Virginia is producing seriously astonishing wines. Named one of the top ten wine travel destinations by Wine Enthusiast magazine, Virginia is known as a destination for oenophiles and wine hobbyists alike. Whether the winery tour is based around a beautiful ride through the countryside, or a hunt for that perfect Bordeaux blend, both tourists and residents spend a lot of time visiting local wineries.

But what's it like to be on the other side of the tasting room bar? What goes on in the Barrel Room? What's happening in the vineyard? There are many volunteer opportunities at Virginia wineries that allow those who are interested to find out what life is like inside a winery and out amongst the grape vines.

While California has instituted some restrictions regarding the use of volunteers, Virginia has continued to embrace this practice. Each spring, summer and fall, many Virginia wineries encourage customers to become volunteers for these small businesses that support one of the state's largest tourism fields and one of the original agricultural fields in the state.

Depending on interests, local wineries offer volunteers a chance to pour wine tastings, represent the winery at special events, help at harvest time in the vineyard, work with the grapes in the barrel room during "punch down," or on the bottling line. While some wineries prefer some knowledge of wine, most are happy to teach volunteers about the craft of growing grapes, making wine from them and how to beautifully present the wines to customers.

"We love volunteers," says Brian Roeder, owner of Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane. "We're thrilled to have folks come out and learn about living the dream." Roeder mentioned that Barrel Oak is hiring part time employees as well. At Barrel Oak, both paid employees and volunteers work in the tasting room as well as have the chance to experience production through working in the barrel room, at bottling or in the vineyards. Barrel Oak does not require any industry experience, rather they look for individuals with a passion for and a desire to learn about wine.

Volunteer commitment can be flexible, though Roeder pointed out that the majority of the work for volunteers occurs on Saturdays and Sundays, which are typically the busiest days in the tasting room.

Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg has an intern program that immerses volunteers into an environment where they learn about all aspects of wine making and harvest. The program typically hosts university students but has also included various individuals with interests in the industry. Internships begin in early September and run through harvest.

For those who are interested in a shorter time commitment, Boxwood utilizes extra hands on an as needed basis during harvest season.

"Our interns learn about wine making operations, harvest, picking, sorting, wine making and lab analysis," notes Rachel Martin, Executive Vice President of Boxwood. "We're looking for solid interns who want to spend time at the winery on a regular basis throughout the harvest season."

According to their web site, at Three Fox Vineyards in Delaplane, when the Tasting Room is busy, "the pace is fast, exciting and it's never boring." And at the end of the day, volunteers and paid staff relax together over a glass of Three Fox wine. Volunteers receive a discount on Three Fox wines and merchandise. Three Fox asks for a volunteer commitment of at least one weekend day per month, with six weeks advanced notice.

"We're looking for people who love wine and love to interact with other people," stated Holly Todhunter, Vintner and Proprietor at Three Fox. Todhunter mentioned that volunteers and employees need to be 21 years old or older. Three Fox is hiring part time employees as well, with a 3-day per month commitment that consists of weekend work.

As with many of the local wineries, volunteer needs are seasonal and weather driven. By late April, most of the wineries will start to become busier and the need for volunteers will grow. The work can be informative and fun as well as physically and mentally challenging. For those with a passion for wine, volunteering at a winery is a great way to become involved in the industry and support a local business.