It was a great Sunday on the Virginia wine trail this week as I got out to visit a good friend at Quattro Goombas winery and brewery to talk business and enjoy doing my favorite thing – sipping and sampling wine. It was a cold and dreary day, but I was more than warm inside with my wine, old friends and a few new ones I met along the way.
Quattro Goombas, which stands for “four friends,” is a sprawling winery and brewery located in Aldie, Virginia. They’ve been known for featuring wines from across the country and globe, but now they have a few wines produced on their own. While they still don’t grow any grapes, they do source them from Virginia and beyond. And, they are good! Quattro Goombas includes a winery that has two tasting rooms – one for adults only that is much more quiet and serene with it’s great views, and the other a more family friendly barn that houses a pizza kitchen that doles out the best Sicilian style pizza around (unfortunately it wasn’t on my diet last weekend!). They also have a brewery that sits adjacent to the wine tasting barn. It’s a large space with lots of bar space and seating to enjoy a sampling of their brews.
Now on to the wine. Their tasting selection is always very diverse, so there is surely something on it to please every palate. On this particular day, with it being prior to Valentine’s Day, the tasting started with a sampling of rose sparkling wine. I am such a big fan of wineries that do this. It’s not only a palate pleasing way to start a tasting but it sets the tone for a top notch wine experience.
After the bubbly, we moved on to the menu which included two whites, one apple wine and the other a blend of Vidal Blanc and Viognier, and three reds – a blend, a Chambourcin, and a Merlot. Of these, the San Pietro was probably my favorite. This is a blend of Zinfandel and Merlot aged in neutral oak.
On the weekends they also make available some special selections at the wine bar (family friendly barn). I was escorted that way to try their Curico, a blend made from Chilean grapes, and Tradizione which is a blend aged in Bourbon barrels (yum!!). Both were delicious but Curico won my heart, so I took a bottle home.
If you haven’t been to Quattro Goombas in a while, I would suggest a visit very soon. And, if you’ve never been then definitely make a note to include them on your next Virginia winery outing. They’ve made many changes over the last few years including the fact that they no longer accept buses or limos – which as we all know can very much be a deterrent when trying to enjoy your wine tasting experiences. They also have much more space to spread out and tons of food options. So, give it a try. It will be worth the trip.
For more on my trip to Quattro Goomba’s, visit my Instagram page @vawineknow to see my story, photos, and video blog. Cheers!