What’s the best wine in Virginia? If you ask Northern Virginia Magazine’s readers, you can find it at Pearmund Cellars, which came out on top after five rounds of online voting, beating 31 other wineries.
Located in Broad Run for more than 20 years, the winery is run by veteran winemaker Chris Pearmund, a champion of Virginia wine who has helped start 18 wineries and made wine for more than 50.
Pearmund is focused on helping Virginia master its own identity in the world of wine. “Virginia stylistically is the center point between the West Coast and European Old World,” he says. “Our style reflects the history and tradition of the grape varieties in Europe with a Virginia accent.”
When Pearmund Cellars opened in 2002, it tried growing nine different grapes on the property. Today, Pearmund works with 12 different vineyards and grows only chardonnay grapes at the estate on Meriwether Springs Vineyard. All of its wines are made with Virginia-grown fruit.
His own favorite house wines include petit verdot, cabernet franc, petit manseng, viognier, and red wine blends.
“I’m honored that we’re still relevant in the industry after a long time,” Pearmund says. “We’re not the most expensive, we’re not the biggest but the value-quality relationship is consistent. … We’re not done yet — we have a long way to go. We are continually doing something innovative in the wine industry.”
Those innovations include everything from offering wine tours in Europe to creating cooperative wine products — and being the first to package wine in a clear can, Pearmund says.
Pearmund has also partnered with local breweries to offer beer at the Fauquier County facility. Pearmund Cellars is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for those who are 21 and up. Dogs are allowed. You can bring outside food to the picnic areas. Snacks and food platters are available at the winery, and food trucks are often on site on the weekends. The Pearmund Farmstore, located at the entrance to the property, is family friendly. 6190 Georgetown Rd., Broad Run
Feature image courtesy Pearmund Cellars
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