DuCard Vineyards

I have been to Ducard Vineyard several times. The tasting room is beautiful. The wine is some of the best in Virginia. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They frequently have events such as local bands playing on the patio in summer months or opportunities to learn more about wine such as food and wine pairings and verticals tastings.

Planned a mid week trip to the Shenandoah MT. and just happened to stumble across DuCard on our first night, we had such an amazing time we ended up going back each night! The hospitality, friendliness, amazing setting and wonderful wines were unbelievable. I have traveled all over the world and this was probably the most hospitable vineyard I have ever been too and we were overly impressed with the wines and kindness of the owners and staff. We took home 3 bottles of wine and have already finished them so we will defiantly be planning a trip back soon and defiantly plan to visit for our anniversary! This is defiantly a must stop winery for the Shenandoah area! Must have the meat and cheese platter and sit outside to enjoy the priceless view with your wine!

I returned to Ducard this weekend and had so much fun. The owners are around to chat with you. Julian, the winemaker is adorable, knowledgeable and so sweet. The whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the wine is wonderful! Put this place on your To Do list and do it soon. You won’t be sorry!!! Say hi to Scott, Tom 1 and Tom 2 and Julian!!!

The drive out to this vineyard is scenic. The vineyard itself is nestled in a valley between hills near the Shenandoah. The scenery alone is worthwhile and instantly relaxing. The staff is truly expert at their craft and honest about their product. It was informative and interesting to discuss the grape varieties, Virginia and wines, and the process of production. The wine tasting was a nice experience. My favorites at this vineyard were the Merlot and the Port. I am not, in general, a white wine drinker but the Chardonnay was tasty. Definitely should be on your list when visiting the Shenandoah area.

Great experience. The location is as picturesque as it comes. The facility itself was very nice, warm, welcoming and appropriately rustic. I went with a group of girlfriends on a winery tour, and we enjoyed the attention that they gave to us. Very accommodating staff. The wine was good, better than some of the other local wines. Very drinkable. A little pricey. They had the David Bradley bluegrass duo performing in their indoor-​outdoor space. Great music and added nicely to the ambience. Highly recommend the location and visit.

Beautiful setting next to a running stream in a valley of beautiful mountains. Come for the view and stay for the wines.
They specialize in red wines and we enjoyed the wine named after the stream out front.
Bread, meat, cheese, and spreads are available for purchase at reasonable prices.

Visited a bunch of wineries in the Shenandoah area, and DuCard was probably my favorite. We showed up just 30 minutes before closing to do a tasting, and they were so kind! Tom was awesome in explaining all of the wines, and let us try eight (instead of the usual six).
Their reds were amazing – I left with two bottles of the Popham Run Bordeaux blend, one of which we finished that very evening. Quick tip: if you buy two bottles, you get a free tasting! If you’re hiking Old Rag or White Oak Canyon, highly recommend that you stop over.

Friendly people, nice location, decent wine. As with many other wineries in the region, the facilities and folks are the reason to visit this winery. The wine is generally nothing to write home about, but they do make a good (albeit overpriced) Cabernet Franc. The winery regularly has concerts and other events on their patio, and unless you want to drive south of Madison, you won’t find significantly better wines in the area.

Visited with a friend fairly early on a quiet Sunday. DuCard is a beautiful winery and had a number of wines that I really enjoyed. The tasting associate was extremely friendly and helpful. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner as well, who chatted with us for quite a while and was also a great help in talking about the history of the place and the wines. The tasting room is really beautiful, with a glorious view. Neither my friend nor I left empty-​handed and we will definitely make the trek from Richmond again. Highly recommend this place for a visit!

I find it hard not to say enough good things about this place. The service, the venue, the wine… the entire experience was great.
The wine — they DELIVER on their reds. Not just one or two, but a whole gaggle of them. Standouts were the Bordeaux style Popham Run (nice cherry palate), the Norton (not nearly as heavy as other Nortons I’ve had), and the Petit Verdot. I think my favorite was the Popham… or maybe the Petit? I had a hard time deciding, so I got both. Sadly I just missed out on the Franc :(
If you like port styles, you’re in luck. The c’est trop had one of the best noses I’ve had on any VA port-​style; I had to sip slowly so I could enjoying the bouquet. And oddly for me, I enjoyed all the whites as well.
The service — On my first visit tasting manager Marty Mitchell was on hand to talk me thru their history. On my second visit, the owner was there and came up to shake my hand and introduce himself. Need I say more?
The venue — set on the foothills of the Shenandoah mountains, the scenery is as pretty as you would expect. Good place to visit after a long day of hiking (the trailhead for White Oak Canyon is just down the road). The building was also tastefully decorated, and had recently opened a new addition with a garage-​style door that opens up, so you can soak in the view.
The grapes — most but not all of their grapes are estate grown, and what they don’t grow they get locally. Vines are on a nice slope in a mountain valley. I suspect the area has its own microclimate, which makes the entire area conducive to viticulture. I can see why the owner picked this location — good choice, sir.
If all this wasn’t enough, seldom have I seen a winery so engaged with the local community. DuCard is decorated with paintings from local artists (which you can purchase), and a portion of the proceeds of certain wines are donated to the restoration of James Madison’s estate of Montpelier. Viticulture students ‘study’ in the vineyard. They have a generous military discount. And if that’s not enough, they are also one of the two most eco-​friendly wineries in all Virginia, including the use of biodegradable tableware.
I’ll be back — probably several times, starting with their Civil War reenactment. Or maybe I’ll try the Reserve tasting. Just look for the guy in the corner blissed out sniffing his port.

This venue is BEAUTIFUL. I wish I had enjoyed the wines, however none were to my liking. There was a band playing, the music was enjoyable and not too loud.

I wasn’t expecting a ton from a vineyard just a few minutes away from Graves Mountain, but this was a great surprise in terms of the wine, the venue, and the people.
They have a very nice outdoor patio area including an open field a the topi with a little brook flowing by, so you can just listen to it gurgle. They let us bring our own picnic in the shade and set up a blanket where we could drink our wine, eat our food, and let our 10-​month-​old roll around. Just a very nice ambiance.
They had decent whites, and better reds, but just not enough variety to be a truly great winery, but that’s pretty much to be expected outside of the major vineyard areas in California, Washington and Oregon. Still the wine was plenty decent to have it be a nice outing.
The prices were reasonable and they waive tasting fees if you buy two bottles, which always makes me happy. I’ll definitely be back.

Lovely wine and a gracious tasting room staff — excellent Wine Club as well. Look forward to spending time on the new patio addition but mostly to drinking a glass of The winemakers“s Cabernet Franc!

I have been to numerous wineries throughout Virginia. This one sets itself aside as very special. First I would have to say their location is excellent. If you don’t like twisting winding roads then skip this one. The winery itself is nestled in the foothills of the Shenandoah. It has a wonderful babbling brook that you cross over as you walk to the tasting room. I also caught site of numerous solar panels which was a first for any winery I had been too. Their wines are nice. The tasting room was very cozy and comfortable. It’s not a huge tasting bar so you may have to wait as we did. About 20 min. We sat outside on their lovely porch and listened to a local band. All in all a great place to spend the day enjoying the weather.

We tried DuCard about a year and a half ago and it didn’t really impress us, but we didn’t dislike it. So, we decided to go back yesterday, this time with friends of ours who have done vineyard visits in many states. Needless to say, we were all very impressed!
They do have a great assortment of reds, which are nicely done. Their tasting room is built with lots of reclaimed wood, which makes it special and ads a very nice touch. The beautiful lady in the tasting room hosting and providing tastings was great to chat with and understood wines, which helps when talking wines, rather than talking to someone just going off of a «cheat sheet» of what to say with each pour.
My only recommendation would be to offer more wines with the tasting. Of all their wines, they weren’t tasting any of the expensive ($ 50) bottles. We would have loved to try some with the plans to buy some. We did enjoy what we tried though.
We also liked their policy of giving a free tasting for every two bottles. This is a great policy since we go to wineries with the intention of buying a bottle and enjoying their venue, whereas some just go with the idea of doing a tasting. So, charge those who have no desire to buy bottles and give free tastings to those who do buy — luv that plan!
Their grounds are beautiful… the pretty mountain stream running through the property is beautiful too.
Looking forward to going back!

My wife and I came to DuCard on Friday for a family friend’s wedding rehearsal. What a great place. The staff was excellent and they explained each wine in detail. They offered 2 reds and 2 whites during dinner. Which were all excellent and paired well with the items on the buffet. The vineyard is out of the way but definitely worth the drive. My wife and I are planning on returning soon.

The winery was nice and the wines were relatively good. Nice interior setting with a fireplace and couch. Only issue was that the wines were overpriced as was the refrigerated food, if you wanted something to nosh on while you had wine. The Petit Verdot was $ 35 for a bottle. Tapenade $ 15. Meat $ 10.

Back up to five stars — visited yesterday for their «Beat the Heat» festival — picture perfect day for wineries and not much heat to beat, which was refreshing. No cover charge for this festival, the Brazilian singer was great, wine was as good as I remember, tasting room pourings not rushed and very entertaining (loved the DuCard collapsible fan/​Frisbee thing). What’s not to love about this place?
I had conversations with others about how perfectly balanced the crowds are at the wineries further away from the main highways. Drive with a good map or GPS leading you to these further-​away spots and you are well rewarded.
Favorite wine is still Popham red, with the Cab Franc coming in at close second. Rosé is terrific — bone dry and perfect summer wine.
Good for kids due to the checkers game and a few items in the tasting room — plus LOTS of room for kids to run around and not bump into partakers outside.

Whenever my wife and I come back to Virginia to visit, DuCard is one of the first places we go. Great wine and amazing views in one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Very much a hidden gem.

Picnic inside & out. Food available.
Beautiful grounds.
Fire place.
Stopped by DuCard this past long weekend. It might feel out of the way, but well worth the drive.
We arrived just as they opened and were invited to do a horizontal tasting with the tasting (for one wine). We got to talk to the owner and his first-​hand about our thoughts on the wine and differences between the two seasons/​years. Very friendly atmosphere.
They feature local artists and crafts– paintings and hand-​made/​glass-​blown wine aerator (my boyfriend blows glass and was impressed enough to purchase one).
Every weekend (either Sunday or Saturday) is live music or events. It is a destination to stay for a few hours and enjoy yourself. Located in a valley the views are peaceful and beautiful. The fireplace is cozy.
I bought two bottles, which waived my tasting fee. I purchased their port-​style and The Gibson Hollow White. Their reds are also quite delicious.
We will definitely be back for one of their weekend events in the near future.