Category: Favorite Wineries in Virginia

Virginia Wine Lover Magazine Favorite Tasting Room Poll

Published on by Tricia Traugott1 Comment

If you haven’t subscribed to Virginia Wine Lover Magazine, the holidays are a great time to sign up for this publication. It offers wine news, gift ideas, events and information about local wineries to share with your holiday guests.

According to Virginia Wine Lover , the results are in from the  September poll asking readers to vote for their Favorite Virginia Winery Tasting Room.  Some 3,000 responses accounted for the top 25 winners selected from Virginia’s 220 wineries with tasting rooms. Selections were made on the basis of Friendliness of Staff (39%), Attractiveness of Location (37%), Staff’s Knowledge of Wine (19%), Proximity (3%) and Price of Tasting (2%). Several of the wineries that are local to our Charlottesville area made the list.

Cooper Vineyards in Louisa County, midway between C-ville and Richmond, took top honors as favorite tasting room. Perfect! Planning our first trip there this weekend which also coincides with their Holiday Open House ( free tastings Sat. & Sun. 1-5).  Many of you may already be familiar with Cooper Vineyards.They were selected for the Cooper staff friendliness, the architectural design of the tasting room and for their fine wines. Cooper Vineyards recently earned the coveted LEED Platinum certification( the highest standard) for excellence in “Green” building technology. They have one many awards already and their Noche dessert wine is extremely popular.  Made with Norton grapes and infused with chocolate, Noche is a versatile wine. According to Cooper Vineyards, it has hints of black cherry and raspberry complement rich aromas of cocoa with a chocolate ganache finish. Great for sipping, drizzled as a chocolate sauce over ice cream or combined with nutella for a chocolate fondue. This wine is definitely on my shopping list for Thanksgiving. These recipes can be found on their website or on VWL’s site.  

2nd place honors for best tasting room went to Early Mountain Vineyards.  Agreed!  This winery is a very popular spot, augmented with a most hospitable tasting room staff, offering select wines from the Commonwealth and an attention to detail to create a most enjoyable wine tasting experience. Located in southern Madison County, EMV has already established themselves as a TGIF spot and situated conveniently between NoVA and Charlottesville, a premier wine tasting destination. The event facility rivals Pippin Hill for country elegance and an exquisite wedding venue.

Prince Michel nabbed the 4th favorite tasting room for its Madison County location. Prince Michel was chosen as the exclusive winery to produce the official 250thanniversary commemorative wine for this year-long celebration. The  two wines chosen to pay tribute to this historic occasion are Prince  Michel’s award winning Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines are  made from grapes grown in the Monticello appellation of Virginia.  Embellished with the custom designed commemorative label, these wines  will be available in over 200 locations around the area. They will also  be available April 21 for tasting and purchase at the First Annual  Monticello Wine Festival at the pavilion on Charlottesville’s downtown  mall. Prince Michel also has a tasting room on Carter’s Mountain with beautiful vistas over  Charlottesville extending down to Nelson County.

Barboursville Vineyards,  Glass House Winery,  Keswick Vineyards, Horton Vineyards, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and  Pollak Vineyards made the top 20 tasting rooms in Virginia.  Each winery is unique in its own right offering a little something different from the others. Barboursville for its history, longevity, and 5 star restaurant, Palladio, serving award-winning wines like Octagon and Nebbiolo. Glass House lends an atmosphere of the tropics with its glass conservatory and warm welcoming tasting room staff.  Top that off with Michelle Sanders’ gourmet chocolates and you could wrap up Christmas gifts right there.  Keswick Vineyards is a cozy tasting room in the heart of hunt country with a beautiful backdrop of historic plantations. With this many delightful wineries to choose from, it’s no wonder Charlottesville has become such a great weekend destination. I think you’ll need more than a couple of weekends to get a real taste of Thomas Jefferson’s wine country.

As a real estate agent, I’m finding more and more people choosing the Charlottesville area as their home. Parents who have adult children graduating from the University of Virginia are building homes here after becoming acquainted with all Central Virginia has to offer. The wine industry, education, the arts, temperate climate, health care and more are inspiring weekend visitors to purchase second homes within driving distance from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. If you’re interested in viewing homes for sale in the area, please call or email to schedule a visit. We’d love to welcome you to Charlottesville!

 

Sip & Shop-Mixing Pleasure with Pleasure

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A fashion evening with a recipe for success in any ladies book!  Thursday evening  Early Mountain Vineyards introduced the winery to fashionistas from Northern Virginia all the way down to Central Virginia.  The attraction was an event called Sip and Shop featuring designs from Urban Chic,  Splendalla Personal Shopping services, complementary appetizers from Early Mountain and Thibault-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay!  Scene stealer: the prosecco poured over wild hibiscus flowers served in champagne flutes, as beautiful as it was delicious!  Capitalizing on the interest of wedding planners, fashion consultants and fashion bloggers, I foresee potential bridal fashion shows here or perhaps even a guys’ night with tuxedos and cigars on the patio accompanied by a robust red or smokey port? Just my thoughts….

Besides the lovely apparel including denim from 7 For All Mankind, Citizens For Humanity and J Brand in addition to the dressier items (a taupe lace overlay dress that I reeeeally wanted) it was just fun shopping and reconnecting with friends. Bonus, meeting other lady bloggers.  I met Dana Holler of Cville Fashion for the second time in a week, (other encounter at Cville SheBlogs ) and her good friend, Jeannine of Small and Chic Home having a good time as well.

Fashion bloggers Dana and Jeannine

Eric Kelley was on site photographing for EMV’s soon to be launched new website. Love to see his photos! Thanks to Peter, Eric, Wendy, Michelle, Heather and Margaret for the attention to everyone’s comfort and enjoyment!

Along that vein, the remaining portion of this post is devoted to photography, the pictures speak for themselves…

Enjoying our Red, White and Blue Flight

Ankida Ridge Featured at Early Mountain Vineyards

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Many of you  have already heard the accolades about Ankida Ridge’s Pinot Noir, but for those who aren’t familiar with this East Coast Pinot, today is the day. Recently opened, Madison’s Early Mountain Vineyards (heretofore, EMV) features (in addition to their own wines) select estate wines from around Virginia. From the onset, EMV is committed to excellence and selling Ankida Ridge’s Pinot enhances their wine list. Due to the small scale production at Ankida Ridge, this wine will be sold at EMV, but not available for tastings…except this afternoon.  2-5pm… Christine and Nathan Vrooman will be there to visit with old friends and new as they pour their 2010 Pinot Noir and  2011 Chardonnay (its first public appearance!) It should be a fabulous afternoon!

The Vroomans, owners of Ankida Ridge, planted tightly spaced vines of  Burgundian grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, at an elevation of 1800 ft, amongst the rocks and steep narrow rows of vines. The result according to  Dave McIntyre of The Washington Post picks Ankida Ridge’s 2010 Pinot Noir near the top of his favorite regional wines of 2011!  Esteemed wine writer, Richard Leahy,  posts this review of our Pinot Noir! …  “The new, small, Burgundian-style winery Ankida Ridge high in Amherst County is not only focused and passionate, but has done their homework from the ground up, hiring viticulturist Lucie Morton and paying attention to every detail in the process. The result is the most remarkable pinot noir I’ve had from the Eastern U.S.“….

Stone Mountain Vineyards “Altitude and Attitude”

Published on by Tricia Traugott1 Comment

                                                                                                                      

Stone Mountain masqueraded as  “Snow Mountain”  on October 29th & 30th for the 12th Annual Stone Mountain Vineyards Open House. “Bacon Holloween” at Stone Mountain Vineyards drew a nice crowd of leaf peepers, snow seekers and wine sippers. The winery is situated on the side of  the mountain above Bacon Hollow, an area known long ago for moonshine and revenue agents.  Last Saturday brought an unusual dusting of the white stuff adding a sugar-coating on pumpkin and scarlet colored leaves.   Visitors enjoyed  private tours of  the wine cave and sampling directly from the barrel with winemaker Chris Breiner and tour guide, Brian Taylor. Vertical tastings were also  available. We found Gabrielle Rausse  pouring tastings of his own wines at a separate bar. Surprised to see Gabrielle, I inquired about the reason for his presence.  Winking, he explained that he considers himself Chris Breiner’s life coach.  In fact, he does coach Chris on winemaking and in return, periodically showcases some of his own signature labeled wines at Stone Mountain.

 

Wine on Tap

 A new venture for the owners  is serving wine on tap.  Stone Mountain Vineyards wines are featured on tap, yes, on tap at Aida Bistro Wine Bar in Columbia, Maryland. Aida installed a new Wine on Tap System with 20 Wines on Tap. Based on customer acceptance and demand, they are increasing it to 30 Wines on Tap by Fall 2011. Their Wine on Tap System is the largest in Maryland and second largest in the U.S!   They feature  Stone Mountain  2010 Pinot Grigio, 2010 Chardonnay and 2008 Cabernet Franc and Aidatage.  Aidatage is a special blend the staff created at the winery with
their 2009 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvigon and Petit Verdot.  According to Chris, the
staff had a lot of fun creating the Aidatage and in turn  presenting it to
their customers. I wish I had tasted that one.  My husband and I have brought friends to Stone Mountain Vineyards numerous times and after a little apprehension about the drive up, they conclude it is well worth the trip.  With the vineyards sloping  just below the back deck  they have found the Autumn views unrivaled by any of the other wineries in our area.  Sited at a 1700 foot elevation, the vantage point provides expansive views of Greene County and Northern Albemarle County.

On this particular visit we selected a bottle of Chardonnay rather than going through  a complete tasting.  It was an ideal afternoon for relaxing on the deck and taking in the scenery, albeit a bit chilly. Later, we joined a small group for the barrel tasting guided  Brian Taylor. We sampled 3 Cabernet Francs, 2007, 2008, 2009 and one Chardonnay from the barrels. The 2008 was my favorite and given some more time, should be excellent!

Brian demonstrating bottling for us

The 2008 Chardonnay was delightful, with ripe green apple flavors aged in 100% stainless steel for a full but crisp mouth feel.  I particularly liked the die-cut label  with the Blue Ridge Mountains cresting the top.  If you have friends who haven’t developed a taste for wine, the Maquillage (Make-up in French) has 3% residual sugar and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. Fruity, it pairs well with cheeses and lightly spiced dishes. Naming wines can be quite fun and a few give a humorous nod to the history of the “hollows” of Greene County, especially the Bacon Hollow Revenuers Select.

The Winery

Stone Mountain’s log cabin style winery hugs the mountainside below a tumble of large rocks, hence the name. The natural heart pine wood tasting room is spacious, rustic and cozy. I had so many pictures that I’ll close with a mini gallery of scenes to entice you up the mountain. Part of the fun of Stone Mountain is the approach, passing streets like Mutton Hollow, Bacon Hollow, Brokenback Mountain and finally arriving at Wyatt Mountain Road.  Another tidbit- the tasting glasses for collectors have the logo for Stone Mountain and on the back, the Chinese Year, this one being the year of the rabbit. Helpful hint: Drive slowly up the mountain and stay right, it is only one lane and after rains can be quite bumpy. Still, it’s worth the effort.  Definitely have a DD for the ride back down!

Fall Foliage
Wrapping around the winery

Their Motto

Climb the Mountain, see how a positive change in altitude,
brings a positive change in attitude..

 

 

Winery Hours: Open March 9 thru December 18, 2011 – Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays and Federal Holiday Mondays 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Closed Easter Sunday).

Directions:

From Charlottesville area (approx. 30 minutes)

  • Take 29 North to Ruckersville, VA.
  • Take Route 33 West to Stanardsville
  • Turn left onto Route 810 (Dyke Road) to Dyke, VA. (Intersection Route 810 & 627 – Bacon Hollow Rd.) Turn right onto Route 627 (Bacon Hollow Rd.) and proceed 3.6 miles
  • Turn left onto Route 632 (Wyatt Mountain Road – gravel road)
  • Proceed up mountain 2 miles to entrance of Stone Mountain Vineyards (Left hand side of the road).
Year of the Rabbit
 

Snow Capped Winery
                           

Established in 1995
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wendy Williamson Pouring

Afton Mountain Vineyards Revisited

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Ripening pumpkins, juicy crisp Pippin apples, grapes, cornstalks, hot cider- all are heady aromas welcoming  Autumn in Virginia. October is fully under way with Maple and Bradford Pear trees changing like chameleons from green to orange and red hues.  Sprinkle in brilliant cobalt blue skies and puffs of cottony white clouds and you have the recipe for a brilliant Fall afternoon.  Armed with that inspiration, where should you go on a weekend full of apple butter festivals, University of Virginia football, tailgate parties and haunted houses?  I would like to suggest a little country drive towards Afton Mountain passing historic Virginia horse farms, more wineries, breweries and quaint little country stores like Greenwood Grocery on 250 west.

Living here has offered my husband and me a multitude of opportunities to visit local vineyards.  This year, the winery we’ve visited the most appears to be Afton Mountain Vineyards.  While attending the Wine Bloggers Conference in July, enduring hotter than Hades weather, we visited three different Nelson County wineries.  Sited just at the foot of Afton Mountain, a  whisper of cool air slightly diminished the heat while we sipped the acclaimed Festa Di Bacco on the tasting room deck.  Note to self- must return in the Fall,  if it’s this good in 100 plus temperatures it should be awesome in October. It is!

Approaching the tasting room from the road just past the vineyards,  a new structure and much-needed venue arose in front of us.  Tony and Elizabeth Smith, owners of Afton Mountain Vineyards,  have been quite industrious in expanding their event space.  We discovered  a beautiful covered pavilion outfitted with ceiling fans, outdoor restroom facilities and a backdrop of the mountains and more vines. This is a superb addition and I had visions of my daughter and her future husband dancing at a reception here with glasses clinking toasts to their future, (this is my dream and not necessarily the desires of the betrothed, by the way).  For more details regarding specifics of events and weddings contact Becca Yeamans, the tasting room manager at Afton Mountain and see their web page.

New Pavillion at Afton Mountain

Future Mother of the Bride went a little crazy that day taking photos of the site, but  finally managed to join my family  on the deck for a bottle of wine I that I had anticipated earlier in the summer.

The Bridal Arbor

 Our son did the honors and selected a Gewürztraminer to try and it was excellent.  I can’t describe it any better than  it is presented on the web site:  As the German word “Gewurz” suggests, this is an aromatic wine that is excellent with spicy dishes and seafood. The 2009 vintage is a crisp, dry white wine with a nose of orange peel and spiciness typical of this grape with just a touch of residual sugar.

Sipping the "Gewurz"

 

Last little bit of fun, for those who like to pick up a little souvenir from a winery visit, the T-shirts are so cool!   The Grapes Don’t Grow in Ugly Places is  trademarked  and the Festa Di Baccus looks great on the guys. They also provide Wine Away at the tasting bar, the Smiths are so-so smart and thoughtful! A real life saver after a bump with a Cabernet Sauvignon. Cheers to Autumn in Virginia, we’re off to enjoy another winery and the Apple Butter Festival at Flippin Seaman in Nelson County.

Buy the T-shirt

Answers to Stump The Winos! See 7/19/2011 Post

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A. Pollak Vineyard -View towards the Pond and Mountains

B.Glass House Winery-When the Raccoon ate the Pineapple

C.Flying Fox Winery-Quaint Cottage Entrance

D.King Family Vineyard-Polo Pony

E.Mountfair Vineyard-Barrel Room

F.Keswick Vineyards-Cherub Sculpture at Tasting Room

G.Blenheim Vineyards-Sign to Tasting Room

H.Pippin Hill Farm Vineyards-View from the Patio

I.Barboursville Vineyards-Ruins

J.Sweely Estate Winery-Sculpture

K.Afton Mountain Vineyards-Artwork

Just for Fun, How many did You get right?

Promises and Celebrations at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards

Published on by Tricia Traugott4 Comments

Promises and Contrasts.  Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards  is the newest addition to the Monticello Trail AVA  but has the aura of  generations of history. Set in a valley in the southern end of Albemarle County, this boutique winery promises to be one of the most coveted locations for wedding celebrations  in Virginia.  I was struck by the contrasts of old and new, soft and coarse, refined and rustic; the promise of a new venture developing like a fine Bordeaux into an exquisite wedding destination. 

 Upon first approach from the road, the hillside divide into two vineyards, both are in first year growth. Very new!  On the crest of the hill,  the Granary and Tasting Room are visible,  designed in the style of a classic farmstead house with the barn blending into the rolling countryside.  The structure appears old but the newly sown grass and plantings give it away.  The panoramic views are Old World and I can’t help but anticipate the views after the vines mature, anchoring the vista of  the  Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding hills !  Definitely add this to your Autumn leaf peeping, wine tasting outings!

                                                                                  

Owners, Dean Andrews and Lynn Easton Andrews, have assembled the best team, from the architects and landscape designer to the interior design team of  JohnSarahJohn!  Dean has an extensive 30 year background in the hospitality industry  specificically,   international hotel operations and development including properties in the US, Caribbean, French Polynesia and Mexico.  Lynn’s professional career includes producing  large events for Fortune 500 corporations, non-profit organizations, and top-level social clients. Lynn’s expertise is described as orchestrating “high-touch” events that require maximum attention to detail.  It appears that between them, they have the recipe for success!

Chris Hill is the vineyard consultant with decades of experience in vineyard establishment and  management. Michael Shaps of Virginia Wineworks is partnering with Pippin Hill to produce wines and supplement with his label to get things rolling.

 The Structure 

The Pippin Hill facility offers five different arenas for entertaining: the main event building, The Granary; the Winery Tasting Room; the Veranda & Courtyard; the Wine Cellar and Alfresco Dining in the Vineyard.

The elements of design were artistically placed with photo opportunities in mind ( at least that was my impression) and permit countless  locations for keepsake snapshots!  Little niches placed here and there are priceless for stolen kisses and intimate moments!  Perfect for exchanging wedding promises!  Already, the wedding photographers and planners are blogging about this hot location! While I was visiting, three different groups were contemplating scheduling their big event here and judging by the smiles and number of camera clicks, I’d have to believe some deposits were placed!

The Granary is a barn inspired structure and the main event hall for wedding receptions,  accommodating up to 200 people with over 3,600 square feet of open floor space beneath a dramatic two- story wood beamed ceiling.  Old wood and rustic, distressed  furniture coupled with lavish fabrics create a sense of established elegance, feminine yet substantial. Several pieces were selected and imported from San Miguel, Mexico adding to the international feel.  Upstairs,  Brides can dress and primp with their bridesmaids  in the Bridal Loft  delicately decorated with  wispy sheer draperies and soft linen tweed upholstery.  

         

Below, wine tasting and a “vineyard to table” menu are offered on the Veranda and in the Tasting Room, which coincidentally has a loft for the groom  to prepare for the occasion!   The rustic decorating style continues throughout interior and exterior, with little touches of country elegance achieving an effect of a French or Tuscan farmhouse. 

In the Tasting Room, the bar top is constructed  out of  harvested wood from a Montezuma Cypress tree.  These trees are extremely hardy with a  long lifespan, some  can be up to 2,000 years old!  The  Montezuma Cypress  is Mexico’s national tree and cannot be cut down while still alive.  This tree was estimated to have died 10 years ago.  The tree’s circumference is 10′ and stood approximately 70-80′ tall!  

Stay tuned for my next post which will be Part II of Pippin Hill,  the wine  and ambience!

A “Vine” Afternoon at Barboursville Vineyards

Published on by Tricia Traugott6 Comments

      

 Did you ever think you could live in a place too long?  Too long from the perspective of taking for granted a beautiful purple  Phlox covered countryside with vineyards, mountains and history just a short drive down the road from… Super Walmart?  Thanks to my friend and social networking mentor, Lewis Nelson, blog writer of Family of Five,  he arranged an afternoon outing with Fernando Franco, viticulturist at  Barboursville Vineyards.  It was a reminder and welcome opportunity to stop and appreciate the beginnings of Spring in Central Virginia.  

Holly and Fernando Franco

 Fernando

Lewis, his lovely wife Holly and precious daughter Gwen introduced me to their friend , Fernando who is not only a highly esteemed viticulturist but a salsa dancer and V.P. of the Charlottesville Salsa Club.  With a resume of 30  years of growing grapes and a disarming knowledge of Agronomy, we had a real expert to explain the intricacies of wine making.  Originally from El Salvador, Fernando spent over a decade at Prince Michel and  in Napa as a vintner and viticulturist  before taking over the vineyards at Barboursville thirteen years ago.    Fernando opened up the conversation by hospitably pouring us  a glass of  Sauvignon Blanc followed by a delicious Viognier. Most of my experience has been with Barboursville red wines and their dessert wines, Phileo and Malvaxia, but I would have purchased either one of the whites we tasted.

The Tour

 Our tour started in the large tasting room,  a double-sided fireplace separating it from the gift shop.  Souvenir  shopping is fun here with lots of wine related novelty items that are easy to pack in a small carry-on suitcase.  The Octagon room has  Octagon wine barrels  on the floor and  a  photo history and memorabilia on the surrounding walls.  At the center of the room is a table set with a floral display flanked by bottles of their signature award-winning Octagon wine, a meritage of  the winery’s  finest Bordeaux varietals.

Octagon

  Octagon represents the eight sided architectural style used in the central hall designed by Thomas Jefferson for James Barbour’s plantation house. Unfortunately the home burned in Christmas 1884 and we are left with the ruins to contemplate a bygone era in Virginia history.  

We then  passed into a long hall of stainless steel vats. Immense vats, especially in comparison to our smaller boutique wineries in the Charlottesville area. This is definitely the granddaddy of vat rooms in our area!  We tasted some red blends straight from the vat  including a Cabernet Franc that was excellent! 

 Afterwards, Fernando offered us a ride to the newest area being cultivated at Barboursville, the Goodlow Mountain vineyard.  Hopping into his vehicle, we drove off the property and back on to the south end, passing by some of their oldest vines.

36,000 New Vines

The 2011 plans for the vineyards call for 24 acres with 36,000 new vines to be planted which will increase the total planted acreage by 20 percent!  3 acres  will be devoted to their newest varietal, planting 4,600 vines of Petite Syrah.  The conditions of Goodlow Mountain vineyard are similar to those found in the northern Rhone Valley of France where the Petite Syrah thrives. Fernando knows his vines and feels “this site maybe the most perfect site developed so far.”

 Completing our tour and my friends off in their own directions, I was left to wander the grounds on my own, exploring rooms and ruins on a sunny afternoon. The following are some of my favorite photographs. If you are in need of a classic backdrop for a photo shoot, this is definitely the location!  Brides, pay attention!

Clouds Billowing from a Fireplace in Ruins

 

Look for a future post about Palladio, the Five Star Restaurant at Barboursville!

New with the Old

Good Bye Barboursville, We’ll be Back! Hopefully, you will be too!

Leaving Barboursville

Delfosse

Published on by Tricia Traugott2 Comments

I shall be telling this with a sigh                         
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

…Robert Frost

I know this may be one of the most over used quotations, but it fits so perfectly that  I can’t resist.   For some unknown  reason I have procrastinated visiting Delfosse Winery in Nelson County, but after recently running into Yvette Okros, Tasting Room Manager for Delfosse, we decided to make it a priority.  With another winery also in mind, we travelled south on 151, the Rockfish Gap Turnpike,  toward Wintergreen.   We veered off at highway 6  in the direction of Delfosse Winery . Our GPS steered us left onto Old Roberts Mountain Road.  Surely, this wasn’t the way most people visit Delfosse!  Gravel road, rutted in many places and traversing over the crest of a small mountain?  Definitely this was the road less travelled by!

Arriving at our destination, we found a breath-taking Virginia valley flanked by European-style terraced vineyards. We were warmly welcomed by Yvette, who ushered us in and introduced us to the owner, Claude Delfosse.   Yvette arranged a table for us to sample wines and get to know Claude a bit. It was nice to have the opportunity to casually hang out with Claude and ask questions about wine making at our leisure.  

 Claude Delfosse,  a Fulbright Scholar,  decided to “take the road less travelled by”  himself  when he veered away from his professional career of Aeronautical Engineering.  French by birth,  he chose to make the U.S. his home and settle in Virginia .   He was relaxed and pleasant, sipping wine with us and expounding on the attributes of some of his wines. He lights up with a big smile when reflecting on some of his award-winning wines.  I really liked the way Claude named some of  the wines after his family members.  One stand-out wine, Reserve d’ Oriane, was named after his daughter.  A complex blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of Viognier and Petit Manseng.  The Merlot was excellent also, but Claude seemed most proud of the 2006 Meritage , a Double Gold Medal winner at the Monticello Wine Cup!  We clearly agreed!  We enjoyed homemade crepes along with our wine for an added treat!

We closed out the day and headed out to explore the grounds. Not the best day, cloudy and overcast before bud break, so no lush vines to photograph. The winery sits at the foot of a hill across from a pond with a quaint bridge for photo ops.  A  generous elegant patio area  expands the dining space outdoors and features  a whimsical  frog sculpture fountain at the center.  This must be a wonderful spot in warm weather and we plan to spend some time here enjoying wine with friends in the Spring and Summer!  

Perched above the pond and winery and just below the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is a precious log cabin surrounded by perennial gardens and a flagstone patio. What a heavenly spot for a weekend getaway!  The cabin is perfect for a couple and you can invite friends or host a gathering from this vantage point. During the day, take advantage of the miles of hiking trails surrounding the property.

I can only say that I’m sorry I have missed out on this winery in the past and will rectify that in the future!

I highly recommend the drive south from Charlottesville on 29 with Delfosse as your final destination and enjoy the hospitality of Mr. Delfosse, Yvette and Dave ( our wine server who was knowledgeable and unintimidated while  pouring in front of his employer!).

Welcome to Delfosse!

Groupon Deal at High Meadows Vineyard Inn!

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A friend of mine has a wonderful B & B near Charlottesville and in the vicinity of Blenheim, Sugar Leaf,  Keswick, Jefferson Vineyards and more!

The deal is On! Check out High Meadows Vineyard Inn featuring elegant accommodations adjacent to a vineyard tended by Gabrielle Rausse himself!

The GroupOn Coupon offers: $250 for a Two-Night Weekday Stay for Two and Farm & Winery Tour with Picnic Locavore Lunch at High Meadows Vineyard Inn (Up to $625 Value)!  No time to write more, all the details are on the link. Will plan on a much more in-depth review of this delightful Inn in the near future.  Don’t wait too long, the last GroupOn Deal they offered sold out very quickly!