Wines from Idaho, Hawaii, Michigan, and Virginia--In One Spot

Little Washington Winery is a unique spot on the Route 211 Wine Way (home of other well-known spots, such as Unicorn Winery, Gray Ghost, and Narmada Winery). Named after the nearby yippie-dominated town of "Little" Washington, VA, this winery has none of the pricey pretention of the town of its namesake. In fact, the owners are incredibly down to Earth people, serious about their new venture, eager to talk about their plans and their wines, and happy to have their guests enjoy their mountain vistas from an assortment of multi-colored Adirondack chairs scattered along their numerous hillsides. What makes their winery unique is their "Dirt Road Wine Club." They wanted to bring something different to the Virginia winery experience, so they dispatch their sommelier Andrew to other states to seek out small batch wineries (and not just nearby states, although he was in North Carolina visiting vineyards when we visited).

Their goal is to bring these wines, which you cannot find in even the best wine shops in Virginia, to the Commonwealth. They offer what appeared to be random samples from their extensive "Dirt Road Wine Shop" when we visited; they change their offerings each day. We tried a semi-dry riesling from Michigan, which seemed very dry to us despite its location in the middle of the dry--sweet scale on the back of the bottle. Next was an interesting, very dry, and perfect summer rosé from Italy, followed by a crisp chardonnay from Long Island, and finally a pineapple and passion fruit wine from Hawaii - no grape base. We thought we would have to spit this wine out, but served on ice cubes, it was very refreshing, not as sweet as it could have been, and tasted a bit like a vineyard version of a pina colada. On their racks are wines from up and coming grape-growing states like Idaho and Arizona, as well as some international offerings from smaller vineyards in Austria, New Zealand, and Spain. You can literally travel around the globe with their wine options. As for their own wine, they have two chardonnays they love to serve back to back, in paper bags, during the tasting process. They call it the "fork in the road" tasting, and ask guests to pick which one is aged briefly in oak, before returning to steel, and which is aged completely in steel (the owner and winemaker is not a fan of what he calls "Parkay buttery wine from California").

In the end, we picked the pure steel variation as our favorite, and it was so crisp it had effervescent bubbles - the true sign of a bone dry wine. Little Washington also makes their own red, something called "George" (an appropriate name given their location). It's a smooth, soft tanins blend of Merlot and Cab Sauv. They have no highway signs yet - they just opened several months ago. But keep a keen eye out for this spot on the way to Skyline Drive or Luray Caverns (or Gadino Cellars, which is about a quarter mile down the road from Little Washington Winery.)

Village Wine Stop #4: Sperryville

If you've made the trek to Skyline Drive or Luray Caverns, most likely you've driven through Sperryville, a picturesque village on U.S. highway 211. Located at the base of the mountain you'll drive up after entering Shenandoah National Park (longtime Virginia residents may remember the Panorama cafeteria-style restaurant near the Skyline Drive interchange), Sperryville and its historic district is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Register of Historic Places.

And yes, several vineyards with incredible views are not far away. U.S. highway 211, past Warrenton, will soon be "one winery after another" (similar to Sonoma and Napa), at the rate the wineries are opening. Sperryville is usually mentioned in the same breath as "Little" Washington, Virginia, a yippie-dominated village with a swank inn that needs no introduction.

After exploring Sperryville on foot for an hour, drive south of the village on route 231 (about 12 miles) to the village (more of a crossroads) of Etlan. Follow signs (or your map) to DuCard Vineyards. This "green" winery (in terms of the environment, not the wine or the experience of the winemakers) is another in a series of newer Virginia locations that utilizes sustainable practices in its operation to keep it "off the grid" as much as possible. The first thing many people notice are the solar panels on the tasting room roof. The wine isn't too shabby either. The Viognier is a dry winner, with a slight nuance of honeysuckle and apricot. Our favorite red is Popham Run Red (named after the creek that flows through the property), a rich blend that would be perfect with a steak cooked on charcoal (not gas grill---charcoal).

There are old apple trees on the property that still bear fruit (an apple orchard called this spot home many years ago). But as of this writing, there is no apple wine offered...maybe in a few years, after the owners master grapes, they'll take a crack at the steadily growing apple wine and hard cider market in Virginia.

Doubling back towards Sperryville on route 231, the next winery is about ten minutes from DuCard--Sharp Rock Vineyards. This is the oldest winery in the Sperryville area, and is so close to Old Rag Mountain you can practically touch it. The tasting room is a lot more rustic than DuCard, with a tight tasting room, but you will have a memorable exchange with one of the owners (the owners are a husband and wife team) - ask Jimm about the old winery/mead operation Smokehouse Winery, which used to exist up the road from Sharp Rock, of if you encounter Kathy, ask her about her animated neighbor and her chickens.

The wines are exceptional, and well priced. The chardonnay is unoaked and delicious, especially slightly chilled. Other perfect summer picnic winners are the Sauvignon Blanc and their two rosés. Snag a spot by the Hughes River (you'll cross it a few times during your drive) and cue up the John Denver. Almost Heaven should be the name of one of their wines. (And if you drink too much, they have a guest cottage overlooking the stream you can book for the night, provided it hasn't been reserved...it is a popular spot).

The next two wineries are east of Sperryville, heading back towards Warrenton. Gadino Cellars, about a mile off route 211, is a family-friendly, Italian-themed location with views of rolling foothills and meadows (it's hard to believe the spot is only a mile away from a busy U.S. highway). Every now and then you may hear the rumblings of motorcycles on their way to Skyline Drive, but don't let that distort your experience here. There is a wine for everyone here: Dry, semi dry, sweet, dessert. Pinot Grigio was our favorite white, and for more picnic sipping, Sunset and Moonrise (a table white and red) are perfect. By far the best red we've had here is their Imagine, a blend of Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Zesty and delicious, and further proof that Virginia has come a long way with their reds.

The final stop is Narmada Winery, also off 211 on the way back to Warrenton, which has been open for about two years now, and promises a cultural experience as well as a wine experience. The winery is owned and operated by an Indian family who frequently pair their tastings with savory food from their country. Chambourcin rules supreme here: Reds named "Midnight," "Reflection," and "Primita" are three examples of how versatile this Virginia favorite is. Narmada also offers several red blends, all on the hearty side. And what would go well with a curry infused dish? One of their whites, particularly the off-dry or off-sweet options: "Lotus" or "Dream" (try them chilled).

There are a few other locations off 211 you may have time to wander into, or visit the next day if you're well off enough to check in to the Inn at Little Washington: The new Little Washington Winery (offering wines from Virginia, as well as other "new" wine states like Idaho), Grey Ghost Vineyards, and Unicorn Winery. And if you have a designated driver, you can always return to Sperryville and Skyline Drive for some "Virginia Mountain High" life.

DuCard Vineyards
Sharp Rock Vineyards
Gadino Cellars
Narmada Winery
Little Washington Winery
Grey Ghost Vineyards
Unicorn Winery

Spring 2011 Weekend Winery Jaunt # 2 -- The 211 Trail

U.S. highway 211 has been a weekend getaway favorite of the blogmasters and hundreds of other longtime Northern VA residents for decades.

Clear the town of Warrenton, which has unfortunately become just as gridlocked as Gainesville, Haymarket, Manassas and other "exurb" hotspots, make that right turn at the Howard Johnson's (last renovation: 1978) on the Warrenton bypass onto U.S. 211 and drive drive drive……antique shopping and country store hopping for apple cider in Sperryville; cavern exploring in Luray; battlefield exploring in New Market---U.S. 211 will take you to all of these spots, not to mention the Panorama entry of Skyline Drive (and if you’re a real native of northern Virginia, you will recall the wonderful, but sadly closed, restaurant that used to exist here). Now there is another reason to daytrip on this highway--wineries! Several are clustered along highway 211, and as the case with all Virginia wineries, each one has a distinct look, feel and vino list.

After making that right turn in Warrenton, drive a quick eight miles and you'll arrive at the first spot: Unicorn Winery. Partake in their perfect spring and summer offerings (light wines, plus a bold Cab Franc and Meritage), say hi to their laid back dog "Franc," and sit by the pond, at a picnic table or on their deck. This location is only about half a mile from the main road, but feels a hundred miles away from any kind of civilization.

Turn back on to highway 211, and drive a few short miles further west, and make a left into Gray Ghost Vineyards. This spot has a slicker, more "events driven" feel to it than Unicorn, but the wines are stellar. And they make a lot of it here; you may have seen their wines at supermarkets in the area. Whites were the favorites of the blogmasters here, particularly the Vidal Blanc and Victorian White. Their deck overlooks the vineyards and the tasting room is a favorite for year-long residents of South Wales and other nearby communities.

Continuing on westbound 211, Narmada Winery is the next stop. The owners are from India and have wonderfully merged their Indian heritage with nearly every element of this winery, including the food pairings. "Reflection" and "Midnight" are two Chambourcin blends that proudly show off the uniqueness of this grape. The tasting room is large but intimate, and the deck overlooks the foothills. You could be tempted to stay at Narmada for the rest of the day, but push on.....

...To Gadino Cellars. Explore India, and then a bit of Italy, in one afternoon! Gadino Cellars keeps it all in the family, and after just one visit, you will feel like part of the family there. They make a lot of wine here, and all are very good, especially their Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon. They offer two nicely priced table wines, a white (Sunset) and a rosé(Moonrise), which are great summer wines. Trees and rolling hills surround the tasting room, further proof that despite the proximity to other wineries, no two wineries have the same view.

If you still have the energy, a designated driver, and time has not run out, Sharp Rock Vineyards, DuCard Vineyards (discussed in the previous blog entry), and Wisteria Vineyard, past Luray (near the town of Stanley), are not far from Gadino Cellars.

And as an added plus, you may run into Harley riders going to, or coming from, Skyline Drive on this trail. Riders have become quite the wine fans over the past few years; twelve packs of Schlitz and Pabst have been replaced with cold bottles of Virginia's finest.