Rockbridge Vineyard

Cheap wine, free tasting, and (eventually) good service. I just wish the wines were better.
I hesitate to call them ‘big’, but at 8 – 9000 cases/​year and 18 acres, they are bigger than many Virginia wineries.
When I visited, their small tasting area was packed and LOUD. From the look of it, they are expanding or upgrading the tasting room, so only part of it was available. I tried to get a tasting, but the first person to serve me (not the manager or owner, someone else) was less than helpful.
Eventually the crowds moved on and a different person took over my tasting, so things improved. The tasting menu is quite extensive, and the most expensive wine was $ 25. So if you’re looking for a place to stock up for a party, this would be it.
Unfortunately, most of the wines were middle of the road. A few of the better ones includes the very earth Meritage, light cherry palate Pinot Noir, and a smoky Cab Franc which was different other Francs I’m accustomed to.
I will give a special shout-​out to one wine that did shine — the $ 20 V d’or Ice Wine. This very rightfully placed highly in many competitions, even against more expensive wines. Unlike NY ice wines, they freeze the grapes in a freezer, as opposed to letting them naturally get iced over outside. I really don’t care HOW they do it, because the result was amazing.

We visited this vineyard on a Saturday. The tasting was free, which was nice, and the wine educator did an ok job. Overall, we found the wines so-​so. The only one that really stood out was the 2012 Rockbridge V D’OR — a dessert/​ice wine. It was very good and very reasonably priced, should you want a bottle.

Found this quaint spot on the way through Central VA. Over 15 wines included with their complimentary tasting. Try the Pinot Noir Blanc, or the Extra VA Claret (Norton).

It is unusual for us to stop at a vineyard without reading about it, but we saw the sign on I-​81 on the way to Blacksburg and decided to stop in and check it out. First of all, free tastings… haven’t seen that anywhere else in VA, MD or CA! The woman who greeted us and led our tasting was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have quite a wide variety of wines that they make and they were the first vineyard I’ve found in VA that actually grows a pinot noir. They use it without the skin for a pinot noir blanc (pretty interesting) that was much better than their regular pinot. I thought the Tuscarora Red (quite an interesting blend of 5 grapes) and their concord wines were pretty unique and worth buying to enjoy later.
I would recommend making a stop here — it is very convenient to I-​81 and it’s pretty likely they’ll have something you’ll like!

Wife and I just had a blast exploring the list of sweets, semi sweets, and dry’s of the Rockbridge Vineyard. This has been a very enjoyable experience smelling and tasting the selection of fine wines. Just off of interstate 81 you won’t want to pass this up. They are currently expanding the wine tasting room and eventually morph into a brewery/​winery! Awesome, sign me up!

Phenomenal, wonderful, awesome surprise! Great wines and beautiful setting. Tastings are free too!

You will think you are lost as you pull into a family farmstead, but don’t turn around! rock bridge vineyard is a charming, friendly winery nestled in a beautiful setting. Enjoy a few tastings, buy a bottle and sit outside and enjoy the scenery. The ice wine was impressive as well!

A Charming little country vineyard… right off I81, with lots of different wines to try. Way above normal list of Virginia wines, some definite keepers, including a non-​oaked Chardonnay, and a surprising Syrah. Usually no food on-​site, unless food trucks come, but we found them having a charity chille and cornbread (and music) special event. It was terrific! Easy to find, very friendly, very affordable bottles, and a free tasting. Make the time to get off the highway and try them!

Great tasting variety! It’s a nice place to. have a glass of wine and swing on their swing set. We went during the time a couple came in a choose wine for their wedding. We were lucky to try what they purchased for their wedding! It’s a dog friendly atmosphere! They had a great time to taste some wine at Rockbridge Vineyards!

Loved this place. You can’t beat the price. I enjoyed their wines, three in particular, the port, Sauvignon blanc and Pinot. Would recommend to anyone.

Went here after hiking the nearby crab tree falls. Lovely setting; located close to I-​81 (but not too close that you’re on the highway).
Tastings are free (!!!) and service was decent (not the friendliest ever, but knowledgeable, quick, and courteous). Wines were actually good! And price points were some of the lowest I’ve seen for VA wines (as in, they were competitive with CA) AND the wine was good… win-​win. I’d definitely stop back here and would recommend others visit.
Very laid back setting; lots of outdoor seating for sipping wine after the tasting. Tasting room itself is a little on the small side (hence the ‘efficient’ tastings).
This place also had toys for kids in the tasting room! (my 2-​year old son loved it) This is probably the most kid-​friendly winery I’ve ever seen in that regards. We bought a couple bottles to take home.
They were also set up for a wedding the day we were there; looked to be a BEAUTIFUL setting and setup.

My wife likes a sweet Rose, and while not my favorite, I agree that their Jeremiah strikes that delicate balance between being too sweet and not sweet enough. Really nice porch sipping wine. Their dessert wine is about the only dessert wine I will buy, again, not too sweet, just really, REALLY nice. Their chardonnay is a hit as well, overall a very nice selection of surprising wines, reasonably priced.
Definitely recommend a visit.

Favorite winery in VIRGINIA! Hands down. So I had a 2008 Pinot from Rockbridge at a restaurant in Virginia (Vintage Kitchen) about 4 years ago. I fell in love. Bought a case. Vowed I would visit this winery some day. That day was a cold blistery one in December where I visited with my husband and a couple friends. The winery itself is not overly impressive, as it is more of a laid back farm winery, HOWEVER, do not let that fool you. The wine is fantastic. The winemaker really knows what he’s doing. He makes the best pinot noir I’ve ever tasted from Virginia. His unfiltered Syrah is excellent as well. I don’t think we’ve ever had a bad wine here and the owners are so friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. We had to back track a bit to go out of our way and come here but I’m so glad we did. Do not miss Rockbridge on your Shenandoah wine trail!

Hateful staff. Terrible wine. Don’t bother. Keep driving. There are higher quality places in northern VA!

At first, I thought it was such a quaint, quintessential red barn farm… until I saw the hills of vines. Oh my!
Rockbridge has a shabby-​chic presence about themselves that adds to the Southern charm, if I say so myself. I could also easily imagine a small party or wedding catered here. Very picturesque.
The tastings were free (WUT???) and the tasting room is quite chic– decorated in wine barrel furniture, tables, stools, and bar, this place took re purposing to a new level of awesome!
The wines: we discovered Chamborcin and a delicious V’dor (ice wine). So delicious! and great finds in an area I never imagined to be well known for their wines. They almost put Virginia wine on the map! ;))))))) In my humble opinion.
If you bring a small picnic, enjoy them with your friends in the designated patio or picnic area, adorned with swings and a New England patio chair.
rockbridge if awesome!

I recently had 2 events at Rockbridge Vineyard and thoroughly enjoyed working with the venue. It is a lovely setting with easy driving access. The staff and owners are pleasant to work with a very knowledgeable about their product. I recommend using Rockbridge Vineyards for your next event.

Inexpensive!
Driving by, saw the sign, decided to stop, and glad we did. The wines were so inexpensive that I was almost afraid to try them but they were pretty good — especially the DeChiel Chardonnay, Tycarota Red, and DeChiel Cab Franc.
Wine tasting was free — yes, complimentary wine tasting with a very engaging staff.
Not much of a view and the inside was a little small but definitely worth the visit.

We revisited Rockbridge last fall, on a perfect, warm fall Friday afternoon, and the experience was 10 times more pleasant than the previous one. The two ladies working in the tasting room were chatty, informative, and funny. The wine was a lot better than I remembered — maybe the rather negative staff experience during my previous visit clouded my judgment of the wine. They have some wines not found in other Virginia spots, such as a white pinot noir (called «Pinot Noir Blanc,») off dry and perfect for the day we were visiting.
For a winery so close to an Interstate (I-​81 is only about 2 minutes away), you feel like you’re in a different world here. That’s what wineries are supposed to do. Thank you Rockbridge — we will be back.

Another great tasting experience in Virginia!
When we first looked a the listing of wines for tasting we were a little intimidated — their were 21 wines listed and we had to get back to Roanoke for a surprise birthday party. Lucky for us, the list was cut down to only 14 available wines …
Out of this offering we found the 2010 DeChiel Chardonnay, 2008 Vignoles, 2009 Tuscarora Red, 2007 DeChiel Meritage and 2011 Jeremiah’s to be good — bought a bottle of the Tuscarora to take home.

NC wines are notoriously sweet, and with Rockbridge being just a 4 hour drive away in Virginia, I walked in assuming we’d be tasting much of the same. To my surprise, there were about 20 bottled varieties on hand, many of them decorated. We were told they specialize in hybrids, as well as a wine produced from a grape that was native to the state (now also grown elsewhere). They do offer a wine made from the muscadine grape (reminiscent of the super-​sweet wines back home); but the scope of whites was broader than I expected. Most would suit well as a table wine — were not that complex, but pleasant and easy to drink. My husband, surprisingly, even favored the whites, not caring for the bouquet of most of the reds.
The tasting was entirely complimentary and pretty informative. Our host was the wife of the owner (who mastered in wine-​making [where was I when this degree came to be?!) in Cali. She was both nice and helpful. Incredibly, the wines were nearly all priced under $ 20. We came away with 5 bottles for under $ 40! The porch outside the tasting room overlooks the vineyards. I was tempted to uncork a bottle and enjoy the picturesque scenery, and if we hadn’t been pressed for time I’d have done just that!