Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery

“150 Wineries in 150 Days Tour: Virginia” – Stop #8
Maps and all the information can be found on the page about Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery.

Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery, Leon, Virginia

Prince Michel is a big-time operation. Twenty-four wines are on offer in the tasting room, and more than 20 visitors were still propped up at the massive oval tasting bar at 10 minutes before closing on a recent Saturday. This is a destination for wine drinkers for miles around, not least because the complimentary tasting includes 17 wines, ranging from $13 – $22. (Yay for those vanishing free wine tastings!) You can also opt for the $5 Premium tasting, which features seven 100% varietal wines, ranging from $27-$30 (and you can keep the glass).

Seeing as how it was the fourth stop of the day for us, we opted for the Premium: I was willing to pay to not have to taste 17 wines. At least, that’s how my muddled thinking went at the time. (Of course, when you opt for the Premium, you can also have the 17 complimentary tastings if you want, but that was beyond comprehension for my blasted palate and throbbing head.)

Huge windows surround the tasting area, giving views of the massive steel fermentation tanks below. Prince Michel produces 40,000 cases a year, and looking out over the tanks you can begin to get an inkling of that scale. (Of course, Prince Michel is just a gnat to an international conglomerate like Gallo wines, with more than 70 MILLION cases sold annually, but 40,000 is pretty impressive in a state where 60,000 cases a year is about the high water mark.)

A gift shop is seamlessly integrated into Prince Michel’s winery, so that it seems part of the décor. Everything from wine racks to t-shirts to ceramic leopards to plush robes are on offer. Several large outdoor patios are set up for those who want to stay awhile, but, alas, no vineyard views here. Not much in the way of views at all, unless you’re keen to count the cars going by on the highway out front.

And the wines? Something for everyone. Rick was partial to the 2006 Quaker Run Syrah ($27) and I favored the tropical Mt. Juliet Petit Manseng ($27). We didn’t buy anything, though. With 40,000 cases out there, we figure we can always pick it up later.

Tags: Prince Michel, Virginia, Virginia Wine in My Pocket, wine, winery