Veramar Vineyard — Attraction in Berryville

BAIT AND SWITCH? Totally Unsatisfying Experience

On the advice of friends, I made a special trip to Veramar today with the intention of buying wines that had come highly recommended by them. Before going, I checked and found those wines on Veramar's website, all offered for sale or delivery.

Got to the winery, parked in the lot which had plenty of spaces right by the entrance, went inside and after a little bit of a wait, got to the cashier. I ordered two different wines (I'm a wino. With new wines to me, I normally try a bottle of each, then if I like them come back and get cases, so I have a good stash of the stuff I like best.)

Placed my order...

"Are you a club member?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, those two wines are both for club members only."

"Really?" (There was no club limitation mentioned where their products are listed on their site. They have 6 wines showing for sale at Veramar's site today, all of which can be ordered on their site.) "Well, would you pour me two tasting-sized glasses, please, so I can try them?"

"No. Tastings of those two are reserved for club members."

"Okay, I'll pass then. But you really should not list wines on your web site if we can't buy them." And I left.

Wine is just wine. There are a gazillion other wineries in Clarke, Loudoun, and Fauquier, some of them with killer wines.

Veramar's gotten some awards lately, tho, they're close by--almost neighbors--and I wanted to give these two a try. Sure, the good stuff sells out first, or gets scarce. No problem. But this ain't the way to treat customers.

I put Veramar's website in the "bait and switch" category. Either inadvertent or intentional.

My advice is if you don't care much about what your wine tastes like, Veramar's parking lot has plenty of room for you to get in and out of on a pretty, 70 degree Sunday afternoon. But I certainly cannot recommend them, if you even want to TRY their better wines. Because you will first have to become a club member just...

We had a horrible experience when visiting Veramar vineyard. There were a ton of people onsite and definitely no staff onsite to provide the quality of service needed to accommodate all visitors.

We gave Veramar a chance after being warned that the wine was not too appealing but sometimes you need to figure things out for yourself. When it comes to wine it is mostly up to the individuals taste. Saving you some time I will cut to the point. The wine was not good but it also was hot outside and by the time it could be enjoyed it was close to boiling. Why did it take so long to taste you ask?

Cut to the kitchen order that was put in. Once again long story short it appeared that there was 1 staff member making all of the food. He missed patrons orders and made others orders incorrectly. The pickup line was ridiculously long and full of hangry people. Once we were able to find a table I watched our chairs (holding our flights outdoors in direct sunlight) while my other half wasted time and money ordering food and waiting inside approximately 30 minutes for food that never came. Me, being extremely patient waited 15-20 minutes before she came out and stated I might as well try the wine without her and she went back inside. Upon tasting the flight I was pretty grossed out and less than happy with finishing any of the wines. She returned 15 or 20 minutes later -empty handed-, aggravated and ready to leave. I agreed to her request and we wasted time, money and gas.

Yes I can see how this review should reflect a 1 star but I gave 2 due to the initial Veramar employee that set us up with the tastings. She was courteous and willing to help. I don't...

I have been a customer, and Estate Club member, at Veramar for a number of years and like the wines so much that I've purchased Estate Club memberships for my brother and sister, too. Now I don't have to remember their birthdays or worry about what to get them for Christmas!

As with most boutique wineries, the taste of each wine will vary from year to year. One thing that does not vary, even a little bit, is the quality of Veramar wines. My favorites over the years have been the 2007 Chardonnay, the 2010 Rooster Red (all time Bordeaux blend favorite), and the 2009 Norton. The Veramar Rose from 2011 provides an excellent balance between sweetness and fruitiness, which is a nice contrast to the drier Pink Chicken of years past. Another 2011 favorite is the Cabernet Franc. The only thing I need to pair it with is a wine glass!

The staff at Veramar, like most spots in the hospitality industry, does see some turnover, though there are friendly faces that predate my arrival on the Veramar scene. Over the years I have noticed a consistent dedication to professional, courteous customer service, even in the face of such adversity as one might expect from a bus full of well lubricated twenty somethings.

One of the really neat things about Veramar is the awesome view of the Blue Ridge mountains. It is the perfect place to take someone special and enjoy a leisurely picnic and some excellent wine.

I heartily recommend Veramar for the wine, the atmosphere and...