I’m back with Part 2 of our mini weekend to Loudoun, VA. If you missed it, check out Part 1! If you’re already up to date, let’s go ahead and jump right on in!
Zach and I are always looking for great places the locals love to grab a bite to eat. Before the wine tasting began we stopped at an adorable French Cafe for breakfast, Petite LouLou. This place was divine. Zach and I ordered cappuccinos to sip on and I ordered the quiche while Zach ordered a savory crepe. The food was delicious and oh so filling! It was the best way to spend a morning before wine tasting.
Now that I follow so many amazing wine bloggers, my list keeps growing of wineries to visit, and on top of that list was Walsh Family Wine.
We started at Walsh Family Wine right when they opened at 11am. When I walked in, I was BLOWN away. The decor is an Instagram girls dream. I was immediately planing my home renovation… We were presented with their wine list and wine flight option. While you decide what you’d like to do, they pour you a sample of North Gate Chardonnay. Who doesn’t love a greeter wine?! This winery was previously known as North Gate Winery so they still pour a bit of what they have left. Their tasting included 5 wines for $20 as well as lite nibbles to accompany the tasting. We LOVED our tasting and our tasting attendant, Peter. He was a wealth of knowledge and a great person to chat with. Like I mentioned before, Walsh was previous North Gate. It was purchased in 2018 and reopened in 2019 as Walsh Family Wine. They have about 25-30 acres under vine and produce about 3,700 cases. Some of our favorites included their 18 Petit Manseng, 17 Estate Petit Verdot, 16 En Passant and their 17 Staggerwing Tannat. We cannot wait to go back and enjoy this tasting room and wine again!
Our second stop of the day was at 868 Estate Vineyards. I had heard positive reviews on their Cabernet Franc and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. 868 offers a variety of tastings but we just went with the standard wine tasting. The standard tasting includes 6 wines for $12. We were big fans of all their reds. We enjoyed their 17 Cab Franc, 17 Meritage and 17 Merlot. All of their wines are aged in French Oak. Their tasting room had plenty of indoor seating and they have a restaurant next door, Grandale if you are hungry.
Another winery that we have kept hearing about was Maggie Malick Wine Caves so naturally that was our next stop. Maggie Malick is the owner and wine maker of this establishment. They have 30 acres under vine and produce about 3,200 cases. The winery is in a man made cave. For my dog lovers, they are very dog friendly! Their tasting is $10 for 8 wines or $12 for 10. We had a wonderful experience and loved the wines. Patty was our tasting attendant and she was very experienced and well traveled so the conversation was captivating. My favorites included their 16 Cabernet Franc, 16 Tannat, 16 Captain’s Cuvee, and their 17 Tannat-Viognier. They had amazing reds. The Captain’s Cuvee was a GSM blend that you don’t see often in Virginia. I also enjoyed the Tannat-Viognier blend, the Viognier really dulled town the tannins in the Tannat. We grabbed a glass and some snacks and hung out in their extension in the back! There is plenty of seating! The grounds are also quite picturesque so come in the spring for some great pictures.
Our final stop and last minute decision of the day was Hillsborough. We had only planned to stop at three but we decided to grab a flight to share at Hillsborough. I am so glad we stopped here because they had an AMAZING view… and wine! It was too chilly to sit outside but we snapped a couple photos. Hillsborough does not do traditional tastings but they do have mini flight options available. We went with the flight of their Cabernet Sauvignon, Bloodstone, and Petit Verdot. We enjoyed all their wines and had a nice time sitting by their fireplace. If you enjoy beer, this is a winery that is also a brewery. Best of both worlds, am I right? We did not try any of their beer but maybe next time!
I am already dreaming about our next trip to Loudoun. Hopefully soon because there are still a bunch of great wineries on my list! Hope you had fun following along, if you have any winery recommendations for that area, hit me up! Always need another excuse to drive up 😉
Cheers, Paige
Sips and Trips with Paige 