RdV Vineyards Now Open to the Public for Tours

Need an upscale road trip destination for the long holiday weekend? Look no further than RdV Vineyards. Virginia's upscale winery in Delaplane, previously closed to the public, is now offering in-depth tours of the vineyards, winery and caves, along with a tasting of the winery's 2010 releases.

"Being a very small, very boutique winery with very expensive wine, at least by Virginia standards, historically the only way you could try the wine was through one of our ambassadors, or being on our mailing list or if you had it at a fancy restaurant, and any of those scenarios could set you back $1,000," said estate director Jarad Slipp, a CityZen veteran who is also a master sommelier. "Now we've unlocked the gates, and people can come and do a tour and taste the wines, and if they want to buy a bottle or a case, then that's great, too."

The small vineyard, which stretches over 100 acres, produces about 2,000 cases of wine per year. They produce just two Bordeaux-style wines: the 2010 Lost Mountain and the 2010 Rendezvous. About 30-40 restaurants in D.C. and Northern Virginia carry the wines.

The tours are $50 per person and can be scheduled via appointment. They're held Thursdays through Sundays three times a day: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. They're booking 12 people per tour but can make exceptions for large groups. Slipp said those numbers could increase depending on demand and staffing. The winery has been quietly launching the tours the past month or so, and despite the winery not really publicizing it until now, they've been booking up quickly, Slipp said.
· RdV Vineyards [Official Site]