With grapes galore, are we the next Napa Valley-

JEFF SAY / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: March 29, 2008

One doesn't normally equate award-winning wines and spirits with the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but that has steadily been changing thanks to wineries and distilleries in and around Culpeper.

Old House Vineyards is the only winery actually located in Culpeper County. The vineyards, founded in 1998 by the Kearney family, has taken 75 acres of abandoned farmland and transformed it into a wine-lovers getaway.

The vineyards produced its first grapes in 1999 and its winery has been open for six years.
Old House sells about 1,800 cases of wine a year, with the ultimate goal of being able to sell 5,000 cases a year, according to owner Allyson Kearney.

Its most popular wines include Vidal Blanc, Wicked Bottom and anSamhrada - Celtic for summer.

The vineyards is open Monday through Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m., 1 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

While Old House Vineyards is the only winery in Culpeper County, the surrounding region is brimming with a wine-lovers paradise.

Just up the road off Route 211 are two award-winning wineries. Gray Ghost Vineyards produces internationally acclaimed wines from 20 acres of vineyards. Gray Ghost produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Adieu and other award-winning wines. Gray Ghost is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday March through December and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in January and February.

Unicorn Winery, located off of Route 211 in Amissville, is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Wines from Unicorn have won 50 medals, including eight last year. The facility is popular for weddings and get-togethers. Unicorn also has the only female winemaker in Virginia.

Prince Michel, located just over the Culpeper County/Madison County Border on U.S. 29, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It offers tours of its 150,000-gallon production facility and offers premium wines such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Symbius, Shiraz and more.

If wine isn't your thing, and you like a stiffer drink then Culpeper also offers Belmont Farms which produces Virginia Lightning Whiskey, a family recipe of distiller Chuck Miller.

Virginia Lightning is a corn whiskey (moonshine) that is twice-distilled with homegrown corn. Miller also produces a more traditional triple grain, twice distilled whiskey called Kopper Kettle. Tours of the distillery are offered April through Dec. 24 Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

- Jeff Say