Celebrate Virginia Wine Month through the lens of local celebrity.
Jefferson Vineyards Petite Verdot at The Wine Loft ($44 a bottle)
Jefferson Vineyards serves up some power-hitting juice — gamey currant, blackberry and enough tobacco and chocolate to hint at an ugly game. This winery eschews purchased fruit and, in the words of Arthur Ashe, follows the credo: "To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can." 4035 Whittall Way, Glen Allen, 368-1768 or wineloftrichmond.com
Barren Ridge Meritage 2009 at The Dining Room at The Berkeley Hotel ($14 a glass)
Warren Beatty wanted to play pro football until his sister advised him to take up acting. Like Beatty, this winery started out doing something else — growing apples. Think of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg when you nose this handsome Virginia blend. 1200 E. Cary St., 780-1300 or berkeleyhotel.com
Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir 2011 at The Roosevelt ($50 a bottle)
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was known for his understated cool at a time when other tappers were shuffling frenetically. Outstanding pinot noir is just as iconoclastic. This wine balances strawberry kisses, bubble-butt cherries and peppery cardamom, backwards and in high heels. 623 N. 25th St., 658-1935 or rooseveltrva.com
Gabriele Rausse Rosso at Mamma 'Zu ($18 a bottle)
Winemaker Gabriele Rausse lets his grapes dictate fermentation time in a tank that is not temperature-controlled. Rosso is a wacky, unoaked red that defies convention while utilizing classic techniques, just like the new journalism honed by the white suited, St. Christopher's alum Tom Wolfe. 501 S. Pine St., 788-4205
Wineworks Merlot/Malbec 2010 at Garnett's ($7 a glass)
What's true for Vince Gilligan's hit show Breaking Bad is also true for this blend of Merlot and Malbec, a wild-card grape in Virginia. Instead of dense Argentine spice, the glass spins a chopped and screwy remix. 2001 Park Ave., 367-7909 or garnettscafe.com
