“Can I go to a winery if I don’t drink wine?” Yes, you absolutely can–and should! Because wineries are not just for oenophiles.
Wineries are destinations, attractions themselves–even for non-drinkers. Sure, tasting award-winning wines is the primary draw for most winery guests; but even the strictest teetotalers enjoy the societal aspect of wineries: the food, the scenery, the non-wine activities, the education, the special events, the sense of community, and a connection to others.
Here’s how non-drinkers (including kids and pets) can enjoy a fun and memorable visit to wineries on the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail.
1. Foodie Destination
Pairing certain foods and wines together complements and enhances the flavors of both the food and the wine. For this reason, many wineries offer food onsite. Dining options can range from casual fare and food trucks to gourmet meals prepared by seasoned chefs. The Trail’s location in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia enables wineries to grow fresh ingredients in their own gardens or partner with local farmers and restaurateurs.
Virginia is considered the Oyster Capital of the East Coast, thanks to the quality, abundance, and variety of oysters locally harvested; and one of only three places known in the world where wine grapes grow on the land next to the waters where oysters are dredged.
The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail celebrates oysters during the Spring & Fall Oyster Crawls, held annually in April and November. Some Trail wineries serve oysters in traditional and unique ways year round. Jacey Vineyards serves the Lisa Pizza, a white sauce pizza with spinach and Parmesan cheese, topped with oysters. The chef at The Dog and Oyster prepares Dessert Oysters, fusing oysters, lime sorbet, dill, and other ingredients.
Ditchley Cider Works, the only cidery on the Trail, hosts Sunday Brunch, from March through December.
Wineries have non-alcoholic drinks available and may serve alcoholic drinks other than wine, such as cocktails, cider, beer, or wine drinks (slushies, mulled wine, sangria, etc.)
2. Live Entertainment, Games, & Special Events
Find your tribe at a Trail winery! Whether you like to sing, dance, listen to music, play games, paint, craft, watch sports, shop, run a 5k, or a host of other activities, you’re sure to make new friends who share your interests.
Most weekends, wineries on the Trail welcome live music acts or a DJ, playing a variety of musical genres, including country, classic rock, chamber / orchestra, or acoustic. Like to perform yourself? Check out Jacey Vineyards’ weekly Friday Night Open Mic. Or maybe dancing is your thing. Good Luck Cellars holds dance classes several times a month, in a range of styles, such as Line Dancing, Circle Dancing, and Hip Hop. Some wineries host comedy shows and holiday parties.
Year round, artists gather to paint, handcraft jewelry, craft decorations, and other creative endeavors. Brides and grooms find inspiration at wineries’ bridal shows, including the Northern Neck Bridal Expo held every spring at Rivah Vineyards at the Grove.
Do you want to play a game? General’s Ridge Vineyard has a dart board crafted from recycled corks. Rivah Vineyards at the Grove just added cornhole boards to its collection, which includes board games, horseshoes, and giant chess.
Philanthropists can join the Trail for its annual Pour Your Heart Out event or other fundraisers hosted by individual wineries. Athletes meet up each year at Ingleside Vineyards for the Run the Vineyards 5k & 10k; while armchair quarterbacks appreciate watching the game at General’s Ridge Vineyards.
3. Lodging
You don’t have to be a wine drinker to enjoy the beauty and romance of winery lodging. Book a stay onsite at a Trail winery, from rustic camping to working farm, to historic mansion to luxury cottages.
Described as “hopelessly romantic”, “whimsical” and “magical”, Hope & Glory Inn, home to Trail winery The Dog and Oyster, is named one of the Top Ten Most Romantic Inns by American Historic Inns. The boutique inn is made for lovers, featuring seven private guestrooms and six individual cottages, the latter immersed in a “secret garden” with sculptures, a saltwater pool, and a romantic, open-air, outdoor, garden bath. Guests can feast on oysters and other farm-to-table and boat-to-table locally sourced foods at the inn’s fine dining restaurant, The Colonnade.
Rent a historic mansion at General’s Ridge Vineyard (GRV) or Ditchley Cider Works. GRV’s mid-1800s Manor House features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, bar, several sitting rooms, wraparound porch and balcony. The winery also has available a two-bedroom cottage hidden among the grapevines, with full kitchen, dining room, sitting rooms and a deck, on the almost one hundred acre property.
The four-bedroom 1700’s Manor House at Ditchley is located on the cidery’s 160-acre working farm. House rental includes full breakfast, WiFi and 40 AMP EV charger.
Cabernet Cottage is the 8 ft. x 20 ft. tiny container house at Monroe Bay Winery, with 160 sq. ft. of indoor luxury living space: a kitchenette, full bathroom, and sofa/day bed. Adirondack chairs on the porch offer views of the farmland, with the winery’s Straw Bale Barn Tasting Room and waterfront just a short stroll away.
Bring your RV! Rivah Vineyards at the Grove are members of Harvest Hosts, offering limited space for unique RV camping.
4. Shopping
Visit a winery to find unique gifts for everyone–wine drinkers and non-drinkers–for any occasion!
Each year, the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail hosts five Trail-wide signature events, including the annual Holiday Sip & Shop, during which artisans, crafters, and vendors sell their wares at select wineries.
Several wineries on the Trail have gift shops, stocked with far more than wine-related items and branded merchandise. Ingleside Vineyards devotes an entire room and part of its tasting room to selling hundreds of items, including housewares and decorative furnishings, artwork and antiques! Shop General’s Ridge Vineyard for handcrafted jewelry, home decor and cozy neck warmers.
If you happen to have a wine lover on your list, Good Luck Cellars’ gift shop features a variety of wine-related accessories and one-of-a-kind upcycled gifts, such as wine bottle wind chimes, cork art, and painted wine glasses.
5. Explore and Learn
Whether one enjoys wine or not, the agricultural process to produce it is a marvel to behold. Winemaking is an art and a science, reliant on the expertise of the winemakers and the whim of Mother Nature. Visit during harvest and you’ll be able to experience one of the most exciting times of the year at a vineyard, when grapes are at peak ripeness and ready to be plucked from the vines.
Trail winery Good Luck Cellars invites volunteers to help handpick grapes from its 25 acres of vines, rewarding volunteers with “good luck” (wine) in return for their time and efforts. Ingleside Vineyards offers tastings and guided tours (sometimes by candelight) of their winemaking facilities. An on-site museum features antique wine bottles, Native American artifacts and Chesapeake waterfowl decoys.
Guests at Ditchley Cider House are invited to “be a farmer for a day”. Learn how to tend to cattle, hogs, ducks, geese and turkeys; learn about strawbale gardening; and pick vegetables. Ditchley also features Sunday Brunch weekly.
6. The Great Outdoors
Wineries are dreamily picturesque, with stunning views of vineyards, forests, farmland, bodies of water, wildlife, and other natural scenery.
Walk among the blooming gardens, courtyards, and lush vines, loaded with plump grapes, in the summer. Hike among the majestic trees ablaze with color in the fall. Trek acres of undisturbed snow in the winter. Witness the first buds of spring peeking out from the soil in spring. Watch the sunlight dance off of the local waterways.
7. Boating & Watersports
The Trail’s location along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries allows for a variety of water activities, including boating to the winery!
Access Ditchley Cider Works’ protected, deep water cove from the Chesapeake Bay via Dividing Creek. Drop anchor at the cidery’s 100-ft. dock and spend the day sipping cider, petting farm animals, lounging on the modest sandy beach or paddle boarding (SUP) and kayaking in the private cove.
Seven docks are in Jacey Vineyards’ private Corbin Cove, off of Mill Creek, accessible from the Chesapeake Bay. A commercial dock is under construction near the mouth of the creek. A shallow draft boat gets you to Rivah Vineyards at the Grove. Stay at The Dog & Oyster’s Hope & Glory Inn and enjoy a sunset boat ride with the owner. Overnight guests at Monroe Bay Winery’s Cabernet Cottage have access to a kayak.
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