Grey Horse Vineyards

Their winery was beautiful and grand. Their wine… not so much. It was $ 10 for a tasting and you only get to taste 5 wines. The woman serving us told us the first wine her friend enjoys with five guys Cajun fries. We soon found out why. All their wines had a heavy vinegar flavor. I have been all over Virginia and this winery is sub par at best. Too bad cause the interior is beautiful.

Subpar wines made from other grapes that are not from the property. Way overpriced for a vineyard that does not have a view or a finished establishment. Many finishes in the building are not complete (door trims, light fixtures, tile in the bathrooms). 95 degrees and the band was outside leaving the two large air conditioned rooms empty. This does not make sense. Tasting was 50% more for a group of 7 or more. You ask what is the difference between the group tasting and a normal tasting? Zip, zilch… nada. Why pay more for nothing… when you should be paying less because you are helping them bring in more business. Not worth the long drive.

While we enjoyed our early visits to Grey Horse, our last two visits have been most unpleasant; we have cancelled our wine club membership and will not be back. The owner is always found drinking behind the bar or sitting alone at a table while he closely watches the patrons, creating a very awkward atmosphere. I have visited approximately 120 wineries across the state and have never had to pay a deposit for a wine glass to use while enjoying a bottle of wine at the winery — we returned the glasses but found we were charged full price for them anyway. The wine is below average and over-​priced. Two bottles of chardonnay we received in our wine club shipment turned to vinegar before we could drink them and they were poured out. Save your time and money and head to other nearby wineries with much better wine, truly appreciate your business and are glad to have you linger and enjoy the experience.

After visiting the winery last fall, we purchased 2 bottles of wine — a red and a white. Several weeks later we opened the bottle of red and the wine had definitely gone bad. We called the winery to let them know and were told that they would call us back after speaking with the owner. We were never contacted. Several months later we opened the Chardonnay and it too had turned to vinegar (the cork was discolored). Needless to say we are very disappointed in the quality of wines and the customer service of this winery. We have visited close to 30 Virginia wineries and this is one we will not be returning to.

The wine here is great, it’s pricey, but some of the best I’ve had in Virginia. The place is nice too, cozy and secluded. However, my fiancé and I joined the wine club recently and just opened the wines that came from it. All 3 bottles that we’ve gotten so far were oxidized and undrinkable, on their way to becoming vinegar. We had multiple friends try them as well to make sure it wasn’t just us. There must be something wrong with their corking process, because the bottles that we had at the winery were great. But for $ 30 a bottle we were very disappointed in the wine club.
So I would give this winery 4 stars, but the wine club and/​or wines older than a year, 1 star.

A beautiful winery in the middle of nowhere! I first visited when they opened in late 2014 but at the time it was far from finished. Now the major work is done, and all that’s left is a few touches. Grey Horse looks very posh and stacks up nicely to lots of other tasting rooms.
My tasting was $ 8 for 4 wines — although I pitched in another $ 2 so I might taste a red that wasn’t opened. This worried me because it’s an expensive tasting by Virginia tasting standards, but I later learned that many of their wines are for club members, who presumably hog up the best bottles (I would). At 1700 year /​5 acres under vine they are definitely small. Whatever grapes they don’t produce they buy from neighboring wineries.
The overachieving owner /​wine maker /​electrician /​carpenter is a former FBI guy who originally planned this place as a farm but decided to plant grapes as well, and so Grey Horse winery was born. He was outside finishing the porch where they have live music (which happens pretty much every weekend).
While Grey Horse produces more than the 5 wines that I tried, they rotate the menu so not everything is available for tastings at once. Not only that, but several wines are members-​only vintages. Apparently about 50% of their customers are actually club members, so visitors like myself have to make due with what’s available.
Whites: While described as off-​dry, Bethany’s White was a Viognier/​Vidal Blanc blend that had both a sweet nose and body. The Chardonnay was made in steel and had a hint of melon. Both were OK, but then again I seldom get excited about whites.
Reds: This is where Grey Horse really made its mark on me. At a time when many wineries keep their reds in barrel for less than a year, 2 of the 3 reds I had averaged about 2 years. The 2011 Cab Franc was a very smooth medium bodied wine that spent 20 months in barrel. The 2012 Equidae Reserve Cab Sav/​Merlot blend spent 27 (1) months in barrel; obviously it was my favorite. Even the 2013 Chambourcin spent I think 10 months in barrel, which is a tad longer than most producers do. It was a little heavier than other Chambourcins, but I liked the black cherry.

I take pride in my community and support local businesses whenever possible. I was excited to learn a winery was opening close to home. On initial visit, I was pleased with the wine selection and agreed to sign up for the wine club. Being a wine lover, I enjoy visiting wineries as a past time; however, I had never committed to a wine club membership until Grey Horse and was truly excited; however, that was short lived. Shortly after my initial visit to Grey Horse my experiences seemed to be a little «off».
For example, last winter my husband and I made reservations and paid to attend a Christmas dinner put on by the winery. We were disappointed when we realized that the only open table was reserved for the owner and select company; therefore, we had no place to sit. During my subsequent visits to the winery I felt uncomfortable due to awkward interactions with the owner himself. On my visits there were few customers (if any) in the tasting room. The owner would typically be sitting at a table drinking wine while what appeared to be closely watching our movements making for a slightly uncomfortable experience. On the most recent visit my friend and I went to pick up our quarterly wine club shipment. We were under the impression we were allowed a free glass of wine in lieu of a tasting as a privilege of being a wine club member. My friend approached the owner (who was behind the counter with a glass of wine in hand) to clarify membership terms. The owner was defensive and hostile at first reply. The conversation quickly escalated to an altercation with the owner becoming verbally abusive yelling numerous degrading female obscenities. Unfortunately, there were two four-​year-​old children who witness the entire event. We were threatened to leave the winery and were escorted off the property by an unknown individual (who claimed to be security and appeared to be participating in a wine tasting prior). The individual claimed to be affiliated with a law enforcement position, had a gun on him, and refused to provide identification.
Grey Horse could have been a great winery but the way the owner runs his business is disheartening. High wine prices (almost $ 30 dollars per bottle, not even including the much more expensive port wine), requirement of a credit card prior to tasting, inaccessible Wi-​Fi to non-​wine club members, not upholding wine club terms (received 11 bottles instead of promised 12 in one year), and extremely poor people/​customer service skills are just a few of many issues that place this winery at a huge risk for an impending demise. My first ever experience as a wine club member has sadly been ruined. When I visit a winery I expect a warm welcoming environment and experience. Grey Horse is far from welcoming and is one local business that I do not recommend.

We went to the winery yesterday for their fall festival. They had another winery and brewery which made hubby very happy. The young lady pouring wine in the tasting room was very nice and made us feel welcome! The owner circled the deck talking to guests which was also nice. I only gave three stars because the cost of the wine is high. I visit a lot of wineries small and large and a bottle of Chardonnay is rarely $ 29 unless it is a reserve. I realize they are a growing vineyard but they could be more reasonable. I purchased three bottles without looking at the prices, stupid me. They are so close to my home and I will most likely return but consider lowering your prices. You will do a better business!

I’m visiting from Arizona with my sister in laws and was looking forward to a great day at the wineries. We arrived with 6 guests and were immediately approached to change tables (one table over) before we even placed down a bag. This was apparently because they were having an expected party which never arrived while we were there … We had a tasting of only 4 wines while being watched from a table away by the owner who made us feel very uncomfortable. After 4 small tastings we ordered a 40 dollar «pitcher» aka pint size glass of sangria thinking it would be a decent size serving. Also you are charged a standard $ 10 per wine glass until you return it at the end of the tasting. Be sure to check your credit cards!!! Isn’t it typical for a wine glass to be included like at most wineries. The service although very polite did seem hesitant to befriend the tables in fear of their management. All in all after completing our tasting we packed up and left out of feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome … This was disappointing because initially the winery itself was set in a beautiful location.

I am sure you can see from the photos this is a beautiful winery. It is also quite dog friendly. I joined their wine club on my very first visit there, and this past Valentines Day my husband and I enjoyed a very nice wine dinner at Grey Horse Vineyards. The owners are very hospitable. The tables were decorated with large chocolate box hearts that the owner gave to the ladies to take home after dinner. I can’t wait to see this place in the summer.

They are in the process of building the place, so pay no attention to the road or unfinished parts. They only just opened. But what a nice little gem. We liked the people and wines so much, we joined the wine club right away. Recently, they had their first party and it was packed. They did a great job, too. Hope you check them out.

We visit wineries weekly and review each and every one and this is one of the best new wineries we’ve been to — EVER!
The wines were all very nicely done.
The tasting room is beautiful!
The staff and owner were very friendly and happy we were there!
We’ve been several times now and have enjoyed many bottles while in their tasting room, in front of their huge hearth and crackling fire. We enjoyed meeting the owner and chatting with him about his plans for the building and property and how he’s gotten to the point he’s currently at and we liked his story! We hope to watch this winery grow to be one of the better wineries in VA… it’s definitely on its way!