Chatham Vineyards and Winery

The drive up there — amazing. Once we turned to what we thought was the vineyard (good ol’ marketing) we were surprised to find out that was a private residence and the winery was to the right. But we didn’t get discouraged and went on with our adventure.
We had a lovely wine tasting and learned about the history of the winery and its owner.
After the tasting, we had a unique in taste wine of glass and sat outside around a fire pit and enjoyed the scenery and peace that came with it.
Ideally, we’d come back for the kayak tour, because that seems to be the only way people are allowed to walk around the vineyard close to the water.
Onto the next one!

Fun, tastey and informative. We were told about the various wines, tasted them and picked up several bottles. A must see on the Shore if you enjoy wines.

We have always wanted to stop here– well, I have always wanted to stop! I am the wino of our family! The ladies were so welcoming and informative! The wine was delicious! I bought 3 bottles and I def want to sign up for their wine club! Such a beautiful pitstop on our way up the Eastern Shore! This is the perfect time of year since they harvest in September! We won’t be strangers, but thank goodness we can also purchase their wines in Norfolk and Va Beach!

Chatham Vineyatds is a wonderful winery. The tasting was fun, friendly staff and friendly customers. All the wines were good, but the steel cut Chardonnay was excellent, my favorite. When in the area, stop by… well worth your time.

I absolutely adored the Chatham Vineyards.
The location here is, as evidenced by the pictures, absolutely ideal. It’s a beautiful vineyard squirreled away in the virtual middle of nowhere. Though the photos on here indicate the beauty of this place, it is even more breathtaking in person.
The wine is also spectacular. The steel-​aged and barrel-​aged chardonnay were superb, as was the rose. All wine is excellently smooth and differentiated. Their Vinter’s Blend (a very deep, slightly spicy red) was our personal winner — it captured pretty much all of the excellent elements of the wine here without going overboard.

For such a small vineyard I was very impressed with the quality of the wine. The steel aged chardonnay and rose are great.
The ladies who presented the wines for the tasting were knowledgabe about the history of the land, the house, and the vineyard. You get a very homey feel when you are visiting which is great.
In the back is a large patio with tables and chairs to sit back and enjoy the wine in a scenic setting. If you like they also provide cheese platters and sparkling water.
I will definitely go back to get more of the wine as they are not sold locally in the stores.
From Virginia Beach it is only 1.5 hours away!

great winery — all estate-​harvested wines and delicious, to say the least. also the only winery on the east coast of VA that’s currently open. never tried Virginia wines before — and being a New Yorker, I am thoroughly impressed. John, the winemaker, has experimented ingeniously with the testy 2012 series.

Super friendly staff, and even the other customers in the tasting room were fun to talk to (all were locals and regulars). They provided great information not only on the wines there, but also local suggestions on what to do and where to go.
The steel-​produced Chardonnay was my favorite wine they had by far, but the dessert wine was also very good.

Not too shabby. Funny to visit. Good wine (excellent Port). Only bone to pick was the welcoming site /​tasting location is kinda tight and not well kept — but the people are very nice. Plus I loved the port!

Very impressive! Most every wine pleased the palate. Spacious outdoor seating overlooking soybean fields and wineyards. Very attentive staff… they shared great recommendations for area restaurants. I couldn’t resist buying some of the award-​winning Steel Chardonnay for gifts, and a bottle of Cab Sauv to enjoy there…

Very Nice place! The tasting room was very busy, but the owner and crew were very nice and efficient. The wine is really outstanding. Tried the Cab Sauv, a wonderful blended wine that was good enough to order a bottle and sit outside and enjoy the farm atmosphere. A very chill place, well worth the visit and stay a while!

Finally made the drive over the big water and visited the actually winery in Machipongo. Pleasant drive, great scenery and nice vineyard. The tasting room & production facility are off of the main highway on a graded dirt road. Counter space holds about 10 – 12 people and the tasting is complimentary. Staff are friendly and on the date of my visit, one of the owners was there providing great information about the wines and the winery. Chatham produces a nice range and all are grown on the estate. There is some seating outdoors if you care to take a glass outside or have a picnic. Kayak tours are also available and I am looking forward to trying that in cooler weather.
Two thumbs up for: quality wine, friendly service, reasonable prices, free tasting and nice location.

Third and final stop (and last winery) on the Eastern Shore. Chatham and Jon Wehner, the owner and winemaker, are fixtures at festivals all over the state. We weren’t disappointed by the winery or the wines after trying them at festivals. The tasting opened with a 2009 chardonnay, which was great, only to be trumped by his 2010 vintage chard, which knocked us out completely. Hands down one of the best chardonnays we’ve had in Virginia, and the country as a whole. We’re tempted to visit his website and order several cases — 2010 was a good year for chardonnay, and other Virginia favorites, due to the growing season weather. That will certainly not be the case for the rain and hurricane dominated 2011 growing season.
His other wines were not shabby either. We snapped up another bottle of merlot (third good to great merlot on the Shore) to enjoy with Thanksgiving dinner. His Cab Franc was excellent — smoky yet smooth. Outside, guests can enjoy several tables and take in the vineyard view. A nice way to finish up the Eastern Shore winery jaunt.

This was a fun place to visit– you certainly get a sense of the country out there!
The the staff was very personable and knowledgeable, nice wine tasting setup with other small gifts to browse as well. Cute little friendly dog!
We ended our visit with a local cheese plate out in the side yard that overlooks the houses, a fallow field, vineyards, and a corn field. There were a few humming birds around that were just beautiful. Ridiculously picturesque and romantic!