SPOTSYLVANIA—Every summer thousands of tourists visit Virginia’s Civil War battlefields. Others like to drive through the state’s scenic countryside and taste fine wines.

This year they can do both through a Virginia Wine Board promotion to mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

“After a hot summer day touring the battlefields, you should probably visit a nice, air-conditioned winery and enjoy a glass of wine!” said Ann Heidig, owner of Lake Anna Winery and a member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Wine Grape Advisory Committee.

The sesquicentennial commemoration promotion offers visitors to Civil War battlefields a promotional passport they can have stamped at any of 23 nearby participating wineries. The wineries are using special Civil War labels and offering wine vintages to commemorate specific events. Details are available at virginiawine.org/sesquicentennial, and passports also are available at participating wineries.

“We actually have four Civil War labels for wines to commemorate the battles held in Spotsylvania County,” Heidig said.

Many wineries make some snack foods available or encourage visitors to bring picnic lunches, she noted.

Contact Heidig at 540-895-5667 or Norm Hyde, VFBF communications, at 804-290-1146.