Winery Visit - Philip Carter Winery

Note: When visiting wineries, we judge the winery on our overall experience. That includes the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff, the quality of the wine and food, as well as the aesthetic qualities of the visit. Because so many Virginia wineries are “destination wineries,” we give less weight to the price of the wines, since we understand we are paying what is equivalent to restaurant prices for their wines.

In January we headed out on a rainy Saturday for our first ever Virginia Wine Review vineyard visit.  We headed out to Linden, near Front Royal to the Philip Carter Winery.  After a winding, and understandably muddy driveway, we came to a small, but pleasant tasting room building.  Just inside the front door was the main tasting bar where we purchased one full tasting plus one only white tasting.  The tasting started with their 2012 Chardonnay, which is 7/8^th  Chardonnay and 1/8^th Viognier with hints of green apple and pear, it was a very enjoyable selection.  We moved to the 2012 Falconwood White, a 75% to 25% Chardonnay to Viognier, which we found somewhat weak and hollow in its flavoring.  From there we then tasted the 2013 Governor Fauquier described as a off dry wine made from Vidal Blanc grapes.  This was a very pleasant white, perfect for enjoyment in the mid-afternoon.  We decided this would be the bottle we would enjoy on or visit.

Their Cabernet Franc 2012 started the red portion of the tasting.  This was a smooth, but not full-bodied.  We agree with the winery description of this being a good summertime red.  This was followed by a very nice blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, which they have labeled their 2011 Falconwood red.  Their 2011 Corotoman was next up, a blend of Bordeaux and Meritage, this was a decent red yet we would be hard pressed to justify the $35 a bottle price tag.  The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon was an excellent dry, yet smooth offering that was very enjoyable with a flavor that will only improve as this wine ages. 

We enjoyed our bottle of Governor Fauquier in their adjacent downstairs room, which consisted of a fireplace surround by comfortable chairs and a sofa with the remainder of the room furnished with tables with seating for four to ten people  The downstairs room also had a separate tasting bar.  We purchased a platter of sausage, cheese and crackers, which was at best average.  We would recommend bringing your own food, if allowed.  In part because the crackers included In our package was just a sleeve of Ritz crackers. 

Our Ratings”

Wines:  3.5 Good to Very Good

If you enjoy lighter whites, or a good Chardonnay, you will not be disappointed.  Highlighted by a very good Cabernet Sauvignon, their reds ranged from light and smooth to full-bodied and complex. 

Snacks 

As we mentio+ned above, we suggest bringing your own munchies.  

Staff

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and certainly made us feel welcome to be at the winery. 

Atmosphere

We loved sitting by a real fire on a rainy January day, and had no trouble making friendly conversation with two couples also sitting near the fireplace.  Whether you decide to converse near the fire or grab a table alone, it is a truly nice friendly and inviting atmosphere to enjoy some good Virginia wine and hospitality.

We did notice picnic tables and cornhole game boards on the lawn and look forward to another visit sitting outside on a nice day.