Afton Mountain Vineyards

What a beautiful view. The wine tasting was great. Large pours for tasting and the server was so nice a knowledgeable. Some food and bread were available b

The views are amazing! The service was great too! You are definitely paying for the views with the wine. We did a tasting– it was $ 10 to taste 5 wines but we got to keep the glass. Then Shared a bottle and sat at a picnic table Outside overlooking the vines and surrounded by mountains! The wine was good, but i didn’t find it any better than other cheaper Wines that I have tasted.

A girlfriend and I stopped here after a less-​than-​impressive trip to Veritas, and I’m so glad we did! Their wines were just fine, and we split a bottle of their sparkling out on their gorgeous patio. Sarah (our tasting assistant) was knowledgeable and friendly. The bubbly was delicious, and so was the view! We also liked the sign out front indicating that buses/​limousines must have a reservation; that probably keeps a lot of the bachelorette party riff-​raff to a minimum at this place (which we appreciated).

While the views are beautiful, the attitudes of staff members and the non-​existent service we received here make this one stop I’ll never return to. We were a party of two and as we walked in, we did not receive any «welcome to afton mountain», we were met with «do you have a reservation?» I was unaware a party of 2 ever needs a reservation at a vineyard. After we told the «hostess» we did not, she pointed to the tasting room and said «maybe you can find an open spot». We looked and there were plenty of spots open, so I’m not sure what she was talking about. We joined a table that had another couple at it whom had already started the tasting. The male pourer interacted completely differently with them than us. He made small talk, described the wines, laughed, and was generally friendly and engaging. With us, he was gruff and did nothing more than announce what he was pouring. A little description would have been nice since this was a «higher priced» tasting at $ 10 each, but that was clearly asking too much of him. Regardless of how we were treated, if the wine was to my liking I may have attempted a return future visit, but, alas, I thought these wines were the weakest quality of the vineyards we visited. I understand why people visit here and it’s popular-​the beautiful views-​however, when you clearly treat patrons differently based on whatever preconceptions you have, patrons don’t want to return. I will surely not be returning based on this wine server’s rudeness. Pretentious is the one word I would use to describe Afton Mountain, and who likes pretentiousness?

Meh. Pretty views but a lackluster tasting sum up Afton Mountain to me. The drive to the vineyard is stunning and you’re immediately welcomed by great scenery and a fun outdoor pavilion. When we walked in we were greeted by a hostess who directed us where to go, that was new. Our server rushed through the tasting without any notes on the wine and just told us the name of each. The pours were some of the smallest I’ve ever had. Sadly, we couldn’t really taste any of the wines with such small pours and decided to not get a bottle or glass. You only get to try five out of the many wines, so be prepared to stare longingly at the menu wishing you could try one of your favorites bound to be listed on the bottle only section.

My husband and I visited this tucked away vineyard just this weekend, and we felt like we were on a mini vacation! It is secluded, with absolutely breathtaking views of the mountains, and the wine is great! There is even a sweeter white option for those of us that don’t love dry wine (my husband is one of these people.) The tasting was great, the staff was friendly and knowledgable, and we took a bottle of the Gewürztraminer to the beautiful outdoor seating area to enjoy.
We relaxed on an Adirondack chair overlooking the vineyard and the mountains. We could have stayed there all day. I highly recommend this place if you need some peace and wine!

This was the worst customer service I’ve ever had. We had a gathering of 13 friends. Just out for the day. We walked in the door and a very rude women met us and asked how many? I said there are 13 of us. She walked right past me and said we need to talk about this and walk out the door. She proceeded to tell us a party over 7 we needed reservations. We had 2 people that did not want the tasting. We then told her we came in seperate vehicles and can split the party up into 3. She told us flat out No! We can not do that. She was rude and very unprofessional. Do not recommend this place to anyone.

The word that immediately comes to mind is pretentious. For the uninitiated, anything over 6 people in a group requires a reservation, which is a good practice.
Upon arrival, we walked up and were immediately greeted outside. We were told of the group size policy immediately and not even given a chance to ask about anything we might want. We simply asked if we could get a bottle of wine and after some very serious consideration were told «Uhh, I guess. If you guys will just sit out side over this way» as he directed us to the well decorated and comfy patio.
After sitting in the patio, a friend of mine and I walked inside to get the bottles for our party. We were greeted by the same fellow who immediately walked away without one word. Needless to say, we left.
Frankly, the wine is decent and the views are excellent. The service and atmosphere are less than desirable and the Virginia wine scene can do without the air of superiority that lingers over the high noses of Afton Mountain Vineyard.

You want to be treated like shit? Well this vineyard is for you!
We entered an empty patio and empty porch by a man who claimed we needed a reservation for our party. After seeing my off-​brand collared shirt, he begrudgingly agreed to «allow» us to purchase a $ 28 dollar bottle of wine. I grew up 20 minutes down the road, and to be honest, no VA bottle of wine is worth $ 28. Especially your cheapest bottle. I declined to handover any of my funds to this vineyard. It simply doesn’t deserve the respect of any service.
At the end of the day, I wasn’t allowed to take part in what this man considered to be a top notch vineyard because of his prejudice and disrespect. I’m saddened that this type of person lives in the beautiful heart of Virginia — his heart and personality darkens the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge.
Do yourself a favor and head to Veritas or Flying Fox and you’ll have a far more enjoyable time.

Is this Heaven? Because it sure looks like it. I mean, my goodness! Imagine the most gorgeous mountain views EV-​EV-​EV-​Ah then quadruple them. Afton Mountain Vineyards is JUST GORGEOUS.
We enjoyed the wine tasting very much, both because of the knowledgeable, yet accessible, friendly staff and also because wines that are not normally in our wheelhouse, like Gewürztraminer, were a delightful surprise and very enjoyable. Our favorites, Cab Franc and the Petit Verdot were also wonderful. We took a bottle of the Cab Franc to the comfortable, beautiful patio after the tasting and enjoyed it with the spectacular scenery.
Can’t wait to go back.

Underwhelming and overpriced. Cabernet Franc is the best on the tasting menu, but it doesn’t live up to the $ 35 price tag. Nice views. Cute tee shirts. Wines are only for sale out of their tasting room, which should be telling. Cellar pourers are exactly that and not much more. Had to pull info and history about the vineyard out of them.

It’s was very pretty winery but the women running the tasting was the rudest person I have come across tasting down 151. As a local that does tastings with large groups in the 151 area often, I can say we were treated almost like hobos in the tasting room. I believe things could been handled in a much better way with are group. So I can say if you have a group larger then 6 find another place or hope that women is not in the tasting room.

The building is a little awkward and doesn’t really ring ‘vineyard’ but the wine was fantastic and we got to meet the owner who was very nice.

While in the Rt151 area we stopped in for a tasting… First impressions were very impressive and further impressions kept us happy.
The tasting room is beautifully decorated, grounds are very nicely manicured and the tasting room staff is knowledgeable and friendly.
Wines tasted nice as well.
The views of the mountains around the area are amazing from here too!
So, when in the area, you should give Afton Mountain Vineyards a visit!

My favorite visit during a 4-​winery Charlottesville visit. Maybe I should have saved it for last, because it was definitely the best.
All the reds had amazing color and nose; it was hard not to admire my glass before drinking them down. The 2013 Cab Sav and 2013 Festa di Bacco ‘Super Tuscan’ were the highlights. I was shocked to find a Super Tuscan here in VA; not nearly enough places grow Sangiovese, and I’m a big fan of Italian style wines. Bought a bottle of the Sav; for the price it was a steal.
The Gewürztraminer white was a nice surprise. Sweet nose but very floral taste. The grounds were also very nice; had I thought about it I would have set up a picnic overlooking the pond next door. All their grapes are estate grown, which I always find a plus. All in all, a great experience.

Nice place, great views but the wine has gone downhill lately it seems. I have been here before and it was really a place I was looking forward to coming back and visiting, when I did though, the wines did not impress me much. They all seemed sweeter than I remembered. Perhaps I just went at a bad time.

Wow, what a beautiful winery both inside and out! Tastings are $ 7 per person. And after your tasting you are welcome to buy a glass and enjoy it outside on their beautiful patio looking out the the Blue Ridge Mountains and Baldwin Pond. I loved the architecture and décor. They have even hung the original vines that were planted in 1978 on the wall above the tasting area. The staff is very knowledgeable not only about their wines but about the surrounding area as well. I will definitely be returning again in the spring or fall.

The Gewurtztraminer is back!
I just recently came back to Afton to try the new (ish) tasting list (still $ 7 and includes the glass). The highlights were, of course the very popular Gewurtztraminer, a very floral and light white that is very drinkable. Also on the tasting list was the Cabernet Franc (medium bodied with raspberries and plum), the Festa di Bacco (blended red that is smoother than the other reds with hints of dark cherries), the Cabernet Sauvignon (fermented in french oak, dark cherries with a fuller body), and the dessert Mountain White (2% residual sugar, sweet and fresh). Afton makes some delicious reds, and the Mountain White is a dessert wine even non-​dessert wine drinkers will enjoy.
Afton is still great, with a very knowledgeable staff and some of the better wines in the area. This is an excellent winery that both experts and novices will enjoy.

For over a decade, Afton Mountain Vineyards has been my favorite Virginia winery. No, I’m not local — but the trip is worth it. The grounds are stunningly beautiful, the wines are more mature and complex than those of many VA wineries (without the overly acidic nature of many), and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The tastings are very informative if you ask questions. My favorite (the only decent Virginia Gewurztaminer I’ve ever tasted), as well as several of the other more popular wines here sell out routinely — so just know that if you’re doing a first-​time tasting here, you may not be able to taste the best of their best, because those are probably gone already! Still, the wines here are among the best that the East Coast has to offer.
I notice that there are several reviews criticizing the winery solely on its inability to take parties of more than 6 for tastings… and I would like to note that their website makes that plain stating: «We require that all parties of 7 or more please call and place pre-​paid reservations. In order to make sure that we offer groups the optimum experience here at Afton Mountain Vineyards, and to have adequate staff and space availability, groups of more than 6 are required to make advance, prepaid reservations, confirmed by email. Our times for group tastings are 11:00, 12:00 and 1:00; we do not host any group tastings after 2:00 at any time. Reservations for reserved picnic space in the pavilion are available until 2:00pm. The fee is $ 10 per person, applicable either to a group tasting or wine purchases for picnics. Please bring your own picnic as fees apply to wine purchases and do not include food.» If that’s their policy, I see no reason for people to whine (ha!) about it.

For some reason I don’t remember too much about the wines here; I think I was too distracted with the views… and the fact that we were drinking heavily by the time we arrived. The taster was pleasant enough. But back to the views… gorgeous. It’s really one of the nicest wineries we’ve been to. That’s about all I got for this place.