Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn

(Note – Geo Coords listed here are not personally confirmed. This is according to Google maps and/or another web source; your mileage may vary!)

Located in Delaplane, Virginia on one of the most exciting wine trails in the Washington, D.C. area, Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn is a boutique winery located on a 200 year-old country estate that offers a unique experience for wine lovers. At Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn, we have endeavored to capture the best of Colonial and European wine making techniques and blendings. The ambience of the 200 year-old hunt country barn winery and thoroughbred horse farm inspires us daily. Our dream is to bring to life the notion that the mellowness of a boutique winery experience lingers long after the glass empties.

Tasting fee $7. Open Saturday 11 – 6; Sunday 12 – 6 (December – February hours Saturday 12 – 5, Sunday 1 – 5)

At Aspen Dale, a 200-year-old barn serves as the center of the wine-making operation. The tasting room manages to be elegant, cozy, funky and comfortable all at the same time, with a big fireplace anchoring all the bits and pieces.

Upstairs, a space for wine club members offers a few romantic alcoves featuring over-stuffed couches and club chairs. In warmer months, a pond with water trickling through fountains is the centerpiece of the backyard patio.  The views in every direction are relaxing and pastoral, with stone outbuildings, an old silo, and gazebos for small groups.

Wine tastings come with a food pairing. Tiny tidbits include bison sausage, sage Darby cheese, white chocolate and other morsels chosen for their ability to highlight the nuances of the wine selections. Currently, wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and the unusual Carmeniere.

At the winery: Kids and leashed dogs welcome; group tours (call for reservation), light snacks available.

From Washington, D.C. take 66 W to the Paris Delaplane Exit (Exit 23) and follow 17N three quarters of a mile. Turn left on 55W. Stay to your right for 2+ miles. Watch for stacked stone walls with an avenue of cherry trees on the left. The Winery is the second entrance on the left and clearly marked with the Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn sign.

Coming from 81N/S take the 66E exit and exit at Paris/Delaplane. Turn left at the bottom of the hill. Go under the bridge and turn left onto 55W. Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn is 1.3 miles down on the left. Pass the main entrance of the estate and enter the 2nd entrance on the left for the winery.

(Some wineries offer their own driving directions, which are often better than those available from Google Maps or Mapquest. Where the winery provides directions, they will be provided here.)