A few weeks ago we made our way South for a quick stay in one of our favorite places, Charlottesville.  We spent a great day tasting wines, walking around the downtown mall, enjoying a stroll around the UVA campus, and eating some of the amazing local food.  It was a great trip that was capped off in the most perfect way possible– a delicious lunch accompanied by Virginia Wine at Early Mountain Vineyards.

Early Mountain Vineyards is conveniently located in Madison, VA directly off of Route 29.  For us, it was the perfect place to stop on our drive home to Northern Virginia.  We’ve visited on a few occasions, but knew we had to take advantage of the Spring-like day we were blessed with in the middle of June.

Perhaps one of the most exquisite Virginia wineries, Early Mountain Vineyards is quite large and features an open-space concept tasting room with a beautiful tasting bar, a cozy fireplace perfect for those dark winter days, a lovely shaded terrace and plenty of outdoor seating (dog-friendly in certain areas), an event space for weddings, and a full-service restaurant complete with a local farm-to-table menu.  One foot in the tasting room and it’s no wonder why this venue has been featured numerous times in publications, blogs, and constantly ranked as one of the best wedding venues in the country!  It’s simply a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

In addition to the beauty and ‘Southern Living’ charm of Early Mountain’s tasting room, there is another factor that makes them a favorite destination of ours.  While Early Mountain crafts their own award-winning wines, they also make a point to share and serve some of their other favorite Virginia Wines from across the state through their ‘Best of Virginia’ wine selections.  Their traditional tasting features wines from the Early Mountain vintage, while you can order flights of different varietals or glasses/bottles from other VA producers like Stinson Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, Ankida Ridge, Granite Heights, Barboursville and more!  It’s a great opportunity to sample some of Virginia’s finest wines, or pair along with your gourmet lunch selection.

Ah yes, the food.  Let’s not forget about that.  Another reason why we love Early Mountain is that you always know your meal will be AMAZING.  The most seasonal and local ingredients are used in all of their dishes, from cheeses and charcuteries, to mixed green salads, paninis and hummus platters.  The menu offers input for pairing your meal with wine– we highly recommend taking their advice!  On our visit, we enjoyed the Stinson Rosé with Rosemary and Sea Salt Hummus served with local radishes and bread, along with the Vegetable Panini and Grilled Cheese for our main courses.   The meal was exceptional, the service was phenomenal and the view was spectacular.

If you haven’t visited Early Mountain yet, you are missing out.  Make sure that you plan your next Central Virginia visit to include a stop at this lovely winery.

Cheers!

Amy & Alli