White Fences - Irvington, VA

During our weekend getaway to the Tides Inn, we decided to hop in the car and see what the great metropolis of Irvington and its surrounding areas had to offer. It doesn't take me long to get stir crazy, no matter how beautiful the surroundings. While cruising down rural route whatever, with the windows down and the radio blasting, a gigantic corkscrew really grabbed my attention. Hey, this looks like my kind of place. My husband agreed. We had just stumbled upon White Fences vineyard. We decided to check it out. At that moment having a glass of wine seemed an excellent idea.

White Fences Vineyard is, of course, surrounded by a ... white fence! We drove down the short road and pulled into a drive where we found a small building with a large screened-in front porch. No cars were parked out front. We meandered up the curved walk way, stopping to casually scan the plaques they had peppered along the side. Each plaque provided some educational information about wine, grapes, the vineyard, etc. Upon reaching the front door we saw a set of bicycles and a young couple relaxing on comfortable looking chairs sipping some wine. So far, so good.

Inside is a fairly small retail space with a smattering of wine related accessories and gadgets, in addition to counter space. We were promptly greeted and asked if we were interested in a tasting. White Fences offers two labels currently, Meteor being their main label. There are 6 Meteor wines, one of which (Firefly) is sold out already. We were offered 7 tastings for $4 and you get to keep the glass. What a deal! I have to be honest and let you know that I have never, and I mean N-E-V-E-R, tasted a Virginia wine that I liked. Granted, I haven't tasted them all, but I've had enough to be sufficiently wary. Several of the wines were particularly sweet, which is not really my preference. I was, however, pleasantly pleased with Meteor Glow, a Chardonel wine. It was slightly oaky, and crisp. Quite excellent! My husband, a fan of the red, preferred Meteor Bright Red. No surprise here. He loves his Merlot, and this is a blend of Chambourcin and Merlot grapes. We each got an extra glass of our favorites and strolled the grounds enjoying the gorgeous weather of that late summer day. While we were there they had a steady flow of customers. A family of 5 or 6, a couple and two ladies looking for a bottle of Glow. They had tasted it at a local restaurant the night before and wanted more!

White fences is the host of the "Irvington Stomp", an event we had missed by just one weekend. It celebrates their annual grape harvest and also sounds like a good excuse to just hang out with family, friends and fellow wine lovers. This past year local musician Robbin Thompson performed (now that is a blast from the past!)and they have various activities for children and adults. You even get the opportunity to stand in barrels and stomp on grapes. There have to be some comedic moments from that.

I was excited to have my first happy experience with a VA wine. I would recommend stopping by this vineyard anytime you are in the area, or close by. I suggest you call first, as I'm not sure of their fall/winter hours. The wines are good, the people are friendly and the location is a little slice of heaven. As they say at White Fences "Stay amazed. Make wishes. Enjoy your wine."
White Fences
804-438-5559
Directions:
White Fences Vineyard & Winery is located in Irvington, Virginia, about 3 hours from Washington, DC, 1 hours 15 minutes from Richmond and 1 hour 30 minutes from Norfolk.

For information about The Irvington Stomp click HERE