We connected immediately with our wine educator and the owner who were full of good humor, knowledge and quick repartee.  They shared with us a brief history of the winery (no connection to the Inn at Little Washington), and proceeded to tell us about their unique features.  This winery is doing quite a few things to set them apart from most other Virginia wineries. In addition to being one of the only green Virginia wineries, they are also providing ample opportunities to sample and learn about wines from all over the world.  At LWW, they not only feature their own in-house wines, they also feature their employed sommelier’s selections from both national and international locations on their tasting menu and as part of their club.  Their wine club, the Dirt Road Wine Club, features “the world’s best artisan wines– rare finds of exceptional small-batch craft wines”.  LWW also hosts wine education programs and events throughout the year– from wine boot camps to master gourmet classes, to food pairings and examining different varietals and vintages from around the world.  Their educational classes provide opportunities for wine lovers to learn and appreciate the vino culture.  One of the other special touches of this place is that their wines have cute names!  For example, rather than just calling it a Chardonnay, LWW serves the Old World Oak! Or in a more relatable reference, their Cab Franc is called the “U-turn” as almost everyone driving to the winery misses the sign and has to make a U-turn to reach the destination (guilty).

Our tasting here was fantastic.  Our wine educator was funny and personable but also had a knack for describing the wines in both a professional and a light-hearted way.  We will forever remember when our educator referred to her favorite as her “breakfast wine”!  The tasting ($10) consists of 7 wines that are always changing.  Our favorite selections were:

• Chardonnay: the comparison between the Old World Oak and the Solstice.  The Old World Oak is a Chardonnay done in the old style.  After sipping that, we compared it to the Solstice, their new world style Chardonnay.  We preferred the new world Solstice but the comparison itself was a fun experience.
• We also enjoyed the U-turn, their Cabernet Franc featuring soft tannins and the classic peppery finish.
• The Que Syrah is quite tasty as well and is their inagural bottle of Syrah!  This Syrah features smoky, peppery and spicy flavors and is simply delicious.

Overall, Little Washington Winery is creating some very interesting contributions to Virginia Wine Country as well as the wine world.  We loved our time in the cozy tasting room and felt right at home here.  The friendliness, the wine, and the conversation we shared, created an unforgettable experience and we can’t wait to go back!  When you visit, make sure to tell them you heard about LWW from the Virginia Winos.