Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Sep 19, 2011

Favorite Wine: Chardonnay

Quite a long way up on a hill, but worth the trip! The sweeping vineyard views are amazing. Karen was very pleasant and helpful to these OH wine lovers.

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Aug 08, 2010

Sometimes you just get lucky trying unsuccessfully to find one vineyard and stumbling onto another. This was the case in Rural Retreat, VA (yup, that’s the name of the town) as we approached a massive commercial building atop an outcropping of 45 acres of vines planted some ten years ago. Driving by rows of Chardonel and grapes Vitis unknownei, we entered a winery full of surprises. Karen, our hostess, was welcoming, country, full of quick smiles, and serious about making an honest pitch for Davis Valley Winery. The $4 tasting fee which did not apply to purchases didn’t bother us, but the plastic tasting cups just about did us in. We soon learned what was listed on brochures was not a complete inventory of their reasonably priced offerings. Visit DVW to compare a representative Chardonnay to a good Chardonel, evaluate Corot Noir prepared in stainless or oak (Autumn Red), or just see how someone else interprets Cabernet Franc. Personally we enjoyed their Chambourcin and even picked up their non-specified “White Wine”. Several of their wines had cute names, but no grape description(s). In 2011 they are going to introduce their first Norton wine, albeit, a sweeter version than usually encountered.