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The Winery at La Grange
Rating Details »
4970 Antioch Rd
Haymarket, VA 20169
(703) 753-9360
Haymarket, VA 20169
(703) 753-9360
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for The Winery at La Grange
I really enjoyed our trip here. The main brick building of the vineyard is a fully restored 1700's mansion, which sat vacant and vandalized for decades until it was rebuilt a few years ago and turned into The Winery. Apparently the yard around the house used to be covered in abandoned old cars, which is amazing because now it's beautiful, and picnic tables have taken the place of the burned-out clunkers.
The man who gave us the wine tasting was extremely knowledgeable about the wine. The indoor area was fairly crowded, so we got a private tasting at an outdoor bar. I'd definitely recommend doing this if possible. Also, on Saturdays they sell sangria by the glass or pitcher, and lots of people had brought their own lunch and then sat down at the tables with sangria. Looked like an awesome way to spend a nice weekend day.
This is probably the best winery in Virginia to have a picnic. Its beautiful (yeah yeah, most are), its historic (fewer are), and there's a lot of space to spread out, so you'll never be too crowded. Also, its the closest place from Arlington as far as wineries go, so its got that as a great option.
If you've seen my other reviews, you'd know that I absolutely love Pearmund. I should not compare Pearmund and la Grange, because they're different, and the wines are definitely different. I prefer Pearmund's wines... but I prefer Pearmund's to most anyone's, so that would be hard to beat.
I'm a Chardonnay guy most of the time. I don't really like theirs, surprisingly enough, but a lot of people love it, its won a lot of awards. So, don't just listen to me.
Their Viognier, well, its my favorite in all of Virginia. Its a classic VA grape, and I think this is the place that gets it just right. So many places get the right nose, the fragrant, floral aroma. But they usually have this overly acidic aftertaste that always ruins it. This is an exception, and it is an exceptionally well blended Viognier. The thing that pushes this one over others (such as Jefferson's, which I really like), is that it is still strong and powerful with the nose, taste, and finish. It isn't sort of muted to hide any of the acidity, its just done fantastically.
As for the reds, the Norton is a very good example of VA nortons, and the Cab Franc is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't necessarily think its the best "quality" blend of Cab Franc. Whatever that means, but I just plainly enjoy the flavor. It smells and tastes of spicy cherry in every sip... I like that for what it is, there isn't a lot of depth, but its certainly enjoyable.
I like their Cab Sav and the Port (called Snort) is very very good.
It gets quite loud in there, and it is busy, but its a large place, and you can always find a nice quiet spot to enjoy yourself. Now that its summer, I recommend a bottle of Viognier in the shade.
Just swung by here over the weekend with some friends. La Grange is one of the closest wineries to the district, so it was not surprising to find the place packed pretty tightly at 1pm on a Sunday. Parking can be frustrating, but there is plenty of space if you don't mind a bit of a walk.
The old farmhouse and the surrounding landscape is very beautiful, and we had the good fortune of picking a mostly sunny day to visit. Picnic tables are dispersed about the property, and it's definitely a nice place to spend an afternoon.
As far the wine is concerned, it's a little hit-or-miss. The whites were all drinkable - nothing extraordinary, but I found myself very disappointed with the reds. In particular the Cabernet Franc (a wine I generally love) was a bit odd, with an overpowering cherry scent and flavour. Among the other reds, most were OK, but overall they felt too young and harsh. Many were 2007 vintages so that is not surprising, but having planned to choose a full-bodied red to drink with my cigar, I finished the tasting unable to pick one that I thought I'd enjoy. Anyway, it was not all disappointment, I was very pleased with the Rose of Merlot. We ended up with a bottle of such out on the patio, which soon turned into a few more bottles of such.
The staff on each occasion I've been to La Grange has been extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and this weekend was no exception. It can be a little frustrating trying to get a place at the counter to do your tasting, however.
Overall, La Grange is always a fun trip, and it's proximity to the city make it well worth the visit.
Great wine and a beautiful piece of property to relax at. This place feels small enough that you don't get lost but there is plenty of space to spread and put your feet up with a good glass of wine.
We visit here 1-2 times per month. Why? The wine is good and, without traffic, is less than an hour drive from DC. We have been visiting since they very first opened.
We got married in Virginia and per an agreement with our reception venue and the VA ABC organization I was able to purchase the alcohol that would be consumed at our reception. We used La Grange's Chardonnay and Merlot. Both were huge hits and now we have family members who regularly expect us to bring them bottles when we visit them.
The staff has always been very friendly... which means a lot.
We like to pack food and enjoy sitting at one of their many tables with some friends for hours at a time. It's a nice place to go and get out of the city.
I really like all their "regular" wines but if I had to narrow it to two each (red and white) I'd go with the merlot and meritage and the chardonnay and viogner.
This is a beautiful place. The historic mansion lends itself perfectly to housing the tasting room and gift shop. This was the first stop on my winery tour this past weekend and I wasn't disappointed. I ended up purchasing two bottles but had a hard time deciding which to get because I enjoyed a number of their wines. We had lunch at one of their picnic tables outside after our tasting and enjoyed the beautiful grounds. I would definitely go back.
A very nice winery in a great estate. Very nice grounds, where we can definitely see purchasing a bottle and sitting outside and enjoying the estate once it gets warmer. The one drawback was that it was so noisy that it was hard to hear the pourer. They offer two tasting sessions which of course you can purchase together. For us, this is easy, we always are willing to try anything they offer. We tried a total of 12 wines. With so many wines, we wanted to retry and compare a couple of them, and they were very willing to do so. Since there were so many I will highlight the ones that stood out for us.
There Rose of Merlot was very nice. My wife really noticed the bouquet of the wine. We thought this wine would be great with some ham on the grill. The Cuvee Blanc was very good. The bouquet on this one reminded my wife of the smell of a Mai Tai. The Norton was good, but reminded us more of a Petit Verdot. All of the reds were good. I still preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon at Pearmund to the one here. The Meritage was also very good, but our favorite Meritage is still Rappahannocks. One other standout red was the 06 Tannat. We really enjoyed this red.
I can't believe no one has reviewed La Grange in almost a year. Not to be corny, but this place is a gem.
The lowdown: An hour or so outside of DC, La Grange is located on a beautiful estate that features historic buildings and a picnic area with lots of big wooden tables, a stone outdoor grill, and a fantastic view of the vineyard. We're talking mountains in the distance and all that jazz. They have a few different pricing options for tastings (all reasonable) - you get a free wineglass too - and also sell some delicious picnic food options. If you check out the events schedule you'll find they also screen outdoor movies every once in a while.
I've been here twice and both times enjoyed wandering through the building where the barrels are kept, as well as the stately house where the tastings happen. The stone cellar is done up as a romantic lounge with intimate tables scattered around and the upstairs rooms are full of comfy things to sit on. Oh and let's not forget the best part - there are different games in EVERY room (Risk, Taboo, Jenga, Scrabble...).
The wine: I recommend the Cuvee Blanc which has warm tones and tastes mildly of bananas but in the best way possible. The Rose isn't bad either. Overall, I thought the whites here were (mostly) superior to the reds.
The food: we got the 'American' basket, which came with a portwine cheddar cheese spread, artichoke spread, a very peppery sausage, stonewheat crackers, pita chips, two lollipops, and a monterey jack cheese. All items were pronounced 'YUM', particularly the cheddar spread.
The verdict: I am so coming back. Whenever possible. After all, I don't have a full set of wine glasses.... yet.
The staff Pearmund Cellars gave us a coupon for a free tasting at Le Grange, which has the same owners. So, we headed there next. The wines here were not as good. However, the house, a renovated, brick building, was gorgeous. Their tasting included a sample of the house Sangria.
I prefer this winery over the other one owned/operated by Chris Pearmund--Pearmund Cellars. The tasting room is housed inside a centuries-old (and supposedly very haunted) mansion. Watch your head walking down to the basement! (There is a quiet room in the basement in the house for enjoying a bottle or two). The tasting room experience is a bit "commercial," similar to Tarara. But I enjoyed the tasting room and some of the wines are really fantastic...."Snort" is a Port-like red that's unlike anything I've had in the state. And despite the development in nearby Gainesville and Haymarket, the house seems very remote and quiet.
I stopped in here last Sunday to visit the winery and sample some wines - it's close by where I was running errands in Haymarket, so I did not have to go far out of my way to get here.
First of all, the winery tasting building is set in an old historic plantation building. The building has been expanded and renovated many times since it was first built. See the pictures I've uploaded with this review...
There were a couple of other folks tasting when I walked in. Tasting is $5.00 and they hand you a sheet of paper which is your tasting guide, giving you important information on each wine, including the vineyard from which the grapes originated, percentage of varietals, aging method and material, alcohol level, residual sugar, winemaker's tasting notes, pricing, and then a place to enter your own notes.
They also have a bowl of small crackers to munch in between each tasting to help cleanse one's palate.
There were three whites to sample - a 2006 Pinot Grigio - which for my money was to heavy on the citrus influence - it had a strong grapefruit like flavor.
Next up, was the 2006 Fletcher's Chardonnay and the 2006 Viognier - nothing remarkable here.
After the whites - there were seven red wines to sample.
A 2005 Norton aged in American Oak. It was a dry wine - but needs 4-5 years to mature.
A 2005 Melange - a mixture of Cab Sauv. and Cab Franc. grapes, with a bit of Merlot thrown in.
A 2006 Cabernet Franc aged in American Oak. I did not like this wine at all.
A 2005 Merlot - this was my favorite of all the wines I sampled - aged in American Oak - I think in 4-5 years this will be a good wine!
A 2005 Meritage - a very light red wine - not my cup of tea at all.
A 2005 Claret - this one was interesting - I could detect hints of dark fruits like blackberry and blueberry. Might also be good after aging for a couple of years.
At the end, you have the option of retasting any that were interesting, or having a glass of wine, or making a purchase. You also get to keep your wine glass.
I might be back to pick up a couple of reds - I will have to let them age several years before drinking them though.
The woman and man on duty were very friendly and pulled out a scrap book to help answer some of my questions regarding the history of the place.
It was my first time visiting a winery by myself. I found that it is not nearly as fun as visiting with friends and/or loved ones. Wine tasting is, and should be a social interaction, IMHO.
What sets this winery apart from the others is the history of the estates and mansion it's located in. It's amazing the restoration and preservation of history at this place. The land, the view and the house lead to a romantic feel to the place. I agree with the lady at Pearmund when she said this place is great to host a small wedding. Check out the mansion and the ivy and lights-lined arches and you'll see what I mean.
This winery is run by the same ones who run Pearmund (Chris Pearmund was actually there when we were). As with Pearmund, the quality of the wines are top-notch. I especially loved the cool, cripsness of their whites, and my friend who was a mostly white wine was converted to reds after this place. Of course don't forget to check out the barrel room and the steel fermenters.
TIP: If you're GPS-ing this address, be careful since my beloved Garmin led to the entrance of some random subdivision. Keep the phone number with you so you can have the staff help you navigate to the grounds.
after tasting 9 yummy wines, the girls drank a glass of chardonnay that lived up to every flowery word in the description while the boys threw around a football on a perfectly manicured lawn.
a great way to spend a couple of hours!
(four stars instead of five because the reds were so-so).
The location is great, the views are great, and the house is amazing. La Grange does reds better than whites, I think, and I'm not much of a red drinker. If you go during the summer, they make a fantastic sangria. Bring your own picnic - the baskets of food that they offer aren't really worth the cost.
Some of the tasting staff are really nice and knowledgable, but some are not. Occasionally you'll be able to meet the wine-maker because he's there helping out with sales, etc.
Also, watch for their Winemakers Dinners. They are pretty expensive, but worth every penny. Each wine is paired with a different dish, and the winemaker will get up and tell you about the wine.
Gorgeous winery, and I am in love with their outdoor patio. The wines are so-so, but relatively good for Virginia standards. I remember enjoying the whites more than the reds, especially the Pinot Grigio.
