About Best Wineries Guide
Chilly fall days are perfect for gathering at wineries. Here are some of our favorite wineries to visit this fall.
Not all tour operators are warmly received at busy vineyards. But pick one that wineries love to work with, like the ones below, and you may get perks such as extra pours, behind-the-scenes peeks, and chats with the owner.
Cork & Keg Tours
Renee and Don Ventrice lead high-energy, customized tours with pick-up and drop-off in Loudoun County. The knowledgeable duo visit up to three wineries in six hours aboard a 13-seat Mercedes Sprinter van complete with outlets for phone charging. Complimentary ice water and tour photos included. Up to five guests, $600; $125 a person for 6 to 13 (plus tasting fees).
DiVine Wine Tours
Amy and Luke Denton run all-inclusive private tours in Loudoun, Fauquier, and Prince William counties for any size group. Tours average $200 a person, including tasting fees, lunch, bottled water, and photos.
Spirited Tours
Public or private winery tours begin and end at the Washington Convention Center and visit two wineries. (Private groups can customize the itinerary.) The price includes tasting fees, water, and snacks. $140 a person for public tours; $160 for private (minimum 12 guests).
SSMG Concierge
Dederick Brooks’s business, based in Front Royal, offers private three-to-six-hour tours for up to six people in a Cadillac sedan or Escalade. If you visit wineries within 20 miles of Front Royal, the cost averages $125 a person; outside that zone, it’s $150. Tasting fees are extra; water is included.
This article appears in the October 2022 issue of Washingtonian.
Nancy Bauer is founder of the popular Facebook group, Virginia Wine Love, and the website VirginiaWineLove.com.
