Chateau O’Brien

“150 Wineries in 150 Days Tour: Virginia”- Stop #32
For a map and all the info check out our page on Chateau O’Brien.

We heard about Chateau O’Brien’s fantastic Tannat from the sommelier at the perennial Washington-area favorite, L’auberge Chez Francois.  Tannat – the “national grape of Uruguay” according to many – is showing up with increasing frequency in Virginia’s wineries, though mostly as a blending grape that adds great color and richness, such as in Old House’s Bacchanalia (Cab Franc, Tannat, and Chambourcin), Paradise Springs’ Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Tannat), and Potomac Point’s Cab Franc (Cab Franc, Tannat, and Merlot).

We don’t claim any particular wine tasting expertise; our raison d’etre in developing the Virginia Wine in My Pocket app is to help people find the winery experience they seek as they travel Virginia’s wine trails.  And – though wine makers may pout when we say this – the wine itself is only part of that equation. 

However…we do enjoy a nice glass of wine, so we made Chateau O’Brien our first stop of the day. Our taste buds were primed and ready.  We opted for the reserve tasting at $10 each for 5 pours, all reds, ranging in price from $29 for the ’07 Cab Franc to $69 for the ’07 Tannat and the ’07 Late Harvest Tannat.  And we left happy (and in possession of the $49 ’07 Vintner’s Reserve). 

Before we left, we checked out the rest of the renovated old house – the polished 14” pine floors, the cozy lounge with leather couches flanking a stone fireplace, the gorgeous wide views from the covered deck.  The adorable dog.  Photos on the winery’s web site don’t really do it justice.  The owners have worked hard to make this a special place, and it shows.

Things to know:  no kids, no pets, no RVs (you’ll never make the tight turn across the railroad tracks heading up the winery’s drive), and no AT&T signal.

Tags: 150 Wineries in 150 Days Tour, app, bar, Chateau O'Brien, deck, In My Pocket, O'Brien, shed, travel, VA, VA Wine, view, vineyard, vineyards, Virginia, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine in My Pocket, wine, wineries, winery