{"id":3481,"date":"2010-10-20T21:44:32","date_gmt":"2010-10-21T01:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=3481"},"modified":"2010-12-19T12:58:14","modified_gmt":"2010-12-19T16:58:14","slug":"virginia-wine-staycations-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/virginia-wine-staycations-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Wine Staycations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wineries, B&Bs and Fine Hotels Offer Nearby Fulfilled Getaways<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>With over 170 wineries, more than 200 bed and breakfasts and numerous charming hotels, the opportunity for planning an overnight or extended vacation in the Old Dominion, without forcing the house into foreclosure, is almost limitless.<\/p>\n

Beyond a doubt, a trip to Napa Valley or France to tour vineyards and dine at famous restaurants is an attractive adventure.\u00a0 It also comes with a multiple-thousand dollar price tag.\u00a0 How can you enjoy a similar holiday at a fraction of the cost?\u00a0 Simply think Virginia.<\/p>\n

This past August, my wife Jean and I challenged our good friends Fred and Betsy to join us for a day of winery hopping followed by an evening stay at the historic Mimslyn Inn in Luray. \u00a0Not surprisingly, they accepted.<\/p>\n

Our companions had not visited many of our area vineyards so I crafted an itinerary that included six unique wineries.\u00a0 As the designated driver, I sipped lightly at each stop since I had been to all of them on more than one occasion.<\/p>\n

The fascinating part of the tour for me was chatting with the proprietors.\u00a0 One of the delightful aspects of Virginia wine country is the opportunity to meet and talk with the owners, winemakers or vineyard managers.\u00a0 Up close and personal comes to life in the world of Virginia wine.\u00a0 This is not GalloWorld.<\/p>\n

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Barrel Oak Winery<\/p><\/div>\n

Our first destination was Barrel Oak Winery\u2014or BOW–in Delaplane.\u00a0 We arrived around noon, well before the busy mid-afternoon guest traffic.\u00a0 The winery\u2019s growing reputation centers on dogs and kids.\u00a0 It is an eclectic atmosphere where \u201cfun\u201d is the password to a good time.\u00a0 As anticipated, upon our arrival owner Brian Roeder was surveying the tasting room and greeting visitors with smiles and pooches with patted heads.\u00a0 He smiled at us.<\/p>\n

BOW is one of the fastest growing wineries in VA and challenges the concept that a quiet tasting room is de rigueur.\u00a0 Here the atmosphere is more akin to a family reunion with parents, grandparents, kids, young adults and several of man\u2019s best friends tail wagging away, all enjoying the spacious tasting room, patio or picnic-tabled grounds. \u00a0Before we departed, Fred purchased a bottle of Norton, a wine he\u2019s not normally a fan of. The BOW creation, however, changed his mind.<\/p>\n

Next we motored up Route 17 to Delaplane Vineyards.\u00a0 Owner Jim Dolphin was in the cellar when we arrived, but within minutes he was standing behind the tasting bar discussing the upcoming harvest and sharing some insights on the wines we were sipping.\u00a0 Dolphin chose a beautiful piece of property upon which to build his sleek looking winery. \u00a0The tasting room features a long series of picture windows providing vistas of nearby rolling ridges and points further west.\u00a0 Typical of most wineries in our state, the views matched the quality of the wines.\u00a0 I purchased a bottle of the Maggie\u2019s Vineyard Viognier, a grape performing very well in Virginia.<\/p>\n

Next on the agenda was Linden Vineyards.\u00a0 Established in the early 1980s and situated on 76 high and rolling acres, the winery has acquired an almost cult-like following due to the passion for winegrowing of its owner, Jim Law. Law is one of the most respected winemakers in the mid-Atlantic region and writes extensively on the subject of grape cultivation and winemaking. \u00a0Shortly after our arrival, Jim emerged from the cellar and we discussed the exceptionally hot summer Virginia was experiencing. Temperatures hovered in the high nineties for the better part of the growing season and Law had harvested his Seyval Blanc a few days before on August 12, one of his earliest harvest dates in memory.\u00a0 After our\u00a0tasting the fine line up of wines, Betsy purchased a bottle of the Avenius Sauvignon Blanc and we departed, briefly stopping to snap some photos of the vineyard\u2019s succulent Cabernet Franc vines heavy with fruit.<\/p>\n

Descending back down the steep, winding and picturesque entrance to Linden, we drove a few miles north to Fox Meadow Vineyards.\u00a0 Again, this establishment sits on highly elevated land with sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.\u00a0 In fact, all six of the wineries that we were to visit on our tour possessed scenes worthy of an artist\u2019s attention.\u00a0 Sipping quality wines in such pastoral settings has been known to reduce blood pressure readings by as much as 25-points.\u00a0 A winery a day keeps the doctor away.<\/p>\n

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Preparing for Harvest<\/p><\/div>\n

Fox Meadows owners, Bob and Cheryl Mortland were behind the tasting bar when we arrived, pouring their lineup of exceptionally clean and tasty wines.\u00a0 Jean and I were particularly struck by the whites and purchased a bottle of the Le Renard Gris, a creative blend of Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.\u00a0 Bob and I chatted about our attending a tasting for a group of ten British wine writers to be held the following day at the Ashby Inn in Paris, VA.\u00a0 Even the Brits are getting the message about the rising quality of our state\u2019s wines.<\/p>\n

Chester Gap Cellars was our next destination.\u00a0 If it\u2019s possible for the scenery to improve, the property that Bernd and Kristi Jung\u2019s establishment resides on proves the point.\u00a0 Nestled at the top of Chester Gap at 1,700 feet elevation, views from the winery deck gaze down on scenic Rappahannock County, home to the internationally known Inn at Little Washington and another six wineries. Our schedule precluded the temptation to visit some of those wineries so we took a virtual tour by soaking up the views.<\/p>\n

At the tasting bar, the Jungs performed a tag team minuet as they poured and described their wines. \u00a0I\u2019ve always enjoyed the style of wine produced by Bernd and again on this visit found the aromatic, full bodied offerings equal to the best in the state.\u00a0 As we prepared to depart, a bottle of his Viognier goes into the wine box in the back of our 4Runner.\u00a0 Will there be a fight at the end of our tour as to who gets whose wine?\u00a0 Fred eyes me suspiciously as I place my bottle next to his Norton.\u00a0 Memo to file:\u00a0 Don\u2019t mess with Fred\u2019s wines.<\/p>\n

As we headed for our final tasting of the day, Glen Manor Vineyards, Betsy again pulls out her traveling hors d\u2019oeuvre tray and serves cheese and crackers to the pilot, co-pilot and her sweetie.\u00a0 During wine tours you get to keep your trays in the permanent down position since all the landings are soft\u2026and yummy.<\/p>\n

Jeff \u00a0White, proprietor and winemaker at Glen Manor Vineyards, located south of Front Royal, belongs to a long line of Virginia farmers whose origins date back to 1787 when the property encompassed 14,000 acres.\u00a0 Today, the estate consists of 212 acres, about 15 of which are under vine.\u00a0 Unlike all of the wineries we had previously visited, Glen Manor is tucked at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and provides sweeping views upward of open pasture land, vineyards, and the faint trace of Skyline Drive at the top of the mountains. Beauty in reverse.<\/p>\n

White, like Jim Law who he formerly worked for, considers himself a winegrower foremost, letting the quality of his fruit dictate his final wines.\u00a0 His philosophy is apparent in the glass as we drifted through two Sauvignon Blancs and three deeply flavored reds. Building memory lane is fun.<\/p>\n

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Philip Carter Winery Vineyards<\/p><\/div>\n

With our afternoon fading into evening, we drove south via Route 340 to the town of Luray.\u00a0 I had reserved two suites at the historic Mimslyn Inn, built in 1931, and the recipient of a multi-million dollar restoration a few years back.\u00a0 The suites are beautifully appointed and after checking in and enjoying an hour\u2019s respite to reflect on the day\u2019s adventures, our foursome met for dinner in the comfy Speakeasy restaurant.\u00a0 My dinner of baby back ribs and fries were a perfect match for an accompanying glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.<\/p>\n

After dinner we sat out on the third floor patio, star gazing and chatting until our eyelids began to droop.\u00a0 Time for dreamland.<\/p>\n

Monday morning gifted us with typical Virginia August weather\u2026hot and sunny.\u00a0 We breakfasted in the elegant and cool Circa \u201931 dining room.\u00a0 Sliding away from the table an hour later we all realized there would be no need to eat till dinnertime.<\/p>\n

As I pointed our winemobile east and drove up and over the lush Shenandoah National Park we fought the temptation to stop at few more wineries in route home. \u00a0Between the samplings of fermented grapes enjoyed the day before and the belt expanding breakfast we just consumed, we made a group decision the weekend had been properly seized.\u00a0 Carpe Vino.<\/p>\n

Planning your own wine getaway is as easy as consulting two web sites: \u00a0First go to http:\/\/www.virginiawine.org\/<\/a> and find a listing and descriptions of all the wineries in VA.\u00a0 Then Google http:\/\/www.innvirginia.com\/<\/a> and choose a bed & breakfast to match your proposed itinerary.<\/p>\n

Your own Virginia staycation awaits you. \u00a0Release the travel agent inside you and start planning your trip today.<\/p>\n

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Mimslyn Inn, Luray, VA<\/p><\/div>\n

Published in the November 25, 2010 edition of the Culpeper Times.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wineries, B&Bs and Fine Hotels Offer Nearby Fulfilled Getaways With over 170 wineries, more than 200 bed and breakfasts and numerous charming hotels, the opportunity for planning an overnight or extended vacation in the Old Dominion, without forcing the house into foreclosure, is almost limitless. Beyond a doubt, a trip to Napa Valley or France […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[10,175,208,209,81,89,206,207,242],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n