Early Mountain is everything that I would hope for in a winery. First off, the entire building is amazing to look at. The people who built it didn’t skimp on the details, be it a huge indoor space or a conference room decorated with wine bottles. Flight of wine? Yes please – take your choice of several options. Maybe a bite to eat? OK sure – here’s a menu from their kitchen. Maybe you’d like to sit outside on the porch? No problem – just check out the patio, where the view goes on for miles.

I’d been here several times, but it had always been on the tail end of a larger trip. This time, my taste buds came prepared for a more extensive visit.

With 35 acres of vines on this property (plus 20 on their leased Quaker Run site) they have a lot of fruit to choose from. While 90% of their grapes are estate, they do the usual horse-trading for grapes from other Virginia wineries. They make around 10,000 cases/year, plus their custom crush operation.

Ben Jordan is their wine maker. The guy has a fascinating back-story; he bounced around several jobs before landing at Early Mountain, including a previous stint as a playwright. Playwright to wine maker? This dude needs to write an autobiography. But when no less that Jay Youmans (the man in charge of the annual Virginia Governor’s Cup competition) tells you that he’s a guy to keep your eye on, you pay attention.

I went with the extended tasting (because why wouldn’t you?). One thing I learned is Ben REALLY likes blends, even if it was just a dash of something out of the ordinary. Several reds had a little Tannat or Syrah…or even more fascinating…a tiny amount of Petit Manseng or Chardonnay. Wait – white wine in my reds?! But hey – I loved them, so no complaints here.

What I tried:

2018 Rose: Made in steel; Merlot-heavy red blend with great color.

5 Forks white blend: Petit Manseng & Sauv Blanc, with a splash of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Very complex, creamy nose with notes of leche.

2017 Chardonnay: The French oak was noticeable but not overpowering, thanks to using neutral barrels. Nice acid; I liked this one a lot.

Soif (pronounced “Swaff”): A Cab Franc/Merlot blend with a little Petit Verdot and 3% Chardonnay. Made in stainless, which I suspect made the fruitiness more pronounced and lower on the tannins. Reminded me of a Beaujolais.

2017 Foothills: 6 blends; your traditional Bordeaux styles (minus Malbec) plus some Syrah and a smaller portion of Petit Manseng. Liked it a lot; nice raspberry notes.

2017 Cabernet Franc: Smooth but with a little spice. None of the tobacco or pepper notes that I’m accustomed to in other Cab Francs.

2015 Novum (red blend): I loved the nose!!! I swear I could nurse this glass for an hour before sipping it. Again with the raspberry notes on the palate.

2016 Novum: Another red blend, but heavier on the Merlot (which I found very pronounced). Nice medium body with noticeable fruit but not entirely fruit-forward.

I shouldn’t forget one of the coolest thing about their wine flights – they also have a rotating flight of wines from other Virginia wineries. Last time I was here, I had Ankida Ridge’s Pinot Noir. The time before that, a set of wines from southern Virginia. The philosophy is that when Virginia wines can enter the spotlight, all of Virginia wins. So why not give harder to find Virginia wines the chance to find an audience here? It’s a great concept, since as the old adage goes – a rising tide really does raise all boats.

A special shout-out to Aileen Seiver, Early Mountain’s director of marketing who kindly gave me a tour. Aileen has a really tough job; in marketing Early Mountain, she also takes visitors to other Virginia wineries like Afton Mountain and RdV (I’m sure there’s work in there somewhere).

Slater Run is a new-ish winery that has long had a nearby tasting room/wine store, but only recently expanded its seasonal tasting room at the owner’s home/vineyard into a facility that can be open all year. While I liked the old setup, the new room is very roomy and posh. But even better is the view of the hills and vineyards right outside. At 1,000 cases/year they are still on the small side, but with 12 acres of vines they have plenty of room to expand.

This location has a very ‘adults only’ vibe (and no pets allowed either). I know some will not appreciate that, but given there’s a slew of dog and family friendly locations down the road I think it’s nice to have something only for the grownups.

Their wine maker is Katell Griaud. She’s worked in Virginia a number of years, mainly in Charlottesville but also as an advisor to nearby Casanel. As you can imagine, her wines are stylistically similar to French wines; the reds tend to be blends, the whites very crisp, and everything is made in French Oak. They even have a desert wine from Katell’s family’s winery in France.

What truly blew me away is Slater Run has the rare distinction of one of the few wineries that I liked-to-loved EVERYTHING on the tasting menu. Seriously…there wasn’t a single ‘meh’ wine in the lot.

What I tried:

Pinot Gris: Made dry but could fool a sweet wine lover

Chardonnay: Strong green apple notes

Rose: Amazing pinkish color, made in the Provence style (of course)

Cabernet Franc: Bramble fruit notes

First Bridge red blend: Cab Franc & Merlot heavy; everything just balanced together very nicely

Roots red blend: Right-bank style that was bolder than the First Bridge. 45% Cab Sauv, 25% Cab Franc, 20% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot.

KALIAN desert-style wine: Almost syrupy; I liked it but you’d have to be a desert wine lover to really enjoy it.

Quattro Goombas – an Italian term for ‘4 friends’ – is a winery/brewery combo near-ish Middleburg. While they don’t have vineyards of their own, they do source some of their grapes from Virginia, with the rest coming from…well…all over!

I visited early on a Saturday but the place was already getting busy. Fortunately the crowd inside cleared out, and soon I had the tasting associate all to myself. Not only that, she very kindly allowed me to sample a few extra items that I might not otherwise have had.

While I didn’t visit the brewery this trip, next time I will. They also make great pizza on site, and changes to Virginia law has made it possible to take your beer and/or wine anywhere on the property. Brewery-winery combos are a new thing in Virginia, but this place is one of the originals.

What I tried:

• Pinot Gris: Well balanced; clean mouthfeel initially but the fruit came out afterwards

• Chardonnay: Light oak was noticeable plus bright acid

• Sorelle (off-dry Riesling): You’d think it’s sweeter than it is, but the grape is fooling you

• Rose (Lodi, California): Clean with a tint of strawberry

• Piney River (Chambourcin heavy, w/Cab Franc): Very fruit driven

• Zinfandel (with an assist with some Cab Sauv and Merlot): No notes on this one!

• Curico (red blend): Chilian grapes; big and bold

• Petit Verdot: Virginia fruit; unusually fruity instead of bold like I’m accustomed to

• Traditione (Washington state and VA fruit): Very rich mouthfeel, made in a bourbon barrel

When I think of Greenhill, the terms ‘classy’ and ‘swanky’ come to mind. The tasting room reminds me of a French country house with windows overlooking a vineyard. And if that’s not enough, the members tasting room is a manor house, just down the road. Like I said – swanky!

Mike Shaps is the current winemaker, although many of the current vintages were made under Sebastien Marquet. Both guys are great fits for this place. I’ve always loved Sebastien’s wines (he also used to service Doukenie) but I suspect Mike Shaps will kick it up yet another notch. Working with 14 acres under vine (maybe more off site as well), this gives Greenhill a fair amount of leeway in their production.

Given the surroundings, this is definitely an adults-only, no dogs experience. Luckily I was able to grab a spot on the patio outside and order some snacks and my flight from there. That’s right! While you can certainly taste wine at the bar, they likewise offer seated tastings. Classy – remember?

As you would expect from a winery that definitely gets their inspiration from France, they have amazing chardonnays, red blends, and sparklings. Luckily my server was kind enough to give me a few on top of the usual options.

What I tried:

2017 Chardonnay: Soft, with a tad of butter but actually made in steel

2017 Reserve Chardonnay: Amazing! Very aromatic and expressive. French oak

2017 Ontology: Made with Chambourcin, although I never would have guessed it. While Chambourcin is usually fruity, this was unusually bold and the fruit was more subtle. This was the surprise of the bunch

Philosophy: Very close for 2^nd favorite. Ripe red fruit flavors. Red blend with 27% Cab Sauv but also with Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot

2016 Mythology: 80% Merlot 20% Petit Verdot, 15 months French Oak

2017 Petit Verdot: Tasting young. As PVs go, this wasn’t overly bold either. Surprisingly only 6 months in French oak! Still liked it

2016 Superstition: Syrah heavy, medium weight

2017 Riesling: Estate wine. Some tropical fruit, especially honeydew

2017 Seyval Blanc: Strong notes of honeydew, very easy drinking

Fleetwood is a colonial-style farm farmhouse which was converted into a tasting room. The owners have a landscaping business and it shows; the building is a nice combination of Colonial Williamsburg and modernistic. Literally everything on the inside is nicely appointed and the outside is well manicured.

While they advertise themselves as a winery, the vibe felt very much like an upscale wine tasting bar. The lawn has a view of the 4 acre vineyard (all Norton right now), and there’s an outside building for events. When I asked about their business model, their manager told me her intent is to put a lot of emphasis on wine education – although I also see this place being a big wedding destination. They even had several sommeliers on staff, which is unusual for a winery.

The home is very historic as well; I didn’t get to do a full tour, but they did have a plaque celebrating a visit by George Washington. Yep; it’s good to be Virginia gentry, since you only stay in the finest places. They also have the original smokehouse next to the tasting room.

Two options were available when I visited; a tasting of just rose & sparklings, and a separate tasting composed of their house wines & ‘visiting’ wines. These rotate fairly quickly, so if you like something grab it while you can! On my previous visit I had a Virginia Petit Verdot (presently their wine maker is Pearmund Cellars), although this time my favorite was a rose from India. The charcuterie board was also pretty amazing.

If you’re in the mood for an adults-only experience – especially if they have music outside – this is a great option!

Great Frogs is a place I’d had my eye on for a while before I visited. While it’s a legit vineyard, it has a very urban feel to it since it’s literally right outside Annapolis. At over $30 a tasting (online bookings only), I figured it would deliver a different experience than most.

My guests and I were quickly greeted upon our arrival with a seat at the bar. 6 x wines were served, along with small snacks. The tasting room was on the small side, but given it was delivering a more personalized tasting event I don’t see why it needed to be any bigger than it was.

Their wines are mostly if not entirely estate, with 15 x acres under vine (both on this property and others).  While the grapes were the same Bordeaux or hybrid grapes that I’ve been long accustomed to, I was genuinely surprised by what they did with them. Some were very unique blends; others had tasting profiles I never would have expected. Definitely worth a revisit.

What I tried

• Chardonnay: Toasty, with salted caramel notes. Very nice Chard that I’d happily try again.

• “Tanyard”: A Vidal/Chambourcin combo that sorta reminded me of rose but wasn’t rose. Fuller bodied than I would have given it credit for.

• Cab Franc: Some spice but still smooth.

• Vintner’s Reserve: Bolder red but with a good vanilla nose. Spice and pomegranate notes.

• Cold Blooded: Made in Minnesota Oak. Earthy nose and on the palate.

• Atomic 29: Reminded me of cherry soda (in a good way)

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!