Jump Mountain Vineyard — Attraction in Craigsville

I’m a few months late getting to this review, but my wife and I enjoyed a bottle of JMV’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon tonight, and it was just the reminder I needed to write this!

The gist of it: Unassuming. Unpretentious. Unbelievably good red wine! These folks are wine farmers first (which is truly the best way to be in the East Coast wine industry) and it shows in the glass!

My first clue that Jump Mountain Vineyard was going to be good was when we arrived at the tasting room on a Saturday in August, about 4 miles outside of cell service, only to find an unmanned facility with a beautiful view and a mower (? could’ve been a tractor) humming along a couple hundred yards away up in the vineyards. We neglected to call before making the trip, but were pleased to see other patrons arriving just as we were about to head back to Lexington. These folks were clearly more prepared than us, and we were promptly greeted by Mary and David, who were lovely and quite knowledgable. They guided us through the tasting of their wines.

During our tasting, we were treated to two vintages of still Grüner Veltliner of seemingly different styles. Both tasty! A nice dry Provence-style rosé too! And then we were introduced to a red wine trio that would rival any serious producer in Virginia! On the tasting sheet, unconventional grapes like Refosco, Lagrein and Sagrantino were juxtaposed with stalwarts like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and the ever up-and-coming Tannat. Between the Livia, Cabernet Sauvignon and Borderland, there were no misses, only homeruns! Unfortunately, I didn’t take notes and I will not be opening the other 6 bottles on a whim (these are special) to remember, but I seem to recall the LIVIA being a bit lighter bodied and fruity with lovely, vibrant fruit. Meanwhile, the Cabernet is incredibly elegant! The tasting profile sits almost perfectly between Left Bank Bordeaux and Napa. 2019 was an excellent year for wine on the east coast, but I’ve seen many Virginia and NC wineries try to “do too much” with the vintage. Over-oaking is particularly rampant, but not here; the Cabernet is wonderfully balanced with perfect acidity and ripe red fruit (no vegetal notes) that compel you to keep going back for another sip! Notes of leather and cocoa nib and fine-grained tannins round out the palate for a nice, long finish! The 2019 Borderland was big and bold… thanks, Tannat! I’ll lay it down for a while! We also enjoyed some delicious bubbles: a methode champenoise sparkling made from Grüner. We’re saving this for a special occasion, as well.

As far as I’m concerned, Jump Mountain Vineyards is the best kept wine secret in the Shenandoah Valley AVA and maybe all of Virginia! For a Virginia vineyard to ripen their reds this well is a testament to terroir (I think the soil/slope/aspect here are special), good farming… and winemaking that guides rather than dictates! We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and can’t wait to...

Over the years, my W&L family has had the pleasure of visiting many of the Lexington wineries. This is the first Google review I feel compelled to share due to unanimous agreement from our party of 35 that this is the best winery you will find in the area. A portion of our party from Napa favored Livia and the lovely tour of the magnificent vineyards. The rest were split between the delightfully dry and refreshing rose, full bodied cab, and the crisp white. Mary and David kindly welcomed 4 graduates and their families for a post graduation - wine tasting celebration. Everything was exquisite, from the vases of peonies thoughtfully placed on the picnic tables to the panoramic and exquisite views of Jump Mountain; we are grateful. Jump mountain is a must visit and most worthy of the...

Off the beaten path and worth every mile of the drive. We have been to visit Mary and David several times now and the wine, the view nor the conversation disappoints. Mary and David provide a very intimate experience for those interested in wine - it is not often that you are tasting with the growers and winemakers themselves. Their wines are some of our favorites in the VA Blue Ridge area - Mom prefers the Gruner Veltliner and my favorite is the Jump Mountain Rosé. Sitting at the base of Jump Mountain just adds to...