The Gray Ghost, whose fictionalized character plays an historical role in “House Key”, is legendary. General Mosby, who had a significant impact on the course of the Civil War earned the nickname for being as effective in his tactics as he was elusive to his adversaries. As enduring as his moniker, Mosby continues to inspire us in unexpected ways. Appropriately enough, while a friend and I were having lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in town, Claire’s at the Depot, we tried a bottle of Gray Ghost Chardonnay to honor that October is Virginia Wine Month.
Refreshingly crisp, this wine comes from the Gray Ghost Vineyards just a few miles up the road in Amissville, Virginia. Delightful, it warrants a trip to its winery, situated in the Rappahannock along one of the routes used by Confederate General Mosby and his stealthy rangers. According to the the Gray Ghost Vineyard’s own website, “Since Gray Ghost’s inception, the winery has garnered hundreds of awards including numerous coveted honors of “Best of Show”, “Best Dessert Wine in the United States”, and “Chairman’s Best of Class” – all in renowned international wine competitions spanning from California to New York. In addition, the winery was named “Best of the East” four consecutive years by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine for producing the most awarded wine in the country outside of California for Gray Ghost’s Adieu”.
The area, in general, boasts many nice wineries worthy of a visit and an afternoon of wine-tasting. To find out more check out Virginia is for Lovers and the blog, Wine About Virginia, which has lots of good articles, and a listing of all Virginia vineyards, including an overview of new wineries scheduled to open soon.
Please peruse through the images collected here of wineries and vineyards such as Gray Ghost, The Inn on Poplar Hill, Keswick Vineyard, Piedmont Wines, Prince Michel, and Aspen Dale Winery among others. They are from multiple sources (I do not own the copyrights to them) in an effort to illustrate just how beautifully inspiring and varied — from rustic to elegant — Virginia wine country is.
Leave a Reply