Suggest a wine tasting venue 1 hour from DC

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Coopers Hawk has wine tasting and then you can eat there.

Why in the world would you go to a chain restaurant when there are top quality vineyards 30 minutes away? This suggestion would make sense in Kansas, not in Virginia.

“Top quality” 🤣😂🤣😭

Ah yes, the world famous wine region of the American Mid-Atlantic. Any winery here is strictly for ambience and that’s fine.

Virginia is the oldest wine region in the US and routinely has wines appear on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 list. Btw, as a fairly credentialed wine snob, this kind of comment is a dead giveaway that you're an amateur.

Congratulations for being the first colony. I don’t need to flaunt my credentials when I can just drive to Napa.

Given that this is a DC-based message board, I'm venturing a guess that most of us can't just "drive to Napa." So we'll have to stick with the perfectly fine Virginia and Maryland options.

I agree it's "perfectly fine" but let's not pretend like the DMV is some secret hot-spot for wine that only the truly cultured can appreciate.

Was someone suggesting that? I believe people were answering the OP's request for nice wineries within an hour. Just because it isn't Napa doesn't mean there aren't some good options out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we loved Black Ankle Vineyards. Lovely view and really good red wine.

Us too! Way better wine than lingamore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RdV is overpriced IMO (and also has been bought out) but if you want to feel like you are getting the fanciest experience, that is the one. Otherwise, there are many nice options within one hour of DC. I like the wineries in the Middleburg area and then dinner at Tremolo, which also has an excellent international list of wines by the glass.

For the close-in places:

RDV is probably the bet quality you'll find anywhere that is not from the west coast. It's pricey and reservations are hard to get - and are an absolute must otherwise they will not admit you on the property.

A second very solid option would be Crimson Lane. Perhaps the most beautiful tasting room, great views and they are making some pretty damn good wine - not quite Napa/Sonoma, yet, but really quite good. Food is outstanding too.

Third recommendation would be Linden. Beautiful setting but without the "wow" views. Very good wine.

GL.

These are great suggestions!

FWIW Virginia has some great wines, but as stated above its all about what you enjoy. If it's a fabulous petit verdot but that style doesn't float your boat, why does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Check out Naked Mountain and Arterra. I like Arterra which has a nice woodsy setting and pretty good wine.

[Anonymous]

We like Hillsborough just outside of Leesburg. The view is beautiful, the tasting room and patio are beautiful, they have food, and the wine is good. (I would not say that about every va wine I’ve tasted.) we particularly like the Opal wine when we go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RdV is overpriced IMO (and also has been bought out) but if you want to feel like you are getting the fanciest experience, that is the one. Otherwise, there are many nice options within one hour of DC. I like the wineries in the Middleburg area and then dinner at Tremolo, which also has an excellent international list of wines by the glass.

This is good advice. FWIW, our favorite VA winery is Glen Manor, which has great wines, a pretty view, and exceptionally nice staff.

[Anonymous]

Wine know-nothing here, but I need a local gift to take abroad. Prefer under $50. Any recs?
Hope to combine tasting and purchase with a nice walk. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wine know-nothing here, but I need a local gift to take abroad. Prefer under $50. Any recs?
Hope to combine tasting and purchase with a nice walk. Thanks.

I'm not understanding the question. You want to buy a bottle of wine to bring to someone abroad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Naked Mountain and Arterra. I like Arterra which has a nice woodsy setting and pretty good wine.

Have you tried the lasagna at Naked Mountain? It wasn't available yet when we went.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coopers Hawk has wine tasting and then you can eat there.

Why in the world would you go to a chain restaurant when there are top quality vineyards 30 minutes away? This suggestion would make sense in Kansas, not in Virginia.

“Top quality” 🤣😂🤣😭

Ah yes, the world famous wine region of the American Mid-Atlantic. Any winery here is strictly for ambience and that’s fine.

Virginia is the oldest wine region in the US and routinely has wines appear on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 list. Btw, as a fairly credentialed wine snob, this kind of comment is a dead giveaway that you're an amateur.

Congratulations for being the first colony. I don’t need to flaunt my credentials when I can just drive to Napa.

Given that this is a DC-based message board, I'm venturing a guess that most of us can't just "drive to Napa." So we'll have to stick with the perfectly fine Virginia and Maryland options.

I agree it's "perfectly fine" but let's not pretend like the DMV is some secret hot-spot for wine that only the truly cultured can appreciate.

It's a not-so-secret hot spot for wine tourism. California makes 85% of the wine in the US, so it's a behemoth. But there are respected wine regions beyond California and Virginia is one of them. So is Oregon and Washington.

[Anonymous]

Glen Manor. It's not particularly big or glamorous but the wine is good for VA wine and the views are great. It's very relaxed but not overrun with people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to VA wineries for red wine- they are known to be terrible.

Unsophisticated and uninformed opinion.

Places to consider within 90 minutes of DC:

Linden
Crimson Lane
RdV (maybe they have a new name?)
Early Mountain
Glen Manor

These can all be destinations on their own (though Linden and Glen Manor, while they probably have the technically best wine, don’t serve food but allow picnics - but they’re both the OGs of Virginia wine and respected American vineyards, run by 2 of the most accomplished vintners east of the Mississippi and can hang with most of the west coast).

Rdv is priced well above their market value but produces a nice bottle. They were just purchased by a major Bordeaux based conglomerate if you’re wondering if the big dogs are taking notice.

Worthy of consideration too:
Pearmund
Slaters Run (red isn’t their strength, though)
Capstone
Rappahannock

If you are looking to make multiple stops, your best bet would be to do Rappahannock OR Slaters Run OR Glen Manor (these 3 are about the same distance from Linden area but opposite directions) plus Linden and Capstone (very close) plus either Crimson Lane (next door to Capstone) or RdV (reservation dependent).

Pearmund should be considered if you absolutely need to be inside an hour. Solid wine. No views really.

Another to throw in the mix is Delaplane Cellars, but it doesn’t really stand up to any of the rest except probably Slaters Run.

EMV is a destination on its own and can’t really be combined with others because of distance. It’s also the furthest away. But worth the trip.

[Anonymous]

If you're looking for something unique with good views and good wine you could pair a visit to Glen Manor with the Sumac tasting menu if it's going to be a beautiful day, even better if you like fermented sours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coopers Hawk has wine tasting and then you can eat there.

Why in the world would you go to a chain restaurant when there are top quality vineyards 30 minutes away? This suggestion would make sense in Kansas, not in Virginia.

“Top quality” 🤣😂🤣😭

Ah yes, the world famous wine region of the American Mid-Atlantic. Any winery here is strictly for ambience and that’s fine.

Virginia is the oldest wine region in the US and routinely has wines appear on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 list. Btw, as a fairly credentialed wine snob, this kind of comment is a dead giveaway that you're an amateur.

Congratulations for being the first colony. I don’t need to flaunt my credentials when I can just drive to Napa.

Given that this is a DC-based message board, I'm venturing a guess that most of us can't just "drive to Napa." So we'll have to stick with the perfectly fine Virginia and Maryland options.

I agree it's "perfectly fine" but let's not pretend like the DMV is some secret hot-spot for wine that only the truly cultured can appreciate.

Was someone suggesting that? I believe people were answering the OP's request for nice wineries within an hour. Just because it isn't Napa doesn't mean there aren't some good options out there.

I would suggest that the small number of vineyards I posted above plus a few in the Charlottesville area do represent a hidden hotspot for exceptionally good wine. I’d put the small micro region within a few miles of Linden, VA up against many west coast and European wines.

The prices are higher based on some comparables (but not all) but that’s due to the difficulty associated with producing high quality wine in this region. But that’s changing with climate change. The seasons we get rain and hotter and drier summers could very well significantly improve the wines from some of the well-placed vineyards.

In any case, the good Virginia wines are massively under appreciated. Unfortunately people like posters here form their opinion after visiting touristy places like Barrel Oak and Boxwood and don’t take the time to form an informed opinion. Or, even worse, they think looking down their nose on Virginia wine demonstrates their expertise. Couldn’t be further from the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for something unique with good views and good wine you could pair a visit to Glen Manor with the Sumac tasting menu if it's going to be a beautiful day, even better if you like fermented sours.

Not a terrible idea, but Sumac and Glen Manor are like 45 minutes apart so that’s a consideration. You could stop by Rappahannock in between. It’s literally on the way.