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Elk Island Winery

4.4 (25 reviews)
ModerateWineries
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Elk Island Winery Photos

Recommended Reviews - Elk Island Winery

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Michele F.

What a great little winery with friendly people! After driving down a dirt path, you arrive at a house, which is actually the tasting room. Wine flights are $10 for 4-2oz tastings. Their wines tend to be on the dry side. I didn't care for the red wines I tasted, but liked the Vidal Blanc. My favorite was the Terroirier White, which was a slightly sweetened version of the Vidal Blanc. Their wines are reasonably priced and there is a nice deck on the back porch to sit and enjoy your wine. I'll definitely be back.

Wine and chocolate pairing
Bobbi H.

We love visiting Elk Island Winery - located in Goochland, halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville. The tasting room is nestled back in the woods. They have both a screened in porch and open deck where you can comfortably sip your wine. Space is smaller than other wineries, so it can be a premium on the weekend. Nice selection of reds and whites and you can get a cheese plate to enjoy with your wine too! Daniel and Crista are always so friendly and welcoming.

Flight menu - you can pick four to taste.
Marylee B.

We stopped into this little winery on our way home. They have an excellent selection of dry red and white wines. We chose to taste the viognier, sauv blanc, can sauv, and petit verdot. My favorite was the viognier and my husbands was the petit Verdot. The atmosphere is relaxed. There is plenty of outdoor seating and the owners are warm and inviting. I LOVED that the glasses were stemless. The table next to us had wine slushees and absolutely raved about how great they are. Next time we plan to try them out.

Matthew F.

Elk is out of the way but worth the trip. They are small - 4 acres of vines and probably under 2000 cases (they also get grapes from elsewhere, including other vineyards they manage). Opened in 2012 although the vines were planted in 2008. My server was especially proud of their white wines...which apparently were so popular they sold long out before I arrived, so I wasn't able to judge for myself! They seem to specialize in Chambourcin and Norton (including blends with them), although they are testing other grape vines so even more options should be available in the future. The winery is a house that was refurbished into a tasting room. The parking lot is small, but I doubt they get huge crowds so that didn't impact my visit. They had a large tasting menu, although these are the only ones I sampled from the list available. What I tried: 15 "Naked" Norton rose: Unusual combo, but OK. Not a rose or Norton fan, however. 16 Chambourcin: Dry, bold up front. 14 Norton: Sour cherry notes, which is a first for me when trying this grape. 14 Norton: Little gamey but not bold. I also tried some nice whites from a different vineyard, which 'guest' wines until they get their own whites back in stock.

Very cozy wine tasting room.
Sean F.

What a pleasant surprise, in Goochland of all places. When you first enter, you pass through a wrought iron gate and you're immediately met with a few acres of tall grape vines. The road passing through is lined with massive rose bushes and then the road takes a dip into a wooded lot, where you find the wine tasting room. The wine tasting room is in what used to be a home??? It's loaded with character and is quite cozy. The way it sits on the lot, also gives it a somewhat majestical feeling. As for the wine tasting experience, it was amazing! It was a rainy day and we were the only ones there, so it was nice to be one on one with the person behind the counter. Speaking of, Eileen was awesome! Super friendly, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. I honestly feel like she enjoyed our company, just as much as we did hers. They have a large variety of wines. Almost 20 to choose from. Best of all, with each bottle you purchase, they waive a the price of 1 tasting. I do prefer red wines, but I've been on a white kick lately. And I do anything but super sweet wines. So with that said, pretty much everything was good across the board. Out of the 9 that I tried, only 2 were ehh. Overall, Elk Island is a beautiful winery, with good wine and great service. The only downside is the tasting room is a little on the small side. So timing is everything...

Packard Peddle Organ
Elizabeth K.

Terrific 2017 Rassawek Chardonnay. Great outdoor seating deck, intimate tasting room, and savory cheese plates. Be careful of the steep driveway, but worth the adventure.

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10 years ago

Good wine, excellent friendly staff! Makes the whole experience great! Grabbed a glass and sat on the patio on a warm summer afternoon!

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Review Highlights - Elk Island Winery

Daniel and Crista were kind and helpful -- just some top notch customer service.

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Skipper's Creek Vineyard - Doc!

Skipper's Creek Vineyard

4.6(11 reviews)
21.8 mi

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.

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Skipper's Creek Vineyard
Skipper's Creek Vineyard
Skipper's Creek Vineyard - Viognier 2015 & Cabernet Franc 2018

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Viognier 2015 & Cabernet Franc 2018

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

River Dog Winery

4.9(7 reviews)
48.9 mi

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.

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River Dog Winery - Cute decor.

Cute decor.

River Dog Winery
River Dog Winery - Optional outdoor seating.

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Optional outdoor seating.

Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company

Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company

4.0(24 reviews)
18.5 mi

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.

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Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company
Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company - Deck

Deck

Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Company - Bar area

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Bar area

Dover Hall

Dover Hall

4.6(23 reviews)
21.0 mi

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.

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Dover Hall
Dover Hall
Dover Hall

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Thistle Gate Vineyard - Our private little gazebo!

Thistle Gate Vineyard

4.8(14 reviews)
15.3 mi
$$

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!

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Thistle Gate Vineyard - Our tasting room is decorated as an English tack room.

Our tasting room is decorated as an English tack room.

Thistle Gate Vineyard - Come relax on our expansive porches, decks and gazebo. Bring a picnic or choose from a variety of light foods.

Come relax on our expansive porches, decks and gazebo. Bring a picnic or choose from a variety of light foods.

Thistle Gate Vineyard

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Elk Island Winery - wineries - Updated May 2026

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