Visiting Virginia's Wine Country

In case you didn't know, April has been officially dubbed: Virginia Vineyard Month. Every year, Virginia teams up with the Virginia Wine Board and Virginia Tourism to promote Virginia's burgeoning wine industry and throughout the month, there are additional events for visitors to enjoy the scenery, the music, and yes, the wine. Despite the fact that the month is over, there are still plenty of reasons to make a trip to Virginia wine country!

With over 280 wineries populating the state, Virginia ranks within the top 5 wine destinations in the US. In fact, Virginia wine has become so popular that local wineries are having trouble keeping up with the demand. After visiting some of the wineries, it’s easy to see why these grapes are so beloved!

There are quite a few decorated wineries in the region, but a handful are especially notable. This map from Reston Limo highlights the top 10 wineries in the state based on the accolades that they earned in 2016.

1. Grey Ghost Vineyards - 67
2. Pearmund Cellars - 58
3. Narmada Winery - 51
4. Cansel Vineyard & Winery - 42
5. Barboursville Vineyards - 34
6. Morais Vineyard & Winery - 30
7. Cana Vineyard & Winery - 30
8. Winery at Bull Run - 29
9. Chateau Morrisette - 26
10. Pollak Vineyards - 25

The map can come in handy when making weekend plans with friends and family. From the heart of Washington, DC, the drive over to Narmada Winery is a reasonable hour and twenty minutes - just about perfect for a day trip to relax and get away from the city. That’s close enough that there are transportation services that will help you get there - especially if you plan on enjoying the fruits of the vine with a couple of glasses (or bottles) of the award-winning wine.

Whether you plan on visiting the Virginia wineries for Vineyard Month next April, over Mother’s Day weekend later in May, or this summer with friends -- you’re guaranteed to have a great experience. The moral of the story here is that you should visit at least once; it’s worth it!