With more than 300 wineries Virginia’s Wine Country has numerous wineries to try some of the state’s delectable wines. Vineyards such as CrossKeys Vineyards and Winery offer a beautiful setting to taste fruity flights, enjoy delicious farm-to-table cuisine, and catch beautiful views of the estate and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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CrossKeys Vineyards and Winery is housed on a 125-acre private estate in the Shenandoah Valley. The main Tuscan-style villa is used for events and houses the wine cellar. The vineyard produces 12 varietals of grapes, including Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Chambourcin, and Merlot, and the vineyard’s website has a handy tasting notes guide.
The vineyard offers a large courtyard and two terraces with plenty of room to spread out, and its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful surroundings make it a great place to come for wine with friends or dinner with your family. The wine shop sells a variety of wine-related products as well as gifts, and you can sample wines before you buy.
Dining at CrossKeys Vineyards
While the wines are the main draw, the gourmet menu items are fantastic, too. The four of us each ordered a garden salad with the most tasty berry balsamic vinaigrette–so tasty, in fact, that my youngest daughter just couldn’t get enough of it. The kids tried the flatbread, and my husband ordered a glass of ‘Joy Red’ wine and chicken bruschetta.
I ordered a glass of peach wine, which had a nice aroma and subtle, sweet flavor. I ended up buying a bottle of it to take home. For my entree, I chose the ‘slightly’ blackened shrimp and coarse-ground smoked cheddar grits. I love a nice smoky flavor, and the grits were so savory, I think I ate them to fast!
For dessert, I tried the lava cake, a gluten-free chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center that was topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It was so good! Sometimes, chocolate foods are too rich for me, but this one was so moist and light. I enjoyed every bite.
I can’t wait to return to the vineyard for another food and wine experience. It would also be a fabulous place to host a birthday party or event.
The vineyard offers daily tours to educate visitors on the wine-making process. Regular visitors to the vineyard should consider joining the vineyard’s free Key Club membership, which provides 10 percent discounts on bottles of wine and events, such as the Sunday brunch with live music and salsa nights.
