2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg. 540-687-8778. www.boxwoodwinery.com. Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tasting, $10.
Vintage Ridge Winery
Tasting notes: Table service for tastings and interesting snacks make this a standout stop.
A two-story tasting room with five steel tanks square in the middle is the first thing you notice at this Delaplane winery. The tanks aren’t just for show; Vintage Ridge’s sweet white wines are aging inside, giving visitors a big, gleaming reminder of the winemaking process.
For those trying to squeeze in a day of winery-hopping, this estate should make the cut mostly as a place to stay awhile, sip a little and chat a lot, primarily because of its unusual seated tastings. Guests may plant themselves at bistro tables, with servers arriving every few minutes to pour sips and answer questions. Order a round of the “chevre devils” — dates stuffed with a chunk of goat cheese ($7) and served with sticky, freshly roasted spiced nuts. The red wines do wonders for bringing out the snack’s complex flavors. The first weekend of the month, Vintage Ridge offers simple, crostini-heavy pairing platters, matching strawberry and balsamic vinegar with merlot; arugula, blue cheese and turkey with syrah; and goat cheese and spicy plum chutney with cabernet franc.
8517 Maidstone Rd., Delaplane. 540-364-3371. www.vintageridgewine.com. Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tastings, $7; with food pairings, $18 (first Saturday and Sunday of the month).
Barrel Oak Winery
Tasting notes: Kids and dogs are welcome here, making this one of the more hectic tasting rooms. For those looking for something more intimate, head next door for a new wine pairing event that’s for adults only.
On a Saturday, the tasting room at Barrel Oak can feel like a zoo, and not by accident. The dog-friendly winery is one of the few to welcome pups into its airy tasting barn, and guests take full advantage. Recently, one could find the tasting room teeming with cocker spaniels, poodles, a hulking Burmese mountain dog, a dachshund and a mutt in a baby carriage. Speaking of baby carriages, in 2012, the four-year-old winery was named the nation’s most kid-friendly winery by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. (The tasting room has a candy jar, and out back, kids may play with a box of toys and a sandpit.)
But the attendants at Barrel Oak never seem to lose their cool, thoughtfully explaining the wines and steering guests toward the more sophisticated offerings. Tasters have three options: a flight of the five sweet “BOW” wines, including a strawberry-scented rose and the Chocolate Lab, a fruity Chambourcin infused with cocoa nibs; the five sophisticated “WOW” wines, which include a sunny reserve viognier and cabernet sauvignon; or both.
Barrel Oak also has added an exclusive-feeling event to its roster, aimed at oenophiles looking for something grander than a typical tasting. Last month, the winery began hosting formal seated tastings with food pairings at the adjacent Oak Hill Estate, a historic home that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, belonged to Chief Justice John Marshall and his family. It marks the first time that the home has opened to the public. Reservations are required for the weekend tastings, and guests can choose their own price range ($25 to $75 a person, through Oct. 28; www.experienceoakhill.com). The tastings include hearty pours of wines from wineries from across the globe: Each flight kicks off with sparkling wine and ends with a sip of Madeira.
Loading...
Comments