Shenandoah Wine Trail
Oh Shenandoah! Virginia’s Shenandoah Wine Country (SWX) welcomes visitors with exciting things to see and do: wine tours and tasting, Civil War battlefields, caverns, antiques, antebellum plantations with unique inns, B&Bs and restaurants. This historic valley is tucked between the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west, from the West Virginia line in the north to the James River in the south.
About an hour's drive west of Washington, D.C. lie the Shenandoah Valley and some of Virginia’s best wineries. To compliment the wine, superior dining can be found along the Shenandoah Valley Wine Country Trail (SWX). A romantic outing in any season, the wine region is a wonderful place to picnic and take life at a leisurely pace. On your trip, plan a diversion to an historic plantation or Civil War battlefield.
It has been said by many that the Shenandoah Valley is one of the country's most exciting wine producing regions today, with positive critical reviews being found in major food and wine publications nationwide. As the praise and awards continue to accumulate, Shenandoah Valley (AVA) wines have become sought-after products in fine restaurants and wine shops from coast to coast and internationally.
The Shenandoah Valley has clearly emerged as a regional wine leader in the eastern United States. A tour of the Valley’s wineries offers a special experience, with rural scenery, entertainment, quality restaurants and award winning wines.
Shenandoah Valley Wine Country (SWX) Participating Wineries
Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, Augusta County
Blue Ridge Vineyard, Eagle Rock, Botetourt County
Cave Ridge Vineyard, Mt. Jackson, Shenandoah County
Cross Keys Vineyards, Mt. Crawford, Rockingham County
North Mountain Vineyard & Winery, Maurertown, Shenandoah County
Rockbridge Vineyard, Raphine, Rockbridge County
Shenandoah Vineyards, Inc., Edinburg, Shenandoah County
Veramar Vineyard, Berryville, Clarke County
Wolf Gap Vineyard, Edinburg, Shenandoah County
Wisteria Farm & Vineyard, Luray, Page County
Shenandoah Valley Wine Country (SWX) Attractions
Shenandoah Caverns & American Celebration on Parade, Shenandoah Caverns, Shenandoah County
With many fine restaurants, country inns, bed & breakfasts and antique shops along the Shenandoah Valley Wine Country Trail (SWX) or just minutes away, you will find ample opportunity to relax in rural splendor and enjoy the country life. In the early eighteenth century it was the raw frontier, where a young Colonel George Washington commanded Virginia troops during the French and Indian War. In the Civil War, it became the breadbasket of the Confederacy, feeding General Robert E. Lee’s troops until almost the end. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Lee’s valued lieutenant, earned his first laurels defending the valley.
At the wineries, friendly staff welcomes you and offers you a sample of a medley of wine varieties The options range from dry to semi-dry table wines and late harvest dessert wines that have won their share of gold medals in both national and international competitions as well as the praise of wine critics across the country.
Well-organized trails through the Shenandoah Valley are distinctly different. The Shenandoah Valley Wine Country Trail (SWX) winds in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River and then extends into the southernmost head of the Shenandoah Valley to the James River. Most of the wineries are small, family run, and relatively close together. The trail is more quaint than rugged.
Visiting these wineries makes for a wonderful weekend project. The vineyards in this group are quite varied, but many produce wonderful Chardonnay, Chambourcin and Cabernet, which they usually offer daily in their tasting rooms. One tip - if you do plan on visiting many of the wineries, the tasting room guides offer a bit of advice: swirl the wine, smell the wine, taste the wine, then dump it out. It's not considered bad etiquette and you will be able to visit more wineries in a given day.
Throughout its long history, the Shenandoah Valley has been revered as one of the most bountiful and beautiful regions of North America, bounded by lovely mountain ranges and nourished by the Shenandoah River. Shenandoah is a Native American word whose translation "beautiful daughter of the stars" still holds true today. Travel the SWX through this beautiful valley and over her mountains to the rolling piedmont from Frederick and Clark Counties in the north to Botetourt County in the south end of the Shenandoah Valley viticultural area.
Visit an interactive map of Shenandoah Valley Wine Country to plan your visit.
It's all there in the bottle, waiting for you!
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