I love going out to Fauquier County for a lot of reasons - it's not a far drive from either Richmond or Northern Virginia, you can make a whole day out of your trip, and it's a beautiful disconnect from traffic, technology, crowded homes, and everything else that is weighing on our minds these days.
While I love writing about wineries, I also like sharing my favorite spots beyond the wineries as in my no-at-all-biased opinion Virginia is the best of the 50 states, and worth exploring! With fall coming up there's even more options for family fun, so I've done three 'pick your path' of fun spots (and of course) wineries to choose from.
In this first post we are going to explore Delaplane. Located less than an hour on Interstate 66 from most of Northern Virginia, Delaplane is very convenient with lots of things to do!
Winery Route
There are over a dozen wineries in Delaplane/Markham and I like many of them, so it's a little hard to choose just a few to mention! I'm going to focus on some that may meet different needs for different folks, especially during COVID.
Great Wine, Great Service - Delaplane Cellars
Delaplane Cellars is my favorite winery along the Route 17 corridor. Not only do you get a beautiful view if you sit in the right place, the wine is worth the visit! While the patio area is 21+, their picnic area does now allow children and gives you a little more room to spread out.
The winery is under new ownership, and there's plenty to look forward to. In chatting with the General Manager, Angelo, there are plan to add Reisling to the estate vines, and I'm very excited that they plan to release a buttery chardonnay next year.
Currently, Delaplane provides a flight of 2 whites and 2 reds for $10, with all 4 available by the glass and about 20 more wines available by the bottle. The staff definitely want to help you find a wine you like, so I got to try a couple other red varietals that were open to help me find the perfect choice! Out of the four my favorites were the 2018 Petit Mensang (not something I usually go for but it was a dry version while still preserving the fruit flavors), and the 2017 Left Bank reserve which was a blend of 40% Cab Franc and 20% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. It was smooth while still have the slight smokiness, slight earthiness, and acidity on the end to preserve the character of each wine in the blend.
If you're back in a red mood this fall I highly recommend their Duet Series (Cab Franc/Merlot blend and much smooth than I expected) - the 2019 is a little more peppery than their 2016. For Cabernet Sauvignon fans check out Piedmont Station - it was drier than I expected but still has plenty of fruit flavor.
Good Wine (and Cheese) and Good Times - Barrel Oak and Aspen Dale
If you're looking for a more social vibe or a place to hang out with kids or larger groups (though not larger than 10 during COVID), Barrel Oak Winery and Farm Taphouse has a very relaxed vibe and lots of wine options as well as beer. I always enjoy their Norton whenever I visit.
Aspen Dale Winery is one of the smaller wineries along this route, but I really like the rustic, farm-like atmosphere because you can find your own little space to be away from everyone and walk around the farm grounds. Everyone goes here for the sage cheese and it's definitely worth it! They have Red, White, and Sweet flights right now with food pairing which is not the case for most wineries. I went it the summer and enjoyed the refreshing bright pink sangria, but their Rockwalkin is Cabernet Sauvignon dominent and very balanced for a nice fall drink.
Exclusive Tour, Gorgeous View - RdV Vineyards
If you are looking for a gorgeous winery view, arguably the best one in the area is at RdV Vineyards. This is not a visit you can make every day (the visit is $70 by appointment only), but it was a very enjoyable one! What makes this visit stand out is the very extensive winery tour prior to your tasting.
Owned by former Marine Rutger de Vink, much has been invested in the building, vine placement, and grape processing equipment in his quest to make "the next iconic American wine". I'm not going to give all the behind-the-scenes tour away because I want you to get your money's worth, but you can check out a couple pictures below (there's a cave involved!).
After the tour, you can sit on the patio or under a tent looking out into the vines and mountains while enjoying two red wines, a very nice glass of Dom Pérignon, and a light charcuterie board.
Fall Farm Fun
One of the most popular farms in Northern Virginia is Hollin Farms. Less than 5 miles off the Route 17 main drag, this three generation family farm is open May through October.
In the fall, make sure your kitchen is ready for pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, fall greens, potatoes, and squash!
Valley View Farms is a newcomer and not as expansive, but has a little something for everyone. You can pick apples, pears, and pumpkins in the fall along with blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and peaches in the summer. They also sell Virginia beverages from Gnarled Orchard Hard Cidery, Nobel Hive Meadery, Valley View Cellars, and Strother Family Vineyards as well as local products in their farm market, so you get the best of both worlds if you don't have a lot of time.
Markham: 10 minutes down the road there's even more options, and Markham is just a cute place to drive through in General. Sadly Stribling Orchard is not open this season due to COVID and other factors but Hartland Orchard not only has apples but also a corn maze, apple donuts, caramel apples, and apple cider slushies. It's like a mini apple festival!
Walk off the Treats
One of my favorite spots in Fauquier County is Sky Meadow State Park - I feel it is one of the lesser-known parks in Virginia but it's beautiful. There's picturesque overlooks, peaceful creeks, and fields of flowers depending on the time of year. It's gotten more crowded during the pandemic, so if you want to avoid the crowd I would recommend going before 10AM or in the late afternoon.
Nature Walk - if you're looking for more of a stroll to burn your calories (I still recommend tennis shoes or at least boots), the Boston Mill Road Loop that just outside the Visitor's Center is a nice walk with a combination of forest and fields. I also really like the 2.5 mile Rolling Meadows trail, which can be accessed from the Lost Mountain entrance a little further down the road. Several photos from that hike are below - it's usually less trafficked that the main entrance but just as pretty. What's also nice is if you need a shorter distance there's several shortcuts along the way.
If you're looking for a workout, I recommend the 2 mile round trip Ambassador Whitehouse trail (no don't blame me for getting worn out - despite sharing a namesake we are not family as far as I know, although he is related to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse). It is very steep going up but very nice going back down! This trail also connects to the Appalachian Trail and the North Ridge Trail for those who would like a longer hike.
If you're a visual person like me, here is a trail map to help you out.
Favorite Photo Spot
If the parks, wineries, and farms aren't enough of a photo op, one of my favorite spots to snag a photo is off Gap Run Road. It is off Route 50 just before its intersection with Route 17 so you'll probably need to take a U-turn. It's hard to find a place to stop but if there's no cars coming it's worth stopping for 15 seconds to soak in the view and snap a photo from your car.
Add to your trip ...If you're up for an even longer scenic drive, turn onto Route 50 towards, Winchester, then take a right onto either Route 601 or Route 606 for some dirt road driving, fun windy roads, and even more things to do in Loudoun County via Bluemont and Middleburg.
Share your thoughts about your favorite spots in Delaplane!
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