Burnley Vineyards

Burnley Vineyards makes a lot of different wines, some of which are under the label Daniel Cellars.

The tasting room is quaint and simple, and you get the feeling that the winery really is a family-run operation. The staff is friendly, and really pays attention to you during your tasting. Basically, you feel as if they are glad to have you there, which is a really great feeling.

They offer fresh-baked bread for a small price, and it's definitely worth it. They literally pop it in the oven when you order it, and set a timer, so it meets the definition of fresh baked!

I liked almost all of their wines, but the one that I like the most is Aurora. It is not classified as a dessert wine, but it feels like one, with its intense chocolate aroma and chocolate and raspberry taste. Definitely different, and very good! Other good ones are Peach Fuzz, Rivanna Sunset, and Spicy Rivanna.

Observations:
~ Many wines to taste.
~ Friendly staff that you can tell are all family. :)
~ Nondescript tasting room--the focus is on the wine.

Travel:
Pretty easy to access. You'll be on country roads without lines for a little bit, and then on a short dirt road leading to the winery.

Website:
http://www.burnleywines.com

Barrel Oak Winery

Barrel Oak Winery is a beautiful, very dog-friendly winery, with lots of very good wines. They celebrated their second anniversary in May 2010.

The tasting room is large, and the main tasting bar resembles a huge wine barrel. There is a second tasting bar upstairs in the loft area. There are several tables inside so guests can enjoy a snack along with a bottle of wine. Dogs are allowed inside, but must be kept on a leash. When I visited, there was a beautiful golden retriever laying down under a table while his family enjoyed some BOW wine.

Outside, there are lots of picnic tables, along with watering stations for the pups. Your four legged friend is welcome to hang out outside while you enjoy your picnic.

As for the tastings, Barrel Oak offers three choices: the BOW, the WOW, or the BOW WOW. I did the BOW WOW, which includes a taste of all of their wines. I have to say that I loved them all! The Norton is excellent, as is the Traminette. And they have a great dessert wine, too. The wines are a bit more pricey than most Virginia wineries (averaging around $23 a bottle), but they are definitely very good.

There are several items for sale in the tasting room, including books, jewelry, wine accessories, snacks, and doggie shirts.

Observations:
~ Very dog friendly.
~ Very nice staff.
~ Excellent wines.
~ Reasonable tasting fees.
~ Open late on Fridays and Saturdays during the warm weather months. Call ahead if you want to visit later than their normal 6 PM closing time, because they just may be open late. They have a sign at the entrance that says "Open Late" on those days that they stay open past their normal closing time.
~ During the warm weather months, they tend to keep the tasting room doors open, which makes it pretty hot inside, despite the fact that the A/C is on. So, if you don't like the heat, you might want to visit in the fall, winter, or early spring.

Travel:
Very easy to access. Right off of I-66. Only non-paved road is the one leading to the winery, but it's short and completely covered with gravel, which makes for easy travel.

Website:
http://www.barreloak.com

Chrysalis Vineyards

Chrysalis Vineyards is set in the beautiful Virginia Piedmont. The tasting room is medium sized. During the warm weather months, the tastings are done outside, at one of several tented outdoor tasting bars.

I have visited Chrysalis several times, and on each occasion, the staff was friendly and each person who poured was very knowledgeable about the wines. They have many different wines, including some Spanish and French varieties that are not too common in Virginia. Chrysalis is very proud of its various Norton wines, and with good reason. I know I said I am not a wine critic, and I'm not, but Norton is my favorite red, and Chrysalis doesn't disappoint! Norton is known as the native American grape. The folks at Chrysalis will give you a brief history of the Norton grape while you're tasting the wine.

The tasting room has several refrigerators with water, various cheeses, and organic eggs. They also have crackers and chips for sale, as well as different sauces for purchase. They also have several different pieces of jewelry for sale in a display case.

Chrysalis hosts several events throughout the year, including a wine and jazz festival.

Observations:
~ Chrysalis is a very dog-friendly winery. Visitors (both two-legged and four-legged) are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy it on the patio or at one of the various picnic tables on the grounds. Four-legged visitors must be kept on a leash, of course.
~ During the warm weather months, be prepared for an outside tasting experience. One of the outdoor tasting stations is a bit of a walk from the tasting room, so be prepared for a walk through the grass to get there.
~ Very friendly staff.
~ Excellent website with lots of great information about the vineyards and their wines.
~ Wine glass with Chrysalis logo included with tasting fee.

Travel:
You'll be traveling a little over a mile on a rocky dirt road to get to the winery. The dirt road has several bumps along the way, and several "washboard" areas also make for a bumpy ride. You will need a car wash after visiting Chrysalis, but it is definitely worth it!!

Website:
http://www.chrysaliswine.com

Potomac Point Winery

I have visited Potomac Point Winery several times, the first time being two months after it opened. The winery itself is beautiful, and is reminiscent of some of the wineries in California. It has a lot of ornate details, including their logo being forged in all of the ironwork railings, chairs, fences, and gates throughout the winery. The bistro at the winery serves you on the large patio or in the indoor restaurant. The food is very good, but you have to be patient, because it takes a while.

The tasting room is large, with a rectangular bar in the center.

The tasting room is lined on two sides with shelves that contain lots of wine related items for sale, including earrings and necklaces, coasters, T-shirts, candle kits, figurines, and more. There is a refrigerator with different types of water and cheese.

You can choose different flights to taste, or you can taste them all. There is an olive oil bar that is also included in the tasting fee. The various infused olive oils are all very good.

Potomac Point Winery is not just in the wine business--they built the winery with a large ballroom and other smaller rooms that can all be used for weddings or other events. It is a beautiful facility.

My first visit to Potomac Point was the best, as the co-owner poured for our tasting. He was very nice and gave us a lot of information about the wines. On all of my subsequent visits, I have been disappointed with the customer service. (This is not something that I wanted to include in my posting, but I am trying to be honest about my experiences.)

Observations:
~ On most Fridays, there is free live music on the patio, which makes it a nice place to have dinner and a glass of wine. (Remember to be patient with the service of your meal.)
~ The wine glass with the winery's logo is supposed to be included with the tasting fee, but on three separate visits, over the past three years, they have been short on glasses, and did not let customers keep the glasses.

Travel:
From Route 1, you'll be traveling several miles on narrow "country" paved back roads. Once you get to the winery, you'll travel a short distance on an unpaved rock/dirt road to the parking area, which is rock-covered.

Website:
http://www.potomacpointwinery.com

New Kent Winery

I cannot say enough good things about New Kent Winery! I have visited New Kent multiple times, and each visit was pleasant and fun.

The winery is part of a new development project in the area, but it feels as if it has been there forever, due to its rustic, yet refined, charm. If you take the tour, you will learn many things about the century-old materials that were used to build the winery. The construction of the winery is phenomenal, with all of the rustic square nailheads perfectly aligned (you can verify this when you're sitting outside on the porch, enjoying some of New Kent's wine).

The tasting room is large, with a big, slightly arced, bar. There are hooks under the bar so you can hang your purse or coat.

For sale in the tasting room are New Kent Winery polo shirts, T-shirts, and jackets, as well as handmade cheese boards made from flattened wine bottles, and unique handmade wine stoppers. The winery also offers crackers, cheeses, chocolate covered pretzels, as well as pound cake and banana bread made with New Kent wine.

New Kent Winery hosts a wine festival each May, as well as several different events throughout the year. I attended the wine festival in 2009 and the Memorial Day bar-b-que and bluegrass event in May 2010. Both were great! I've also attended a Barrel Club dinner (as a guest of Barrel Club members) in the barrel room in December 2009, and it was fantastic!

Observations:
~ New Kent Winery is the only Virginia winery to make White Norton. Their Norton grapes were affected by the winter this year, so they had a limited supply of White Norton this year. To "pinch hit" for the White Norton, they created a great White Merlot, which in itself, is a rare wine to find at a Virginia winery.
~ The tasting room is kept at a pleasant temperature throughout the year: no worries about being hot while tasting during the warm weather months.
~ Reasonable tasting fee, with New Kent Winery wine glass included.
~ Very friendly staff.

Travel:
Very easy to access, right off of I-64. All roads leading to the winery are paved, as is the parking lot itself.

Website:
http://www.newkentwinery.com

Williamsburg Winery

The first Virginia winery I visited was Williamsburg Winery, back in 1997. I re-visited the winery in May 2010. The winery itself is a quaint facility that instantly makes you think that it belongs in the colonial era. There are many antique pieces of furniture around the winery, and the overall feeling you get is that of respect for the immensely historical surroundings.

Your tasting experience depends on whether you take the tour, or just do a tasting. If you take the tour, you will first watch a short video that provides background information on the winery. Then you will tour the facility, and end up in a large tasting room where you'll taste a flight of wines. The flight varies, so you won't be able to taste every single wine that Williamsburg Winery makes, unless you purchase the $30 reserve tasting. If you don't take the tour, you might end up in a small tasting room.

The winery also has a nice gift shop, complete with many items that would make great gifts. There are small WW carafes, larger carafes, several different wine bottle racks/stands, and gadgets such as bottle openers and stoppers.

Overall, it is worth the trip to visit Williamsburg Winery, because the step back in time is a great experience.

Observations:
~ If you visit when it is busy, be prepared to be patient.
~ Depending on the time of year you visit, you should be prepared, because in hot weather, it is very hot in the small tasting room.
~ Wine glass with WW logo included with tasting fee.

Travel:
Very easy to access. The only dirt road is the short one leading to the winery.

Website:
http://www.williamsburgwinery.com