After passing Prince Michel Winery going to and from northern Virginia for several years, now, it finally happened that I was in no particular hurry to travel north. And so I stopped in.
Prince Michel gives a really enjoyable wine tasting experience. Only one other woman came in to taste while I was there, a weekday afternoon, and we were invited to take our team with each of the tastings available to us– likely more than fifteen (shame I did not keep my tasting notes!). My young hostess asked me to circle the wines I wanted to taste, and she was both knowledgeable and unpretentious in presenting their own line as well as modestly priced Rapidan River wines. I even got to taste their port (delicious). The woman who seemed to be the manager at the time had a great sense of humor and made sure I knew where to find their cheese and fig plates to sample. It felt like girls’ night at a friend’s house.
They said I came at the perfect time, too, as a tour bus was slated to arrive not long after. The building was remodeled and expanded a couple of years ago, and the banquet facility is charming. They are happy to accommodate tour groups, whether they show up in a limo or charter bus, for winery tours, tastings, and special events. The winemaking machinery was updated this year, too, and is now fully automated. But you can tell that they still handle their grapes and customers with the TLC you’d expect of a Virginia winery: they can make personalized wine bottle labels to give as gifts or serve on special occasions.
Each time I taste wines, I have a rule: purchase just one bottle. Silly rule, wouldn’t you agree?
Visit Prince Michel online at www.princemichel.com to read about their wines and sign up for the wine club or newsletter.
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Tagged as: Central Virginia, Raves, Reviews
I try to purchase at least one bottle whenever I go tasting. It’s like the unspoken agreement: vineyard serves me lots of free wine; I buy something. (Hint: go tasting with a winemaker or sommelier sometime. Hook-ups on price are often available for the insiders.)
When I go wine tasting, I almost hope they charge me a $1 to $3, that way I don’t feel bad about not buying a bottle should none of them prove to my liking.
I agree that Prince Michel does a nice job. My top of the head rundown of the tastiest area vinters would include Del Fosse (maybe the best), King Family and Barboursville.
In general I think Virginia whites are better than reds, although our cabernet francs are often quite good.
I love Jefferson and King Family. I hope I’ve reviewed them already… somewhere in the past 250 or so posts…
As one who works with a number of local wineries, I agree most do a great job in their tasting rooms making people feel welcome and keeping the wine talk on an approachable level. The majority of wineries are moving to tasting fees as the tastings are a cost center. Some will give you a complimentary glass along with your tasting. If you like something buy it. These are small businesses that need to build new customer base you can be on the cutting edge of Virginia wine.
I am very fond of the wines in our region for a full listing check out http://www.monticellowinetrail.com
Cabernet Franc and Pinot Grigio are two of my VA favorites.
For someone who comes off as a bit pretentious about her culinary selections in the Charlottesville area, I am surprised to see Lillith go to the Ernest & Gallo of Virginia wineries. There are so many true VA wineries in the area worth one’s time, so to visit the Budweiser of VA wines is disappointing. Of course the real Budweiser of VA is all the Legend crap out of Richmond. But Prince Michel wine is the worst of the worst when it comes to VA wines.
I have a hard time with Virginia wines because I don’t care for cab franc. It’s ubiquitous. Merlot and cab sav are okay. I’m all about the blends! Each winery seems to put out a signature blend each year that I flip over. I would LOVE to be there for the mixing and tasting. One day.
The Rapidan River labeling says it all. I didn’t talk about the wines as much as the experience, right? I walked away with a sweet riesling, so don’t worry, Horatio, I wasn’t imagining I was in the Willamette Valley.
You are right Lillith. You were really just commenting on the experience. I was simply disappointed that you would promote the worst of the VA wineries.
I’m a big fan of both Cardinal Point and Veritas. I’ve brought many people to both, for tastings. Both are staffed by friendly, fun people able to deal with both my goofy pals and my sort of snobby, wine-collector father. The people knew their stuff. And the wines were fabu. Good thing I’m a cabernet franc person, though. Ubiquitous around here. Definitely one of the best grapes in the area and certainly to be found at all local vineyards.
I don’t really care for this place either.
ThatGrrl, I agree - Veritas has some pretty good wines and the tastings are a fun experience.
Plus one, lilith - you spelled “Willamette” correctly! Want to gamble on pronunciation?
Ah, yes… pronunciation-wise, Willamette is like the Buena Vista of Oregon.
I always had negative natural inclinations toward Prince Michel, too. Too big, right on the side of 29, available even at my gross IGA in Scottsville, etc. But when I finally did stop there one day, damned if some of their wine isn’t excellent.
Not that this buys you cred, either, but they’re one of the oldest wineries in the area, too.
25 years.
VERITAS! Yes, I love them and their wines that pair perfectly with seared zebra and tsetse fly terrine too.
Now admit it Lillith, that last bit was for me, wasn’t it? But what you did not realize was I happen to love seared zebra and tsetse fly terrine, but only if the tsetse fly is fresh off the zebra dung…
My cob-logger used to make wine at a local place (he’s now doing so in Oregon). He surprised me by informing me that many (most?) local wineries buy extra grapes from some big grape place near Crozet. So in many instances, it really is the blending that matters. They’re often using the very same grapes.
Happens all over the valley, Stanley. You have a little too much of something that someone else needs, due to losing a bunch of choice fruit in a bad, early frost. You sell your excess, or maybe trade it for a variety of grape that your vineyard doesn’t grow. Do a special blend that you couldn’t have done with your grapes, alone. As you say, it’s the blending that really matters, not that all the grapes came from the very same place.
They used to buy grapes from CA to supplement their Virginia suppliers, but I found no mention of that on their website. That’s why they usually call themselves an American wine vs Virginian. Maybe they’ve stopped this practice, but for it long time it was the reason they were unpopular among Virginia wine supporters.
Random note: I once heard a rumor that many Congressmen frequently rent the cottages at the vineyard and bring down their mistresses when they need to discretely escape the beltway.
NO WAY LYS.. PAPERAZZIVILLAIN TIME?