New Kent Winery

It was so sunny! 

A little farther down the road from James River was New Kent Winery.  After winding through the beginning of new developments I found the tasting room. It was very quiet and rustic, made with reclaimed wood. For $8 I enjoyed a tasting of 7 wines, tour-from a very gracious and patient hostess-and got to keep my stemless glass. New Kent has been growing their grapes since 2001 and built their stunning tasting room in 2008 with many reclaimed and reused local materials. Like James River, they only buy two varietals, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Niagara which is a cousin to the Concord grape.  My favorites were their Meritage and Merlot. They also serve a White Merlot which was quite interesting, it was sweeter than a red Merlot with 3% rs and hard to believe it was the same grape.  They had a great porch that looked out over the vines where guests are welcome to bring their own food and enjoy the views with their wines. This was a very peaceful stop that seemed to be a little bit off the beaten path.  Also overheard on my stop was a discussion that the owner or manager's office has floor tiles that come from the Ming Dynasty...rumor or not?

The marble inlaid tasting bar

Railroad trusses in the tank room