Sips and Trips with Paige

Happy Wine Wednesday! This past weekend Zach and I had a fab wine day in Charlottesville. It was finally a sunny, warm day! We got to take the top off on the Jeep and drive around. There were a few new places that we haven’t been to so we decided to head out to VA wine country!

Stinson Vineyards – Our first stop of the day was Stinson. They are west of Charlottesville so we headed out to the farthest spot then worked our way back towards Richmond. We have visited Stinson before and LOVED how they use concrete so we wanted to revisit! Stinson is a small family owned winery. They have a cute, modern tasting room that is similar to a garage. There is a lot of glass that offers beautiful views from inside as well as outside. Their barrels, tanks and concrete eggs are right in the next room where they have overflow tasting bars set up with some indoor seating. Outside, they have a beautiful patio with comfy seats as well as picnic tables. Their tasting is $10 and includes seven wines. We had a lovely tasting that was informative and fun! Our absolute favorite was their Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged in both stainless steel and concrete. The concrete gives the wine a nice mineral finish. Some of our other favorites were their Rose of Tannat and their Cabernet Franc. We enjoyed a glass of their Sauv Blanc and sat outside since it was a beautiful sunny day!

Septenary Winery – Our next stop was Septenary Winery at Seven Oaks Farm. This is a newer winery so this was our first visit and we were IMPRESSED. The cool thing about Septenary is they offer seated tastings inside or outside. If you would like, you can grab a table and they will come to you for your tasting. They also have a bar that you can stand and do a traditional tasting. The winery is on a beautiful estate, Seven Oaks Farm. The estate has rich history and is called seven oaks because they planted oak trees all around the estate when they first founded. They named each oak tree after a Virginia born president and when hurricane Hazel came, it ripped out all of the oak trees except one, the one named for Thomas Jefferson. This is so fitting since Thomas Jefferson was known for encouraging the start of the Virginia Wine Company. The actual winery is in the old pool house; the pool is chained off but offers a nice touch to their outside seating overlooking the blue ridge mountains. Septenary has two locations where they grow grapes, their Estate and Essex. They acquired the Essex land that already had 26 acres of vines planted. They grow 10 grape varietals between the two locations. Tastings at Septenary cost $14 and include six wines and your glass. They had AMAZING reds, there really wasn’t one I didn’t like. Our favorites included the Carriage House, a blend of Merlot and Cab Franc, and the Deacon, a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Cab Franc. Another fun thing they do is give you a taste of Sparkling Chardonnay to start. They do not make the Sparkling Chardonnay but who doesn’t love a little bubbly?

Mount Ida Reserve – Our last stop of the day was at Mount Ida. Mount Ida is located a short trip from Blenheim and Trump. This would be a great place to visit if you were planning a trip to those wineries. Mount Ida is not only a winery but a brewery. We did not partake in any beer but this might be a great place if you have beer lovers as well as wine lovers. Mount Ida has a beautiful, vast tasting room. When you enter, there is a host. If you would like to sit and order food/bottles/glasses you can sit in a certain section with table service. You can also go to the bar and stand to do a traditional tasting. We decided to do a traditional tasting at the bar. Tastings are $10 for six wines or $12 for seven. Post tasting, you can order a glass or bottle from the tasting attendant and sit outside. They have A LOT of outdoor seating along with beautiful fire places and fountains. This place has more of a restaurant feel but we did enjoy the view. For this side of Charlottesville, the view can’t be beat. We decided to grab a bottle of their Stargazer Rose and sit to enjoy the view and sunshine.

There you have it! Another amazing wine day with my love. I am glad I knocked two more wineries off my list… that puts me at 76 Virginia Wineries ~ just 200+ to go :p Follow my wine adventures in real time on Instagram @sipsandtripswithpaige. If you like what you’re reading, subscribe!

Cheers, Paige