The road to Winchester: Part 2

Continuing in our series of the wineries on the road to Winchester....we look at U.S. route 50, which runs 3,000 miles from Ocean City, Maryland, to Sacramento, California (and if you want to experience a honeymoon like no other, take a two week road trip from Ocean City to Sacramento, and stay on route 50 the entire way).

There are a few wineries that dot route 50 on the way to Winchester, mainly near the tourist trap town (and AVA) of Middleburg, and the less touristy, quaint town of Upperville, to the west of Middleburg. Between Upperville and Winchester, there are currently no wineries, although at the rate the wineries are opening in the Commonwealth, especially northern Virginia, that could easily change in a matter of months.

There are 5 wineries in the Middleburg/Upperville "micro"plex......we recently visited three of them.

1. 50West Vineyards
What better way to start the tour of route 50 wineries than a stop at a winery named for the direction of route 50 it lies on (you make a right turn into the property while traveling westbound on route 50)? 50West is the sister property to Sunset Hills Vineyard near Purcellville, and we enjoy the lower key scene here compared to the busier atmosphere of Sunset Hills. As this property is newer (recently taken over from the previous owner - Leaves of Grass Winery - which was the subject of an older post), most of their wines are from Sunset Hills. However our recent visit included tastings of wines on the new 50West label. Of those offerings, which included Chambourcin and Chardonnay, we went for the Cuvee, with its delicate black currant and mild spice notes.

The tasting building at 50West is deceptive. It may look small on the outside, but there are two levels (the second level available for large events, or guests, if there are no events occurring).

Second level of the 50West tasting building:

Their location is up a hill, which means nice views of the Blue Ridge foothills. You will occasionally see a vehicle driving down route 50, but they are not distracting. Realizing the quality control the Sunset Hills crew employ for their wines, we expect some great things from 50West. If their recent 50West label releases are any indication, they are well on their way.

2. Cana Vineyards
A few miles westbound on route 50 takes us to Cana Vineyards, on the same side of the road as 50West, and also situated on a bluff. This spot is larger, and typically more lively, than the other wineries in the Middleburg area. This winery offers several varietals, using their own grapes grown on the property, as well as grapes from other Virginia locations. The tasting process is assembly-line like, not as personable as other nearby locations, but given how popular the winery is, this process is best for efficiency. Cana offers abundant deck and patio tables, as well as picnic tables scattered throughout the property. Our favorites of their vast list of offerings were the crisp Riesling, with citrus notes, and the smooth, light peppery Cab Franc.

View from the deck at Cana:

Cana is a favorite for weddings and other big events, so get there early!

3. Boxwood Winery
Boxwood is a well-known presence in the Virginia wine scene; they've been making wine here for nearly 10 years, and until recently, the tasting room was open by appointment only. Boxwood also operates tasting rooms in Reston Town Center and National Harbor, and we've tried their wines at these other locations in the past. A recent visit to Boxwood was lower-key than both 50West and Cana, and more "California" in vibe - an impressive tasting building, a patio that brushes up to the vineyards, and extremely sophisticated reds (no whites, although they do offer a rosé). Considering how thoughtful these reds are, we were pleasantly surprised to find the wine prices to be lower than many of this winery's neighbors. Red blends vs. straight varietals are the order of business at Boxwood. Of these blends, Trellis (Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot; a classic Meritage-type blend) was our favorite, bold yet easy to drink, with a blast of black cherry notes.


The patio and entrance to Boxwood Winery:

These wineries will give your guests who want to sample VAVINO three unique Virginia winery experiences, and you won't have to drive very far for them.

Additional wineries we did not hit on our recent trip, but are highly recommended: Greenhill Winery and Chrysalis Vineyards, which has a new tasting room.

Cheers!

Local Heroes

Happy New Year! As 2013 gets off to a typically cold and dark start, never fear: Local (for Fairfax County/Arlington/Alexandria/DC residents) wineries are here!

Three wineries within Fairfax County, or very close to the Fairfax County border, are open for business during the cold months and welcome visitors to escape the winter doldrums, if only for a few hours.

Two spots are relatively new: The Winery at Bull Run and Cana Vineyards.
The third has been open for a little over two years: Paradise Springs Winery.

The Winery at Bull Run

Not many Virginia wineries (or wineries in the entire country, for that matter) can lay claim to being located on a battlefield. With the Manassas Battlefield surrounding the winery on nearly every side, and the historic Stone Bridge and Stone House a stone's throw away, The Winery at Bull Run offers not only terrific wines (particularly impressive since they're new on the wine scene, and not even listed in the 2012 Virginia Winery Map), but a history lesson. The tasting room resides in a centuries-old log cabin, which seems to double as a battlefield artifact museum. The wood absorbs the sound nicely (being the closest winery to Washington DC means this winery gets extremely busy, in all seasons). The wood floor includes several window panes that look down to the barrel room - a nice touch.

As for the wines, Chris Pearmund, a Virginia vino master, oversees the winemaking. That would explain why they are so sophisticated and balanced (despite the youth of this winery). Being a new and already expanding spot, the wines are priced a bit higher than the norm (being so close to recession-proof DC helps). Not a bottle under $28 as of this writing, but all are worth trying (most are dry, so if you come expecting a lot of whites or sweets, you may go away slightly disappointed). The Meritage blend and the Cab Franc were our favorites, and both have well-deserved medals. On the white side, the "Delaney" blend (of Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Viognier, and Riesling) will satisfy the sweet fans, but is more of a summer wine. Another sweeter option is a wine not found in many locations in the Commonwealth: Chardonnel, with distinctive notes of peach. Charonnel is a cross between Seyval and Chardonnay, and is quite popular in states north of Virginia, particularly New York.

The owners are rightfully proud of this spot, and are planning for the long haul in the VAVINO business. A "Battlefield Viewing Deck" for wine club members opened last fall.

Cana Vineyards and Winery

The blogmasters were surprised to find this new winery (open since October 2012) on the way to Middleburg a few weeks ago. There is a Biblical aspect to this location (look up the word "Cana"), and if Jesus turned water into wine, maybe it would resemble a fine Virginia Cab Franc? As is the case with the Winery at Bull Run, the Cab Fran was our favorite wine here, with soft tannins and a smooth oaky finish. Cana has more whites and sweeter wines than Bull Run, and the prices are a bit lower.

They also dabble in fruit wines; currently Apple and Raspberry Apple are offered. The winery is already buzzing, perhaps due to its easy to find location directly off U.S. 50, east of Middleburg. Live bands are offered on most weekends, and with so many outdoor seating options, this winery will probably get very crowded in the warmer months.

Tastings are conducted in a cold barrel room - the tastings are very informative and highly entertaining, but wear your coat.

Paradise Springs Winery

Located near the historic Fairfax County village of Clifton, Paradise Springs Winery emerged in late 2010 and conducted its tastings in a small log cabin, which was pretty tight. Several months later, the owners revealed an airy tasting building, complete with a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, watching over the impressive tasting room. The wines have already won numerous awards, including the 2011 Virginia Governors Cup for their chardonnay.

There is something for everyone in your group: From bone dry to sweet. Fans of sweeter styles will love the wine that is slowly becoming popular in the state: Petit Manseng. Winemakers are discovering how this varietal loves the soil in the Commonwealth, and it does especially well on the eastern side of the state.
Our favorites were the chardonnay and viognier, and we've never met a Cab Franc in Virginia we haven't liked or loved. Paradise Springs is no exception.

Paradise Springs does not require visitors to be wine club members in order to use their warm enclosed deck (complete with a wood burning fireplace, although they ask that you don't tend to the fire yourself, unlike other wineries with wood fireplaces or firepits). Actually, as of this writing, Paradise Springs does not have a wine club, but one is coming soon. Hopefully they'll keep the deck open to general visitors.

Since all three of the wineries in this post are located close to Washington DC, events and wedding bookings are common. Unless you visit during the week, expect large crowds at these locations. Be patient and arrive early - secure your seat inside the Winery at Bull Run, Cana or Paradise Springs and drink the winter blues away.

Village Wine Stop #1: Middleburg

Middleburg is one of those northern Virginia villages featured in nearly every tourist guide and regional magazine at least three times per year. It is the center of northern Virginia horse and fox hunt country. The Safeway in the middle of town is the poshest Safeway you'll probably ever visit. Gridlock on a typical spring weekend day is nearly as bad as Old Town Alexandria. For our money, Middleburg the town is overrated. But there's hope as Middleburg features a few winning wineries a stone's throw away from town.

The first stop is arguably one of the most unique locations in the state (as far as Virginia wineries go): Quattro Goomba's Winery. This winery brings grapes in from California, Italy and Chile, and makes the wine in Virginia. Evidently Quattro Goomba's will be acquiring grapes from Breaux in the future, so a Virginia-grown product will be offered as well. The wines currently offered were a bit on the sweet side, but adequate. Like other wineries in the region, Quattro Goombas usually has a live band during the weekend, which continues to spoil the wine tasting mood for the blogmasters. We would rate Quattro Goomba's high for those just getting into the Virginia wine scene - you get the vistas of the Virginia countryside, the friendly staff, the generous tastings, but you don't get Virginia wine (yet).

Drive westbound on U.S. route 50 and follow the signs to Chrysalis Vineyards, the home of Norton, Virginia's original grape. If you want to experiment with this unique red, there is no better place to do it. Chrysalis is one of the original Virginia vineyards, and boasts a pictureseque setting amid the hills of fox hunt country. The tasting room and process is a bit small and confusing (respectively), and some of the wines were too sweet for our tastes, but for a Norton experience in Northern Virginia, Chrysalis Vineyards is worth a stop.

Swedenburg Estate Vineyard has its property right outside the town limits of Middleburg. This is our favorite winery in the region - wines are dry, Old World-style winners. Juanita Swedenburg was a pioneer of the Virginia wine industry, and fought long and hard for the state's now-flexible wine laws. Her spirit lives on as her son and grandchildren carry on with managing the vineyards. Despite being so close to the town, the vineyards and picnic area seem to be miles away. This is definitely a better warm weather spot as the tasting room is small and offers few tables (our only gripe about Swedenburg Estate Vineyard). The pinot noir itself is worth a visit, but stay to enjoy the mountain views and quiet vineyard setting.

Piedmont Vineyards, south of Middleburg (on the way to Delaplane), is another Virginia wine original. This is one of the oldest wineries in the Commonwealth, established in 1973. The owner/winemaker is a German gentleman who may put some off with his gruffness at first (he's all about his wine and making sure his guests have an intimate experience), but he warms up as soon as you start asking questions. Try the unoaked Hunt Country Chardonnay and the Hunt Country Red, a perfect sangria base.

The final stop on your tour could very well be Boxwood Winery, which the blogmasters have not visited. The slickness and formality of this place turns us off (you need an appointment to take a tour and try their wines at the winery). However you can try their wines at their satellite tasting rooms in downtown Middleburg or Reston Town Center. Their signature red, Boxwood, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, and is incredibly good, but not better than many other more affordable wines we've had in the region. But due to its location near Middleburg, and the fact that the property (gated of course) is so impressive, it deserves a mention.

There is no shortage of restaurants in Middleburg to find food to soak up your vino experience (although we were sad to see our favorite restaurant in the area, the Hidden Horse Tavern, closed on the last visit). Pick your spot, or tour all of them, and enjoy a daycation away from the Beltway madness.

Quattro Goomba's Winery
Chrysalis Vineyards
Swedenburg Estate Vineyard
Piedmont Vineyards
Boxwood Winery