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Breaux Vineyards
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Wineries Food Wineries Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Wineries, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
36888 Breaux Vineyards LnPurcellville, VA 20132
(540) 668-6299
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
56 reviews for Breaux Vineyards
56 reviews in English
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Review from Jon S.
Fairfax, VA
3/31/2012
By far, this is one of the most picturesque vineyards in Northern Virginia. Full disclosure: it's so beautiful, I got married there last September. If you're interested in a beautiful spot for a wedding of another special occasion, please call Reagan who handles their events. She'll take great care of you.
On to the wine. It's okay. Breaux will offer the most varietals of any of it's neighbors in the Loudoun County region. However, they fall into the trap that too many Virginia wineries get themselves into... quantity over quality. They have solid Sauv Blanc, Jennifer's Jambalaya, and their cheapest red called Equation is a Bordeaux blend that we very much enjoy. Just recently had their Malbec and it was good as well.
But then they veer off with high priced (and well known) varietals like Cab Franc, Merlot, and Cab Sauv as well as the lesser known Nebiollo. They high priced and, IMHO, not that good and VERY expensive.
Overall, Breaux is worth a visit or two... or three. The big positive is that they keep getting better, which is something I can't say about its neighbors. -
Review from MacRae O.
5/15/2012 3 photos
Often when I tell people how much husband and I enjoy visiting Virginia wineries, I'm breathily asked if I've visited Breaux yet, as if it's some kind of Virginia wine Gold Standard. After one too many eager inquiries, I decided I must be missing out and put Breaux on our Mother's Day wine-tinerary. Um, I wasn't missing out. Yes, Breaux's setting is pretty and bucolic, and the tasting room is nice. But I felt like I was at a cattle call.
When we arrived about half an hour after opening, they were already quite busy. We stood around shuffling our feet while the only two tasters at the bar attempted to find a square of real estate for our party of four. We finally squeezed into a wee space and our lackluster tasting was underway.
The lags between pours felt interminable (and the pours, when they came, were tiny even by tasting standards). The women working the bar seemed frazzled by the volume of people. Moms commented she felt a bit neglected. And it's not that our taster herself was bad; in fact, she was quite good, hard-working, and informative. But to have only two tasters on a glorious spring weekend -- Mother's Day nonetheless -- seems like a detrimental lack of foresight. We were jostled about the bar by the deepening crowd as we waited (and waited) between wines.
The wines themselves were decent, with the reds standing out more than the whites. We sampled '10 Sauvignon Blanc, '10 Madeleine's Chardonnay, '11 Rosé, '07 Cabernet Franc Reserve, '07 Merlot, '07 Meritage, '07 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Chère Marie off-dry Vidal Blanc, and '10 Nebbiolo Ice. I liked the Meritage and Merlot, but Breaux's bottle prices (particularly the reds at $32 each) are unusually steep for Virginia wineries, so I wasn't tempted to buy any.
For $10 I'd hoped to have a more personal and enjoyable tasting, like the ones I've enjoyed at so many Virginia vineyards. I don't really get why Breaux garners a lion's share of Loudoun's wine accolades...but at least now I can say been there, done that, and I just didn't feel the Breaux-mance.Listed in: Wino Forever, I Think I'm Alone Now...
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Review from Shachi B.
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Neaux Thanks.
Small pours (as in, smaller than other people tasting the same stuff!), staff who treated us like they were doing us a favor by gracing us with their presence and mediocre-to-poor wines created a very unenjoyable tasting experience for my friends and I. If this is the best that Purcellville has to offer, then I guess I'll never be back. -
Review from Emily A.
4/18/2012
Would probably rate with 3.5 stars. Breaux is a very pretty winery and they have lots of great events. A couple friends of ours are members here so we've been a few times. I am a fan of most of their wines, and I enjoy picnicking at the vineyard. Anything you get there is a pretty safe bet. I also have noticed that they serve Breaux wine at quite a few VA and DC restaurants so it's likely gaining in popularity.
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Review from Tochi K.
Germantown, MD
10/7/2011
For me, the vineyard experience is about good wine (and a few bad), interesting conversations with your server or the owner, and the overall experience. With that said, this vineyard did nothing for me. Their tasting fee was decent but higher than others around. Our of the 4 vineyards I visited that day, their wine was the 2nd worst.
The place was crowded and I could hardly hear our server, who seemed bored our of his mind and to clearly not enjoy his job. The vineyard is large, grandiose, clean, and well ... superficial.
If you are looking for something intimate, special, and memorable this isn't it. If you just want to drink something palatable, don't really care about the wine, and feel like you are hanging out with "the right crowd" this is your place. -
Review from Ashley V.
Alexandria, VA
11/20/2011
Breaux was the second stop on our vineyard tour on a fall Sunday. (Let me preface this review by stating that we did visit Notaviva before, which had only two other couples there while we were tasting; and ended with Hiddencroft and were the only people there, so these were a much more intimate experience). The scenery at Breaux was very pretty.
As we pulled up, so did a mini-bus. We rushed inside (before the mini-bus) to realize it was already pretty busy and crowded in there. The room was a bit noisy, as well. I understand they probably can't help the number of people who visit their vineyard, but this was a bit of a turn-off to me and hence the lower rating. As a result, our server seemed pretty frenzied and stressed. It took her awhile to even charge our card (which was necessary to get us started), because other people were using the machine. Then, she was pouring wine, when needed, with little explanation. I think she was stretched too thin with the crowd, but again, it gave us a less than stellar experience.
The wine was not anything extraordinary. It was pretty average, in my opinion. My husband enjoyed the Nebbiolo, and my favorite was the Nebbiolo Ice. My friend enjoyed their olive oil, and did leave with a small bottle of that. However, we did not buy any wine.
I am a bit surprised to hear they are the top Virginian vineyard for the fourth consecutive year after our experience. I have been to several other vineyards in the Virginia area that I have enjoyed much more, but perhaps, with that award, I should give it another try. If you don't mind a lot of other people joining you for a tasting, it's probably great for you. But, if you prefer a more relaxing and intimate wine tasting experience, I'd probably recommend looking elsewhere. -
Review from Chris D.
4/26/2011
Breaux is great for three kinds of people.
1) Couples who want to get out "to the country" and sample wines in a fantastic location. This was us and since we accidentally timed it so the countless cherry trees were in blossom, the scene was fairly... idyllic. Comments resembling "screw DC, come here for the cherry blossoms" were not uncommon in our group.
2) Groups of women who lush wine, wear impractical footwear to wineries and like to talk really loud. Well, I'm pretty much the opposite of all these things so I can't be certain... but judging from the vast number of said groups, I can infer.
3) Guys who like to hit on those who fall into #2.
Truth be told, the crowd was fairly young, rather douchey and because it was somewhat cold that day, the inside space was very hot and very loud. We went outside and drank until we couldn't feel our faces (wine or cold? both?), so none of this really bothered us.
Oh and they have some impressive (for) Virginia wines too.Listed in: Are you LoCo?, Grape Juice for Adults
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Review from Colleen F.
Middleburg, VA
1/15/2012 6 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite vineyards. The wines are good, the staff is very friendly. Love attending the events they have throughout the year. If its a nice day the outdoor patio and picnic areas offer a beautiful view of the vineyard with rolling hills and mountainous backdrop. Even on rainy days and cold days I have enjoued myself at one of the in door or covered seating areas. Also this is a dog friendly vineyard which is always a plus for me.
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Review from Tracy K.
7/26/2011 2 photos
This was the second stop of the day for myself and my group of friends who were doing wine tastings at various vineyards in Virginia wine country.
My first impression was that Breaux is immaculately clean, so the drive up to the parking lot was so scenic and lovely. Breaux obviously takes pride in the upkeep of their grounds and it shows! We walked from the parking area towards the building and an employee let us know we could do tastings outdoors under a tent or inside. Since it was very hot that day, we opted for inside. As we walked in, they had live music on the patio area outside, which was very cute. Inside, the tasting room is moderately sized, but it was a little difficult to find space for a group of six to find space at the bar.
The tasting was the most expensive of the day at $10, but you got the opportunity to sample 10-11 wines, which was more than the other vineyards we visited. My main gripe with the tasting was that everything felt just a little too rehearsed. Although the woman knew a lot of facts about the wines, it just seemed to staged and not authentic... less of a "conversation" between our group and her about the wines and more of just a "presentation". It wasn't quite as home-y feeling as our previous stop (Bluemont).
I felt a little rushed towards the end because there were people waiting to do tastings after us, so our group went outside to take pictures before purchasing wines. I have to say, this would be a great place for a photoshoot! -
Review from Sarah A.
10/23/2011
The grounds are beautiful I will give them that. However, the staff is at best unorganized and uncoordinated, but really just RUDE! We had a reservation, but were told they didn't do reservations. Um, okay then why did you take a reservation over the phone?!?! The next person said they do do reservations and were going to put us in a special room for the tasting. Well that didn't happen. After waiting 30 minutes through the disorganization we couldn't take it anymore and left. Also, beware there are TONS of fruit flys everywhere which is just gross. We did not see them at any other wineries so I'm not sure what the problem is but they need to work on that. The wines might be good (since we didn't get to try any I don't know), but it just isn't worth it!
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Review from Stanley S.
Alexandria, VA
7/14/2011
I went to Breaux several months ago with some friends and it was freaking sweet. They had a great wines in their flight especially their Cabernet Fanc (the Cajun/Lafayette) and their 2006 Nebbiolo.
Seriously this Nebbiolo was crazy good! It is $40, but unlike some other expensive wines, you are getting your moneys worth with it.
Just thinking about that wine makes me thirsty. Another great thing about the location of this vineyard is that its so close to other Virginia vineyards, which, from my experience, aren't half bad! -
Review from Jade N.
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I recently had some family in from out of town, and wanted them to experience Virginia Wine Country. I was very excited to go to Breaux Vineyards after hearing and reading such wonderful things about it. However, I'm a little saddened that I am not able to give this place more stars.
The Good- The winery itself is located on a beautifully manicured set of land out towards Harper's Ferry. They have a lovely picnic area with chairs and tables, and, they do not mind that people bring their own food. The seating area outside is rather large, so there were enough seats and tables for everyone even on a busy Saturday afternoon.
The Bad- As other Yelpers mentioned, the fruit fly's were OUT OF CONTROL! In the main tasting room, the fruit fly's were plentiful, but bearable. However it was extremely busy so they offered to do tastings on the closed in patio. On the patio, the fly's were so bad and they kept flying into the wine. To make matters even worse, a musician was playing music and we could not hear a word the server said. Don't get me wrong, the musician was REALLY good, but just not so close to the tasting area. I complained, and gently told one of the servers that they "really" shouldn't do tastings out on that patio, and they were nice enough to offer another complementary tasting inside. However at this point we were just so annoyed with the whole experience, we left. As for the wine, I was totally unimpressed. The Meritage 2006 was yucky, the aftertaste had to be one of the worst I've ever tasted in a wine. The Equation was also pretty awful. The oak finish was so strong, it was like I ate a piece of oak. The Sauvignon Blanc was way to dry. The only wines that were "decent" were the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Madeline's Chardonnay and, although those wines were ok, they were not worth the over 20 dollar price tag.
Bottom line- beautiful location, lackluster service and awful wine. I never like to knock a place without providing "what would've made me happy" and therefore if I had been offered a refund on the tasting and a free tasting for the inconvenience I would've given this place a better review. -
Review from Sheri G.
10/18/2010
Breaux, pronounced "bro," is a lovely winery in Western Loudoun Country. They have a really quaint patio with pretty views of their grape vines and the nearby hills.
Some people think the $10 tasting fee is a little steep, but you do get to try 12 wines which I think is a good deal. The wines are good, too!
My favorite whites were the 2009 viognier and the Jolie blond. Jennifer's Jambalaya was an excellent dessert wine. It only has 1.5 or 2% residual sugar, so it wasn't overly sweet at all; quite complex, actually. They make an ice wine here too which I believe is rare in Virginia. I've only had ice wines from British Columbia. Ice wine is made from grapes harvested after the first frost which makes them quite sweet. At Breaux they frost the grapes themselves, I'm guessing since VA's first frost occurs pretty late in the season. My husband is a big red drinker, and he was happy to buy bottles of the viognier and the jambalaya.
I wasn't as blown away by their reds. The 2006 Meritage was the best. It was complex with a blend of 5 different types of grapes. We liked it but not enough to buy it.
If you are checking out wineries near Purcellville, definitely add Breaux to your list! -
Review from Neal E.
7/21/2007
Other reviewers seem to be stuck on making comparisons between Virginia and California wines and then making a value judgment that California is always better. I disagree with this limited, linear style of thinking. It's okay to like more than one wine, or more than one wine region. And quite frankly - many Virginia wines are excellent! Get over it naysayers!
Virginia wineries are typically small and thus offer a rather intimate experience. Breaux is no different. As you approach the main building where the wine tastings take place - note the architectural elements of the building - it gives me a sense of being in the Mediterranean.
Breaux makes excellent red wines - the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot are my favorites. I always leave with several bottles in hand. Their reds have won numerous awards in wine competitions. Last time I was there - there was a nominal wine tasting fee - pay it and enjoy the tastings!
Breaux also has a variety of smoked foods, cheese, and bread available to purchase. After the tasting, buy a bottle of your favorite wine, some smoked goodies and cheese, and sit down for an enjoyable and delicious snack!Listed in: Exploring Virginia Wine…
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Review from heynow g.
Fairfax, VA
8/20/2008
This was my first wine tasting. I preferred the whites over the reds. On the menu, one of the latter was accurately described as having hints of tar and tobacco - not my thing. The whites were progressively sweeter. The last one is a dessert wine that my friend said is like an ice wine.
I'm glad that it was at such a beautiful locale. I felt like I was in an Anthony Hopkins film about 19th century England, sitting on the lawn in black iron, ornate chairs, overlooking the rolling mountains and rows of grape plants growing in symmetry. Unfortunately for the rest of humanity, when I drink, I get loud, boisterous and sloppy. Also, my sweet blood seems to attract gnats.
I preferred the coy baby kittens to the mama cat outside.
I liked the unpretentious chattiness of our wine pourer. This is not a place to sample the grapes (note to Jim), given the warning and caution signs guarding them.
It's news to me that Virginia seems like a vibrant place for vineyards. I hope to try more soon. -
Review from Lynn M.
Washington, DC
9/4/2010
Yummmm! The wines here are among the best I've tried in Virginia! The winery is very pretty, in a little valley. It's not as picturesque as it's neighborhood Hillsborough Wineries, which is on top of the mountain, but what it lacks in elevation, it more than compensates in the quality of the wine and the breadth of the vineyard. Breaux grows all of its own fruit, and the vines run right up to the edge of the mountains. The horizontal of the vines, vertical of the hills--it's lovely.
I particularly loved Jennifer's Jambalaya, the Meritage, and the Nebbiolo. Overall, the wines, service, and the scenery make for a really fun afternoon. -
Review from Lucy L.
Winchester, VA
5/23/2008
My favorite winery in Virginia. Staff are always friendly, never pretentious. Love their wines, the Jolie Blond is my favorite on a hot summer day and their reserve reds are always great.
However, although the wines are good, the events held here are a blast. The Key West Fest in July is something I look forward to every summer. They have a Jimmy Buffet cover band, parrotheads everywhere and lots of people just drinking wine, dancing, and having a great time. What could be better than that?
There is also usually a good selection of cheese and fresh baguette. I have a lot of good memories here. -
Review from Lemon C.
Washington, DC
Updated - 7/18/2010 3 photos
I went back for their Cajun Festival and my boyfriend and I enjoyed the hayride they offered through the vineyard. I bought some delicious sweet white wines! I got the: Nebbiolo Ice - Late Harvest Wine (my bf and I drank 2 bottles of this there) and the Chère Marie. Then I got a deep red wine - EQUATION Merlot "X". The other white wines they labeled as sweet just weren't very sweet to me.
Just make sure you bring a towel to sit on because we sat at their tables with chairs and a few of us went home with stains on the back of our pants. I think the trees have some sort of dark berry in it that fell down. I even discovered a stain on the front of my shirt.
They also have a Key West Festival in the summertime.Listed in: Wineries
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/8/2009
The ground were gorgeous! Perfect place to have a picnic. The wines I wasn't a fan of, but I like my… Read more »
Comment from Jennifer B. of Breaux Vineyards 8/8/2009
Thank you for taking the time to review Breaux Vineyards.… More » -
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Review from Eileen O.
Alexandria, VA
9/2/2007
I agree with Neal - there is no way to compare Virginia wines to California wines. They are completely different - as a result of the climates, soils, grapes - also known as the "terroir." If you like California wines, fine, but they are not the "standard" to which Virginia wines strive for - and you'll never find a good wine if you can't separate the two.
Anyhow, Breaux has never really stood out for me. I'm not a big fan of"citrusy" wines, and they seem to have a lot of them. The first white that I tried here this year tasted like grapefruit. That's all I could taste for the remainder of the tasting.
I'd like to try their library tasting sometime - it costs more, but I'd be interested to see what else they've got.
They also have friendly pourers, and people who are ready to talk to you about the wine-making process. Check the calendar before you go. They have a lot of special events, and on some days you may show up and find that you have to pay $10 for the entertainment, even though you only want a tasing.Listed in: Virginia Wineries
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Review from Sam R.
Ashburn, VA
3/13/2007
So I'll preface this by saying if you're from the West coast, and your memories drift to Napa and Sonoma ... well, close but no cigar. Breaux, or pretty much any other VA winery isn't gonna hold a candle with that whole experience.
But -- you're on the East coast, and you gotta make due. Do you just enjoy a good bottle of wine and kicking back with friends or a date and having a good time? In that case, you've come with the right attitude and found a place worth visiting.
I am by no means a wine snob .. in other words, you're never gonna hear me talk about "hints of leather, rich smokey notes with layers of suede and dark chocolate undertones ..." I mean, I'm drinking wine not chewing on a pair of Uggs. Put a glass of wine in front of me, I'll drink it. If it tastes good, I'm happy. If it tastes great, I'll buy a few bottles for later.
Luckily, the wines at Breux were all good. I'd have to say my favorites were the Merlot and Viognier. We didn't do the tour, but hit up the wine tasting which was $5. Nice selection and sample of wines -- whites, reds and then dessert tastings.
The do serve food here, but it consists of the typical pre-packaged cheeses, meats and of course, french bread. They usually offer up some type of soup as well.
Grab a few bottles, grab some food, and then park yourselves on the patio which offers up expansive and beautiful views of the mountains and vineyards and enjoy. -
Review from Ana B.
Silver Spring, MD
Updated - 9/7/2010
After spending my three day labor day weekend visiting most (the one's I didn't try was b/c they were close) of the wineries in the Clusters the Loudoun Heights Clusters, the Waterford Cluster, The Potomac Cluster, the Mosby Cluster, and the Harmony Cluster, and after at least 15 lbs gain, I can say unequivocally, that Breaux Winery is the BEST OF THE BEST!
As I stated in my other post, there are certain elements that make a winery a GREAT WINERY, and BREAUX has all of this elements
GREAT WINE (quality, variety & prices)
Friendly Service
Live Music
Fresh Warm Baguettes
Variety of cheeses and such
PICTURESQUE VIEWS
Manicure Lawn
I am BREAUX number one fan and my trainer number one enemy; I must stop this love for good wine and cheese! So if you have to choose just one place, take it from me BREAUX is the place to be!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/5/2010
As we (my man and I) were deciding what to do during this Labor Day weekend, we decided to do… Read more »
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Review from Tyler I.
Ashburn, VA
12/17/2009
What a beautiful location. This vineyard is exactlly what I imagine when I envision a winery. Rolling hill view, acres of vines, the mountains, the wine and of course, the wine. So nice it gets said twice.......sorry
There wine is fantastic. As opposed to some other wineries that claim to have good wine, their actually tastes great. The best part however is that they are dog friendly!
So dog friendly that they've held dog events where patrons bring their dogs and enjoy the wine. We love to bring our big dumb dog everywhere with us, he looks like a Jim Henson puppet and he loves the winery. I can not wait until the weather gets a little warmer to head back out for wine season and this will be my first stop. By the way, the only reason it's a 4/5 is because of the price increases, but hey who isnt these days? -
Review from Jon L.
10/17/2010
This is a great stopping off spot if you're headed to Hollywood Casino.
Now that Hollywood has table games, there's more of a reason to trek up
the rural highway to West Va.
Easy access off Route 9 near Hillsboro, like you're going to Harpers Ferry.
If you like red wine, you'll like this vineyard; their 2004 Merlot is excellent!
They've been voted best Virginia winery three times. The views of the Blue Ridge are exceptional.
It's interesting as they put a cajun spin on things. They have a Cajun fest in mid-June using outside tents for beating the summer heat complete with Zydeco bands and food vendors. -
Review from April H.
King of Prussia, PA
9/23/2010
We visited Breaux over Labor Day weekend and it was absolutely wonderful! The property was gorgeous and you could walk right up to the grapevines. I've heard they give tours of the grounds, but we didn't get a chance.
We came home with a bottle of 2007 Jolie Blonde and 2 bottles of the EQUATION Merlot. A few years back, my boyfriend's uncle bought a case of the 2002 Nebbiolo and still has 10 bottles because he is"saving it for a special occasion." haha -
Review from Kevin H.
Leesburg, VA
4/28/2009
So I normally don't write reviews about a place unless I've just been there, even places I've been to before. I just feel that things change every time you go to a restaurant, or anywhere for that matter. I am slightly breaking my own rules (hey, they were just made to be broken) on this one.
My wife (at the time we were still only dating) went to Breaux for our first time about three years ago. Our first wine experience in Northern Virginia was to Tarrara, which is on lovely grounds, but the wines honestly are vastly over-hyped (there's actually a very good reason for that, but that is neither here, nor there). We were taken care of by Bruce for our first experience and it was truly amazing. We had all the wines and fell in love with Breaux right there and then. This was our first experiencing the Nebiollo (many may know it by its other names; Barrollo and Barbaresco) varietal and again, just fell in love with it. We bought a bottle of 2002 right there which is still laying down in our cellar. Since then we have gotten three more bottles of the 2002 and one bottle of the rarer 2001.
Breaux is now almost a common stop for us, we taste, we buy a bottle, a loaf of bread, salami and cheese spread and enjoy a lovely day on the Breaux patio. We have at this point taken our entire families and most of our friends to experience Breaux. We are also Charter members of the Cellar Club thanks to my Best Man and his boyfriend as an engagement gift.
We try to attend as many events as we can; the varietal verticals, Cajun Fest (with a HUGE craw fish bake), Key West Fest and a host of other events.
If you haven't been to Breaux, and you consider yourself an Oenophile, then you're not an Oenophile, so get to Breaux. -
Review from Vanessa W.
Bethlehem, PA
3/9/2010
We visited Breaux with friends this past weekend. This was a side of Virginia I had never seen, and thoroughly enjoyed. The tastings cost $10 but included 14 different wines, including some that were not inexpensive. Samples were very ample. Their wines are award winning and have been used by the likes of Emeril and Martha Stewart. Really good.
The winery itself as others noted is beautiful and in a gorgeous location. We happened to be there on a weekend they were serving food (a rarity) so we grabbed the gumbo and headed out to the patio - divine. They do have cheese and crackers, as well as their wines available by the glass, available everyday. -
Review from Scott S.
Arlington, VA
4/23/2009
Beautiful place, beautiful wine. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, especially Jen, who the Jambalaya wine is named for.
Their reds shine, with all of them showing quality. Their merlot will make a believer out of the grape. Their cab sav is delicious and powerful.
Its difficult to talk further because it was all so even... everything was quality and equal to the next during the tasting.
I think the whites could be better, but that's hard to say. Their Chard was quality and I was happy enough to buy a bottle.
I joined their case club, and they give you some special bottles from good vintages that are otherwise not on the menu. Very nice touch!Listed in: Best Wineries in Virginia
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Review from John S.
Mount Airy, MD
7/11/2007
It's not Napa valley, but for Virginia this place is great. Wines are a good and the view is excellent. So I would recommend that you bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it.
They have numerous events throughout the year. One day we arrived (as usual) and noticed that there were quite a number of dogs in the picnic and Terrance along with their owners. I thought it was a little strange, but it turns out it was "Dog Days in the Vineyard". Great times and good wine.
If you want the place to yourself, come during the week and you have it to yourself. -
Review from Doug W.
Alexandria, VA
10/21/2009
We loved Breaux! This was the first stop on our wine tour for the day. It was awesome!
The wine was very good. The service was excellent (our pourer was Katie - from WVU). The property is beautiful.
This is a great place to bring some food and enjoying sitting out on their lawn. We saw several families there with kids (but none of it was annoying).
We arrived just after they opened for the day. By the time we left (hour and a half, maybe) they were getting busy. It was a beautiful weekend day so I'm not surprised.
The next time we have friends in town who want to go taste wine we will be bringing them to Breaux. It's about a hour's drive from DC but totally worth going (back) to. -
Review from Amanda B.
Washington, DC
10/26/2009
Their wines were very good and the tasting menu is quite long. The reds were especially good. Be wary of the sweet wines though, they are like pure sugar. The scenery is gorgeous and they have plenty of space to sit outside and enjoy the hills.
The reason for 3 stars is the poor bartender we had. She skipped one of the wines on the list, and despite 3 of the 4 of us noticing this, she claimed that only our other friend must have been paying attention. A bit insulting. Then, she almost skipped another wine on the list, except someone pointed it out as she was starting to pour.
Otherwise, it was great. Our friends who had a different bartender noted the especially generous pours.
Also, dog friendly! -
Review from Zoe T.
Arlington, VA
7/18/2010
Fantastic location to sit outside during the spring and the fall to have a picnic. The wines are wonderful and the location can't be beat just at the base of the mountains near the WV, VA border.
It can get crazy on weekends but the staff does a good job of keeping everyone organized and getting everyone tasting or bottles to drink outside.
They are the second largest grape producer in the state of Virginia and their white wines are excellent chilled outside. They have picnic tables and ample space outside to enjoy the scenery and take in the gorgeous views. Grounds are always kept up by staff even at the busy times. Within 5 minutes of a number of other wineries in the area for a day of tasting, would recommend setting aside more time for Breaux than the others:) -
Review from Angela L.
Alexandria, VA
12/2/2008
First, a quick note: I just moved from California and I went to this winery on my very first visit to NoVA wine country.
Because neither of us wanted an entire tasting, we decided to split a white tasting and a red tasting for a total of $10. It was a rather busy Saturday afternoon so we were taken to the back room for a more quiet tasting.
We did the tasting with a couple which didn't have much to say or ask other than "this is dry" or "I like this." We're those obnoxious people who ask lots of questions about how the wine is made and the winery itself but the situation did not lend itself to that. Hence no real comments from me on anything other than the taste of the wines.
Back to topic..we enjoyed Breaux Vinyards and will likely be back. Downsides were a very corporate feel and what we felt were immature wines.
We purchased the Madeline Chardonnay (unoaked but tasted as such, if I remember correctly), Lafayette (which is a fancy name for Cabernet Franc), and Jen's Jambalaya (an interesting white blend). -
Review from Colleen M.
Reston, VA
10/17/2010
After our experience, I'm not sure how anyone could give this place a positive review.
The property is stunning and has great views, but that's where it ends. There was a wedding there and it was closing early, and we got there about 15 min before close. I got that, since it was a beautiful fall Saturday and it's high season for VA vineyard weddings, but instead of apologizing and inviting us to come back another time, we were rudely told that we could only do either a red or a white tasting but not both. Guess they wanted our money without having to, you know, work for it. It was 5 bucks for tiny droplets of only 3 wines that weren't even good. I paid less in freaking Napa!
I chose the whites and kinda liked their Chardonnay, but the guy "waiting" on us (if you even want to call it that) just POURED and didn't even say what we were drinking. We were so rushed through and the pourings were so paltry that I honestly don't remember if the wines were decent or not. I came in ready to buy a bottle, but the thought of giving those people more money made me ill. It looked like they had more than enough of it anyway because they were acting like we were such a huge inconvenience for daring to walk in and wanting to spend money. Then the guy asked us to leave our glasses and my boyfriend asked why we couldn't keep them, since most places in Va we've been to do that. The pourer scoffed and said "NO ONE does that anymore" like we didn't know what we were talking about. Umm, ok then how come the past two wineries we were at that day a) let us keep our glasses b) had better, more inexpensive wines and c) had a more homey venue without a corporate feel???!!!
Seriously, if you're ever out there, there are many more places that will give you a MUCH better experience than this overrated preteniousness. If they were so obsessed with their stupid overpriced weddings then they should have closed earlier. And for those of your that don't live in NoVa and wanted to come to wine country, you'd be sorely disappointed if you drove a long way to visit "Virginia's Best Winery" of 2010. According to who, I wonder???!!
If you're in the area I'd suggest Hillsbourough, Notaviva, or Sunset Hills. -
Review from Ashley A.
Updated - 10/19/2009 5 photos
HAH! Minus one star because they now get away with charging TEN DOLLARS PER PERSON PER TASTING. However, I was informed by one of the managers that contrary to what I was told at my last visit, you CAN still ask for separate tastings (only whites or reds) for $5; which is a pretty good deal considering how many varities they offer. One downside is you can't keep your tasting glasses any more.. boo (so I have a cabinet full of Breaux glasses, who's counting?)... but it makes sense, the glasses cost money and I'm sure it can't be good to continue losing so many of them during tastings.
At any rate, their wines are still SUPERB and they are DOG-FRIENDLY. Two huge bonuses in my book. One extra bonus cuz I always start up the ole' wedding talk with my bf when we go there and bathe in the lux Napa Valley-esque setting... (we saw a gorgeous white tent set up one day, complete with strung lights and silk-laiden tables and the whole shibang.. i got really excited). So, this place still rocks I just don't recommend paying the rather high tasting fee unless you've never had any of their wines before. But you can't really go wrong... nearly all of their wines are awesome.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/6/2008
They've actually changed their policy to $5 for tastings - white or red only. (i.e., it's $10 to… Read more »
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Review from Antonio M.
Arlington, VA
4/12/2010
Seriously one of THE best VA vineyards.
The views are spectacular, the wine is tasty (still a bit pricey for locally produced VA wine) but the staff are the best.
When you visit Breaux you'll notice that the layout of the customer centric area is beautifully designed. There are strategically placed trees providing shade, gazebos with tables and many staff keeping the area clean and proper.
I'm never disappointed whenever I visit Breaux and love the drive to this majestic vineyard with hundreds of acres. They grow their own grapes and they make all of their own wine. I find it hard to visit any other VA vineyard when this place has everything I'm looking for.
If you're a dog lover or have a furry companion (no, not your hairy husband or wife), you can bring along your favorite doggy friend. The staff does an amazing job at keeping the ground clean and I've never come across any doggy "surprises" despite all the hairy visitors. Plus, our two monkeys love seeing and playing with all the friendly dogs which often entertains them allowing Mommy and Daddy a few minutes of peace as we enjoy our tasty vino.
So if you do visit Breaux, here are a few hints:
1) Bring your own food; cheese, fruits or nuts but DO buy the freshly baked bread from Breaux. Makes for an even better experience.
2) Arrive early, find a nice spot to setup your blanket in a cool shady area.
3) Do do (Ha! I said doo doo) the wine tasting to sample and get an idea of which Breaux wine you'll enjoy.
4) Grab a bottle of Breaux wine and enjoy yourself and the wonderful view.
5) Relax, take a deep breath and just enjoy yourself, the wine and the company of your loved ones or friends. :-)
I'd give them 5-stars if the prices of their VA produced wine was a bit lower. Just seems a bit high to charge anything over $10 for wine produced in this state when I can go to my local Trader Joe's and pick up a great bottle of French wine for under $7. But I don't hold it against them as I still love visiting Breaux Vineyards and will visit them whenever possible. -
Review from Frank O.
Woodbridge, VA
1/18/2010
The vineyard here is gorgeous and there is a magnificent view of the mountains and the surrounding area. Definitely take in the scenery while here.
The tasting was a good experience, but I must say that none of the wines really jumped out at me here. I know a lot of people praise Breaux for the quality and taste of their wines, but there wasn't one that really jumped out at me here. Were the wines bad? Not at all. They were just average for me. I'd recommend coming here and seeing what your palate has to say about them, but for me, they just didn't live up to the hype I had heard. -
Review from Roger H.
Reston, VA
6/20/2011
Visited on Saturday, June 18th. They were having a Cajun-themed celebration. Entrance cost $20, which included a tasting, and not much else, really.
I felt that the tastings were rather on the stingey side. The guy at the gate said to me that you could keep trying different wines etc, but the truth was they give you a tasting of about 7 or 8 wines, which probably don't even come to half a regular wine glass in total (I'm serious).
I realize that tastings are not meant to be booze sessions, but I did not feel that I got value. They just want you to spend upwards of $25 on one of their bottles and continue drinking that.
I would say that if a Virginia winery wants to develop some kind of customer loyalty, don't try and rip off your potential long-term customers in this way, or you will remain on the fringes of the industry. I don't mind paying a bit over the odds, but don't take advantage of my wish to "buy local" by overcharging, or I'll stick to California wines.
By the way, I thought several of the reds were excellent, and the 2 of the whites were also great. I can't abide the sweet whites, though- reminds me of cheap German plonk from the 1980's (Liebfraumilch etc). And there's no way sweet white wine goes with seafood, as the guy giving the tasting had suggested.... -
Review from Shar G.
Los Angeles, CA
4/13/2010
I loved Breaux! The rose was the one wine that really stood out for me. Though the wine was good, the experience was better! It's a beautiful vineyard and the day we went for my friend's 30th bday, it was packed! The had booths up with local artisans, food booths, alpacas, and a jazz combo was performing. After our tasting we bought a few bottles of wine and plopped down on the grass and enjoyed a picnic. It was great!
I have only one negative thing to say about this place; they only have one bathroom and, of course, the ladies line was out the door. This was challenging since there had to be a least 200 people there the day I went.Comment from Jennifer B. of Breaux Vineyards 5/10/2010
Hi Shar. Thank you for taking the time to review us in such… More » -
Review from Pat S.
Loudoun, VA
10/13/2009
If you're looking for a mediocre vineyard that produces blasé wines, then you found it here at Breaux. But if you're looking for good local VA wine, try Veritas. By far, blows Breaux away. It's a bit farther from the DC metro area but well worth it.
And I definitely agree with the previous post about horrible customer service. Don't bother expecting any here. -
Review from Katie C.
Arlington, VA
9/19/2009
This was one of my first trips to a Virginia Winery. I was definitely impressed. Even though its an hour or so drive from Arlington, the drive is enjoyable and sets the mood for what you are about to experience. Since it was my first time tasting, the bartender was happy to explain the process of tasting as well as give us a good background on the history of the wine we were tasting. I never felt embarrassed or out of place.
The wine itself was pretty good. My favorites were the Rose and the Jambalya which was a dessert wine. My boyfriend was more of a fan of the Cabernet Savignon . They have lots of tables and and really nice patio to sit and enjoy the scenery and music.
Overall it was a great day trip, well worth the drive.
