ServeItForward both on and off-court, and get involved in helping to support tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section as part of the recovery process we’ll all need. Learn more about how you can #ServeItForward and support the USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, as we bring the healing power of tennis to our Mid-Atlantic community.
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