10 Virginia Wineries in a Day

Winery hopping is a term usually reserved for a day event for winos (with a DD, or Uber, or Lyft, for the day) who visit many tasting rooms, buy a few bottles to go, and then move on. This is something that does not occur very often for the Notebook; typically, we visit 2 or 3 wineries, and then hang out for several hours at the first (or last) winery.

Winery hopping in the past has been best suited for areas where wineries are a stone's throw away from each other: the "banana belt" southeast corner of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes is a good example. About 25 wineries within 3 miles, due to the micro climate on this part of the lake that resembles Napa County for growing (the extremely deep section of this part of the lake controls freezing, and the soil is more fertile). And speaking of Napa, that is another wine region where visitors can hop around wineries in close proximity to each other; just select south Napa, central Napa, or north Napa, and do it.

Virginia has not really been conducive to this type of winery hopping. Even wineries in the Monticello AVA, although there are many, require at least 15 minutes of drive time per winery. For years, we've been pondering when Virginia will officially enter the realm of "day winery hopping." Thanks to Loudoun County, Virginia is now on that special map. In particular, the wineries along route 9 (Charles Town Pike), near the West Virginia border. This formerly remote highway now suffers from unfortunate "winery traffic jams" on Saturdays, and some Sundays...especially one frustrating intersection containing what must be the longest red traffic light in the county (those familiar with the Loudoun County scene will know which intersection we're talking about). Route 9 is now the Northern Virginia Wine Highway, and adding Harper's Ferry Road, a right turn off westbound route 9 that cuts a diagonal over to West Virginia, gives winos (driven by someone not partaking) even more to choose from.

We were up to the challenge. So here are 10 Wineries in one day, with winery links, for those who want to follow along. We'll start on the western side and work our way back to Route 7. (Important note: In order to preserve yourselves, we strongly urge doing tastings only; as inviting as the mood may be to "stick around," the nature of winery hopping is to hop).

1. Breaux Vineyards
There is no better way to start the hopping than at this Loudoun County (and Virginia) winery staple. The new tasting building is gorgeous and the views are some of the best in the state. Virginia wine with a Cajun atmosphere.

2. 868 Estate Vineyards
A whopping quarter mile from the Breaux turn-off, this is a newer winery with vineyards at an elevation that gave the winery its name. A bit too early for lunch, but the restaurant on the premises is award-winning.

3. Two Twisted Posts Winery
We suggest turning LEFT when you leave 868, in the direction of West Virginia, to check this even newer winery. Several years ago, they had to open to the public before their tasting room was finished, as they received the Governor's Cup straight out of the chute with their chardonnay. The owners set up a tent near the driveway and this soon-to-be-legendary-Virginia winery was born.

4. Hillsborough Vineyards
Another Loudoun staple, with consistently stellar wines and mountain views galore from their hilltop tasting room.

5. North Gate Vineyard
Take a right as you hit the village of Hillsboro, drive about 2 miles, and one of the Notebook's favorites in the entire state will appear on the right. Wonderful wine, nicely done LEED-certified tasting room, and calming pine forest views.

6. Doukenie Winery
Virginia wine with a soft Greek touch, another long time favorite that also updated its tasting room in the last few years. The painted turtle-filled pond with its "peninsula" jutting into the water makes you want to stay here for hours...but you have 4 more tasting rooms to hit!

The patio and pond at Doukenie:

7. The Wine Reserve at Waterford
The name is a mouthful but this newest location on our list, where Loudoun Valley Winery previously existed, is a winner, and offers a different kind of tasting experience. Whichever you select, "Virginia Tasting" or "Regions Beyond," you are in for a treat.

8. 8 Chains North Winery
Ben Renshaw is one of the top winemakers in Virginia. His wines, especially the reds, are shining examples of what the Commonwealth offers. Ths is the wine The Notebook shared with French wine snobs, who previously would not even think about trying a Virginia wine. They were totally won over.

9. Hunter's Run Wine Barn
A touch of the Emerald Isle in the middle of Loudoun County. Gerri and (occasionally) Annie welcome you and offer some charming wines, including very tasty port-style.

10. Casanel Vineyards or Dry Mill Vineyards (all depends which direction you land on business route 7...)
At this point in the day, your bellies are full of wine, and since you have a DD, or are using a Reston Limo or other service, direct the driver to either turn left or right at the T intersection of route 9 and business route 7 (the intersection past the new traffic circle over the route 7 bypass). Flip a coin if you have to. You cannot go wrong with either selection. Turning left towards Leesburg brings you to the cozy Dry Mill Vineyards, with its rustic tasting building built from an old horse stable. Turning right towards Hamilton leads you in the direction of Casanel, and if you're lucky Nelson himself will be on the premises, entertaining you with stories about his foray into the winery business. Grab a spot in the gazebo on the pond and kick back with a glass (perhaps of water or Gatorade...)

Cheers!

Wine and Song, Episode 2

Enjoy a glass of Cave Ridge Riesling to this underrated gem.

The Great Virginia Winery NOT on the VA Wine Map

The Notebook visited Linden Vineyards for the first time in nearly 10 years last weekend. Admittedly, we were a bit "put out" by our visit there last time. This was one of the first Virginia wineries we visited in 2002 or so, back when places like Oasis, Smokehouse, Farfelu, Piedmont, and Deer Meadow Wineries were still on the Virginia winery map (actually a leaflet back then...), and Philip Carter Winery was called Stillhouse Winery. We were unable to enjoy the deck during our visit in 2007, unless we joined their Case Club. Apparently we were not the only winery hoppers who were disappointed (based on reviews on Yelp and other social media sites). With so many other options near Linden (Fox Meadow, Philip Carter, Naked Mountain), we boycotted Linden, until recently. After all those years, we felt it was immature to have sour grapes (pun intended).

A word about Linden's owner and winemaker. Jim Law is one of the founding fathers of Virginia wine. Bio from their website: Jim’s first vineyard job was in Indiana where he traded work for a place to live. He then got a real job in Ohio at Chalet Debonne where he learned the nuts and bolts of grape growing and cellar work. In 1981 Jim was hired to start a winery in the Shenandoah Valley where he fell in love with the area and viticultural possibilities. In the mid 1980’s, while establishing Linden Vineyards, he consulted for other wineries and taught winegrowing at local community colleges.

Linden is now a well-known establishment, and has opted not to appear on the Virginia Wine Map. And there are no longer signs off I-66 directing visitors to the winery. You have to know it's there. Not knowing what to expect, and wondering if we should even write about the winery on the Notebook (so they could maintain their "best kept secret" status), we entered the tasting room last Saturday, and were surprised at the number of visitors. And only a few case club members; many were there for the special library tasting. Since we knew Jim's wines were outstanding, we went for the regular ($8) tasting.

View from Linden tasting room:

On the tasting sheet that day were Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, both fine warm weather offerings, the Chardonnay especially wonderful with its soft pineapple notes, as well as rosé, Petit Verdot, and Claret, a Bordeaux-style blend similar to Meritage, and a perfect barbecue wine. No live bands, no bachelorette parties, no infants, no dogs - it was a nice change of pace. The weather was dreary but it made for some nice photo ops.

View from the deck at Linden:

Although we knew about the case club rule, we and other non club members were able to sit upstairs in a nicely appointed parlor room, with great views from both picture windows (vineyards on one side, mountains on the other).

All in all, the case club rule is a unique twist for Virginia wineries; if you're a member of another wine club, you may end up spending more over the course of a year than the one annual same-day purchase of a case at Linden. Doing so will give you access to the "club members only" deck. It was tempting to bring out the credit card and sign up. Maybe next time.

Because of the unusual (compared to most other Virginia wineries) nature of Linden, we'll paste the FAQ page from their website below. Cheers!

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Why all the restrictions?

About ten years ago increased visitation to Linden pushed us beyond our ability to maintain the intimacy, atmosphere and genius loci that we strive to protect. I was put in a situation to either significantly expand Linden’s facilities and scope of business or to put restrictions on what we do. I chose the latter. We love to educate and tell our story. Linden does not aspire to be a wine bar or café.
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Can we taste if we are not Case Club members?

Our regular tasting and cellar tastings are open to everyone. There are no restrictions on who can taste (except that you have to be at least 21 years old!).
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Should we make reservations?

Reservations are not needed for the tour or tasting. Once you arrive you can make a reservation for the weekend Cellar Tasting.
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Why not groups larger than four, can we split up our group when we arrive?

No. Linden is small and intimate. Groups overwhelm our space. We kindly ask that this limit be respected.
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Can we bring a picnic?

Linden does not allow any food brought in from home including picnics on our grounds.
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Are children allowed?

Children are allowed at Linden if accompanied by well-behaved adults. By law you have to be 21 years of age to taste wine. This is a pretty boring place for kids.
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Do you have Wi-fi?

Linden is in a dead zone. There is no Internet access and very spotty cell phone coverage. This can be incredibly therapeutic, however certain individuals may experience mild to severe anxiety attacks so precautions may need to be taken. (Note from bloggers: This is absolutely true.)
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Is Linden Dog friendly?

Dogs are not allowed in the winery or on the decks. Outside on a leash is fine.

Wine and Song, Episode 1

Running out of topics to write about, so we are launching a series of ~12 minute videos, "Wine and Song," where we will pair a fine Virginia wine with a criminally underrated album.

Cheers!

Virginia Green Wineries

St. Patrick's Day may be over, but we're still thinking green this month at the Notebook.

Kermit once sang that it's not easy being green, but in the case of these wineries in the Commonwealth, being green is not only easy...it's a business decision. And we're not talking about green wine here (and this type of wine does exist...visit Morais Vineyards near Warrenton for proof of this!) We're referring to green, or clean, energy programs employed by the wineries for their tasting rooms and winemaking.

You may have seen the Virginia Green logo at several of these wineries. Virginia Green is the Commonwealth's campaign to promote environmentally-friendly practices in all aspects of Virginia’s tourism industry. Virginia Green Attractions have been thoughtfully planned and designed to minimize their impacts on the environment. This attraction has met the established “core activities” for Green Attractions and has committed to communicate its activities to its guests.

A simple criteria for being considered a green winery: The owners voluntarily minimize the environmental impacts of their operation, including:

A. Provide recycling and implement waste reduction practices.
B. Minimize the use of fertilizers and chemicals.
C. Reduce water and energy consumption over time.
D. Solar power and geothermal heating and air systems.
E. Composting all food waste and disposables from tasting rooms.
F. Stormwater collection systems that reuse water for flushing toilets and irrigation.
G. Winemaking that minimizes waste, water use, and energy needs for stabilization.
H. Recycling corks, and using bottles, corks, and packaging that minimize material uses and waste.

Our list contains 10 green wineries in Virginia.

1. Cooper Vineyards
This impressive, futuristic-looking tasting room in Virginia's Piedmont is quite an experience (and their award-winning wine is superb). Click here for Cooper's "green report card."

2. North Gate Vineyard
This favorite in Loudoun County, near Purcellville, is a great daycation spot for stressed out Northern Virginians. Click here for their green report card.

3. DuCard Vineyards
DuCard is located in a mountain "cove" near Madison. Uncork some Popham Run Red and tell them The Notebook sent you! DuCard's green report card: Click here.

4. Delaplane Cellars
Majestically located on the side of a Blue Ridge foothill, Delaplane offers beautiful views, great wine, and an impressive green report card (click here).

5. Sunset Hills Vineyard and 50 West Vineyards
These sister wineries, located near Purcellville and Middleburg in Loudoun County, respectively, offer examples of how large, events-driven wineries can go green. Click here for report card.

6. Philip Carter Winery
One of the most ambitious wineries in the state, "PC" Winery strives for excellence in everything it does. Click here for report card.

7. Barrel Oak Winery
Popular BOW proves that a winery can go to the dogs (in a good way), and retain sustainable practices. Report card: Click here.

8. Gadino Cellars
Home of the Gold Medal 2016 Governor's Cup for their 2010 Nebbiolo, Gadino Cellars, near Sperryville, treats everyone who visits as famiglia. Report card: Click here.

9. White Rock Vineyards
A beautiful location near Smith Mountain Lake, featuring a white Merlot that is a must-try. Click here for their report card.

10. Wisteria Farm and Vineyard
This location between the Shenandoah Valley towns of Luray and Stanley is big on character. Report card: Click here.

As we approach Earth Day, we hope you and yours celebrate by going winery green!

Cheers!

Virginia's Most Romantic Wineries: Another Pass

We're taking the easy way out this month - a simple "list" posting. Two years ago, we spotlighted the Top Ten Romantic Virginia wineries (read that post here).

Time to list a few others...and also ask for feedback from readers.

Where do you go for your Valentine's Day (or anti Valentine's Day) celebrations?

The choices on our list from 2015 remain firmly in place in our top ten. Here are some other worthy choices:

Creek's Edge Winery (Taylorstown; Loudoun County)
A barn silo seating area. A real wood fireplace. Acoustic bands. Ample outdoor seating if the weather is freakishly warm. Beautiful wines (particularly their merlot). What's not to ♥?

Veritas Vineyards (Nelson County)
Pretty much the same as above, minus the barn silo seating area. (We'll trade that in for gorgeous mountain views). A consistent winner in Virginia, year after year.

Afton Mountain Vineyards (Nelson County)
A few miles up the road from Veritas. More incredible views, a Tuscany-themed tasting room and patio, and a picturesque lake near the vineyards.
Go for the Petit Verdot - bold and complex.

Cave Ridge Vineyard (Shenandoah Valley; near Woodstock)
Perched up on a steep bluff; intimate tasting room and tasting experience. Don't miss the Riesling; one of the few Virginia wineries with a Finger Lakes-style Riesling. It's all about elevation.

Ox Eye Winery (downtown Staunton)
Located in the heart of the historic wharf district in downtown Staunton, this tasting room has an eclectic, European vibe. Grab a bottle of peppery Lemberger (another rare varietal for the Commonwealth) and unwined.

The Winery at La Grange (near Haymarket)
For a romantic Virginia winery experience, without the long drive (for northern Virginia or DC residents), you can't go wrong here. A historic (and supposedly haunted) old house. Several floors of the house to visit, to get away from crowds (including a funky cellar seating area). And superb offerings. The classic Cab Franc will hit Cupid's spot.

Zephaniah Farm Vineyard (south of Leesburg)
Another nearby location that feels a hundred miles away. A personal, one-of-a-kind seating tasting. And then remain in the mysterious old home, or move over to the new chalet-style tasting room, with its wood decor and rocking chairs. That chambourcin is one of the best in the state.

And your choices for romantic getaways in the state for VAWINOS?

The Road to Winchester: Part 3

Continuing with our examination of the three main highways leading to Patsy Cline's hometown, and apple capital of The Commonwealth, we land on Route 66. And not "that" route 66. Although after partaking at several of these wineries, you will get a kick of another kind.

Interstate 66, for those unlucky (or lucky) enough not to be familiar with this interstate, rolls about 80 miles from the Shenandoah Valley to Washington DC, via the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, after which the interstate abruptly ends around Virginia Avenue (where else?) in the District. The highway is mostly traffic clogged in Virginia from Arlington to Manassas (sometimes Haymarket), but once it opens up past Haymarket, it's a relaxing and scenic ride all the way to its western terminus, at I-81. The town of Winchester is some 10 miles north of the 66 and 81 interchange, however some folks use 66 as a faster way to the town. And of course that means a highway winery sign at nearly every exit, from the Haymarket area to Front Royal.

With so many wineries along this highway, there are many favorites. We will focus on three locations that are each about 10 minutes away from the interstate, so visitors will get a real feel of getting away from it all. While wineries right along the interstate may benefit from more foot traffic (Barrel Oak Winery, Three Fox Vineyards, Chateau O'Brien), getting away from the highway noise is sometimes essential (but for the record, the blogmasters adore the three aforementioned locations).

The first stop is at Exit 23 on I-66, which we dub the "winery exit." This is where you can peel off I-66 and drive along state highway 55, the former highway that connected the DC area with Front Royal and points west of that town. Route 55, the northern Virginia "wine highway," runs parallel with I-66, through the villages of Markham and Linden, and eventually puts you in downtown Front Royal. The winery we will focus on with this blog entry is Delaplane Cellars, named after the village of Delaplane you will pass by the railroad tracks on the way to this beautiful location.

Delaplane Cellars boasts a very large, airy, and bright (thanks to large picture windows) tasting room, with a second floor reserved for club members. There is ample outdoor seating for warmer weather (including freakishly warm January days): A wrap around deck with some tables, another patio near the entrance, and a few picnic tables up on a hill overlooking the tasting building. The views are incredible. The Blue Ridge Mountains can be seen immediately to the west. The winery is particularly picturesque under snow:

The wine offerings are different every time we visit, but there a few mainstays. Their Petit Verdot is a fine example of a grape that is becoming increasingly popular as a stand alone varietal in Virginia. We also enjoy their Mélange Rouge red blend.

Another winter view at Delaplane Cellars:

The parking here is rather cramped, being up against a mountain and all that. So get here early for the best spot (for you and your car).

The second and third stops are locations about half a mile apart from each other, each winery offering a different type of experience. Exit 18, the Markham exit, will drop you into another cluster of wineries, including the aforementioned Chateau O'Brien. Follow the signs (or "Siri") to Winding Road Cellars, a relatively new location compared to other wineries in this area. Winding Road Cellars is not far from the old Hume Vineyards, a defunct location which was the scene of a crazy summer mini-tornado several years ago (captured on film by the blogmasters). Winding Road is making some unusual wines ("because my husband is crazy" was the deadpan response we received from one of the owners when we inquired about this). Chardonnay, Viognier, Chambourcin, and Cab Franc are of course familiar names to anyone who knows anything about Virginia wine. But the wines here have a unique twist - we can't quite put our fingers on it. This is not a scientific analysis of the wines by any stretch; you will just have to visit and decide for yourself. Apparently Pinot Noir and Riesling are also on the owners' agenda in the future.

View of Winding Road Cellars tasting cabin, from the back:

There is a lot of room to move around outside at this winery. The pond behind the tasting cabin is a nice 5 minute walk from the tasting room, and the old boat house offers many photo opportunities:

Crowds apparently have not discovered this winery yet, at least the two times we have visited. One can spend an entire afternoon here and just drink in the atmosphere.

The vineyards at Winding Road:

The final stop on this Road to Winchester examination is right down the winding road from Winding Road Cellars. A Commonwealth favorite celebrating its 9th Anniversary this month, Philip Carter Winery. This beautiful location is almost always hopping, whether it's an acoustic performer, a family picnic, or a company outing. The tasting building is roomy and expansive, and the staff always sets up additional tasting counters whenever necessary. No one will be waiting here for a tasting.

Philip Carter Winery is also one of the few wineries in the area that has a real wood fireplace, and allows (and encourages) guests to tend to the fireplace themselves. Firepits are great for warmer weather, but winter (usually) does not allow for outdoor wine imbibing. The outdoor area has nicely arranged picnic tables and boards for a game that is becoming quite popular at Virginia wineries:

You can enjoy your bottles of wine close to the vineyards and even enjoy a cigar if the mood hits you.

The wines here are uniformly great and represent Virginia so well that the owners and winemaker have brought them to far away locations like China. The Sabine Hall Viognier is our favorite white here, a nice example of
"Virginia's white," with notes of honeysuckle, and all of the reds are good to great. Nomini Hall Cabernet Franc is a regal example of "Virginia's red," and is blended with Petit Verdot and Merlot for a smooth finish.

The number of wineries along I-66 can make it tough to decide where to go. Here's an extensive list of the wineries, from east to west, and their links, for easy access to other spots:

Winery at La Grange
Cobbler Mountain Cellars
Barrel Oak Winery
Blue Valley Winery
Miracle Valley Winery
Three Fox Vineyards
Delaplane Cellars
Arterra Wines
Naked Mountain Winery
Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn
Chateau O'Brien Winery
Philip Carter Winery
Winding Road Cellars
Linden Vineyards
Fox Meadow Winery
Chester Gap Cellars