I am always on the lookout for my next Interesting Find – this one came my way via the radio. i was driving along one day and heard that Virginia had a Vineyard nominated by The Wine Enthusiast for Best American Winery in 2018. I personally had never heard of Early Mountain Vineyards and after asking many of my friends here in Northern Virginia, I was not alone. So, time to make take a field trip to Early Mountain Vineyards and what a delightful trip it was. We headed out on a beautiful fall Sunday afternoon to check out this gem in Virginia. Early Mountain is 89 miles from Washington, DC and 30 miles from Charlottesville, VA in Madison, VA off of Highway 29. You are immediately greeted by a panoramic view of beautiful countryside and a gorgeous stone building. Once you enter you know you have found a special place, dynamic views, beautiful furnishings and a very nice tasting room. Melissa Rice, Director of Events, gave us a tour of the facility and event venues. It is a beautiful space for any event, but we were there for lunch and wine and we ended up on their patio for lunch. Besides their own wines, you can also taste a various selection of wines from around the state. We ordered from their Harvest Celebration menu beef sliders, pork sliders and grilled butternut squash. They were all delicious and we accompanied our menu choices with glasses of Early Mountain “Rise” 2015 (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Tannat, aged 18 months in barrique* barrels, 50% new, bottled unfiltered and aged for a year and half prior to release). I have to say it was one of the best ways I know to enjoy a beautiful day in Virginia. I am definitely looking forward to returning.
Check out their Calendar of Events – they have some great upcoming events
* Do you know what a barrique barrel is?
The word ‘barrique’ refers to a specific size and shape of oak barrel. In making wine there are many different sizes of barrels used. Barrique barrels are relatively small barrels. Barriques are also known as Bordeaux barrels, because it was in Bordeaux that their shape and size was designed and developed. Barriques are relatively tall and have a capacity of 225 liters (59 gallons).