8 Chains North & North Gate Wineries

On our Presidents' Day off we decided to fit in a couple of winery visits before the snow hit our area.  With the snow fall projected to start around 3 pm, we opted to go to those a little closer to home than all that way at the top of Loudoun County.

Our first stop was 8 Chains North Winery.  I was enticed by the mention of their 2010 wines on their website as 2010 was a great vintage for Northern Virginia.  Unfortunately, they'd already sold out of those bottles otherwise I probably would have bought one or two!  We still enjoyed our tasting, though, and our Tasting Associate, Sean, was very amiable and knowledgeable about the wines as well as the ins and outs of the winery.



Currently they have five wines on their tasting menu for an $8 tasting fee: 2012 LoCo Vino (Vidal Blanc, Traminette, and Sauvignon Blanc blend); 2013 Chardonnay; 2013 Herencia Altes Garnatxa; 2013 Syrah; and a 2013 Tempranillo.  The LoCo Vino and Chardonnay are made from Virginia-grown grapes, which I always appreciate.  The Garnatxa, for the time being, is their guest wine from Spain until the wines they've recently bottled are ready to join the tasting menu.  And the Syrah and Tempranillo are made in Virginia from grapes grown in Washington state.  In the near future there will be a Riesling and another vintage of Furnace Mountain, their most popular red blend.

In addition to their great wines, 8 Chains North has a spectacular view in the back of their rows upon rows of grape vines.  I can only imagine how popular those seats must be overlooking the view when all the greenery is in full bloom.

After 8 Chains North we headed over to North Gate Vineyard, a 10 minute drive away, tops.  There we tried 7 wines for $7: NV Rkatsiteli, 2012 Viognier, 2012 Cabernet Franc, 2011 Meritage, 2011 Petit Verdot, 2012 Chambourcin, and NV Apple wine.  Rkatsiteli is one of the oldest known vinifera grapes that originated in the Republic of Georgia.

North Gate's Rkatsiteli has a very mineral nose, some bright acidity, and spice on the finish.  It was great to try a varietal that I haven't seen in any of the other Virginia wineries I've been to yet.  We ended up purchasing their Cabernet Franc, which, while still a little young, will age nicely in the bottle and become a little more mellow.

So if you're looking for a few more great wineries to check out, I'd definitely recommend these 8 Chains North Winery and North Gate Vineyard.  They have friendly and knowledgeable staff, use Virginia grapes, have good views, and, most importantly, they have some great wines.  Cheers!

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