A Review: Williamsburg Winery

Just outside of colonial Williamsburg the Williamsburg Winery sits along a scenic river. The binary itself is large and inviting. The main building is architecturally beautiful. There are two restaurants on site, and a picnic area in the rollings hills overlooking the vineyard. The wine shop has an old feel to it, and fits the surrounding area well. There is a large banquet hall, where they frequently host weddings and other formal events.

There is also, of course, the winery itself. It is extensive and well maintained.

So what exactly does one do at a winery? Why, drink wine of course. They offer several different tour and tasting experiences. One of my favorite tour and tasting combinations is the bast tour and tasting. It starts with a ten minute video about wine making and the origins of the Williamsburg Winery. Then there is a thirty minute tour of the winery, where the tour guide lets you know how they make the wine, and which ones they are currently in the process of making. Then there is a thirty minute tasting. Of course this is the best part.

There are also two restaurants located on the winery grounds.

The road leading up to the winery is long and mainly gravel. The parking lot is small, and also gravel. There are wine barrels in the parking lot. There are a pair of old looking buildings: one is a restaurant and the other is the winery itself.

When you walk into the winery you walk into the store. The main room is large and filled with all the of wine the winery makes. The smaller room offers wine related thins: bottle openers, glasses, signs and so on. This is where you can purchase tickets to tour the winery or a tasting.

On the tour I learned that most wines made today are not meant to be aged after they are bought at the store. In fact, they are designed to be drunk within a few months to a year after purchase.

The tour starts with a video about how wine is made and how the Williamsburg Winery came to be. It is short, lasting ten minutes at the most. Once the video is over the tour guide shows some of the artifacts that were uncovered when the winery was built. There are all sorts of neat things. After all, the Williamsburg area has a lot of history.

The tour of the winery then starts. The cellar smells like yeast. It is a comforting smell. There are hundreds of large barrels filled with red wine, each labeled with the type of wine that is them. The tour then shows the smaller barrels of white wine, the concert eggs, and the large stainless steel crafts used to make white wine.

Having taken the tour twice I can say that each is a little different. Depending on the size of the group and the tour guide. But, each time it was enjoyable. If you have also chosen to do the wine tasting the tour ends in the testing room.

Guests are given the opportunity to taste several different There are reds and whites. Some wines are cheaper and some are a little pricey. There is also cheese and crackers to help cleanse the palate between wines. The same person the lead the tour will do the tasting. They will talk about each wine before they pour.

A booklet with information on the wines tasted is provided. Tasters are encouraged to write on their booklets to take notes so they remember which wines they liked and why.

In all the tour and tasting takes an hour and a half. It is a great way to spend an afternoon. Both are also fairly cheap, which makes for a great date idea. There are picnic areas on the grounds and guests are allowed to bring food and enjoy a bottle of wine.

I like going up to the winery. It is fun, and nice to try all the different wines. The tasting changes with the seasons, as do some of the wines offered in the shop. If you enjoy wine, or are looking to learn a little more about wine this is a great experience and I highly recommended it.