There are plenty of reasons to visit Fredericksburg, especially in the fall, when the downtown streets are covered in orange, amber and red leaves: Visiting old (and haunted) shops, dining along the Rappahannock River, touring battlefields in town and outside of town, and an interesting cluster of wineries stretching north, west and southwest of town.
Your biggest challenge would be getting to "Fred" (as locals call it). It's not as easy for folks in Northern Virginia to trek down to Fredericksburg as it was twenty, or even ten, years ago. The traffic-clogged exurbs now extend to Fred, and beyond, so I-95 and U.S. Route 1 are likely to be slow-moving, or even stop and go, unless you leave very late Friday night and drop anchor at one of the many motels (basic to luxurious) dotting the interchanges around Fred. If you live anywhere west of DC, we suggest taking the Warrenton route - follow U.S. 17 or state highway 3 near Culpeper over to Fred.
Should you decide to take the Warrenton/Culpeper route, there are a few wineries along the way as you cut eastward to Fred. The first stop is one of our very favorites in the state, Rogers Ford Farm Winery, an absolutely charming, family-owned and operated boutique winery located on the banks of the Rappahannock (it's much narrower west of Fredericksburg), and on the edge of a wildlife preserve. Rogers Ford offers an intimate tasting experience and a peaceful deck overlooking their vineyards and the expansive property. Their reds are bold and delicious, and their whites tend to be on the slightly sweet side. In the end, they offer something for everyone. Our favorite reds: Virginia Red Select (a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat) and Chloe Cabernet (several wines are named after children in the family of the owners). Whites range from the nearly off-dry Jacob Christopher Chardonnay to the sweet First Frost Vidal. Their rosé is a bit sweeter than other Virginia rosés we've had, and would fare better chilled in warmer weather.
Continuing on U.S. highway 17 eastbound, as the traffic lights around Fred begin to increase, make the left turn to Hartwood Winery. Like Rogers Ford, Hartwood is modest in size but big on variety and quality. They're one of the original Virginia wineries and offer great selection at good prices. The tasting room is typical Virginia - quaint but bustling. Rappahannock Red is their "fun" wine; aged in steel and a great everyday table wine. On the more mature end of the spectrum, they offer a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as whites from semi-sweet to bone dry.
The south/southwest of Fredericksburg, approaching Lake Anna, offers two unique wineries that are staples at festivals held throughout the year: Lake Anna Winery and Mattaponi Winery. Lake Anna is the older of the two, like Hartwood and Rogers Ford Winery, one of the Commonwealth's originals. Located about three miles from Lake Anna itself, this winery has a pleasant tasting room and ample spots for a picnic. This is also one of the few Virginia wineries with an online ordering section of their website. Like Hartwood, Laka Anna has a wine for nearly every palate. Their Merlot was our favorite red and their barrel select chardonnay was the white that we took home. They also have several sweet wines, and a special label wine that emphasize the Civil War battlefield and Fredericksburg proximity of this winery.
Mattaponi Winery is the epitome of rustic. Named after the Virginia river (which in turn was named after an Indian tribe), the tasting room is located in an irresistible cabin, and Indian motifs are in spades. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon stood out as their excellent full-bodied reds. They have several sweeter wines as well, and are probably the only winery in Virginia working with both Concord and Niagara grapes. Also three non grape wines worth noting: Blueberry, blackberry and chocolate strawberry (not a misprint!)
After a night in Fredericksburg, relax the next day at Potomac Point Vineyard, one of the largest and most elaborate locations in Virginia. Located north of Fred in Stafford County, the Potomac River is not in eyeshot of the winery, but you'll be too engrossed in this location to notice. Think Italian villa. The winery is about as big as an entire villa. They double as a bistro, so expect a crowd. However there are several rooms (with fireplaces) to drink away the fall and winter blues, as well as a courtyard patio for warmer days. Their wine list is impressive. Norton, Merlot, and Petit Verdot stood out among the reds. The chardonnay was our favorite white. This location is quite unlike the others on this list - Potomac Point is bustling and commercial. But not without its own charms.
Pick your battlefield (Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg) and pick your winery (or wineries), and wine about history this weekend!
Rogers Ford Winery
Hartwood Winery
Lake Anna Winery
Mattaponi Winery
Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery
Showing posts with label Fredericksburg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fredericksburg. Show all posts
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Northern Neck: Virginia's Bordeaux?
The Northern Neck of Virginia is a peninsula between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Breezes coming off the two rivers, plus the Chesapeake Bay to the east, and the rich soil, make this region of Virginia different from the central plain and mountainous wine-growing regions. An early morning drive south (on I-95, U.S. route 1 or U.S. 301--pick your poison) will take you to route 17 north of Fredericksburg. Once you clear Fredericksburg, a charming town that unfortunately has become a traffic-clogged exurb of Washington, D.C., the traffic lights give way to flat terrain with marshland and creeks criss-crossing the highway.
We heard from Athena Vineyards, near the bottom of the Northern Neck, that the Bordeaux region of France is actually closer to this region of Virginia than California, and the latitude, soil and waterways are similar. As a result, this area of Virginia amazed us with their red offerings. Hearty, spicey and perfect fall and winter varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (of course), Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir. These wines excel on the Northern Neck. You won't get mountain views here and fancy, limo-ready tasting rooms. But what you will get are (mostly) small, quality-focused wineries, laid-back vibes, and all the Virginia peanuts you can indulge in while tasting.
After attempting to visit White Fences Vineyards, which we've seen at numerous festivals in the Commonwealth but sadly closed its doors (another winery will be taking its place---"Dogs and Oysters," or something to that affect), we continued northwest on state highway 3 and paid a visit to Vault Field Vineyards. This is a bare-bones operation; we asked about their tasting room and picnic area (both non-existent; the tasting room is in their barrel room and no tables are available): "We'll get around to that after we perfect these wines" was their retort. The wines are uniformly excellent and well-priced. The white that stood out was their Vidal Blanc: Crisp, not too sweet, and nice notes of tangerine and honey. The reds were the star. One simply called "Red," a blend of Merlot and Syrah, available as a regular blend and a reserve blend (bolder and drier).
Next stop, the new General's Ridge Vineyard. They were busy picking pinot noir grapes when we visited. This pinot noir has a kick: Don't expect smooth northern California or Oregon. The fruit does well thanks to the cooler evenings between the two rivers. But General's Ridge makes it bold. The reds once again were the stars. A table red and our favorite of the bunch, named after the county and General (Westmoreland). A Bordeaux blend, and at $14 a bottle, an absolute steal. They have big plans for General's Ridge Vineyard. The wood in the events building still smelled fresh. Trees hug the events building at every angle.
On to The Hague Winery, a clever twist on the town within a stones throw away from the tasting room (Hague). Smoke engulfed the vineyards (due to the Great Dismal Swamp fire, which was 100 miles south of us). The staff apologized for the "smoke on the vineyards" (cue music), but after two wineries, smoke wasn't an issue. Once again, the reds blew us away. This time, a pure Petit Verdot (a steak-lover's varietal), Merlot and a Meritage blend. Not to be eclipsed by the reds, The Hague offers an intriguing white we've seen in only a handful of wineries on the east coast: Chardonel. A hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval, this varietal was developed in the Finger Lakes region and, like pinot noir, thrives in moderated microclimates. The two rivers of the Northern Neck allow these wineries to offer varietals you rarely see in the rest of the Commonwealth.
Final stop: Ingleside Vineyards. This is one of the original Virginia wineries and is a large commercial operation, complete with a "Virginia Indian museum" near the courtyard. A wine for everyone: Red, white, rosé, sweet, dry, inexpensive, pricey. Ingleside has two labels (Ingleside and Chesapeake) and offers two different tastings ("table wine" tasting and premium). Strangely enough, the red that worked best for us after this day of inhaling smoke and soaking up Bordeaux-like vintages, was their $12.95 Cab Franc/Merlot blend (on the Chesapeake label). You've probably seen their wines at Safeway and Harris Teeter; they are the "Horton" of the Northern Neck. And their courtyard is a perfect place to "wined down."
For the upcoming fall months, will it be a mountain getaway, or a waterman's paradise getaway? Decisions, decisions......another Northern Neck spot that deserves a mention is Belle Mount, the only winery we've visited inside a campground. The owner and winemaker, Ray Petrie, was incredibly hospitable and even gave us a free DVD spotlighting the Northern Neck wineries. His wines were a bit on the sweet side, but a white wine inside a lighthouse shaped bottle? Sold!
We heard from Athena Vineyards, near the bottom of the Northern Neck, that the Bordeaux region of France is actually closer to this region of Virginia than California, and the latitude, soil and waterways are similar. As a result, this area of Virginia amazed us with their red offerings. Hearty, spicey and perfect fall and winter varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (of course), Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir. These wines excel on the Northern Neck. You won't get mountain views here and fancy, limo-ready tasting rooms. But what you will get are (mostly) small, quality-focused wineries, laid-back vibes, and all the Virginia peanuts you can indulge in while tasting.
After attempting to visit White Fences Vineyards, which we've seen at numerous festivals in the Commonwealth but sadly closed its doors (another winery will be taking its place---"Dogs and Oysters," or something to that affect), we continued northwest on state highway 3 and paid a visit to Vault Field Vineyards. This is a bare-bones operation; we asked about their tasting room and picnic area (both non-existent; the tasting room is in their barrel room and no tables are available): "We'll get around to that after we perfect these wines" was their retort. The wines are uniformly excellent and well-priced. The white that stood out was their Vidal Blanc: Crisp, not too sweet, and nice notes of tangerine and honey. The reds were the star. One simply called "Red," a blend of Merlot and Syrah, available as a regular blend and a reserve blend (bolder and drier).
Next stop, the new General's Ridge Vineyard. They were busy picking pinot noir grapes when we visited. This pinot noir has a kick: Don't expect smooth northern California or Oregon. The fruit does well thanks to the cooler evenings between the two rivers. But General's Ridge makes it bold. The reds once again were the stars. A table red and our favorite of the bunch, named after the county and General (Westmoreland). A Bordeaux blend, and at $14 a bottle, an absolute steal. They have big plans for General's Ridge Vineyard. The wood in the events building still smelled fresh. Trees hug the events building at every angle.
On to The Hague Winery, a clever twist on the town within a stones throw away from the tasting room (Hague). Smoke engulfed the vineyards (due to the Great Dismal Swamp fire, which was 100 miles south of us). The staff apologized for the "smoke on the vineyards" (cue music), but after two wineries, smoke wasn't an issue. Once again, the reds blew us away. This time, a pure Petit Verdot (a steak-lover's varietal), Merlot and a Meritage blend. Not to be eclipsed by the reds, The Hague offers an intriguing white we've seen in only a handful of wineries on the east coast: Chardonel. A hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval, this varietal was developed in the Finger Lakes region and, like pinot noir, thrives in moderated microclimates. The two rivers of the Northern Neck allow these wineries to offer varietals you rarely see in the rest of the Commonwealth.
Final stop: Ingleside Vineyards. This is one of the original Virginia wineries and is a large commercial operation, complete with a "Virginia Indian museum" near the courtyard. A wine for everyone: Red, white, rosé, sweet, dry, inexpensive, pricey. Ingleside has two labels (Ingleside and Chesapeake) and offers two different tastings ("table wine" tasting and premium). Strangely enough, the red that worked best for us after this day of inhaling smoke and soaking up Bordeaux-like vintages, was their $12.95 Cab Franc/Merlot blend (on the Chesapeake label). You've probably seen their wines at Safeway and Harris Teeter; they are the "Horton" of the Northern Neck. And their courtyard is a perfect place to "wined down."
For the upcoming fall months, will it be a mountain getaway, or a waterman's paradise getaway? Decisions, decisions......another Northern Neck spot that deserves a mention is Belle Mount, the only winery we've visited inside a campground. The owner and winemaker, Ray Petrie, was incredibly hospitable and even gave us a free DVD spotlighting the Northern Neck wineries. His wines were a bit on the sweet side, but a white wine inside a lighthouse shaped bottle? Sold!
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