The New River Vineyard & Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: The New River Vineyard and Winery is a boutique winery that is family owned and operated. For the owners, “this is a labor of love.” A visit to the winery tasting room includes seating on a large patio, views of the vineyard and views of the Virginia countryside.
The New River Vineyard & Winery is open for wine tastings on weekends. During the summer, they are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A long, stone driveway going past a vineyard leads to the The New River Vineyard and Winery tasting room, where two small tasting counters are available. The size of the small room necessitates visitors to sit on the patio, which offers views of the vineyard. The vineyard and winery are family owned. Christy and Mike Wallen are the owners. Christy, a Pharmacy Technician, is also the winemaker. Mike is an auto mechanic and is able to do anything that the winery needs done including building the pavilion. Mike is also very knowledgeable about the winery. Their two adult children, Anthony and Elizabeth, are also very involved with the New River Vineyard & Winery. At the time of our May visit, they were busy conducting tastings.
Christy grew up in Ohio. When she attended a grade school reunion, she met a friend who owns a winery in Ohio. The friend, Tim Merry, encouraged Christy to grow grapes on Christy and Mike’s property.
In 2012, Christy and Mike started planting grapevines. They opened the winery in November 2016. The couple wanted to start small and so established the tasting room in their home. Future plans include building a designated tasting room with views of New River. Christy is looking forward to retiring from her position as a pharmacist and working full-time with the New River winery and vineyards.
The patio is occupied with tables and chairs as well as an Adirondack chair seating spot. The patio flooring is concrete and the surrounding 6 to 8 inch border has grapes and grape leaves images impressed in the concrete. Close to the patio a small pavilion offers covering from rain or sun.
New River Vineyards
In 2019 the New River vineyards includes 5.5 acres with many varieties including: Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Traminette, Vidal, Niagara, Concord, Catawba, Cabernet Sauvignon, Frontenac, and Léon MIllot. The couple sources Muscadine grapes from North Carolina and Viognier from nearby Dublin, Virginia. The vineyard struggles with deer and bears. While fences protect the grapes from deer, the fences do not stop bears.
Wine Tasting
New River Winery produces 350 to 400 cases per year. Bottle labels are produced with the permission of artist Leonid Afremov, whose work is available online.
Viognier 2018 with 12% alcohol had a residual sugar of 5 g/L. The dry, light yellow colored wine offered floral and tropical notes. The taste included honeysuckle, melon, papaya, and pineapple. The finish was crisp and fruity. The winery suggests pairing the Viognier with spicy foods including Thai cuisine.
The Sauvignon Blanc 2017 had 13% alcohol. The yellow colored wine offered an aroma of tropical fruits. The mouthfeel was silky. The taste included notes of pineapple, melon, pear, apple, a hint of earthiness, and peach. Christy noted that Sauvignon Blanc for this wine was harvested at the peak of ripeness.
The Vidal Blanc 2017 with 13% alcohol was a yellow color. The residual sugar was 10 g/L. The aroma was floral. The mouthfeel was silky. The fruit forward wine had a floral background including roses and honeysuckle. The wine had tropical fruit notes. The finish was crisp and fruity.
Traminette 2017, with 13% alcohol, was a straw color. The aroma included notes of flowers and yellow stone fruit. The taste was of daisies, honeysuckle, peaches and nectarines. The finish was crisp and fruity yielding to flowers with a hint of mineral.
Léon Millot 2017, with 13% alcohol, was a translucent ruby color with a sienna hue. The aroma was of perfume. The wine had a silky mouthfeel and notes of perfume, black cherry and black plum. The wine was medium bodied with mild tannins. The finish was fruity.
Special events include occasional music events and during the summer Yoga and Wine take place on the patio.
Christy and Mike want people to know that they are a family owned and operated winery and vineyard. They are a boutique winery that specializes in customer service. New River Vineyard & Winery offers great views and a relaxing patio where wine enthusiasts can enjoy the wines and the views.
Images provided by New River Vineyard.
The New River Vineyard & Winery
6750 Falling Branch Road,
Fairlawn, Virginia 24141
GPS: N37º 07.2356’ W80º 36.3955’
Article written June 2019.
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