Bacchus Winery — Attraction in Fredericksburg

This is going to be a long review covering several topics.

First, the wines.  If you want to taste and purchase excellent wine, then this is a must-visit winery. No, you won’t be sitting among rolling vineyards or enjoying mountain vistas, but the wines here are unparalleled.  We have visited multiple wineries across Virginia, but not one comes close to the consistent excellent quality of wines produced here.  The variety offered here is extensive, and not one disappoints.  The biggest challenge lies in deciding which you like best.  If you have ever visited a winery, tasted their wines, taken a few bottles home, and after a few months wondered why you bought them, I can guarantee you won’t ever be disappointed with the wines produced here.

Second, the owner’s expertise.  Hal is the vintner and a true oenophile.  He has tremendous knowledge about wine - the varietals, the history, and the all important elements of tasting.  He is a wine judge certified by the American Wine Society.  Do you want to compare one variety to another, understand why one blend may be more enjoyable than another, or know what foods pair with specific wines? Ask Hal.

Third, Hal’s willingness and eagerness to share his knowledge.  Ask him anything about wine or winemaking, and he will provide a clear, concise, and educated answer.  The winery sells everything you need to make your own wine.  I have been making wine from kits for over 15 years because of the relative simplicity and because I have so far been happy with the results.  Since I moved to Virginia two years ago, I have gone to Hal for supplies as well as advice.  He has provided me with innumerable tips on winemaking. As a result of these interactions, I decided I needed to up my game, which leads me to my final point.

Hal offers classes in winemaking, with a regular hands-on course in kit-winemaking. Before you write me off here, know that kit winemakers have won gold, silver, and bronze medals in international amateur wine competitions. Google it. Hal teaches more advanced methods than those found in the instructions provided with the kits.  I have learned more in the first three classes than in all of my prior experience and expect my homemade wine to go from good to great.  I also hope to advance my knowledge even more in future advanced classes.

A huge and unadvertised aspect of the wine-making class is the wine-pairing food plate prepared by Hal, an accomplished chef as well, after every class.  How could you go wrong?

In short, Hal knows and loves wine and is enthusiastic about everything aspect of it.  A visit to Bacchus winery is worth every minute...

I had a wedding to go to in the mid-afternoon and had some time to kill. Not realizing that this was a business that helps people make their own wine, cider, etc., 7 of my friends and I rolled up interested in doing a wine tasting. As we arrived, we realized that tastings didn't start until 1pm (we were there around 11am). Disappointed, but with little else to do, we still entered the establishment to peruse what they had to offer (and pet Odie the dog!). The owner was phenomenal! Even though he was busy helping others with their wine-making projects, he kindly offered to sit us down in a private room and do a tasting for us anyway. His knowledge and passion for wine and the wine-making process really showed and it was truly an amazing experience with my friends and me. To top it off, the wine was excellent! We all bought several bottles and we were on our way. Great wine made better by...

Cool out of the way, not really, winery. The owner is very knowledgeable about local wines and those from around the world. We often stop in with our lunch and to enjoy a bottle. If you explain to him what you would like and what you're eating, he's awesome at pairing the perfect wines with your dish. They also have wine making classes and they teach you how to make wine and provide a large amount of knowledge during these classes. The information goes a long way whether you're a new person to wine or someone who thinks they know it all. Highly recommend this location and the varying wines they have to sample. He also will curtail your sampling to the type of wine you think you like. Always five stars at...