It was a cloudy and cool May mid-morning as I headed to Barboursville Vineyard with a friend. As we came upon the entrance off of Governor Barbour road, I could tell this was no ordinary winery. We were very intrigued by the fact that they had cottages, an on-site restaurant, and historical ruins to see. It was easy
to see that one could easily spend an entire weekend relaxing and basking in serenity.
With one of the larger tasting rooms that I have seen, this winery has ample indoor and outdoor seating for couples, small or large groups to have food and wine. The actual tasting process was one of the best. You begin at one end of a long bar area and the start you off with a sample of their sparkling wine, that was very yummy. The sparkling wine, Barboursville Brut, available for weekend tastings only is crisp, dry, and very bubbly.
As you work your way down the bar you sip whites, reds, and then blush and dessert wines. The whites were all as I like them – light, crisp, and refreshing. They had a full range of reds to satisfy all taste buds. From peppery to plums to notes of tobacco, the flavors were varied. For those who love dessert wines, Barboursville has three options to taste each of which with its own fine characteristics. I typically do not purchase blush wines because they can be too sweet, but their Cabernet Blanc is a blush that is just right. And, at a price of $8.99 I couldn’t resist but to buy it. The Rosato is a very sweet rose that the dessert lovers would appreciate. We ended the tasting with a sip of what the pourer called the most romantic wine, Phileo. Served very chilled, right out of the freezer, this wine would be the perfect finish to any romantic dinner date.
It was very crowded on this Saturday, but the wine reps do a great job of making sure everyone gets a chance to taste, and they keep good track of where everyone is in the process of tasting. The customer service we received was top-notch, as we enjoyed the great stories told to each bottle of wine just as much as the sips themselves. Barboursville is a winery I would definitely plan visit again, and hopefully for a weekend stay at the Inn and enjoy the Italian restaurant as well.
Don’t leave without it!
Octagon 2006, an award winner for Barboursville, is a very delicious red wine. Even for the white wine lovers, this red is crisp, light, refreshing, and goes down very smoothly. However, if $40 price tag is not in your wine budget, try the Riesling 2008 for only $11.99. It is only slightly sweet and perfect to sip on a warm summer day with or without an accompanying meal.
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