was not mentally fit in 2006. At this writing the court has not ruled on that issue and Salahis young and old are still wrangling over the property, neither side willing to concede an inch to the other.
Politics—Use and Be Used
Virginia’s Lt. Governor Tim Kaine flashed his broad politician’s smile at the group of some 75 people gathered on the wooden back deck at the award winning Oasis Vineyard and winery in Hume, Virginia.
It was a beautiful early evening in the late spring of 2004 and Kaine was running for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The sun was just about to set and with the vineyard’s 100 lush acres of grapes, peaceful pond and rolling hills as his backdrop (and with a glass of the winery’s award winning product in hand) Kaine told the democrats before him about his plans for the future of Virginia. He humbly asked for their financial support. Standing nearby was his beaming benefactor, the family winery’s co-owner, Tareq Salahi, and his stunningly beautiful blonde wife, Michaele.
The couple was already well known in Virginia social and political circles. In fact, the administration of the current Governor, Mark Warner, would soon approach Tareq for a major favor. As an avid polo player since his youth Tareq counted among his polo buddies, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. He and Michaele had been the honored guests of Prince Charles as far back as March 2001 when they attended a special reception at St. James’s Palace. Governor Warner wanted an introduction to the royal family so the commonwealth could invite Queen Elizabeth to take part in Virginia’s 400th anniversary celebration. Though the event was still two years away, Warner believed it was never too early to start networking. The Salahis would agree to the assignment and help secure the Queen’s visit to Virginia.
So it was not a surprise that Lt. Governor Kaine would choose the Oasis Vineyard venue for his 2004 kickoff fundraising effort. And the event was just one of many times Kaine would lean on the Salahis for political support, generous donations of money and cases of wine for democratic political events.
That evening Tareq Salahi and other winery owners spoke candidly with Kaine about their industry’s long standing problems with local and state officials. Vineyard owners wanted to repeal the laws that forbid out of state shipping of wine and local zoning restrictions which kept them from attracting business to their beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain area properties. Neighbors along the rural roads had complained about the increase of tourist traffic as customers made their way to winery tastings, festivals, murder mystery dinners or lavish weddings and the good old boys in charge of local government bowed to demands to curb the number of visitors to the area.
The night of the political fundraiser, Salahi pointed out to Kaine the great benefits of promoting what he called the “Wine Way Region” of Fauquier County. “Agro-tourism,” as Tareq called it, was environmentally kind to the land, when compared with other industries it put virtually no undue stressors on Virginia’s social services, it fed the tax base and could, ultimately, bring in countless millions of tourist dollars to ancillary businesses like hotels and restaurants. Tareq waxed poetic about his dream of someday making Virginia wine country competitive with California’s Napa Valley and other famous oenophile tourist spots. He was bubbling with ideas and Kaine seemed vitally interested.
Tareq Salahi was already serving as a member of Virginia’s Wine Board. He would ultimately be appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Tourism Authority and the Salahis would be credited far and wide as being the catalyst for passage of new laws that greatly contributed to the industry’s stability and growth.
“Somebody said to me, ‘So, Tareq, change the law if you don’t like it!’ And I said, ‘You can do that?’”
Along with the
Politics—Use and Be Used
Virginia’s Lt. Governor Tim Kaine flashed his broad politician’s smile at the group of some 75 people gathered on the wooden back deck at the award winning Oasis Vineyard and winery in Hume, Virginia.
It was a beautiful early evening in the late spring of 2004 and Kaine was running for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The sun was just about to set and with the vineyard’s 100 lush acres of grapes, peaceful pond and rolling hills as his backdrop (and with a glass of the winery’s award winning product in hand) Kaine told the democrats before him about his plans for the future of Virginia. He humbly asked for their financial support. Standing nearby was his beaming benefactor, the family winery’s co-owner, Tareq Salahi, and his stunningly beautiful blonde wife, Michaele.
The couple was already well known in Virginia social and political circles. In fact, the administration of the current Governor, Mark Warner, would soon approach Tareq for a major favor. As an avid polo player since his youth Tareq counted among his polo buddies, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. He and Michaele had been the honored guests of Prince Charles as far back as March 2001 when they attended a special reception at St. James’s Palace. Governor Warner wanted an introduction to the royal family so the commonwealth could invite Queen Elizabeth to take part in Virginia’s 400th anniversary celebration. Though the event was still two years away, Warner believed it was never too early to start networking. The Salahis would agree to the assignment and help secure the Queen’s visit to Virginia.
So it was not a surprise that Lt. Governor Kaine would choose the Oasis Vineyard venue for his 2004 kickoff fundraising effort. And the event was just one of many times Kaine would lean on the Salahis for political support, generous donations of money and cases of wine for democratic political events.
That evening Tareq Salahi and other winery owners spoke candidly with Kaine about their industry’s long standing problems with local and state officials. Vineyard owners wanted to repeal the laws that forbid out of state shipping of wine and local zoning restrictions which kept them from attracting business to their beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain area properties. Neighbors along the rural roads had complained about the increase of tourist traffic as customers made their way to winery tastings, festivals, murder mystery dinners or lavish weddings and the good old boys in charge of local government bowed to demands to curb the number of visitors to the area.
The night of the political fundraiser, Salahi pointed out to Kaine the great benefits of promoting what he called the “Wine Way Region” of Fauquier County. “Agro-tourism,” as Tareq called it, was environmentally kind to the land, when compared with other industries it put virtually no undue stressors on Virginia’s social services, it fed the tax base and could, ultimately, bring in countless millions of tourist dollars to ancillary businesses like hotels and restaurants. Tareq waxed poetic about his dream of someday making Virginia wine country competitive with California’s Napa Valley and other famous oenophile tourist spots. He was bubbling with ideas and Kaine seemed vitally interested.
Tareq Salahi was already serving as a member of Virginia’s Wine Board. He would ultimately be appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Tourism Authority and the Salahis would be credited far and wide as being the catalyst for passage of new laws that greatly contributed to the industry’s stability and growth.
“Somebody said to me, ‘So, Tareq, change the law if you don’t like it!’ And I said, ‘You can do that?’”
Along with the
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