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    Byrd Cellars

    4.3 (38 reviews)
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    Outside at beautiful Byrd Cellars in Goochland, VA!

    One of the best wineries around! Try the Meadowsweet if you like sweeter wines, it's delightful! Plenty of space for kids to play and a family friendly atmosphere. Also a great place to go for an anniversary or just to hang with friends. 5/5!

    Matthew F.

    I didn't find any wines that suited my palate, but the service was awesome. They were busy when I walked in, but someone sat us down and promised to get back to us as soon as there was room at the tasting bar...and he even gave us a small glass of mulled wine to tide us over. Byrd was bigger than I expected; 17 acres of vines, 3500 cases/year. Not 'big' but bigger than like 75% of other Virginia wineries. They had several fruit wines as well. They also had Syrah on the tasting menu, which was one of the few non-estate wines they provide (not counting the fruit wines). One unique thing about Byrd is they specialize in the Concord grape. Normally, this is a bad thing...but here...I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't bad at all. Good, even! I only briefly sampled the fruit wines (which aren't my thing), but both the fruit and grape wines were easy drinking. The Creekside Chardonnay was very bright & light. The Apple/Concord blend was like juice with a kick. The apple brandy had a LOT of kick to it. The only one that I outright disliked was the Cabernet Sauvignon, which had too many blackberry notes for me.

    Snack plate for $10!
    Zena K.

    A tasting that includes a glass for only $7 bucks? I'll take it!Jerry, the gentlemen assisting us in the tasting, was super knowledgeable and really took the time to talk to us about every single wine. He gave us plenty of time to sip each individual tasting and poured enough to get at least 3 to 4 sips out of each one. He informed us about the different foods that pair well with each wine. I had been here 1 time before this visit and I did not get this amazing level of service and quality of time during that visit. I dont know it you can ask for a specific person to guide you through your tasting, but I would definitely call ahead to request Jerry! I will say most of the wines on the tasting menu are fairly sweet in my opinion, but thankfully Jerry let me taste some wines not on the tasting menu. It wasn't included in the price but led me to buy their most expensive bottle, so thank you Jerry for stepping outside of the menu for me and thinking about what I might like. The Norton Reserve was the bottle I ended up taking home. If you like a smokey dry red, this is the wine for you! We ordered the snack plate for only $10! We had the option of 4 cheeses, turkey or salami, and peanuts almonds or pub mix. We chose the port wine spread and cheddar spread. It tasted like Kraft American Singles in spread form. It wasn't bad by any means but dont expect typical charcuterie board quality cheeses. I'd still eat it, but I'd probably like it more if it was real cheddar.

    Their sangria is out of this world!
    Sean F.

    The vineyard is separate from the winery. I believe the vineyard is a couple of miles away. The winery itself sits on a relatively wooded lot, but there is plenty of cleared space in the front and back with picnic tables to sit at and enjoy your wine/ snacks. Speaking of snacks, they do offer cheese & crackers and chips & salsa. The wine itself was a pleasant surprise. I usually prefer red wine, but lately, I've been on a white kick. And I absolutely do not like anything that's really sweet. With that said, every wine that I tasted was average to above average. I honestly couldn't say anything bad about anything that I tasted. Their Norton, Chardonnay, and Vidal blanc were out of this world! Service was great. Everyone there was very friendly. Almost to the point that I felt like I knew them for years. My only complaint is though there were plenty of tables and additional seating, the wine tasting area was a little on the small side. There were also some noticeable "loose ends" that made the decor feel a little dated. However, within the next few months, they will be moving into a new, larger location. It sounds like it will be pretty awesome. So I definitely look forward to checking out the new location so I can hopefully update my review to 5 stars.

    Snack Plate
    Bobby M.

    This place is great! We had Jerry for our tasting, I'm a white wine for sure. Omg the Apple, Meadowsweet and Muscat was Soo good. They don't rush you at all, Jerry answered all of our questions. Also if you do a tasting you get a free glass! Great atmosphere for sure, we sat upstairs with our fav glass of wine and got a snack plate too. If your looking for a great time with friends or family come here and get some wine!

    picnic tables and umbrellas

    If you see Jerry say hello! He is very knowledgeable in wine and will help you find the right one for you. Great experience for a day away from the city. Highly recommend

    Cheers!!
    Kristine D.

    Pretty little place in Goochland; I enjoyed our experience here very much! My boyfriend & I came here one weekend, when we were still living in Richmond. I had never been to a winery and so I yelped around and found this one. Not disappointing! Of course, since the place is only open on the weekends, we arrived and it took a while to be helped. The woman who helped us though, was super friendly and knowledgeable. The place is nice - small but nice. Nice view in the back, and the tasting room itself is cute too. Fireplace, a bar area, and wine barrels turned into tables. We sat at one of those. I took pictures galore of course! The wine tasting was fun - getting a little buzz for the best price! I'm a sweet wine kinda gal, so those were my favorites. I don't remember how much we paid, as this visit was months ago, but I remember it wasn't expensive it at all! We even had the plate of cheese, meat, chocolate, and nuts, and I think that was only $5! We ended up leaving with 3 bottles of wine. Great experience for my first winery! :)

    Naomi M.

    Wonderful place! My favorite location yet. Such amazing wines to taste and win slushies as well. Choose from 1 of 4 style wine glasses as a souviner. Then go outside a d enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax in a chair and sip your glass of wine. Visit the acres of vineyards just up the road. I will be back, this is my favorite winery yet!!!

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    9 years ago

    Poor wine. Poor customer service. They were so unorganized and precocious. It took15 minutes to pay for tasting. Skip it.

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    Ask the Community - Byrd Cellars

    Review Highlights - Byrd Cellars

    I really enjoyed the white cat, Chardonnay, and the white wine sangria was the best sangria I have ever had.

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    Skipper's Creek Vineyard - Doc!

    Skipper's Creek Vineyard

    (11 reviews)

    Great winery off the beaten path! Pet friendly and great VA wine! Perfect patio to enjoy the peace…read moreand quiet. Check it put!

    An amazing find in a neck of the woods that isn't known for wine country. I didn't know what to…read moreexpect, but was blown away how good they are, especially given how this is a smaller winery. Skipper's Creek has 5 acres of vines and makes under 1000 cases/year. Co-owner Chuck was joking that he likes having a day job since it lets him afford hiring people to do some of the 'farm' work, letting him concentrate on the wine making. Well, his division of labor seems to be working out well, because out of the entire lineup, I liked-to-loved everything. Prices were exceptionally good too. 2013 Chardonnay: Blended with 20% Viognier, made in steel. Lemongrass notes and tangy/tart finish. 2014 Chardonnay: Blended in American Oak & steel. I don't have good tasting notes but I remember liking it. 2015 Chardonnay: Oak and steel, buttery nose and notes of oak and butterscotch. 2014 Viognier: Made in steel, melon flavor. 2015 Viognier: I can't find my wine tasting notes, but I remember it was ok. 2014 Merriwether red blend: 60% Cab Franc, 20% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot. Black cherry nose & finish. My friend bought a bottle (and at $19 it was a steal). 2014 Malbec: Soft cherry notes; a real winner! Aged in Hungarian Oak for 2 years. I rarely find Malbecs in this area (and Chuck admitted it didn't grow exceptionally well) but was very good, especially at $21 a bottle. Bought two. 2014 Petit Verdot: Good, but the way they pressed the grapes resulted in the wine not having the tannins that I'm accustomed too in PVs (I'm a Tannin-fanatic). Also aged in Hungarian oak for 2 years.

    River Dog Winery - Wine flight where you can choose your own.

    River Dog Winery

    (7 reviews)

    Wife and I visited yesterday. I'm not a wine drinker but I know what I like. It was very handy to…read morehave descriptions of the wines written out so we could choose which ones to taste. I hate going to a winery and not enjoying half the wines because what they say they are, are nothing like how they taste. That is not the case here at all! Debbie also labeled our flight tray, so there was no confusion over which wine was which. As far as the atmosphere, it was early on a Saturday afternoon and there was only one other couple there when we arrived, but more folks came in while we were enjoying our wine. We sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful day, but there is indoor seating and it is very nice and clean. Debbie (owner) was very friendly and informative about the wines. We did not try the snacks as we had had a large breakfast, so I can't comment on those. We bought 4 bottles of wine, which I felt were reasonably priced $15-$25 with a discount for amount spent, which was unexpected but nice. We will definitely return.

    Very friendly, family-run vineyard and winery. The family converted a home into their tasting room…read more The winery has only been open for 3 months, so they were pouring all of their wines for the tasting (10+ for $15). The grapes are a bit younger (oldest vines about five years) so the flavors are sharp and punchy. There drinkable now but also will age well. They have quite a variety on the tasting menu - from port style, whites and reds. We had a great tasting experience with one of the owners and felt comfortable sitting and drinking wine after our wine tasting. No snacks yet, but they are planning on getting.

    Southern Revere Cellars - Side patio

    Southern Revere Cellars

    (15 reviews)

    What a discovery. We were driving home and still had 3 hours to go. I wanted beer and my bf wanted…read morewine. It's normally the opposite but hey. Today was a switch day. We were surrounded by wineries but something called my name to this spot. He didn't object. I told him it was a brewery. He was a disappointed since he wanted wine. We reach the top of the mountain that as NYorkers makes things look Erie. We just watch Hills have Eyes so we were a little scared. Yelp, we survived!! It was a nice little spot. We walked in and it's like both our prayers were answered. They had beer AND wine flights!! We scored!! We had a flight of each. After our flight we had another glass of wine before we continued our journey. The bartenders was very sweet and welcoming. They have one bathroom inside and one around the outside of the property. Plenty of parking once you reach the mountain. Don't let look deserve you. This is a really nice place to stop to enjoy the view and the drinks. Seems it was a local spot which is what I enjoy the most when I travel.

    Found this brewery/winery today and decided to stop in. You have to drive down an unpaved road to…read moreget to the building, which looks like an old farm with outdoor and indoor seating. As I wasn't familiar with this place, I asked if their beers or wines were more popular and was told that most people drink the beer. I was able to try a couple of samples before deciding on a 4-5oz beer sampler. The beers were all very different and tasty. My favorite was What the Fox. There was ample seating both inside and outside. Overall, it's a nice place to enjoy some beverages with friendly people.

    Elk Island Winery - Tasting room

    Elk Island Winery

    (25 reviews)

    $$

    I'm really surprised at all the 5 star reviews for this winery. I've been to dozens upon dozens of…read morewineries all around Virginia, and the surrounding area of Goochland and Charlottesville, and this spot is nothing to write home about. When it comes to the other gorgeous wineries around, this one pales in comparison. I was curious coming down Rt. 6 because I've passed the signs for Elk Island many times. And I've tried some of their wine at Rassawek Vineyard at a wine festival years ago, so I decided to pop in! It's tucked away in the woods, down a dirt road, with an uneven gravel parking area with steep slopes. I got stuck twice, my car's wheels just spun in the driveway. I think they should pave the paths to and from the house and the parking lot. It was a mess. I walked down the dirt path, climbed a couples steps to the porch, and came to a modest house, part of which was remodeled into a tasting room. Very small. Very plain. The dining room was sparse and set up with one table for guests to sit, but the interior and surroundings were nondescript. Except for the invasion of stink bugs that lined the perimeter of the ceiling, no other interesting decor. I was pretty turned off by the insects everywhere. There was a sliding door which lead to an enclosed, (I think it was enclosed) sunroom/balcony and there were a few guests out there. The view was basically "the woods". The bathroom was down a hall, where I saw a closet used for wine storage, and the stairs were set up as a makeshift gift "shop". Definitely not one of the more fancy places to have a flight of wines. The gentleman serving the flight was polite and nice enough, $12 for the tasting. Here are the wines I tried: 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, (reds) Naked Norton, 2023 Merlot, 2020 Petit Verdot. While these wines were fine, I wasn't overly impressed. I checked out and didn't purchase anything, but it was pleasant to sit and experience this small, very casual, homey style winery, but I've no desire to return. With a bit of TLC and some improvements to the exterior and interior, this winery could a much better.

    We were in the area for John's school reunion & John remembered this winery from his last visit. He…read morethought it would be a nice stop between school and driving back to the city. It was a mild day, but threatening to rain- but we enjoyed a flight of wine while taking in the views from the deck. Seriously beautiful. The wine was delightful too and if I didn't already have packed luggage, I would have considered buying a couple bottles! If you love supporting small businesses and enjoy wine- I highly recommend! The even offer a membership for discounts on monthly wines. LOVE it!

    Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company

    Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company

    (24 reviews)

    We spent a Sunday afternoon, from about 1-3pm, at Everleigh Vineyards…read more We were greeted and served by two very friendly women behind the bar. Both helpful with tips on what to order from their beer and wine options based off what we told them of our tastes. The grounds and building were very well kept. We chose to sit outside so our kids could run around (6 kids between us and our friend's family). They tried to light a fire for us, but that was the one downfall: all the fuel was wet from recent rain I think, so the fire never really took and we just had smoke for a while and no warmth or flames to enjoy watching. But they tried! We enjoyed all the wines we sampled, and went home with one bottle. All that I tried were dry, well-bodied and smooth. My husband only found the beer so-so, so next time we go he'll probably stick to the wines that he also enjoyed from tasting my flight. The soft pretzels are huge, delicious and delivered hot and fresh. The cheese sauce for dipping them was really tasty and much better than most cheese sauce offered for soft pretzels elsewhere. The staff was very courteous, offering us blankets as it was chilly outside and they saw the fire wasn't thriving. We are only 25 minutes from them, and we'll definitely go back; we were very happy with our visit!

    I had a difficult time trying to figure out what to eat because all the food looked exceptionally…read moredelicious. Inside is soooo nice. There is just one big problem. There is an insane amount of Hornets everywhere I couldn't even walk outside without having a feeling I was gonna get stung. Take my advice, Hire pest control.

    Dover Hall

    Dover Hall

    (23 reviews)

    I recently visited Dover Hall for the first time for a company party and I was blown away both by…read morethe opulence of the interior and the professionalism of the staff. For a 32,000+ square foot mansion (that was originally built as a single family private home) the space is immaculately and meticulously clean and maintained to the highest standard. I did not see a single speck of dust, no cobwebs on the soaring ceilings, or stain on any upholstery. The mansion also did not feel austere or cavernous despite its size; on the contrary, it is absolutely bursting with some of the most beautiful, unique, and at times strange but wonderful decor. For example, the game room has both billiards as well as an extensive and exotic big game taxidermy collection, whereas the adjacent two-story library boasts a hand carved fireplace and a spiral wrought iron staircase. I spent most of my evening exploring every room and trying to take in as much as possible. The multitude of staff who serviced our event were both warm in their interactions as well as discreet when necessary. The in-house catering was also very good. We had a tortellini station, a raw bar, breads and spreads, as well as passed hors d'oeuvres and a dessert station, and I enjoyed everything I tried. My only regret is that Dover Hall doesn't seem to do open house hours or guided tours, because I would love to be able to return and see more of this remarkable building.

    My son had his wedding here. The premises were breath…read moretaking, especially when you turn into the driveway and make your way into the property. It was magical. The food was great. All the guests came up to me and raved about the food. I have 2 items that disappointed me... The staff started clearing our tables of our water glasses and cocktails 1 hour before the end of the evening! Each time I got up to dance I came back to no more water or my drink. Then at the end of the evening I had to retrieve my car from the dark parking lot. There was no lighting along the walkway to the lot nor in the parking lot. A safety concern that I hope the venue addresses in the near future.

    Thistle Gate Vineyard - Our private little gazebo!

    Thistle Gate Vineyard

    (14 reviews)

    $$

    Just opened chambourcin from years ago when they first opened. The best dessert type wine I've…read moretasted. Just the right balance of sweet. So happy to see still doing well. delicious! Kudos

    It was a sultry, humid, rainy Saturday and the natives were getting restless. Suffering from cabin…read morefever, my hubby and a couple of friends and I decided to find an outdoor activity to remedy our listlessness. Being pluviophiles, we didn't mind the light, summer rain. But what to do? Enter wineries!! We headed west toward Charlottesville, and first stopped in Palmyra where the winery there was only open for curbside pick up. My friends loaded the pickup with cases of wine but we were still in search of a charcuterie board and an open vineyard! Yelp to the rescue! We called the winery Yelp advised us was only about 10 miles away in Scottsville. It was open! Yes, they had charcuterie!! What a stupendous find! We approached the thistle blue painted sign and charming gate welcoming us to Thistle Gate Vineyard! Through the misty rain, the white barn-like cottage with the serene blue roof looked something from a Nicholas Sparks movie. Utterly quaint and beautiful! The wide porch was open for outdoor seating, wrought iron tables and chairs sprawled along the long planked flooring. Restrooms were located around the side so one didn't have to enter the winery. We were greeted by the owner who handed us a wine menu and their "flight sheet". The four of us chose our wine flights and each got a charcuterie box! Ahhh, this is the life! While we awaited our libations and sustenance, we spied an inviting gazebo near the vineyards. Our host said we were welcome to it! The grounds were lovely, albeit a bit soggy, a barrel fountain babbled along with the now drizzling rain, a bottle tree rooster glistened in the garden, cute slate signs were placed hither and thither around the shrubbery, it was all so idyllic. Our flights were served in pieces of wood made from wine barrels. Plastic cups were used due to Covid, but that didn't diminish the flavors of the fruit of the vine. I chose three reds and a blush. The Cabernet France was full-bodied with a dry finish. The Meritage (a portmanteau of Merit & Heritage) was delicate blend of varietals with fruity notes, the Thistle Red was a well-balanced blend of Merlot & Petit Verdot with a mild berry flavor and a rich burgundy color, and my favorite was the Thistle Blush, a crisp rosé made with Chambourcin grapes, easily my top rated grape! The blush was perfect for this overcast summer day, sipping the day way! I also tasted the St. George's Red Reserve which was also made with Chambourcin grapes and whispered cherry notes. Also my friend shared with me her Chardonnay which was a tad dry to my taste, but if you like white wine, I'm sure you'll like this one! What we took home??? The Thistle Red, couple bottles of Meritage, St. George and of course, several bottles of Thistle Blush! We enjoyed all these fine wines while in the gazebo surrounded by rows and rows of vineyards. What made the afternoon even better was the gorgeously presented charcuterie box! Two types of crackers served with salami, Brie, Swiss, and Gouda along with huge green grapes, dried apricots and salted almond Ghirardelli dark chocolates. I'm not exaggerating when I say this was the perfect complement to our wine tasting! A heavenly day spent in this dreamy winery, the only one in Fluvanna county, certainly cured our doldrums!! We are certainly returning to this hidden gem!! One sign posted says "We're so glad you're here", so are we Thistle Gate Vineyard, so are we!

    Byrd Cellars - wineries - Updated May 2026

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