Cheers to the Virginia Winery Cats

Winery dogs have long been a spotlight of wineries in Virginia, and elsewhere (just about every wine producing state has a "winery dog" coffee table book). The Notebook toasted our top five winery dogs several months ago: Virginia Wineries Going to the Dogs.

Feline fans have been emailing us (and asking us in person) when will the cats be spotlighted. Well, it has taken us several months to pare down the list of favorite Virginia winery felines to five. The blogmasters enjoy dogs but we are definitely more cat people. So when we find a winery that has a friendly cat in the vicinity, it is a big deal. Many (if not every) winery in the state seems to have a dog on the premises. Finding a cat winery is more of a challenge. But several do exist.

Cats are just as important for a winery and the vineyards as dogs are. Cats keep the vermin away. And some winery cat owners have confessed that their farm cats chase deer away too. And while a cat entering a tasting room won't usually be the entertainment provider to most visitors as a dog can be, those who appreciate the felines will stop their tasting process to say hi.

Admittedly, cats are not the center of attention at wineries compared to dogs, and as much as we'd love to write about the wild and crazy antics performed by these cats at the wineries, there is not much action to be seen with a cat around. It is an honor to be in their presence, however; there is a mystical quality to cats that dogs simply do not possess.

So with this lead up, we confess that the wines, as well as the wineries, in our list are perfect Virginia spots in nearly every way. The cat is an added bonus.

The Top Five Virginia Cat Wineries:

5. Cardinal Point Winery (south of Charlottesville)
Aubie is one of a few resident farm cats at Cardinal Point, one of the original Monticello AVA locations. We didn't know his name until recently, and dubbed him "Basketball" several years ago after meeting him the first time. Aubie is usually a presence in and around the tasting room, and hangs out with guests on the patio. Dogs don't deter him. He has made it abundantly clear on several occasions that he is in charge of that patio (and tasting room.....and the entire winery).

Aubie eating - what else?

Aubie marching down the steps in front of the tasting room to greet visitors:

4. North Mountain Vineyard and Winery (south of Winchester)
Ginger is a beautiful tortoise shell cat at North Mountain, a calming presence, particularly in the winter when she's napping by the tasting room's fireplace. She loves going outside as well, and has a knack for sniffing out the cat people visitors, and making herself at home on their picnic bench. North Mountain also was home to "OJ," (named after the beverage, not the infamous ex football star). OJ was an orange tabby who always greeted customers (Ginger is a bit more shy), and who sadly passed away a few years ago.

Ginger visits the picnic table:

3. First Colony Winery (south of Charlottesville)
Fritz the Cat is the feline attraction here (the owners must be Bob Crumb fans). Fritz is an orange tabby who landed at First Colony as a kitten, with two broken legs, about eight years ago. Fritz is a feisty one, rather typical of orange tabbies, and was recently featured in a Cat Fancy magazine article on winery cats.

Fritz says hi to visitors on the First Colony patio:

Fritz, indoors:

2. Willowcroft Winery (south of Leesburg)
Willowcroft is home to a bonafide Hemingway cat, a polydactyl (six toed) tabby who arrived at Willowcroft from a nearby home as a kitten, and splits his time between the winery and his home up the road. At the time of Flint's arrival, another feline named Bailey ruled the roost here. Bailey left several years ago (he belonged to the previous tasting room manager), but his name lives on empty wine bottles that featured his namesake: Bailey's Bluff (an off-dry rosé offered at the winery about ten years ago). Flint is a lively cat and always seems to be in "stalking" mode when we visit. That stands to reason given Willowcroft's rustic setting on a Blue Ridge foothill; lots of insects and small rodents to find! We keep waiting for a wine featuring Flint's name or image on a bottle here.

Flint, inside the Willowcroft barn:

Flint, chillin' in front of the tasting room:

1. Fabbioli Cellars (north of Leesburg)
All you need to know about the cat loving owners of Loudoun County's Fabbioli Cellars is summed up by this sign posted on the door leading to their tasting room:

Several cats have made Doug and Colleen's place their home through the years. So many, in fact, that the cats' names were printed on their bottles of rosé. But Warren is the indisputable king of this cat winery. Warren is another orange tabby (what is it about wineries and orange tabbies?), and presides over all matters of winery operation.

Warren at the tasting counter:

Warren shares the lair with Goldie, a white and orange tabby. Other felines have been spotted coming and going, but Warren and Goldie are the most social of the cats here.

Blogmaster David's cat and her favorite bottle of Fabbioli wine:

And no cat blog would be complete without cat videos! Here are some of the aforementioned kitties, along with a few honorable mentions.

Ginger (North Mountain Vineyard):


Fritz (First Colony):


Warren (Fabbioli Cellars):
Clip 1 (drinking from a wine glass)


Clip 2 (managing the tasting counter):


Rex (Capitol Vineyards, near Front Royal):


Charlie (James River Cellars, north of Richmond):


And finally, introducing Daug....Barrel Oak Winery's (BOW's) first winery feline. A wonderful Russian Blue taken in by BOW staff about four months ago:

A Creek Runs Through It (Part I)

One common trait to several wineries in the Commonwealth is a creek, stream, brook, river (whatever term you wish to apply) running through the property. Visiting wineries in the country is always a treat; crossing a narrow one lane bridge that spans a creek is one of the driving pleasures. We can think of at least 15 wineries in Virginia where guests have to cross a creek, and after enjoying an intimate tasting with the owners, visitors can enjoy a bottle (or 2, or 3) on the banks of the same creek.

A few wineries in the state already spotlighted by the Notebook with creeks/streams/rivers running through them: Sharp Rock Vineyards (Sperryville), DuCard Vineyards (near Madison), Rogers Ford Winery (near Culpeper), Unicorn Winery (west of Warrenton), and Wintergreen Winery (south of Waynesboro).

To this list, we can add two relatively new locations in Virginia, the subject of this and a forthcoming Notebook blog. The first, Cedar Creek Winery, has been making wine for about five years and selling its product to retail outlets throughout the state for nearly as long. We've been intrigued with visiting Cedar Creek Winery for years, and prior to 2014, the winery was open by appointment only. We just never made it out there. Until recently. And yes, the trip was well worth the wait.

Owner/winemaker Ron Schmidt is a New Jersey native who moved to the northern Shenandoah Valley, southwest of Winchester, after falling in love with the land, views, and people. A visit to his winery is unlike any other experience you're likely to have in the state. Don't expect live bands, festivals, bachelorette parties, kids and dogs running around, and a spot that resembles an outdoor Wolf Trap concert; Cedar Creek is all about the wines. Specifically, two wines: Cab Franc and Chardonnay. He's perfected these two varietals and is adamant about not breaking off into growing other grapes. The land is perfect for Cab Franc and Chardonnay. If you're a fan of off-dry or off-sweet (or pure sweet) wines, you won't find much in the way of wine here to enjoy. So embrace your role as designated driver, and let your dry varietal fans go crazy.

Vertical tastings rule this tasting room. You will be treated to vintages from different years of both varietals. It is an educational tasting experience. All the while being entertained by Schmidt, who speaks passionately about his retirement "hobby" turned lucrative business. He explains that he does not allow any sub par fruit to enter his crush pad room. In fact, in 2011, a very wet and poor growing year for Virginia wines, a little less than half of his Cab Franc crop was dropped on the vineyard grass for the deer and birds to eat. Rot had invaded many of the grape clusters. What was left was crafted into a relatively lighter style of Cab Franc that was so noble, it won a Governor's Cup Bronze Medal in 2013. During our tasting, we enjoyed the 2011 and 2012 Chardonnays (the former with citrus fruit notes and on the crisp side; the latter with a more tropical and cream finish), and the 2008 through 2011 Cab Francs. Ron explained that 2013 was another poor year and visitors should not expect a 2013 Cab Franc. He will get by on his library of earlier vintages; he refuses to buy and offer wines from other nearby wineries.
Although he is not adverse to directing folks to other nearby locations. North Mountain Vineyards, another longtime favorite of the Notebook, is 15 minutes up the road, across the actual North Mountain, which boasts an incredible view of the Shenandoah Valley (although the road is narrow up the mountain and finding a spot for photo taking may be a challenge).

New vineyards at Cedar Creek Winery, June 2014:

A visit to Cedar Creek Winery includes a tour of the vineyards, and a fast-paced (again, that Jersey influence) but extremely informative visit to the barrel room. Then up to the tasting room, decorated with fascinating curios Ron has acquired over the years from antique shopping. His prices are extremely good: Not one bottle over $20. He commented that other wineries in the state price their bottles higher than they should be, because of their business model. This is absolutely true: Wineries set up as "jack of all trades" entertainment centers have higher overhead, hence their prices. There is no shortage of such locations in Virginia. Cedar Creek Winery is all about the wine, the best vintages he can create.

Fresh vineyard, up close, at Cedar Creek:

Cedar Creek itself was the location of one of the bloodiest skirmishes during the Civil War. Located only 8 minutes from the West Virginia border, you are in the heart of the mountains here. And the aura of Civil War spirits fill the air. Going along with his "not an entertainment venue" policy, Cedar Creek Winery offers no food sales. He welcomes outside food, but during our visit he and his wife were generous with bags of Lance brand cheese crackers, which worked just fine with the bottle of Chard we consumed.

The line up at Cedar Creek Winery:

Experience some of the best creations the Shenandoah Valley AVA has to offer. And if you crave entertainment and can tear yourself away from this little piece of "almost Heaven," North Mountain Vineyards is a perfect second stop.

For URL click here: Cedar Creek Winery