DH & I are going down to Charlottesville this weekend and plan to do some wine-tasting around the area. We already know about many of the larger wineries like Barboursville, Horton, Prince Michel, etc. but always enjoy seeking out smaller, family-run operations. If there are any pleasant surprises out there that may be less well-known, off the beaten path & offering something tasty, would love suggestions. (Anything other than dessert wines.) Thanks.

Oops didn't see this in time, but next time go to http://www.virginiawines.org/wineries/index.html
or email me.

Erika

Stone Mt. (www.stonemountainvineyards.com) probably produces some of the best wines in the state. The other I might mention is Rebec, although they are located west of Charlottesville in Amherst Co. (www.rebecwinery.com) For your next trip, Villa Appalaccia (www.villaappalaccia.com) does great Italian varietals but they are located off of the Parkway near I-77.

I was able to attend the CiaoWilliamsburg (.org) Italian Festival this weekend in Williamsburg and had a great time. They featured a number of Virginia wineries so I was able to try lots of different Virginia wines. I ended up buying a bottle of the Horton vintage port which I thought was very good. Have a great trip and watch for this festival next year.

Granted I am no sommelier, but I am a fairly serious oenophile, and I find most Virginia wines to be quite mediocre.

One big exception: Barboursville, and particularly the cab franc.

www.barboursvillewine.com

Enjoy!

I'll agree w/Gekko in that Va. wines ( as well as NC wines) are hit or miss. But there are good ones to be had. I've always been able to find something I liked @ Prince Michel & Horton. By the same token, I've never had much luck @ Barboursville or Jefferson, both which get a ton of press. To each their own. The others I mentioned prior (& let me make a correction here) should have been Sharp Rock (www.sharprockvineyards.com) not Stone Mt. I am getting forgetful in my old age.

Recently while staying at the Williamsburg Inn I had a bottle of the reserve Barboursville cab franc, and it was excellent. I bought other vintages of the same reserve -- all great. I can not comment on the other types.

Gekko - I don't recall them even having a 'reserve' last time I was there (& it has been a couple of years). (Or perhaps it just wasn't available to taste) Hopefully their other wines have also continued to improve.

Here you go:

http://www.barboursvillewine.com/thewines.html

Thx, S.

Usually when people say Virginia wine is mediocre they are from my home state of California, or just folks who want a big chewy red. In that case, don't look for a California red in Virginia. Go to California.

But if you really love wine and are willing to experiment, our wines are more in a French than California style due to the different growing season and our high humidity. We have many lovely wineries with wines that are winning not only national events (such as those in my home town of San Francisco where believe me the competition is steep) and competitions overseas.

I don't see people recommending some of our top central Virginia wineries except for Barboursville and Horton, so I'm wondering how many of our 100 plus wineries these people have visited.

What about Blenheim, King Family, Cardinal Point, Veritas, Keswick,Jefferson, White Hall,Rausse, and Kluge to name a few? I'm sure I'm forgettting a couple.

Erika

I have not personnally ventured beyond the Charlottesville area (heading East) so I can not speak to the DC area wineries. I have been drinking & visiting, Va. for a little over 10 years. Fortunately for me, NC wines have now gotten to the same level of Va. wines so I don't necessarily have to travel so far from home for a similar wine experience. aCActually Erika, a few places you mention I don't care for - Jefferson nor White Hall. But there certainly should be something for everyone if they just look &/or do a little research. Much like Va. , many of the places that get the most press (in NC that would be Childress & Shelton) oftentimes don't make the best product. I have found the same to be true in Va. Beware of the places w/the big tasting rooms and 20 varietals (Horton being the exception). It probably means they need to spend more $$$ on their product.

I don't have time to visit a hundred wineries, unfortunately, so I rely on experts to fill in the gaps.

For example, when I recently inquired about a superior Virginia wine, the sommelier at the Williamsburg Inn suggested the Barboursville cab franc.

I agree Gekko - but wouldn't it be fun to try ?? lol...I understand where you're coming from, but I can easily eliminate 1/3 of the NC & Va. wineries based on what types of wines they produce. I won't be looking for any Muscadine, Scuppernong or fruit-flavored juice. After that, you are limited/restricted by time, geographical area & the ability your taste buds have to soldier on. I'm sure the Sommelier asked you some questions that pointed him/her in a certain direction & also took your meal into consideration. Everyone has their own tastes, thats what makes it so interesting. We have a wine club that meets 6-8 times a year & we sometimes choose very specific wine types but othertimes leave it wide open. Everyone blind tastes & brings two btls. of the same wine. The winner gets everyones' 2nd bottle. You would be surprised what wins sometimes. This time we are doing Vigionier & Syrah/Shiraz. I plan to enter a NC Vigionier, we'll see what happens.

I'm going to reply to this thread for people in the future that want to come to this neck of the woods and experience some of the wines from a smaller winery. Just along the 151 corridor that runs parallel to the Blue Ridge just outside of Cville toward Wintergreen Resort, I can think of 6 wineries within about 15 miles. All have their specialties and some have medaled in national and international competition. Veritas, Cardinal Point, Afton, Mountain Cove, Hilltop Berry Farm, Wintergreen. Wintergreen winery is my favorite. I like a couple of their whites - Thomas Nelson and their Reisling but, the one I love is their 2004 Cab Franc that won double gold a year or so ago. I bought a couple of cases in nticipation of enjoying them some time in the next 5 to 10 years. Veritas is a wonderful winery and I would highly recommend it not just for the wine but also for the experience. It's a beautiful winery that invites you in to stay for a while, if you like. The scenery alone is worth the drive. Hilltop Berry Farm is an interesting winery in that they produce only one wine from grapes. Their fruit wines are true to the berry and very flavorful, if you like that sort of wine. They also make a handful of different meads that I, surprisingly, like. DelFosse is a very new winery just off of 29S as one comes into Nelson County. I believe they opened last year, maybe the year before, and they already are bringing home medals. I won't vouch for BIG competition medals as I can't remember but, they have some nice varietals that are worth trying. A little further down 29S is Rebec that also has some nice varitals as well as a killer garlic festival every fall. As for Barboursville, I agree that their wines are excellent and the Cab Franc in particular is one of my favorites. I tried Prince Michel in the early 90's when I moved down here and I thought it was the worst wine I had ever tasted (my experience was very limited at that time) and, therefore, never drank it again. I'll have to go up there and give it another try to either confirm or correct my opinion. When my family or friends come down I like to take them on a wine tour and I don't recall anyone not finding something they liked. There are so many wineries in Central Virginia that warrant a chance to showcase the flavor of the area.

Okay, back to lurking.
Kim

None of the wineries that I mentioned make Scuppernog or fruit juice.

They make Voignier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Reisling, and great Bordeaux blends. If you are drinking Scuppernog wine in Virginia, you are not visiting our finer wineries. I conduct wine tours in the Charlottesville area, and none of the wineries I drive to have any Scuppernog Wine. I don't even know where to find it here.
egoodell

I saw a $52 bottle of Kluge in Total Wine yesterday (!). That's the first NC or Va. wine I've seen w/that kind of price tag. Erika do you know anything about that/them.. ?

Yes, Patricia Kluge has quite a bit of money. She has hired Michel Roulent (can't think of how the last name is spelled) who was portryed in a pretty candid expose of the wine industry in a documentary film called Mondovino. He trots around the world and makes big bucks blending wine for a few select customers.

She has some very nice wine - money no object here - and sells the New World Red which is the Bordeaux blend you are talking about. Locals feel she is overpriced. I think Blenheim's Meritage or King Family Merlot 2002 is just as good if not better. She also has the Simply Red which retails for about $22 which is nice. Also a Viognier, Dry Rose, Sparkling White Wine, and a desert wine which is Chardonnay based with Chardonnay eau de vie and then aged in a Jack Daniel's barrel which those with a sweet tooth enjoy.

She has her tasting room in her Farm Shop right now as she is deciding what design to build her tasting room. Do not visit during high season as it is a big crush. Otherwise the farm shop is very lovely and you can purchase lunch there or just a cheese plate, or just a pastry. Very nice when not crowded.

She is also selling a developement near her vineyards just 15 minutes or so outside Charlottesville, where for a mere 8 to 18 million you can have your mansion (note: must pick one of her 5 or so approved designs!) and either a formal garden or a vineyard. I don't want to think what the maintenance fees will be!!!

Best,

Erka