Vintage Ridge Vineyard

I just read on their website that they no longer offer tastings to the public, as of April 1, 2014 :(

Pros: Drive and views, tasting room, tasting experience, friendly staff, good wines, outdoor seating, events
Cons: No tour, restaurant/​daily food dishes/​snacks
I drove out the Delaplane area in search for a new winery and to take a nice drive in a great area of Virginia. I noticed I was near Vintage Ridge and took a few country roads to the entrance of the winery.
The drive from the road to the winery is lined with fields of grass and the vineyard, a beautiful but short drive I almost wished lasted a bit longer. I arrived to the winery and tasting room, as I walked in, I was welcomed by several people and greeted with smiling faces. As I took a look around, I was greeted by Ryan (A Great person to experience the tasting with), who offered to do a tasting at one of the tables sitting down or at the tasting area standing, which I’ll say is great and new concept after having to stand at tasting table after tasting table… however I opted for the tasting table as I had been sitting for awhile during the drive.
As mentioned in other reviews, they continued to do the two wines at a time tasting. Something unique and not experienced at another winery. They start you out with their sweeter wine and rose’, then go through the list of some reds, pairing a Merlot with a Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.etc. Lastly you end with their Late Harvest and Summer Night, both which are good wines and I enjoyed. I decided to also have a glass of their Cabernet Franc and relax in their barrel room, which had a dimmed lighting and soft music.
The building isn’t as large as some wineries in the area but comfortable for some larger groups. Multiple tables throughout, with a setting outside in the tasting room and one behind the tasting table in a nice relaxing barrel room. They also have an outside area, sadly it was much too cold to relax outside.
One thing I did not experience and want to go back to this winery for are the events. They had an event coming up pairing food using a local catering which had some delicious sounding food. Ryan said they would be doing other events in the future. Ryan also stated they would be offering future tasting platters or trays with different items to pair with their wines.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this winery and would recommend it to those searching for a unique and relaxing experience, friendly staff, and good wines. The service was excellent, Ryan and the rest of the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The overall atmosphere was great for those wanting to relax and sip on wine or for those looking to have a gathering of friends and family.

I’ve been here twice now and have enjoyed both my visits to Vintage Ridge. My first visit was part of a bachelorette party. This is the bride to be’s favorite vineyard so of course we had to visit. We arranged for a private tasting for about 16 people. The staff was very accommodating. We got to sit in the loft at several tables and enjoyed our wine paired with food. The loft is directly behind the stainless steel wine barrels. It was definitely a cool photo opp. Outside is a large patio with many seating options — Adirondack chairs in the grass, picnic tables in the sun, or a large covered area in case the weather is unpleasant.
The wine is good here — I like the Maiden Voyage the most — and if you get a good sommelier, he or she will tell you great stories behind each wine and even how the labels were designed (ask about Summer Nights). You might even hear the ghost train.
My only cons are that there aren’t any views (but thankfully the place is still nice) and the food options are limited, but still good. Definitely worth checking out. Oh and OD on the candied spiced pecans.

This is such a beautiful vineyard — one you shouldn’t miss if coming out this way!
We went here as our first stop on a bachelorette party wine tour and had such a great time. The owner ended up coming out and educating us on all the aspects of wine too (partly because he likely overheard one loud friend voice her distaste of Virginian reds).
We found most of the whites were quite good, and I think there was one red that everyone gave a nod to.
The vineyard’s tasting room is rustic and gorgeous, with the back opening out onto a large patio with a fire pit.
I would like to go back when they have their monthly wine and food pairing.

Perhaps I missed something, but I really didn’t like it here at all. Not one single wine. And then the service was really crappy.
We were out and about and noticed this winery. Well, we always go to Barrel Oak and others in the area, so we wanted to add this one as well.
The lady that did our pouring was nice, though she kept going away and coming back. I always find that to be annoying, especially when there aren’t many other people there. Focus!
Not very enthused, we went to pay for the tastings. The man behind the counter acted like we annoyed him greatly. Hell, we just wanted to pay and go. He acted like we just ruined his day.
So the «meh» service coupled with the bad wine would make me not venture out to this place again. I don’t even care that it’s right near all of our other favorites. I’ll skip it.

Vintage Ridge Vineyard popped my vineyard cherry last Sunday.
It was a pleasant surprise as we drove up the vineyard driveway and parked out car in the grass to see a peaceful luscious green scenery.
Get out if car, enter the wooden house where they offer tastings-​$ 7 for 7 samples of wine. We were told to do the tasting the indoors, rather than on the patio, because they only offer the «wide tasting «selection indoors. So we took a seat at one of the small round tables. Standing next the the tasting table was another option.
Food: Not much of a selection, and we probably shouldn’t have come hungry. We ordered the party platter that consisted of five different cheeses, chutney, a few crackers, and a demi baguette, and some salami. Probably would have been a good light snack for 3 – 4 people. For two, it is a lot of cheese.
Too bad we could not have had the tasting outside because there was a live vocalist/​guitarist and the weather was pleasant. If I return again, I would definitely come during the first weekend of the month where they have wine pairings ($ 18pp) – although if I had to sit inside again-I’d probably go somewhere else.
Conclusion: Wineries are no fun when you just sit inside a wooden house to sample a few wines while the luscious green grass and clear air is waiting for you outside.
In comparison to the Barrel Oak Wwinery next door (that we visited subsequently)-Vintage Ridge is «classier» version if you want a more small-​scaled, quieter atmosphere. Ideal if you already know what wine you want and order some light snacks with a small group to enjoy outside.

Vintage Ridge was our first stop on an afternoon of wine tasting in the Middleburg area during my birthday weekend adventure. Of the three places we hit up, this ranked in the middle in terms of both setting and wines.
Wine: The tasting menu is seven wines for $ 7. All three of the places we went to had what seemed like quite short pours, but maybe that’s just me and/​or wishful thinking. There was a wide variety of wines here — whites, reds and even one rose. The rose, 2011 Dragon Dance Syrah Rose, actually stood out the most with its more unique orange-​ish color and a hint of apricot. I appreciated the uniqueness of the rose and was glad that it was more dry than sweet even though it was quite fruity. One of the reds, the 2008 Syrah, was also pretty drinkable. The other five, ehhh.
Setting: Vintage Ridge is in a HUGE converted barn. Had the weather not been dreary the side of the barn would have been open and there would have been tables outdoors. Although the rain kept us indoors, we had a small high top table to ourselves and two ladies came around pouring the wine. I didn’t care for the discontinuity in service since they never knew what wine we were on and would pour two at a time… but didn’t allow for a white/​red glass… and there was no real order in the way the wines were presented.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at finding a couple of drinkable wines and thought the setting was pretty cute. This isn’t the most romantic place but it made for a great start to an afternoon out in the Virginia countryside and was definitely a worthwhile stop in our wine tasting tour.

This winery is such a charmer — cute setting, friendly staff, tasty snacks, and excellent wine. My friend and I arrived here after a morning of hiking and settled in for a relaxing late afternoon of chit chat and wine tasting.
They have a very pretty patio area, but only offer the tastings inside. You can, however, lounge around on that patio with a glass (or bottle) of wine, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.
At many wineries, the food offerings are a little limp — half-​hearted, overpriced tapas or trays of blah cheese. Not here! We shared a restaurant-​quality cheese, chutney, and nut platter that was delicious. Every component of the dish was top notch and happily, the chutney can come home with you — although it may be tough to choose only one jar.
The staff here is attentive and we had more than one server pop by to check on us and bring our next round of wines to taste. While I didn’t love every wine, I did enjoy most of them. My friend and I were both stoked to find a winery with plenty of drier options and we each left with a few bottles (and our first wine club memberships!!)
Oh — and the tastings are a very reasonable $ 7. And if you’re into hiking, there are some great trails nearby.

(continued from main review)
After buying the wine, Vicki suggested to Bill he take me back and show the wine vault (or whatever they call it) where barrels of wine are being aged (it was not a cellar!). Bill opened the doors to the room and this amazing odor or wine tannins and oak rushed forth and enveloped me. I breathed deep, inhaling the odoriferous bliss that is wine aging in oak barrels.
Bill gave me a rather interesting overview of the different characteristics of various Oaks, a recount of Cooperages, and other interesting winery innuendo.
Afterward, we exited and Bill asked me if I’d like to join him in a glass of wine. How fun! So I did — we had a glass of the one wine that was removed from the tasting due to low quantities — the Maiden Voyage 2006 (still available for sale though!). It was served colder than Bill would have preferred — so we both spent a few minutes cupping our wine glasses in our hands — gently warming the wine to a more desired temperature range.
The wine was delightful! It had a light hue to it. The wine is a mix of 60% Vidal Blanc and 40% Mourvedre grapes. The flavor profile states: «Tropical, Citrus, Quince Roasted Almonds» aged in both French Oak barrels and Stainless Steel — I definitely experienced all of those nuances.
After we talked for a bit and finished our glasses, I thanked Bill and Vicki for a wonderful winery experience, promised I would be back with friends, took a few photos — and headed out!
I will be back!