Gabriele Rausse

This may well have been my favorite wine tasting experience to date. We were able to try 9 different wines for $ 12, which is a little more expensive than usual for this area but I think was worth every penny. I liked every single one of these wines (which is rare for wine tastings for me), and I was particularly impressed by the selection of reds for Virginia (an even rarer occurrence). It is a tiny but gorgeous tasting room, with windows all along two sides of a rustic cabin. The tasting comes with a couple slices of fresh-​baked baguette they make on-​site. Every one of the people who works at Gabriele Rausse is a winemaker, which makes for a great learning experience for the taster, something I always enjoy during visits to wineries.
As an addendum, this isn’t a winery for a large party tasting. First off, there’s no room for that inside the tasting room. Second, it’s not open on Saturdays (or Monday through Wednesday) and usually only has one person working behind the bar. This tasting is meant to be for just a couple people at a time, with lots of personal and attentive service, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Ben knew a whole lot about the wine and was an excellent host for our tasting. He also mentioned that they’re in the middle of building a patio outside for people to take a glass out and sip in front of the creek, which I will certainly be doing come spring and summer.
We started the tasting with the two Chardonnays (2014 and 2014 Reserve), then the Dry Rose, their Rosso table wine, Cab Sauv 2014, Cab Franc, Nebbiolo, Cab Sauv Reserve 2013, and finished off with the Montbazillac dessert wine (which is the only wine on the list they don’t make). Prices for glasses and bottles of all of these were insanely reasonable, from $ 15 and up for a bottle. I particularly enjoyed the mellow character of the Chard Reserve and the bigger flavors of the Cab Franc and Cab Sauv Reserve, and I was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of the Montbazillac (which Ben informed us was most similar to a Sauterne due to the grape being from a very similar region of France). The Cab Sauv 2014 also tasted unusually fresh and was very light on the tannins, which wasn’t entirely my cup of tea since I like classic Cab Sauvs, but was apparently a bit of an experiment for the winemakers and I found interesting nonetheless. The people at Gabriele Rausse certainly know what they’re doing and really seem to enjoy exploring the flexibility Virginia winemaking offers.
My friend and I left carrying two bottles each. I look forward to coming back and seeing what else Gabriele Rausse comes up with in the future – I’m sure it’ll be excellent.

The namesake is a legend in the Virginia wine industry. It’s probably my favorite Charlottesville winery, and that’s from someone who’s visited almost all of them. Yet despite Gabriele’s fame it remains one of the most reasonably priced wineries in the area — a double win.
The winery is really small, and oddly enough closed on Saturdays. That’s because if they were open on Saturdays the room would be overwhelmed, and Gabriele focuses on serving great wine vs. a place to party. If it’s crowded when you arrive, you’ll be politely asked to wait while the people at the bar finish their tastings. But those who know Virginia wine know Gabriele’s reputation, so it’s not like the winery will ever be lacking for potential customers.
His son Tim is often working behind the bar — look for the tall friendly guy with the bushy beard. But every single server has always been knowledgeable and friendly. Fresh baked bread is always being served. But enough about all that, let’s talk about wine!
Whites/​Rose: 2014 Chardonnay; steel, bright & fruity but not buttery. 2014 Reserve Chardonnay had a very toasty nose; French Oak but no buttery taste since it didn’t go thru malolactic. I enjoyed both, but probably the ‘regular’ Chard better. The Rose was pretty good, which is all the more surprising given I typically don’t like Roses.
Reds: The Rossi Table wine was heavy on Merlot with some Petit Verdot. «Table Wine» is often code for «cheap», but this was one of the most complex table wines I’ve had in a while. The 2014 Cab Sav was somewhat of an experiment, as it was aged in steel. It was different; I liked its fruity palate. The 2013 Nebbiolo Reserve was a little spicy, although mine was less so since it had been decanted for a really long time. While I liked everything I had, I looooooooved the 2014 Cab Franc, which was only $ 20 (!!!).
This time around they didn’t have the Grenache or the Monbazillac desert wine, which were my favorites. But that’s OK — I can always find new favorites here.
If you’re lucky you might meet Gabriele himself. He’s an older gentleman who has plenty of stories how the Virginia wine industry has grown tremendously over the last 30 years — something he’s made no small contribution to.

Just left this tasting. Add this tasting to your itinerary. Excellent wine! Tim is VERY personable, has great stories and great wine. His homemade bread is delicious too! Please visit and make a new friend!

Eight excellent wines for $ 12…best money spent all weekend. We had the pleasure of tasting with Tim just six months after the winery opening in May. My husband is in the business and very critical of Virginia wines, but we truly enjoyed every wine we tasted here. My favorite was the rosé and his was probably the unoaked Chard. The Cab Franc was noteworthy as well, and Nebbiolo has great potential. This small operation is very exciting with a likely bright future. We look forward to revisiting.