The Homeplace Vineyard is a small family business / local hangout / winery all wrapped up in a log cabin. The vines were planted in 2005 so they’ve likely been selling wine for a bit. While I bet they do brisk business at festivals, they also have a large event space that seems like a good place for a party. Even after only visiting for a short while, you could tell the place had a laid back, home-away-from-home vibe.

The name is a callback to how the tasting room is on the original location of family’s homestead. Built from the logs of an old tobacco barn, it now looks like a camping cabin. That actually sounds like fun; who wouldn’t want to spend overnight in log cabin on a winery!

The land around us was once produced tobacco, although that industry has long faded away. In need of a way to keep the land productive, the family set up a vineyard instead (another common theme for the area’s wineries).

Penny was my server, and she adeptly talked me through their wine selection. Most of their 9.5 acres of vines are hybrids, although they have some Cabernet Sauvignon as well. This continued a trend in this area of focusing on varietals that are both weather resistant and don’t need expensive chemical spraying. It’s a smart move for smaller operations, especially if their target crowd leans more towards sweet wine.

The wines tended towards sweet, which is a preference in this area. What I tried:

Vidal: Semi sweet, light and easy drinking.

Viognier: Light, but unusual as it lacked the overpowering honeysuckle I find on the nose.

Traminette: Sweet but almost overpowering nose to it, as is common with this grape.

Old Green Tractor (white blend): Traminette heavy, but also with some Viognier.

Strawberry wine: Made from local fruit; great nose and very yummy.

Rockn’ Rose: Tart!

Old Red Tractor: Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon; the biggest bodied red of the bunch.

Chambourcin: Fruity and light.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Light but with some spice.