Erin A.
Yelp
I spent the Memorial Day weekend enjoying wineries in Charlottesville with my bestie and my best dog. Stinson was not on our original list but rather a delightful discovery on our way to White Hall Vineyards. They were busy but that didn't get in the way of us being helped. We had originally left the dog outside, because I know some wineries don't want dogs directly in the tasting room. We were quickly told that we could bring the dog inside by us and was also given a treat to give to the little guy!
The bar area was packed, so we ended up getting our own table-side tasting, which also helped with accommodating the dog.
The young woman who presented our tastings was so friendly and personable. She gave us less a memorized spiel of wine information and more a comfortable friendly conversation about each tasting, etc. When we had a question about one of their award-winning wines that she was unable to answer, she immediately went and asked someone and not a couple minutes later came back to give us that information.
As with many of the wineries we visited on this trip, we ended up enjoying the white wine offerings more than the reds. (Both of us are predominantly red wine drinkers). Particularly surprising was their Chardonnay. I usually dislike Chardonnay because of that thick, buttery taste that completely coats your palate. However, their Chardonnay is unlike that completely. Just light and crisp. It's lightly oaked only 20% in new French barrels, so you only get that small hint of what you typically associate with Chardonnays. I actually never knew that it's the newness of the oak barrels that give Chardonnay that displeasing (to me) finish. The Sauvignon Blanc and Rose were really good as well.
I really liked the tasting room and grounds as well. Had a very quaint, comfortable feel. And I loved how the tasting room had big, garage doors that opened it up to the outside. There was a nice patio with covered seating, as well, so you could enjoy your wine overlooking the landscape.
The tasting itself was $7 I think, with 7-8 wines on the menu. Sadly, the glass is extra. In general, I've often found the tasting fees for Charlottesville area wineries to be a bit pricey, considering the "sip" you get as a tasting. Some are better than others in regards to amount, free or super cheap glass, etc. However, it obviously doesn't deter me, as I'm a regular visitor to the area for such things. And, again, Stinson and its staff were quite lovely with some very good wines. We ended up ordering a glass of the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, which I think were $6 or $7 each. And the glasses were filled pretty full.
Overall Stinson is a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon, and they have some nice wines to boot.