Let’s Talk Wine and Hint # 6
Did you know that Virginia has 206 wineries and vineyards and 24 Wine Trail Tours? Did you also know that Virginia is the 5th largest wine producing state in the United States? Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Virginia one of the top ten wine travel destinations for 2012. October is considered Virginia’s Prime Wine Month because of the fall foliage, free or low-cost wine festivals, barrel tastings and harvest parties.
One of these wonderful wineries and vineyards is located very close to our plantation. It is called Ingleside Plantation Winery. It is located on a beautiful plantation that was built in 1834 and started as a boys’ school known as Washington Academy. It has also served as a garrison and courthouse during the Civil War. The current family has held this 3000 or more acres since 1890. With this family, the plantation started as a dairy farm. In 1940, the plantation was turned into a nursery and the vineyard was added in 1980.
According to Ingleside Vineyards website
“Ingleside Vineyards is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest wineries and produces over 18 varieties of wine from estate-grown grapes. For thirty years our hand-crafted wines have won numerous awards and top honors in state, national and international wine competitions, such as the Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition, San Diego International Wine Competition, as well as the London International Wine Spirits Competition.”
“At the time of Ingleside’s incorporation, Ingleside was one of the initial six wineries in the state of Virginia.”
Their philosophy is as follows:
“We are serious about our vineyards and our wines. That being said, we encourage a relaxed environment for our customers to taste our wines and sit a spell in our beautiful European styled courtyard.”
The vineyard has four primary vineyards, The Roxbury Vineyards, The Walnut Hill Vineyards, The Chesapeake Vineyards and The Founder’s Vineyard.
The Roxbury Vineyard
“The Roxbury Vineyards, consisting of 12 acres, is planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Viognier. This section takes its name from the 1860”s Victorian mansion built by Dabney Carr Wirt, the youngest son of the former U.S. Attorney General William Wirt. It is now the home of Ingleside proprietor Doug Flemer. Roxbury Vineyards are oriented such that they are well-drained towards the Potomac River. The grapes from the medium textured soils produce wines that are serious yet approachable.”
The Walnut Hill Vineyards
“The Walnut Hill Vineyards consists of 20 acres of Chardonnay clone 96, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Malbec. Walnut Hill is part of the original land purchased by the Flemer Family in the 1880’s. It is a magnificent site for growing grapes as it is part of the highest ridge in the entire Northern Neck. With a commanding view towards the Potomac River, these vineyards are well exposed to breezes off the rivers. The back portion of the property also drains towards the Rappahannock River. The heavier soils on Walnut Hill produce wines of intensity, elegance, complexity and finesse.”
The Chesapeake Vineyards
“The Chesapeake Vineyards consist of 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Charbono, Graciano, Albarino, Nebiollo, Temprillo and Pinot Meunier plus some additional experimental varieties and a selection of rootstocks used for grafting. Our Chesapeake Vineyards are located behind the winery in medium textured soils that are fertile ground for experimentation. It is here that we have and are continuing to discover the best varieties and clones suited to the climate on the Northern Neck, Chesapeake Bay Region.”
The Founder’s Vineyards
The Founder’s Vineyard consists of 8 acres of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Albarino, Seyval Blanc and Norton. Some of these vines are the oldest in the state of Virginia having been planted in the 1970’s by Carl Flemer, Jr. founder of Ingleside Winery.
The following are some of the awards stated on their website that this great Virginia winery has received:
OVERALL WINERY AWARDS:
– Voted “Best Winery in Eastern Virginia” in 2011 and 2012 by the readers of Virginia Wine Lover Magazine.
– Voted “Favorite Virginia Winery in the Chesapeake Bay Region” in 2011 by the readers of Virginia Wine Lover eNewsletter.
WINE AWARDS for 2012 (BY VARIETY):
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
Petit Verdot 2007
Silver – San Diego International Wine Competition 2012
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
Petit Verdot Reserve 2007
Gold – San Diego International Wine Competition 2012
Silver – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
Sangiovese 2008
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
Sangiovese 2009
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
Virginia Gold 2007
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2011
Bronze – Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition 2012
This is a new bottle and label that Ingleside is making for Stratford Hall, home of Robert E. Lee. It is designed for the Civil War Anniversary.
Some of their upcoming events are:
September 8 – Jazz in the Courtyard
October 20 – 33rd Harvest Celebration
November 10 – Fall Barrel Tasting
December 8 & 9 and 15 & 16 – Holiday Open House
New Hint!
Hint One:
Captain John Smith sailed up the river that runs by this plantation in 1608 and noted the Indian settlements along the river banks.
Hint Two:
George Washington was a frequent visitor to this plantation.
Hint Three:
It’s not Williamsburg or the area around Williamsburg.
Hint Four:
Two famous Virginians were born on this plantation. Both were very good with words.
Hint Five:
The town located across the river from this plantation once was under consideration for Nation’s Capital.
Hint Six:
An assassin passed through this plantation on the way to his death.
Advice – Read other’s comments. If someone guesses correctly, I do tell them. The first hint has been answered correctly.
Very interesting post. We visited Stratford Hall a few years ago. I was fortunate to be included in a private tour given to the guides from Bacon’s Castle. Beautiful old home!
I just bet there’ll be some sleuthing going on among your readers with your most recent hint(s)!
May be….. We will see what they come up with. We are hoping the contract will come through next week. The person handling it is on vacation this week so we knew we had at least one more week. It is taking too long!
I hope you are near Charleston, West Virginia or Keswick, Virginia, or Chesterfield, Virginia. We have family in these cities and I would love to take a drive and visit.
I’m sorry, but we aren’t close to those locations. But we would still welcome a visit once we open! This is a great location with a lot to see and do!
What a beautiful place!
Thank you!
So, looks like Virginia is rivaling Napa and California wine country 🙂
We have heard that. We’ve also heard it called the East Coast Napa Valley. Either way, these wines are great!
Oh, this is fun! Is it Belle Grove Plantation in Port Conway, Va. Birthplace of James Madison? Booth passed through here before he was shot. I’m guessing the city across the river considered for nation’s capitol is Port Royal and I don’t know who the second famous Virginian was who was born there. Civil War Battle of Cedar Creek.
Congrads on being the first to guess the plantation!
Very interesting post. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for stopping by!
I didn’t realise that Virginia had so many wonderful vineyards. Very interesting, thanks for that! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by! Yes Virginia is a great state for wines and travel!
I haven’t been to Virginia since I was a teenager but now that I’m of legal age and a wine lover, I’ll definitely have to get back there.
Great! We hope to see you as soon as we open!
Oh my, I’ve never been to Virginia—how beautiful! Love this post!
Thank you! Well, you should consider a trip soon!
This is so great! I love learning about wines I haven’t heard of before. I’m really hoping I can find some of these up here in Boston! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Thank you for stoppiing by ours! I don’t know if they are available in Boston, but they do ship! Or you can plan a trip down once we open our B&B and enjoy them here!
B&B!? Heaven!!! I’ll keep my eye on your 😉
Please do! We hope to see you there some day! Then you don’t have to ship the wine!
Wow! Who new that Virginia is a mini Provence when it comes to wine 🙂
Ashley
It is a great state for wines! We look forward to sharing these wines in our B&B! We are planning a Wine and Cheese Reception each evening at 5pm. And will be doing several Wine Fests throughout the year!
Sounds like you will be very, very busy 🙂
Ashley
We would love to be! Hope to see you here too!
Is it Oak Hill?
Nope – not Oak Hill
Wow, wine for the win in this area 😀
Cheers
CCU
Yes, there are some really great vineyards in the area of the plantation!
What a wonderful blessing to be living in a state that has some many options of indulgence … nice bottle of wine! Now, regarding the 6th hint…is the assassin J. W. Booth and did the place once belong to Richard Garrett?
The assassin was John Wilkes Booth, but no the plantation was not owned by Richard Garrett. Garrett’s Farm wasn’t really a plantation, it was a very small farm on a hillside. Today all that is left is the woods in the area. But John Wilkes Booth did pass through this plantation as did the detachment of Union soldiers. In fact the Union soldiers stopped at our plantation to rest and eat. One of the officer even slept in the front hallway of the house.
Hi! I nominated you for Illuminating Blogger Award! http://maryannemistretta.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/my-second-blog-award-illuminating-blogger-award/
To think that I lived in Blacksburg, VA for school for 5 years and I had no idea just how wine-rich Virginia is!
VT is a great school! Well now you can visit us and we can sharing the wine!
More and more things are telling me that maybe I should put the US on my travel wish list for the future…beautiful pictures og the stunning countryside…and wine…what is not to like…
Yes you must come see us! This is a great place with a lot to do!
Looks like a nice weekend getaway 😀
Are you up and running yet? I am visiting relatives in Virginia and would love to meet you and see your place. You can reply here for find me under Pork Chop Tuesday on Facebook and leave me a message there.
When will you be visiting your relatives? We are not up and running yet. We are not expecting to be ready until September 1st.
We are actually there this week.
Oh, I’m sorry! If we were up there now, I would give you a private tour!
Heady photos and description. Very enticing!
Thank you! We really enjoy them!
Love blogs on red wines. Virginia sounds a great place to visit one day.
Thank you for your recent visit to my blog. I enjoyed exploring yours. All the best.
Thank you for stopping by! Don’t forget to come back for the big reveal soon! We also look forward to seeing more of your blog!
I never realized that Virginia had so many vineyards. Thank you for the information. October, November, and/or December looks like it would be a splendid time to be there; beautiful!
It is a great time to enjoy the tree’s color change and some great wines! Hope to see you soon!
Hello! Come and have a look at my last post. I like your blog, so I have just nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award and the One Lovely Blog Award!
Thank you! We appreciate that!
Thanks for liking my ‘Scone’ post and for the information about Virginia vineyards. Virginia is on my list of places to visit, especially in the fall.
Thank you! Scones are one of the items we plan to make from scratch for the plantation. So we are always looking for a new receipe! We hope to see you in the fall!
Wow thanks for being an avid follower. Hope we could shoot their in Virginia soon! kudos! keep up the good work!
Thank you! We enjoy reading others blogs just as much as writing our own. We hope to see you in Virginia soon!
Sure no problem at all! =) we will hit you anytime! enjoy! =)
Thansk so much for liking 2 of my posts – not just because that’s always very appreciated but because it helped me to find you! I have to say, your Virginia Plantation has had me (and my husband) all fired up and determined to come and stay some time in the future; we love history and Virginia was already on my list of possible places to visit in the US whenever I finally got there (my husband has been before; I haven’t!) but now you have talked about the wine, you have really “got us” as we always try to head for wine producing regions, which is why we spend most of our holidays in Italy and France! Your “project” has really fired my imagination – thanks for sharing and we hope to be your guests from the UK at some time in the future!!
Thank you so much! We really appreciate knowing that our adventure is as exciting on here as it is to live it. We can’t wait to turn each corner knowing that it could bring something new. I’m with you too! My husband has traveled to the UK, but I haven’t. I would love to visit sometime as it is one of my favorite places for history! We look forward to sparking that fire more as we reveal this true beauty of Virginia!
Cleydael?
Oh wow, you are so close!! But no its not Cleydael. I will be going to this plantation very soon for a picnic with the King George History Society as a guest to talk about my plantation! Good guess though!
Reblogged this on petit4chocolatier and commented:
This is awesome! I never realized that Virginia had so many vineyards-beautiful! I am definitely reblogging this. Thank you for sharing.