I visited Star on the Friday of their soft opening and had a chance to chat with Shane, its wine maker/owner. Google maps wanted to take me to a different road but the signage was spot on so I got there no problem.

The first thing you notice is the amazing view! I love the Shenandoah Valley, but the view from the driveway is especially great. They have some outdoor tables too.

Shane decided he didn’t want to ‘work for the man’ if you will, and had the crazy idea of starting a winery. I can’t imagine the amount of courage it takes to do something like that. But when you find something you love, I guess you just gotta go for it.

Their 7 acres of grapes include Chardonnay, Chardonnel, Cab Franc, Chambourcin and (I think) Petit Verdot. Since they were just getting started, only 5 wines were available.

What I tried:

“Field Star”: Chardonnay and Chardonnel. Clean, nice finish.

Chardonnel: Nice! It came off as somewhat sweet but I think it was just my taste buds fooling me.

Cab Franc: Made with a splash of Petit Verdot. I suspect it was young because I had a note of green pepper but it wasn’t overly so.

Star of the Valley: Cab Franc and Chambourcin blend.

They also had a sparkling but I forgot to take notes!