Day two had nine wineries on schedule for us. It was definitely a very busy day and it had us driving more than any other day on our schedule. We started our day at 10:30 AM with a tasting at Pearmund Cellars. Melissa conducted our tasting and gave us quite an education on the oldest Chardonnay vineyard in Virginia. When we were finished, we made our way to Molon Lave Vineyards. This unique winery offers a few Kosher wines (one of the few on the east coast) as well as non-Kosher offerings.
The next winery was only about 25 minutes away. If you’ve never driven on the back roads of Virginia, let me give you a tip. If your road has a double yellow line and a white line, then you’re pretty safe to go the speed limit. If the road only has a yellow line, chances are you’ll want to be going 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit. If there are NO lines anywhere (and travel safely if you encounter this) then you’ll want to be at least 15-20 mph under the posted speed limit. Now, if you’re from Virginia, then you can completely disregard any of the posted speed limits and go zipping down the road, passing anyone in your way.
Marterella Winery was next on our list. They featured new world style whites and reds. We were promptly treated by Charlie the golden retriever. He was a doll and simply loved laying at your feet. Mediterranean Cellars is right across the road from Marterella. They are the sister winery of Molon Lave. They are a cute Greek couple that are making some fantastic wines in a bright and flavorful style.
Our next stop, Narmada Winery, offered food pairings with their wines. However there is one interesting spin; the foods they offer are Indian dishes. That being said, we were definitely looking forward to it. When we got there, we found the kitchen was closed. The wines were good, nonetheless. So we ventured off to get food elsewhere. In our search for food, we ended up at 24 Crows in Flint Hill. They are a small boutique offering fresh foods for lunch as well as small batch coffee roasts, microbrews, and interesting wines.
At the last three wineries of the day, we finally met other people who were also out tasting wine. Desert Rose Winery was quite a unique experience. It started out as a horse ranch. The owners then wanted to branch out into wine so they opened a winery. Just around the corner is Philip Carter Winery. We were fortunate enough to have Jeremy the winemaker guide us through their offerings. His knowledge of winemaking and his passion for the craft was inspiring.
We ended our tour at Delaplane Cellars. The view there was stunning. I regret not taking a picture. Carol was our guide; she was a hoot! The wines there were well refined, complex yet approachable, and offered a soft velvety finish.
Overall Impressions
Pearmund offered a wide variety of wines, all of which were incredible.
Marterella offered a fresh approach to classic grapes.
Mediterranean had a very unique moscato that could show up some of the Viogniers in the area.
Delaplane offered a country club feeling without having the country club price tag.
Favorite Winery: Pearmund
