Usually, having wine and nibbles is purely about pleasure. But in the case of the Blacksburg Wine Lab in Blacksburg, Virginia, the experience is as informative as it is enjoyable. Writer Leslie Long introduces Real Food Traveler readers to this unique spot and the intriguing story behind it.

Save this article to Pinterest to help you plan your visit to the Blacksburg Wine Lab. Photos by Leslie Long and Blacksburg Wine Lab. Graphic by Real Food Traveler.

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At Blacksburg Wine Lab, learning never tasted so good.

During a recent visit to the idyllic college town of Blacksburg, VA, home of Virginia Tech, my friends suggested dinner at Blacksburg Wine Lab. Curious about the unique name, I wondered if there was something experimental about the place. And given that the university focuses on the tech-y part of the world, I thought it could have just been named in solidarity with the area’s intellectual propensities. 

After doing a little pre-dinner research, I saw that in addition to a wide selection of wines from around the world, the Lab specializes in creative charcuterie boards and tinned fish platters. As for the name, I’d soon find out the unique backstory.

As soon as we settled into the modern, open space, we ordered several charcuterie boards, filled with various dips (the butternut squash whipped feta dip was truly memorable), meats, cheeses and artisanal crackers. We also chose Marcona almonds, an array of olives and delicious deviled eggs. Assuming this was dinner, I ordered an interesting sounding Pinot Noir from Oregon and went to town, enjoying all the offerings with my wine.

Charcuterie plates of all descriptions go so well with the wines served at Blacksburg Wine Lab.

Our server soon suggested we also order from their vast array of tinned seafood, so I suddenly needed to find more room to sample this recent trend I’ve noticed on menus in Manhattan and the North Fork of Long Island. The variety was vast, including sardines, salmon, mussels, trout and many more little swimmers in various sauces and preparations, some smoked, some not. 

Aside from being delicious, the canned fish come in artful packaging that’s hard to resist. (They can also be purchased for home use.) We ordered several different varieties and each came nicely arranged with house-made pickles, lemon herb aioli, excellent potato chips and sea salt crackers — different and delicious.

With so many options to choose from, the tinned fish trend is alive and well at Blacksburg Wine Lab.

Hungry for more? Read Leslie’s article about Peg Leg Porker BBQ in Nashville.

Blacksburg Wine Lab all began with a wine course

When the natty owner, John Boyer, stopped by to tell us the story behind the Blacksburg Wine Lab, we learned that he was an established geography professor at Virginia Tech, and many years ago began teaching a course called Geography of Wine. At first, he tried to drum up interest in this somewhat unconventional course (especially for a technical school) by hanging flyers throughout the area, initially garnering just 16 students. From that humble beginning, the course grew and grew in popularity, now attracting 1500 online students per session.

John Boyer, the passionate professor behind Blacksburg Wine Lab, tells us all about how his business began.

After immersing himself in the study of wine through his popular course, John and his partner Katie Pritchard eventually thought it would be nice to have an actual place where local residents, university staff, visiting parents and older students could actually enjoy the wines John discussed in his classes. 

As an educator, he thought of the Lab as a place where he could not only serve wines at all price points and from many parts of the world, but also share his growing knowledge with others. In keeping with that credo, large colorful maps of wine growing regions around the world decorate the walls. Whether enjoying wine by the glass, flight or bottle, patrons know they can count on drinking wines that have been carefully chosen by a true aficionado.

Back to the curious name, here’s how John Boyer explains it. “There’s a reason we’re called a lab and not a bar. It’s all about education and expectations.” After spending an evening there, Blacksburg Wine Lab delivers on both. With friendly, wine-educated servers, it’s easy to learn about wine here without the slightest bit of intimidation. And as people come to expect not only great wine, but delicious casual food in a great atmosphere, it’s a lab everyone enjoys attending.

At Blacksburg Wine Lab, it’s easy and enjoyable to sample a wide variety of wines from around the world. Photo courtesy Blacksburg Wine Lab.

To learn more about the Blacksburg Wine Lab, visit their website here. And to help plan your trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, check out their website, here.

-Story and photos, except where noted, by Leslie Long.

Use our Real Food Travel affiliate links to plan your trip to Blacksburg, VA: Hotels.com and Expedia.com. While these links do not, in any way, change your search, reservation or pricing experience, we may receive a small commission on purchases.

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