By Jae O’Connor
Pearmund Cellars
Open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. // 6190 Georgetown Road, Broad Run; 540-347-3475
“Virginia wine is the perfect pairing for a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year. Pearmund Cellars has a well-balanced viognier ($25) that will complement your turkey and sides quite nicely. For those who are looking for a red wine, our cabernet franc ($25) is a lighter option, pairing well with both light and dark meat, along with the traditional sides as well. After dinner, our petit manseng ($25) will enhance fresh fruit or citrus-based desserts. Another after-dinner option is our Ameritage Reserve ($39) which is a beautifully crafted, full-bodied and complex wine. The Pearmund Cellars Ameritage Reserve will enhance your cigar-smoking experience or provide a nice glass to sip on with family and friends. Located in Broad Run, the Pearmund Cellars tasting room is open seven days a week, and our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help select wines for your Thanksgiving meal.”
–Chris Pearmund
Chrysalis Vineyards
Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. // 39025 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg; 540-687-8222
“There are usually enough folks around the table to allow for several open bottles. You need a full-bodied white, a rosé, a medium-bodied red and, if you have one, a red with a little richness/sweetness to it.” Chrysalis Vineyards recommends the viognier ($29), the mariposa ($17), the Estate Bottled norton ($19), the Schitz & Giggels norton ($20), and for a dessert wine they suggest the petit manseng ($22) paired with pumpkin pie.
–Jenni McCloud
Paradise Springs
Open daily 11 a.m.-7 p.m. // 13219 Yates Ford Road, Clifton; 703-830-9463
“The Paradise Springs viognier ($27) is a fuller bodied and less acidic floral white that is unoaked, so it will pair best for turkey itself. Another top pick would be the 2014 sommet blanc ($23). It has a great balance of sweetness and acidity that works well with sweet potatoes to complement the sweetness and balance out herby stuffing. The 2014 cabernet franc ($29) is our lightest bodied red with bright red fruit and earthy tones that works well with all of the savory side dishes, veggies and, being a light-bodied red, can complement the turkey as well. The 2014 syrah ($35) has darker fruit flavors with a slightly spicy and meaty edge to it that is perfect for the cranberry sauce and stuffing.”
–Rob Cox
Stone Tower Winery
Open Thursday through Monday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. // 19925 Hogback Mountain Road, Leesburg; 703-777-2797
“Sort of a classic pairing that’s great from Virginia is the viognier ($36) because it has a really nice perfume to it, and it’s a bit of a richer white wine. It pairs quite nicely with the creamier dishes that you might find and is fabulous with turkey. We will be releasing our 2014 vintage of this wine the weekend before Thanksgiving. That same weekend we will be releasing a new wine for us, which is a pinot noir ($34). That is really nice too because it’s a lighter red wine and also pairs well with turkey. It’s for people who want to drink a red, even though it’s not a steak dinner.”
–Lacey Huber
Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn
Open daily, hours vary // 11083 John Marshall Highway, Delaplane; 540-364-1722
“For our white wine drinkers, we’d recommend our Islington ($32) when turkey is on the table. It is a combination of lightly oaked seyval blanc and stainless steel aged chardonnay that we blended to go with those larger, more savory white wine meals. From our red menu at Thanksgiving, we turn to Rockawalkin’ ($45), our cabernet sauvignon blend. This bold yet velvety smooth red should pair well when ham has been chosen as the centerpiece of the meal.”
–Larry Carr
