A great place! The owner, Scott, is a very friendly and knowledgeable guy. Ask him about his wine glasses. He's got other great stories. His wines are all very good. Taste them all! read more

I like everything about this place except the wine. I'm sorry but very unimpressive for a winery so highly rated.

Hands down the best winery I've been to! My husband and I have been Wine Club members for years, and all of their wines taste amazing! The atmosphere is very laid-back. The staff is very nice. Also, they allow you to bring your children, your pets and your own food. read more

I meant to write a review for this place when I first visited, but totally forgot. Well, I went again a couple of weeks ago and I still love it! Beautiful location and great wines. Cora did both tastings and she provided an excellent description of what we were drinking, as opposed to people who pour and say nothing (so annoying!). Both the whites and reds are good and I went home with two bottles of each. This winery is way off the beaten path, but so worth it. Also, very close to Shenandoah National Park, so perfect to stop in after hiking! read more

Beautiful venue, friendly staff and most of all delicious wines. Their Shenandoah national park poster label in the classic green bottle is collection worthy if you can resist drinking it. They port style was appreciated by port lovers and non-lovers alike. read more

This winery is definitely the type of place where you go to relax and get away. It's way up on a hill, so there's no phone reception, but it's totally worth going here! It has a lovely view out back, a flower garden in the front with butterflies flying around (duh, right? Just had to add the butterflies in this review!) It's a small place, which reminds me of a cute coffee shop set up. The service was great. We got to meet the owner, who was awesome. The wine is very good, my favorite was the 2 corps white blend. I definitely recommend this place, we will be back! read more

DuCard Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Etlan, Virginia

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Excellent stop here on the way back from hiking in Shenandoah. They have a lovely outside area, excellent wine, and really friendly staff. We brought out own lunch, which we enjoyed with a tasting flight (and supplemented by some baguette and cheese). Also very kid-friendly with complimentary soda or juice for the kids. And we were reassured to see that they are still taking COVID precautions since our kids are too young to be vaccinated yet. Seemed very safe, especially sitting outside. And the staff were excellent and very accommodating. DuCard may become a regular stop on our drive back from Shenandoah! read more

DuCard Vineyard is a little gem and one of my 2 favorite Virginia vineyards. I haven't been to them all but have been to plenty! I've been there 4 times now and have really enjoyed their wines--their reds in particular. In addition to great wines, the owner is extremely friendly, the staff is wonderful, and the view is lovely. During one visit I casually mentioned I could really use a cup of coffee as we had had an early start and long day. I wasn't asking or hinting but, although they don't serve coffee, one of their staff member offered me a cup from their staff kitchen--that is the level of service they provide. The place is nice, spacious, and has large windows that give you a wonderful view to their back patio and the mountains. During one of my visits they had a music festival--and like the other reviewer, I wasn't a big fan of the $10 cover charge either--but the vocalist was really good and I enjoyed perusing the arts and crafts that were around. And, even better, I did notice that their next festival did not have a cover charge, so two thumbs up to them! read more

Great views, great wine, great wine pourers. Everybody was friendly and they allowed our 2 small dogs inside for our tasting. Perfect in every way. read more

What a fantastic experience. My husband and I were vacationing in nearby Luray and had to come back to DuCard again (after having been once before back in the prior fall). Being that we took Friday off to come down, we had the vineyard to ourselves! Tom led me through a very thorough wine tasting (my husband appreciates wine from a distance, but wishes he had a palate for it), and then afterwards we ordered some light food and sat out on the side patio to read and sip. It was amazing. Can't say enough awesome things about Tom; he made sure we were well taken care of, but never hovered or felt always-present. A great instinct to be there when we needed him. He's very friendly and affable - we could have sat and talked with him for hours. He's a true asset to the vineyard. Would definitely recommend this place to others - great wine, great employees, great venue - all around fantastic! We'll be back! read more

DuCard Vineyards - Panoramic shot from the left side of the building, facing out to the patio and grounds beyond. Stunning. - Wineries Near Me - Etlan, Virginia

Our favorite winery in Virginia. We have been to quite a few over the years. This is the only one we ever felt like home at. We joined the wine club several years ago. My favorite wine is Popums Run Red. Went there this past weekend and again had an amazing time, they had just released a Rose'. The owner Scott is very friendly and all of the staff are very knowledgeable. read more

DuCard Vineyards - My favorite Ducard wine - Wineries Near Me - Etlan, Virginia

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DuCard Vineyards from start to finish was the best wine tasting experience in Virginia. The welcoming and professionalism of the staff from the moment you walk in makes you feel a part of the vineyards already tight-knit community. I celebrated my birthday there this weekend, and the staff went out of their way to provide a beautiful memory and experience. They went beyond the call of duty by personally introducing themselves, answering any and all questions about the wine making process and the surrounding vineyards, and they even provided a surprise dessert on the house. Those added touches, those moments of going the extra mile, makes the smiles on their faces and the passion for what they do that much more incredible to the general public. Scott and Marty have found their calling in life, and the best part is that they share their love with others in these tumultuous economic times. Ducard is a slice of heaven and a wonderful break from reality with warm baguettes, local cheeses, and a fire with good company to keep you warm. The bay windows overlook a backdrop similar to something you would find in Ireland. Thank you all for your kindness and the memories. We loved the Norton, and look forward to visiting you for one of your events very soon. ~ J.A. read more

Absolutely love this place. We live only 20 minutes away and always a go to on a nice day in the mountains.

Lovely drive, and friendly hosts. The wine tasting is education and delicious. Came and saw some shakespeare here last year. Will try and return again if they have another play. read more

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Great experience, I walked in and immediately was greeted, they have a great selection of wine, Cora was very helpful describing each one of the wines that they have , I'm definitely coming back with friends. read more

Absolutely beautiful location. Great service, and the wines we sampled were all very tasty. I loved the Gibson Hollow White and the Cab Franc. Would be a great place to take a picnic and spend the day. It is a bit of a hike to get there, but it was worth it. read more

Whenever my wife and I come back to Virginia to visit, DuCard is one of the first places we go. Great wine and amazing views in one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Very much a hidden gem. read more

DuCard Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Etlan, Virginia

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Picnic inside & out. Food available. Beautiful grounds. Fire place. Stopped by DuCard this past long weekend. It might feel out of the way, but well worth the drive. We arrived just as they opened and were invited to do a horizontal tasting with the tasting (for one wine). We got to talk to the owner and his first-hand about our thoughts on the wine and differences between the two seasons/years. Very friendly atmosphere. They feature local artists and crafts-- paintings and hand-made/glass-blown wine aerator (my boyfriend blows glass and was impressed enough to purchase one). Every weekend (either Sunday or Saturday) is live music or events. It is a destination to stay for a few hours and enjoy yourself. Located in a valley the views are peaceful and beautiful. The fireplace is cozy. I bought two bottles, which waived my tasting fee. I purchased their port-style and The Gibson Hollow White. Their reds are also quite delicious. We will definitely be back for one of their weekend events in the near future. read more

This venue is BEAUTIFUL. I wish I had enjoyed the wines, however none were to my liking. There was a band playing, the music was enjoyable and not too loud. read more

DuCard Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Etlan, Virginia

We went to Ducard Vineyards today. Highly recommend. We had a wonderful wine tasting with Cora who was knowledgeable and very friendly. The wines were all good. Kudos to the winemaker who is from Bordeaux France. The viognier which is one my favorite Virginia wines is excellent. We were four people and everyone had a favorite . The road to get there is one of the most scenic in Virginia. Well worth a visit. read more

Well worth the drive into the country for Ducard. The staff was very welcoming and the tasting room has a miniature ski shack feel to it. Very nice grounds to check out and relax with a glass or bottle of wine. read more

The winery was nice and the wines were relatively good. Nice interior setting with a fireplace and couch. Only issue was that the wines were overpriced as was the refrigerated food, if you wanted something to nosh on while you had wine. The Petit Verdot was $35 for a bottle. Tapenade $15. Meat $10. read more

It would take extremely poor service to make us want to get up and leave the great view and relaxing music on the patio after a long day of hiking. Yet somehow that is what happened. A full 40 minutes after showing up at the bar for a tasting, and agreeing to do the higher end (ie more expensive) seated tasting menu, we were still without a single taste of wine. And we did not perceive any end in sight to the waiting, as we could see no one was working on pouring the tastings. So yes, despite the setting being wonderful and all we wanted was to relax with some wine, we got up and walked out realIzing that we just weren't going to be served. read more

I have been to numerous wineries throughout Virginia. This one sets itself aside as very special. First I would have to say their location is excellent. If you don't like twisting winding roads then skip this one. The winery itself is nestled in the foothills of the Shenandoah. It has a wonderful babbling brook that you cross over as you walk to the tasting room. I also caught site of numerous solar panels which was a first for any winery I had been too. Their wines are nice. The tasting room was very cozy and comfortable. It's not a huge tasting bar so you may have to wait as we did. About 20 min. We sat outside on their lovely porch and listened to a local band. All in all a great place to spend the day enjoying the weather. read more

My wife and I don't get out this way very often, but when we get a chance to hike Old Rag or White Oak Canyon, we try and stop here. It's a gem...the wines are excellent Virginia wines, as their winemaker Julien really knows what he's doing. We stopped on 10/21 on our way back from a hike and were the only ones there. The winery and tasting room are set in a bucolic setting at the foothills of Old Rag. We had a great tasting with Tom, who was really knowledgeable and passionate about the wines, and we had a really nice time chatting with him. We then got to spend about 20 minutes with Scott (the owner), just enjoying some of their wine and good conversation. This is the way Virginia wineries used to be, where the folks pouring really knew what they were pouring, and you had a chance to speak to the owner/operator, learn their story and learn about their wines. The tasting room was nice and cozy without being ostentatious like many wineries these days. I would highly recommend stopping here if you are out leaf watching or hiking. read more

I have been to Ducard Vineyard several times. The tasting room is beautiful. The wine is some of the best in Virginia. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They frequently have events such as local bands playing on the patio in summer months or opportunities to learn more about wine such as food and wine pairings and verticals tastings. read more

The wines were OK, the views and the winery itself super cute! We opted for a tasting and it took forever to be served and to pay our bill. The pours were also microscopic! I saw a group next to us getting nice, generous pours. They were fairly busy but it took almost 20 min of waiting to pay the tab. We decided to move on to another winery after waiting so long. read more

This was my first vineyard experience. I was very impressed with the hospitality, friendliness and personal touch from all the staff. I signed up for a Gourmet Food and Wine Program and Chris, the chef, was an amazing host. The food was amazing and I appreciated the quality of the food and her love and passion for making the experience great. Scott, the owner, also stopped by to welcome us personally. Will definitely be going back. We also signed up to be club members so that we can go there for free wine tasting. read more

My wife and I came to DuCard on Friday for a family friend's wedding rehearsal. What a great place. The staff was excellent and they explained each wine in detail. They offered 2 reds and 2 whites during dinner. Which were all excellent and paired well with the items on the buffet. The vineyard is out of the way but definitely worth the drive. My wife and I are planning on returning soon. read more

People must've already been wine tasting all day when they gave this place five stars. Our pourer was very friendly and the tasting room & view were both pretty nice... But the wine was not good. My husband and I didn't really care for any of the wines. And we love Virginia wine. read more

My husband and I had a lovely visit to DuCard last week. We searched out new (for us) wineries that allow dogs and DuCard was at the top of our list. The setting was beautiful and its well away from the crowds you find in the NoVa/DC Metro area. We were the only tasters there when we first arrived which was fine by us. They greeted our dog with a fresh bowl of water and put her through her paces for a biscuit. They even allowed her to run around a bit off leash before other guests came in, which was excellent as W is still a puppy and the long car ride really got to her. Our tasting attendant Brooke was wonderful, very friendly and knowledgeable! Hospitality A+ I believe we tasted ten wines in total, I wish I had a copy of the tasting sheet with me now. I'll be upfront now in saying we were focused on whites for this trip, so I didn't pay as much attention to the reds as I usually do. -Their Quaker Run Chardonnay was excellent. Lightly oaked with incredible balance. I really enjoy oak on my Chard, the bigger the better usually but have found of late that less is more, especially with Virginia Chards. We wanted three bottles but there is a two bottle limit. Alas such is life. -The Gibson Hollow White was a Viognier/Traminette blend and off dry. Not my fave, even though they are two grapes I do enjoy, just perhaps not together that way. The nose was lovely, rose petals, but I was wasn't a fan after that. -Same for the next wine, the 2nd Corps, which they found more of in storage so its back on the tasting. I really enjoyed the history behind this wine, all the way down to the vintage shape and label, but the blend didn't do it for me (again the Viognier/Tram) and slightly sweeter than the GHW. I will go back after they release their upcoming vintage of Viognier in July. Which means of course we didn't get to try any this visit *sad face* -Rose 2013 was excellent, just what we were looking for. Dry, beautiful color. Crisp strawberry flavors, perfect with cheese (as I am enjoying it right now). Just perfect for a VA Rose. As for reds, I'm pretty sure we tried a Merlot, Cab Franc, Norton, and the Popham Run Red Blend (I think its a Bordeaux blend...) All fairly light, 2012s for the vintage years. I usually collect Norton but theirs wasn't my favorite, so I passed. We did take home some of the Popham, I think as a good party wine, for those guests you invite and want to share with, without opening the really good (& bold) stuff! -C'est Trop their port style oh my! Walked out with three bottles. Norton fortified with Brandy, aged in Makers Barrels. A.Maze.Ing. It was incredible the way each flavor hit you, the bourbon to start, then the Norton followed by the Brandy, then the cream of the barrel again. I'm not a huge port drinker and if I want bourbon I'll just drink that usually, but this was delicious. I'm sorry I couldn't review the reds better, perhaps after the next visit. I highly recommend a visit. Scenic, tasty, a great little spot we'll soon return to. Oh if you have kids (two or four legged) beware there seem to be lots of ticks. I picked three off W just from walking to the car and back, but they were the big ones, not the small deer ticks that are so hard to find! read more

Lovely wine and a gracious tasting room staff -- excellent Wine Club as well. Look forward to spending time on the new patio addition but mostly to drinking a glass of The winemakers"s Cabernet Franc! read more

Ducard is one of the Virginia wineries whose club I have joined as a member. My criteria for joining a winery's club is that all of its wines, top-to-bottom on the menu, have got to be at least decent. This is rare for any Virginia winery, and in fact I know of only three in Northern Virginia, Rappahannock, Delaplane, and Ducard. It is located out west of Sperryville so it is a bit of a ride from my home in Arlington, but great googly moogly what a lovely ride it is. After you turn of Rt. 211 (beware of the radar-equipped smokeys) in Sperryville, the scenery graduates from nice to spectacular, and Etlan Road, just off which Ducard is located, is just breathtaking. When you arrive you drive down this fairly long dirt driveway that runs between the vineyard on the left and some horses on the right. It can become a bit adventurous in the rain. At the end they have a fairly large gravel parking lot. From the parking lot you have to cross a very scenic little stream (Popham Run, which is not so little if it's been raining, though) on a little wooden bridge, and then walk up a hill to the door. There is one bar for tasting, and the bartender (if you will) is usually talkative and friendly. The tastings usually have between six and ten varieties of wine -- they run out of some of them frequently. It is one big room with tables, comfy chairs, and a fireplace. There's a nice patio out back and around the side next to the creek, again with tables and chairs. It is surrounded by mountains and is really quite pleasant. Their whites are OK to my palate, but I am not a white wine guy most of the time and attend more closely to the reds. They have a good Cab Franc and one of the best Nortons I've ever had, Their Petit Verdot was the best of the bunch, but it (and, I see today, the Norton) are all sold out now. I do like this winery. read more

We had SUCH a blast at DuCard this weekend!!!! We went on Saturday and had live music on the patio with Mattie (he was fantastic) and our group of 12 had 4 kids under 3 with us and the staff was beyond accommodating. They had all sorts of games for the kids (face painting, balloon making, apple bobbing, egg toss, donut eating contest, etc.) although the adults ended up playing most of them ;) It was seriously so much fun and such a beautiful and comfortable place to spend a Saturday afternoon. I forgot to mention that the wine is also delicious (seems that should have been my first point in rating a winery, right?). We bought a bottle of one of the whites and one of the reds and sat outside on the patio enjoying every moment. Can't wait for round two next year. I would tell anyone to head to DuCard-- it is a MUST for VA wineries. read more

The grounds are pretty, but there is not much to do. The live music was good, but that was all they really offered, besides the great french bread. I was hoping for something more engaging. Still a very fun time for the novice wine drinker! read more

Went to DuCard for the first time over the weekend for their WINEAPPALOOZA and thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Music, vendors, and food were fabulous! Katie, the staff member who provided our tasting, was warm, inviting, and provided an above average tasting experience (I think that was her name, sorry if I'm wrong). Scott, the owner, does a spectacular job ensuring every visitor receives a personal welcome as if he is welcoming you into his own home. My husband who is proclaimed non-wine drinker has finally found an appreciation of wine. The Viognier (enjoyed on the back patio) and Popham Run (to enjoy at home) were two of our favorites. As were celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, it was a special treat to find the vendor who was providing glass etching services. Her work was beautiful and now we have DuCard wine glasses to remember our beautiful day! Without a doubt, we will be back! read more

Not only did DuCard fail to offer compensation for staining my just purchased linen pants after pouring red wine on them, but the proprietor publicly insulted me on Trip Advisor for reporting their actions to the wine tasting organizer. There are plenty of wonderful wineries in the Charlottesville area, support the ones that choose to do the right thing. read more

I love the wineries of Central Virginia - and this is my favorite! The staff is so welcoming and knowledgeable, and the wines are delicious. The view of Old Rag is spectacular and there is plenty of space on the patio. They only sell crackers, salami and cheese, so bring your own food with you. The vibe at Du Card is wonderful - alot better than the larger "corporate" feeling wineries around. This is a must-visit winery! read more

I returned to Ducard this weekend and had so much fun. The owners are around to chat with you. Julian, the winemaker is adorable, knowledgeable and so sweet. The whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the wine is wonderful!! Put this place on your To Do list and do it soon. You won't be sorry!!! Say hi to Scott, Tom 1 and Tom 2 and Julian!!! read more

Planned a mid week trip to the Shenandoah MT. and just happened to stumble across DuCard on our first night, we had such an amazing time we ended up going back each night! The hospitality, friendliness, amazing setting and wonderful wines were unbelievable. I have traveled all over the world and this was probably the most hospitable vineyard I have ever been too and we were overly impressed with the wines and kindness of the owners and staff. We took home 3 bottles of wine and have already finished them so we will defiantly be planning a trip back soon and defiantly plan to visit for our anniversary! This is defiantly a must stop winery for the Shenandoah area! Must have the meat and cheese platter and sit outside to enjoy the priceless view with your wine! read more