We can all agree that every winery provides its own unique glorious view of the surrounding countryside and the views from
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery are no exception. Except that it may provide the best mountain and valley views in Virginia, and arguably the entire East Coast. The 35-acre estate vineyard off Afton Mountain is planted on south-facing slopes ranging in elevation from 800 feet to 1,140 feet within the
Monticello AVA. And with amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Piedmont valleys.
In addition to the estate vineyard, Hazy Mountain farms 50 acres in the cooler
Shenandoah AVA west of Staunton, on the southeast-facing slopes of the west side of the Shenandoah Valley. The Little North Mountain Vineyard also houses their production facility. Thus Hazy Mountain offers wines from two distinct Virginia AVAs - cool climate Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Noir from the Shenandoah Valley and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot from Nelson County and the Monticello AVA.
We stuck to the white wines and were very impressed with these cool climate varietal wines. We learned that the
2020 Chenin Blanc was fermented and aged in large French oak puncheons and aged on lees in a barrel for 11 months, providing rich fruit texture and a larger mouthfeel. Great acidity too. As did the
2019 Dry Riesling and
2020 Gruner Veltliner with the Riesling very light in the Kabinett style and the Gruner providing layers of white grapefruit. As for beer, go no further than the
German Pilsner. Excellent. Can't wait to visit for a
Nelson County Dark Skies night.
