Chester Gap Cellars — Attraction in Virginia

Chester Gap Cellars On our way to Central VA/Monticello wine trail we decided to drive through Front Royal and check out a few spots. Chester Gap Cellars has beautiful grounds with gorgeous views! There is cozy indoor seating, a patio with umbrellas and lots of grassy area to enjoy your wine and the views. Wines were nice. Subtle flavors They offer flights, glasses, and bottles. Shout out to Evan who helped us in the tasting room He was personable and very knowledgeable about the wines and the vineyard. He also gave us suggestions of other spots to try in the area

What we tasted (descriptions are from the winery tasting note sheets) White Flight: *Viognier '21 - A purist's example of Viognier. Fermented in stainless steel to allow for only the grape's expression to dominate. *Viognier Reserve '20- Aged in French Oak to smooth and soften this otherwise vibrant white. This is a great comparison to the first Viognier on this flight, taste the Oak influence in this glass vs. the stainless steel earlier. *Roussanne '21- A French Rhone varietal, full of fruit but no residual sugar. Aged in stainless steel to highlight its naturally crisp flavor. *Petit Manseng '20- A full bodied white, slightly sweet (1% residual sugar) aged in stainless steel. *Rose '23 - Beautiful and light in color yet full of flavor. 2023 rose is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 20% Petit Verdot.

Red Flight: ‣ Lighter Side of Red '22 - A lighter red with a full-bodied flavor, Blend of Cabernet Franc and Grenache for a peppery aroma and flavor without overpowering tannins. ‣ Merlot '21 - Estate grown and aged in French Oak, this is always a favorite . It has just a hint of Petit Verdot for added color and to further express the strong Merlot tannins. ‣ Hillside Red 22 - They experiment with their Hillside Red line using grapes they are thinking about planting in the vineyard. This is a blend of estate grown Merlot and a newcomer to the cellar, Tempranillo. Big, juicy and full bodied. ‣ Petit Verdot '22 - Estate grown and aged in a combination of new and neutral French Oak barrels for a smooth, rich and delicious flavor profile. This is a big, bold red! ‣ Vintner's Red '21 - Expressing the true character of the vineyard. All estate grown 60% Cab Franc, 20% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot aged in French Oak.

My rating rationale for beer, wine, or spirits: +1 Service +1 Atmosphere/Vibe +.5 Taste/Quality (Flavor, aroma, and overall quality of the beverage) +1 Presentation (Glassware, garnishes, and visual appeal of the drinks) +1 Selection/Variety (Range of beer, wine, or spirit options and uniqueness...

What an amazing find! My friend and I were headed to another winery on our way home when we saw the sign for Chester Gap Cellars. We looked up the reVIEWS and turned around right a way! Once you pull onto the property, your eyes will widen and your jaw will drop, but be sure to pick it up because you'll be needing it to try the delicious wines! We got 2 flights served to us on cute little trays and went through the tasting at our pace. We then each grabbed a bottle of our favorite (the Reserve and the Vintner's Red, though it was a hard choice!) and sat outside next to a fire on the deck. It was a little chilly, but worth being outside for so we could take in our surroundings and THAT VIEW. I can't imagine how amazing it is in the summer and fall. We live 2 hours away, but I think this just solidified our decision to visit this area more often. It was a Friday afternoon and fairly quiet, which was nice. Chelsea was our server and she gave us a lot of info about the wine and the area for our next visit! Very friendly, knowledgeable and she made us feel at home. We took some wine home with us, but can't imagine that lasting too long. Overall, an absolute gem of a place with fantastic wine, views...

The winery is a must see! The view is incredible and the wines are tasty. I worked with them to host a private event in the pavilion space and I couldn’t have been more impressed with their communication before the event, the organization day of, and how accommodating they were. I changed the time of the event 3 different times and they were very easy to work with. The event went very well and all the guests commented on the quality of the property and the wines. The pavilion is a great space to host an event and the minimum spend (not a reservation fee!) is very reasonable. I spoke to a few wineries in the area and this one was the best bang-for-buck and view overall. One of the guests who attended is a Sommelier and said the 2020 Cab Franc was particularly good. I personally liked the Viognier and the 2021 Rose was a big hit. I would recommend this to anyone, especially if you are looking to host an outdoor event up...