We decided to start the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop as soon as we got to the area.
We followed the loop counterclockwise. Glen Manor Vineyards was pretty and had friendly staff, though they hesitated to believe I was old enough to drink. All the wines were quite nice, and had we thought ahead we would have brought a picnic lunch to sit on the grounds with a glass of wine. I do recommend this winery, it would be a great place to picnic and enjoy the scenery. You can see the vineyards on the hills in the distance and the staff gave a great account of the Winery's history.
After the first winery we decided to stop in Luray and grab lunch at Aritisans Grill. Nick ordered the "Porter", a fried oysters sandwich, while I got the "Homer", a Barbeque pork sandwich. We really enjoyed our lunch. Luray is a beautiful little town and worth a stop for lunch.
The next stop on the loop is Wisteria Farm and Vineyard. Though we enjoyed the wine, I would not have minded skipping this place altogether. It was a 45 minute drive from Glen Manor and 30 minutes away from our next stop, which was Copper Fox. I was also not impressed with the staff. One lady was a little more rude about not believing I was over 21, we didn't get as much history of the place, and it was not as inviting as the other wineries we've been to.
Based on how much time was spent driving for the second winery, we decided to skip the two "Bonus Excursion" wineries and headed straight to the Copper Fox Distillery. We arrived just in time for a tour. Our tour guide was great and showed us the entire process they use for making Whiskey. They do not offer tastings, but this is worth a stop!
Gadino Cellars had lovely grounds and great staff! They were friendly and knowledgeable about the wine. It was all enjoyable. Though we only left with a bottle of Luminoso, we did enjoy most of the wines we tasted.
Though not on the map, Narmada is not far out of the way. It has a wonderful view and a deck with tables. They serve food and even have a food and wine pairing option for tastings. We only did the wine tasting, but I really enjoyed the uniqueness of all the wine. The owners are Indian and have managed to bring their culture and tastes into Virginia wine. Do not miss this place!
Rappahannock Cellars had large, beautiful grounds (though at this point, what Virginia winery is not beautiful?), though I found it too busy to enjoy and the person doing our tasting was more concerned about talking to his friends at the end of the table rather than engaging us in conversation. He knew about the wine he was serving, but would tell us about it quickly then disappear to the end of the counter. After pouring our last wine he quickly left. We debated on buying a bottle, but they were just too busy so we paid our fee and left.
This tour does save the best for last. Chester Gap Cellars was our favorite stop. This is the only winery with such a view that I just had to stop and take a picture, even though I only had my crappy phone camera, which does not do it justice.
They have a deck with the most wonderful view we had seen all day, though we did not have enough time to enjoy a glass of wine on the deck before they closed. Their staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and just plain fun to be around! The tasting was great, and since it was the end of the day we even got to taste a wine that was not typically offered on the tasting menu.
All in all it was a great wine loop, though cutting out the second winery and going clockwise from Glen Manor Vineyards might be a good idea.
After completing the wine loop we headed back into Front Royal to check into the Lackawanna Bed and Breakfast. The ownders, Sandy and Phil were incredibly nice people. Phil use to be a photographer for the National Gallery of Art and showcases his collection of antique cameras in the upstairs hallway. Sandy made a fantastic breakfast and they were both helpful during our visit.
We stayed in the J. Webster room and were really impressed. The entire house was beautifully decorated and kept clean. Our bed was comfortable and the room included a TV with a DVD and VHS player. Phil had an entire bookcase filled with movies for guests to watch.
After checking in we drove to downtown Front Royal and had dinner at the Main Street Mill. They had a great menu and the service could not have been quicker. We really enjoyed our steaks and crabcakes! The downtown area was really pretty, but all the shops were closed for the evening so we headed back to the B&B.
On Sunday morning we went downstairs for breakfast and Sandy had fixed a delicious breakfast of poached eggs, hash, blueberry pancakes and watermelon. They also had coffee, tea, and juice. After breakfast we checked out and headed back to MD.
Though we were only there for a short visit, I highly recommend the wineries in the area and the Lackawanna B&B. We definitely plan on returning for a longer visit!
Sorry for the lack of photos in this post. I need to get a good camera!
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