Barboursville Vineyards
August, 2020
The last time we were at this vineyard, my friend Charith was visiting from Sri-Lanka and we wanted to take him to a historical winery after visiting Monticello. Aiden was a year old and not yet potty trained. David and I have funny memories of trying to change his diaper in a tiny bathroom, while knocking the fake flower decorations into the toilet, as Aiden preceded to pee all over us. The bathrooms have been renovated since then, it was one of the first things I checked.
The coolest part of this winery is the history associated with it. There is a ruin on the estate which was designed by Thomas Jefferson for the Governor of Barboursville. At that time, the Governor was Jefferson's direct neighbor. The huge brick 3 story mansion with a large number of fire places burned down on Christmas day about 200 years ago and was never rebuilt. The kitchen was in the basement, generally an anomaly, since at that time, kitchens were not connected to the main house. You can make out Thomas Jefferson's octagonal architecture signature. The ruins are roped off, but I highly recommend a visit. There were a couple of picnic tables nearby as well.
Tucked behind the ruins, there is a B & B and some cabins. We have not stayed there, but the nightly room price includes breakfast, a bottle of Barboursville wine, and a wine tasting. The Italian restaurant , Palladio, is also on the property and looked very tempting. I made quick mental notes to try out the cabins and restaurant for a weekend anniversary or birthday celebration one of these years.
There are a number of places to taste the wine at the vineyard. The tasting room, the library, the patio at the library, as well as some outside picnic areas near the parking lot. The enclosed and air-conditioned library is a spot where you can opt to sample wine and also try some food options comfortably when its very hot outside. Dogs are allowed on leash inside the tasting room, on the property, and on the patio of the library. Dogs are not allowed inside the Library. Well behaved children are probably also welcome.
We enjoyed the wine on the patio area of the library, overlooking the ruins and the vineyards, opting to purchase a few bottles of the Octagon. As is true for most VA wines, the price tags are $$$$. They serve food, charcuterie as well as some more extensive freshly cooked food options. This is very rare as most VA wineries do not have a restaurant. Between my mom, David, Aiden, and I, we finished off a large charcuterie platter, cheese board, and fresh salad. The charcuterie was impressive, it included duck and some other types of salami as well as a yummy cherry mustard spread ,which I tried to buy , but no one was willing to sell it. Secret recipe that I need to crack I suppose.
The service was superb. When we first arrived, a little early before the tasting room opened, the manager came out and provided us with a historical overview of the property and was incredibly friendly. The tasting room hostesses, not sure what the official title is, were also incredibly inviting, helpful, and friendly. The hostess provided my 12 year old with some snacks and also offered water and water bowls for Axel, even before I inquired.
So in a nutshell, this would be a great winery to take out of town guests, perhaps after a visit to Monticello or Montpelier. They have a great selection of food options and an extensive tasting menu. The historical ruins associated to Thomas Jefferson is also a real treat.
The Barboursville winery is about 2 hours from Northern Virginia and about 45 minutes from Monticello.
