Monday was the perfect kind of Monday…a day out in Virginia wine country!

My first stop was the new Early Mountain Vineyards, north of Charlottesville in Madison (more to come on this great winery in an upcoming article). Stops 2 and 3 were wines I love but wineries I had yet to visit, Pollak Vineyards and Veritas Winery, both west of Charlottesville.

Pollak Vineyards

I pulled up to Pollack just as the skies opened for a massive summer thunderstorm. Even in the rain, it’s a gorgeous spot. Vineyards surround the beautiful tasting room which is full of windows looking out to the lake. There’s also a great patio and wrap around porch you can relax on to enjoy the vineyard, lake and mountain views.

This small family-owned winery west of Charlottesville was founded in 2003 and opened their tasting room and patio in 2008. Today they have 27 acres of French vines and their focus is on making estate grown wine with “the finesse and balance of the traditional French varietals.” I first tasted their wines at the Virginia Wine Expo in February.

For a rainy Monday, the tasting room was quite busy but that didn’t keep Casey from helping us all through the tastings of their wines, twelve in total. I really like Pollak’s red wines, especially the 2009 which are showing very nicely. I brought home a bottle of their Viognier as it’s a perfect tropical tangy white for summer. The fun surprise of the tasting…

2009 Mille Fleurs

  • Variety: blend of late harvest Viognier, Chardonnay and eau-de-vie Brandy
  • Aroma: Apricot and honey
  • Taste: Peach marmalade
  • Price: $30
  • My thoughts: This was a great surprise! I’m not a sweet wine fan or brandy fan but boy was this yummy! With lots of floral, fig and hazelnut notes, it truly reminded me of a marmalade. It would be the perfect after dinner drink with a cheese plate.

Veritas Winery

Finally I made it out to see the stunning setting of Veritas. You pull around the bend in the country road and through the Veritas entrance, you are welcomed by breathtaking views of vineyards climbing the slope with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. I had to stop to take a photo.

Since tasting Veritas Wines, made by the very talented Emily Hodson, at the Wine Bloggers Conference last summer, I’ve enjoyed them every time I have the chance. This visit was no exception.

Veritas Winery is a family business owned by Andrew and Patricia Hodson, opened in June 2002. Emily is their daughter. Their focus is on producing a range of complex and elegant wines in an idyllic setting.

The upscale farmhouse vibe fills their tasting room, event space, grounds and even their new inn. Virginia cork LOVE greeted me as I entered the tasting room.

Page walked me through a tasting of ten wines. Most I’ve tasted and all are lovely. I was super excited to finally taste the…

Mousseaux

  • Variety: 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Chardonnay
  • Aroma: Bright red fruit
  • Taste: Elegant sparkling raspberry and strawberry
  • Price: $30
  • My thoughts: WOW! As a sparkling fan, I loved this wine! It tastes lovely and is a gorgeous salmon pink color. Made in the traditional Champagne method, where second fermentation is completed in the bottle to trap the bubbles, it takes three years to make this wine. I had to bring home a bottle.

That was all the time I had on Monday but it was the perfect amount for three great stops, all worth your visit and sip.

Cheers to more fabulous Virginia wine!