Although Northern Virginia’s wineries may not produce the country’s best wine, this Two Buck Chuck drinking blogger can’t tell. These wineries do rival their California counterparts for beautiful scenery. And hopping between tastings makes for excellent afternoon entertainment for out-of-town guests who have seen all the typical DC sites.
I’ve been to Sonoma. I’ve swirled and sniffed my wine like I was in Sideways. It was a fun trip, tipsily hopping from winery to winery. However, having experienced the famous California wine district, I turned my nose up at Virginia’s version. This brew-loving blogger just stuck with what I know best: beer.
Then, my parents visited last weekend. Always before their visits to DC, I wrack my brain to come up with novel activities. They’ve seen all the monuments and museums. We’ve been to Annapolis and Old Town Alexandria. I was planning a daytrip to the National Arboretum, but I was thrilled when they suggested winery hopping.
Planning the trip
We visited three wineries off Rt. 66 in Haymarket and The Plains. Even on the Saturday, traffic was congested getting out of the city. So, expect about an hour drive. All were crowded, but in a festive, bustling way that’s great for hiding the fact that I don’t know anything about wine.
A tasting runs about $6 and includes samples of about 10 wines. The bottles of wine start at about $15. You are free to bring a picnic. We bought sandwiches and snacks from The Italian Store in Arlington and ate it on the porch at the third winery. I recommend all the places we visited.
The Wineries
Pearmund Cellars: Our first stop was up a winding road through the grape vines. The place looked like it had been pulled out of a calendar. Behind the building, looking into the vinyard, was patio furniture. It would be perfect for relaxing with a bottle of wine.
The tasting included their full run of wines – whites, reds and even a port. Out of the two tastings we did, we agreed that this was the better. By the time I finished, I was feeling woozy.
La Grange: The staff Pearmund Cellars gave us a coupon for a free tasting at Le Grange, which has the same owners. So, we headed there next. The wines here were not as good. However, the house, a renovated, brick building, was gorgeous. Their tasting included a sample of the house Sangria.
Barrel Oak: Situated on top of a hill, this winery has a nice view of Rt. 66 – and the surrounding countryside too, of course. We decided to skip the tasting, buy a bottle of wine, sit on the patio and eat our lunch. Although Oak Barrel was nice, it was not as peaceful as the others. Maybe because of its hilltop location, the place was extremely windy – the kind where you have to pin down your napkins and half-empty plates. Also, Oak Barrel allows dogs, and they overran the porch.
More Suggestions
For more unconventional ways to entertain out-of-town guests check out this previous article.
Check out our previous post for more suggestions on entertaining out-of-town guests.
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