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!

First off, I have to admit: I’m a Gabrielle fanboy. If you’ve ever read about the namesake of the winery, it’s impossible not to be a fan. An Italian from the Piedmont (French is his first language), Gabrielle immigrated to the States in the 70s and help start Barboursville winery. From there, he mentored more wineries than I’ve been able to keep track of. Suffice to say, he’s called “The Godfather of Virginia Wine” for a reason.

I visited on a Friday afternoon thinking it would be slow, only to be shocked at how busy the tasting room was. There’s a reason – the wines are THAT GOOD. And well-priced. The tasting room is small but super cozy, aided and abetted by a constant supply of fresh bread.

One of his sons was my server – that is, when he wasn’t making pasta. Yeah that’s a thing; from opening till mid-afternoon, they offer a food pairing along with the wine. I’d been there several times and been treated to everything from ravioli, fresh bread & olive oil, artichoke hearts, and potato pie.

The whites tend to be light and crisp and the reds low in tannin. But what surprises me is the variety. While he maintains his own vineyard, Gabrielle sources grapes from all over Virginia. One of his favorite vineyards seems to be Muse (his oldest son is the winemaker), but I’ve seen Gabrielle bring in grapes from Honah Lee, Turk Mountain, Trump & Blenheim.

What I tried:

• 2017 Rose: Light cherry notes; made with Malbec and Merlot.
• 2017 Pinot Grigio: Very light and refreshing
• 2017 Chardonnay. Made in a combo of new & neutral French oak; good and not overpriced.
• 2016 Cabernet Franc:  Lighter than I expected; made in neutral oak.
• 2017 Nebbiolo: Had some bite to it, little bit spicy.
• 2018 Charlsseas Dore: Interesting Swiss grape, which he made into a sparkling.
• 2017 Malbec: Good but felt a bit rough.

This is not a place for a picnic or to listen to some music – sadly it’s too small for that. Not only that, but the winery is literally closed on Saturdays! But if you simply love good wine in an intimate setting, it’s one of the best places to go in all of Charlottesville.