The resort at Massanutten offered a Vineyards Tour, which left the resort at 1 PM and headed for two of the local wine cellars: Barboursville and Horton. The tour was restricted to ages 21 and over, for obvious reasons. The bus we took was extremely comfortable and clean, one of those coach-style touring buses. Our guide from Massanutten was very personable and knowledgeable, and told us some of the regional history on the way to the first stop. When we arrived at Barboursville, I was impressed with the beauty of the place, the buildings, the vineyards, and the grounds. I could imagine Thomas Jefferson and company sipping wine at sundown on this beautiful site. The tour of the winemaking facility a
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When we arrived at Barboursville, I was impressed with the beauty of the place, the buildings, the vineyards, and the grounds. I could imagine Thomas Jefferson and company sipping wine at sundown on this beautiful site. The tour of the winemaking facility and the explanation of the processes were fascinating to me. Then, we went into the wine tasting section of the shop, and tested many of the wines they had available. So many kinds, so little time! Then, it was off to Horton Vineyards.
The tour was open to all ages over 21, but I found, at least that day, that it is was mostly retired folks. I also noticed that the bus got considerably "chattier" after the first stop! Horton Cellars was much the same, very classy and interesting. They also had samples available for tasting, and purchase. Although we are not wine aficionados by any means, we found that Horton’s Blackberry wine was our favorite, and bought some there and have purchased from them subsequently through the phone. Both vineyards have a website, but you cannot order online.
The afternoon was very relaxing and educational for us, although I suspect some of the others had another agenda!
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