If you are an American history buff and a wine lover, then Williamsburg, Virginia, is a city to put on your bucket list. We visited Williamsburg following the 4th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia.
I walked into a very fancy wine shop in historic Williamsburg. The owner had a wonderful assortment of wines from around the world. He had only a small section stocked with wines made in Virginia. They were all wines from the Williamsburg Winery. I asked why and he said simply because they make the best wines in Virginia. By coincidence we had tasted a Williamsburg wine at the Wine Bloggers Conference a few days previously. We had rated it highly. The proprietor of the shop suggested we visit, stating the “winery is only ten minutes away.”
Without hesitation we hopped into our rental car and headed over to the Williamsburg Winery. What a beautiful area Williamsburg is. The town and surrounding areas are very clean and inviting. Just on the outskirts we arrived at the entrance to Williamsburg Winery. We took the road and discovered that the winery also has a hotel on the property, smack dab in the middle of the vineyards.
Williamsburg is one of the older wineries in the state of Virginia, its first vintage in 1988. Most interesting and different, the tastings at Williamsburg are held on the half hour. Visitors pay up front a $5 tasting fee and wait until either 15 minutes after or before the hour to be escorted into one of two tasting rooms. There the server gives a very informative spiel on each wine poured. What we enjoyed about these wines was the high quality and the low prices compared to other Virginia wineries.
The vice-president and winemaker, Matthew G.R. Meyer, was born in Great Britain and
obtained a double degree in Oenology and Viticulture at U.C. Davis. Before becoming Williamsburg Winery’s head winemaker in 2002, Matthew had worked at both Grgich Hills and Heitz in the Napa Valley.
Colonial Williamsburg is at the heart of the American Historic Triangle. Driving 10-15 miles west of Williamsburg brings you to Jamestown, the sight of the first English settlement. Driving another 10-15 miles to the southeast of Williamsburg brings you to Yorktown, the sight of the final battle of the American Revolution. Each city has a very informative visitor center and all 3 cities are connected by a beautiful forested road called the Colonial Parkway. For more information on this exciting area, contact the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance at 800-368-6511 or check their website: www.ExploreWilliamsburg.com. If you’re interested in the Civil War, check out: www.civilwartrails.org.