rdv vineyards

This vineyard is one of the best. Upon arriving, you are greeted by friendly staff that offers you a glass of very good champagne(and I am not a champagne drinker). Don't be apprehensive about the $50 a person price for the tasting. The price includes a very detailed and informative tour of the whole building, the wine production, and the history behind the owner and land. After the tour, you do a wine tasting of the two wines(both reds) that they produce. The tasting includes two generous pours of their wines and different foods to pair them with. During the tasting the staff is friendly and offered us another glass of our favorite.Although this is by far the most expensive VA winery and would not be an every weekend winery for most, it is definitely a must to do at least once. RDV offers an excellent experience with a friendly knowledgeable staff and excellent wines!

We had a party of 12 here for valentines day. The grounds here are so beautiful, the scenery breathtaking. Upon entering the gorgeous building we were immediately greeted by someone who took our coats, then brought some amazing champagne for all of us. The building is an architectural marvel of concrete, wood and various stone and iron work. On rod the more interesting tasting rooms I have been in. The tour was fascinating and I learned many new facts about growing grapes and making wine. The tasting was so well done, with a full service included. We were seated, waited on through the tasting. The food paired with the two wines we tasted was excellent. Then we were offered and additional glass of our favorite after we were done tasting. The pours were generous. Well worth the fifty dollars!

There are many nice things to say about RdV, one of them being that tastings are done by appointment only. This keeps the experience special, personalized and thorough. Upon entering, we were greeted by various staff with a warm, welcoming smile. Coats were taken and champagne was offered (it was a nice champagne too!).The entire tasting experience lasts just over an hour, with the tour, mingling with friends and chatting at the start. The granite caves, barrels, various rooms, etc are all a site to see! The story is equally amazing and the amount of attention to detail is extraordinary! The tour is the typical winery tour that many offer, some charge for (and most are the same), rather this tour helps the visitor understand and learn more and RdV in particular.The tasting included healthy pours of their 2 wines (both red) and a nicely paired and assembled charcuterie as well. We ended up enjoying a couple more bottles to top off the experience and stayed a while longer, definitely made for a more complete trip, rather than enjoying the tasting and leaving.The grounds are impeccable! Nicely designed, laid out and maintained! Even at one of the highest price points we've seen for a tasting... if you're into wine, we would highly recommend a visit!!

We booked a tasting for 4 at RdV in February 2015. Having seen an article about this place in Food & Wine, I was very eager to see this property and experience their wines. I am happy to report that I was not let down at all. This vineyard is AMAZING! Every inch of the building is so meticulously planned that it just makes for a fascinating tour. Even the lights in the spectacular granite cave are multi-functional. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. We were greeted with a glass of champagne on arrival, as you should be at a place of this quality. The wines are easily the best reds you will find in Virginia, and I have been to over 40 vineyards/wineries so far in this state. Relaxing by the fire in the great room (or on the patio in the summer I presume) while enjoying your charcuterie plate and tasting (of which we were treated basically to two full glasses for each of their wines) is a fantastic way to spend a few hours on an afternoon (and you'll want to spend a few hours.) Is it the most expensive tour and tasting you will find in VA by a great margin? Absolutely. Is it completely worth it? Absolutely. We were so impressed, actually, that both my wife and I as well as the other couple we were with both joined their wine club on the spot. We look forward to returning here many, many times!These are bold, delicate, complex, smooth French and California reds, grown right here in Virginia!

Perfect Fall Day, incredible weather, good food and RDV. What a combination! We visited the winery for the fall harvest, wine tasting celebration and were very impressed. The RDV experience is outstanding and as usual the wines are on par with the best. We toured the grounds, winery and spread out on the grass, listening to a band kick out the jams, with scenery to die for. The friends and family wines were flowing and the staff most hospitable. We'll definitely visit often and highly recommend our MD, VA, DC neighbors to do likewise. Beautifully designed, this winery is a must visit for enthusiasts and the wine paring dinners are ideal for savvy couples looking to venture beyond in the interest of fine dining. Cant wait till next year!

First, let me say that I am aware that you can not expect Virginia wines to achieve the full-bodied fruit of California wines or the depth of character of many European wines but this vineyard is claiming they achieve the latter. They do not. The vines are young (8 years old in 2014) and that accounts for some of the shortfall. If a hollow claim of excellence was the only fault here, I could live with it and wouldn't have written this review. However, I want to send a warning that these wines, at their selling price, ($75/bottle for "Rendezvous" and $99/bottle for "Lost Mountain") represent atrocious value and the $50 per person for the tour and tasting is also way overpriced. The two wines (I tasted the 2010 vintage) are purported to be the closest thing in America to left and right bank Bordeaux. While these are the best Virginia wines I have ever tasted, they only faintly echo even non-classified Bordeaux and for $99 I would much rather drink a second growth like 2010 Chateau Leoville-Barton which is accessible now but has a much longer and more glorious life ahead of it than these wines. All that said, it would be hard to find a better or more informative vineyard/winery tour. The only one I can point to that was better was when I got a tour of Maison Louis Latour with Jacques Lardiere who was then Directeur Technique of that firm. So, approach RdV with caution. It's an interesting visit but the price is far from right.

We loved our recent visit to RdV Vineyards. We passed through the gate and drove to the winery while overlooking the sloped vineyards. Upon walking in we were promptly greeted and felt at home. We sipped some champagne at our 11:00 tasting and tour and we were soon off to learn about wine and the vineyard with Caitlin. We walked through the cave, took some pics, and listened to Caitlin explain the wine process with finesse. Our wines were waiting for us after we finished the tour ( along with a spread of bread, cheese, salami, and olives). The décor was just as tasteful as the wine. We enjoyed both the Rendezvous and the Lost Mountain and bought a bottle of each. We can't say enough about our experience with the wine, the tour (Caitlin is fantastic), and the atmosphere.

Having joined the Ambassador Club on our first tasting/tour about six weeks ago, we're back for a Friday tasting event -- open to Club members only. The wines are phenomenal and the appetizers restaurant quality. The views of the vineyards and the Blue Ridge mountains are breath-taking!

I have had the opportunity to visit vineyards in practically all the most well known wine regions in the US and abroad and can say this is a jewel. Excellent wine, beautiful and interesting wine facilities and storage. Scenery around the vineyard is great and the wine maker and staff are very personable.

I think this really is the best winery in Virginia. They have extensive experience borrowed from abroad to cultivate an amazing grape. The wine tour was great and was better than some tours I have been on on the West Coast. The architecture too was great and the views were breathtaking. Maybe they are hiring:)

We have traveled extensively for wine and this is the first Virginia winery we thought compared to regions like Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, etc. Really excellent wines, can't wait to see how this young winery evolves over the coming years. So good we joined their club on the spot.

... With many to follow my wife and I made an appointment for a wine tour today and we were very well taken care of by their sommelier and guide Caitland, she went out if her way to explain the wine making process , owners background his connection to a top wine maker in Bordeaux, and the signigance of terrior. I bought 4 bottles as I thoroughly tasted exactly the extra efforts that went into the making if two stellar Bordeaux blends one more right bank focused on Merlot as the dominant grape and the other more cab focused. But the sommelier Caitland made it really nice for is offering to take pics and answer wine industry related question. Not only was the vineyard beautiful the experience was as well

Went to Rdv about 2 months ago and were impressed with wait Rutger is trying to do. His dream of making a world class wine is on the right track. Drank a bottle of the 2010 Rendezvous, first since our tasting, and my appreciation for the quality of wine at RDv was confirmed. My best to Rutger and his dream.

The winery is spectacular and caves are unique. Vineyards are beautiful. The terroir is the best in Virginia which translates into the best red wine in the state and rivals the best in the U.S. Some may find the cost for the tasting/tour a bit pricey ($60/person for the general public and $50/ person for members; by appointment only), but the wines served at the tasting are expensive wines from Bordeaux, California plus the two RdV reds. Andrew Camp is a great host and if you are lucky enough to run into Rutger de Vink during your visit it will be a perfect day.

We did a private group blind tasting comparing RdV wines with an old world Bordeaux and a good Napa Cab at their winery. The facilities are definitely first rate from production through bottling. The Lost Mountain Cab and Rendezvous Merlot are definitely a Top three of the 50+ Virginia Wines I have tried over the years. They are one of the few Virginia wineries who are willing to take the time and make the effort to make a good wine. I am proud to be an RdV Ambassador and look forward to some good vertical trials.