Vineyards & Breweries
Thomas Jefferson could be called the father of wine and wineries in Virginia, the first to take winemaking from the province of backyard hobbyists with a few vines to acres of vineyards and a focus on refining exceptional varietals.
Winemaking wouldn't hit its stride in Albemarle County until more almost two centuries, in the mid 1970s. But today, after more than 35 years of winemakers intensively learning the land, light and distinct characters of generations of vines, wines from the Monitcello American Viticultural Area (named for Jefferson's home) are considered among the best produced anywhere in the Eastern United States.
Vintage: The Winemaker's Year
Tune into your PBS station
Watch Vintage, a documentary that examines the factors that make Virginia unique amongst the wine producing regions of the United States. When it comes to quality and value, California may have met its match.
Part of that award-winning excellence comes from the topography. All around Charlottesville, time and the elements have eroded ancient mountains down to rolling hills that yield wines of incredible complexity as slight variations in altitude and aspect, soil and light, create subtle differences in grapes from vine to vine. The Terrior is perfect!
The chance to work with that rich variety completes the equation, drawing to Charlottesville and the vineyards of Albemarle County some of the most accomplished and respected winemakers working today.
The result is a portfolio of wines that balance the best of Old and New World styles - bright, medium-bodied wines that pair as well with foods as they can be enjoyed on their own, all produced by small, family-run wineries that are passionate about what they do and passionate about sharing it.
If you're ready to let your tastebuds make that determination, plan your own East Coast Wine Country vacation from the many wineries listed below.
But grapes aren't the only vines winning a following in Charlottesville. Hop vines thrive in the climate (in fact, Virginia was once known as the hop capital of the world), and Albemarle County is home to small-batch breweries making handcrafted ales and lagers as well as hard ciders from the region's orchards.
A handful of these award-winning brew houses form a beer-lovers dream tour known as the Brew Ridge Trail (an homage to the Blue Ridge Mountains). The trail welcomes visitors in causal comfort, often with live music and simple but creative kitchen fare to complement the art, science and inventive spirit of this region's master brewers.
Albemarle Cider Works
- 2545 Rural Ridge Lane
- North Garden, VA 22959
- (434) 297-2326
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Albemarle CiderWorks is a family-run Cidery and Tasting Room that produces cider from heritage varieties of apples that can thrive in Albemarle County,Virginia. Thomas Jefferson experimented with ... MORE >>
Blenheim Vineyards
- 31 Blenheim Farm
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 293-5366 | Fax: (434) 293-9983
- Region: Monticello Area
Established in 2000 by owner Dave Matthews, Blenheim Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery located 20 minutes southeast of Charlottesville. With two vineyard sites growing Chardonnay, ... MORE >>
Burnley Vineyards
- 4500 Winery Lane
- Barboursville, VA 22923
- (540) 832-2828 | Fax: (540) 832-2280
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
BURNLEY VINEYARDS is one of the oldest vineyards in the Monticello Viticultural area. There are 30 acres of vineyards - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Vidal, Norton, Muscat Blanc ... MORE >>
Castle Hill Cider
- 6065 Turkey Sag Road
- Keswick, VA 22947
- (434) 296-0047
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Cidery that produces hard apple cider made from Virginia varietals. Cider is made in small batches in kvevri, terracotta vessels which are buried underground in the world’s most ancient method of ... MORE >>
Champion Brewing Company
- 324 6th Street SE
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 295-2739
- Region: Downtown Mall Area
Charlottesville's newest brewery and beer-drinking establishment located at the foot of the Belmont Bridge. HOURS: Wednesday 5-9 Thurs-Sat 4-11 Sunday 1-6
First Colony Winery
- 1650 Harris Creek Road
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 979-7105 | Fax: (434) 293-2054
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
First Colony Winery is nestled in beautiful Albemarle County, the heart of Virginia wine country. Owner Randolph McElroy, Jr. has created a truly spectacular winery with a focus on exceptional ... MORE >>
Glass House Winery
- 5898 Free Union Road
- Free Union, VA 22940
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Glass House Winery is a boutique winery in the heart of the Monticello Wine Trail in central Virginia. We craft artisan wines made solely from grapes grown on our property and in our region. We ... MORE >>
Grace Estate Winery
- 5273 Mount Juliet Farm
- Crozet, VA 22932
- (434) 823-1486
- Region: Crozet
Grace Estate Winery is located near White Hall, Virginia, 14 miles west of Charlottesville in Albemarle County. We are a member of the The Appellation Trail - a unique wine route that connects six ... MORE >>
James River Brewing
- 561 Valley Street
- Scottsville, VA 24590
- Region: Scottsville
Our brewery is not just a passing fad but our home, and represents the core of what we believe: Make a beer that's better, in a town that has inspired us to be better. A town whose streets run to ... MORE >>
Jefferson Vineyards
- 1353 Thomas Jefferson Parkway
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 977-3042 | Fax: (434) 977-5459
- Region: Monticello Area
When Thomas Jefferson and Italian Filippo Mazzei decided to establish a vineyard, they chose the land between Monticello and Ash-Lawn – the site of present day Jefferson Vineyards. With financial ... MORE >>
Keswick Vineyards
- 1575 Keswick Winery Drive
- Keswick, VA 22947
- (434) 244-3341 | Fax: (434) 244-9976
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Keswick Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard situated on the historic Edgewood Estate in Keswick, VA, about 15 minutes east of Charlottesville. We specialize in making ... MORE >>
King Family Vineyards
- 6550 Roseland Farm Lane
- Crozet, VA 22932
- (434) 823-7800 | Fax: (434) 823-7801
- Region: Crozet
King Family Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery 15 minutes west of Charlottesville, Va at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are convenient to Rt. 250, the Blue Ridge Parkway, ... MORE >>
Monticello Wine Trail
- -
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Monticello Wine Trail, the Birthplace of American Wine, provides information about the area's wineries and tasting rooms. Including wine trails and wine tour suggestions, news and special event ... MORE >>
Moss Vineyards
- 1849 Simmons Gap Road
- Dyke, VA 22935
- (434) 990-0111
CLOSED FOR THE WINTER
We founded Moss Vineyards with the vision and dream of providing people with the highest quality American wines, hand-crafted in a breathtaking Blue Ridge mountain setting ... MORE >>
Mountfair Vineyards
- 4875 Fox Mountain Rd
- Crozet, VA 22932
- (434) 823-7605
- Region: Crozet
Located on the Eastern Slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville, Mountfair Vineyards crafts small-batch, blended red wines using the classic grapes of Bordeaux: Merlot, Cabernet ... MORE >>
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard
- 5022 Plank Rd
- North Garden, VA 22959
- (434) 202-8063
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Pippin Hill Farm is a distinctive winery and vineyard, nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills, just outside historic Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Tasting Room is a welcoming and ... MORE >>
Pollak Vineyards
- 330 Newtown Road
- Greenwood, VA 22943
- (540) 456-8844 | Fax: (540) 456-6565
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Pollak Vineyards, a dream of Margo and David Pollak, is a boutique-sized winery on a 98-acre farm in Greenwood, Virginia, just west of Charlottesville. With the goal of making French-style wines from ... MORE >>
South Street Brewery
- 106 South Street
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 293-6550 | Fax: (434) 296-9016
- Region: Downtown Mall Area
The beers: on line now are the Hogwaller Kolsch, JP Ale American style Pale Ale (a gold medal winner at the World Beer Cup 2000), Satan's Pony (Amber Ale), the unfiltered Dunkelweizen, ... MORE >>
Starr Hill Brewery
- 5391 Three Notched Road
- Crozet, VA 22932-3104
- (434) 823-5671
- Region: Crozet
Craft brews available at Starr Hill include Jomo Lager, a crisp, clean Southern German Lager with a noticeable hop aroma, balanced with a slight malty sweetness; The Love, a German hefeweizen ... MORE >>
Stinson Vineyards
- 4474 Sugar Hollow Road
- Crozet, VA 22932
- (434) 823-7300
- Region: Crozet
Starting June 16, 2011 Tasting Room will be open Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Tastings are $5/person.
Make yourself comfortable with a bottle of wine on our picturesque ... MORE >>
Sugarleaf Vineyards
- 3613 Walnut Branch Lane
- North Garden, VA 22959
- (434) 984-4272
- Region: Miscellaneous/ Independent of Region
Sugarleaf Vineyards is open for tastings and tours during the months of March - December: Wednesdays-Sundays and all Monday Holidays 11am-6pm.
During the months of January - ... MORE >>
Trump Winery
- 3550 Blenhiem Rd
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 984-4855 | Fax: (434) 977-0606
- Region: Monticello Area
As the premier name in sophistication and quality, we are proud to present you with the latest jewel in our portfolio of spectacular properties and brands. Featuring almost 1,300 acres of ... MORE >>
Virginia Wineworks
- 1781 Harris Creek Way
- Charlottesville, VA 22902
- (434) 296-3438 | Fax: (434) 923-8694
- Region: Monticello Area
Founded in 2007, Virginia Wineworks is a partnership of Philip Stafford and Michael Shaps. Located in the former Montdomaine winery just 12 miles south of Charlottesville, Virginia Wineworks is a ... MORE >>
White Hall Vineyards
- 5190 Sugar Ridge Road
- Crozet, VA 22932
- (434) 823-8615
- Region: Crozet
White Hall Vineyards, a farm winery located just 13 miles from Charlottesville, produced its first commercial vintage in 1994. At an elevation of 800 feet, the winery has lovely grounds, a pleasantly ... MORE >>

