Mountain Cove Vineyards

This is a great little rustic winery hidden away. I am quite glad one of the employees at another winery told me about it. It was worth the little extra drive.
The tasting room feels like an old barn/​workshop, small but nice. As with other family run wineries around the wines are very well priced. A bonus is the tasting is free. The two owners dig a great job explaining the wines and the history of the vineyard.
Nice small but good wine selection. Make sure to try their Tinto and Blackberry wines.

This place has rustic charm in spades and is well worth the long «off-​road» drive to get there. The tastings are free, and the wine itself (whether glass or bottle) is affordable. The wine tastings themselves are rather tiny, but they are served in high ball glasses, which is a departure from most wineries. We were told that using the highball glasses was a nod to European style, where drinking wine around the table with friends and family is less formal and often done in small glasses rather than fancy wine glasses.
The wine at Mountain Cove is an interesting assortment. They do fruit wines pretty well. And their Chardonnay is a stand out.
The tasting room is super small and simple, almost like you’re in someone’s wood workshop. Very country vintage feel. Our pourer was very friendly and knowledgeable.
The grounds themselves are surrounded by mountains and wide-​open spaces. There’s covered seating on a porch in front of the tasting room and other seating sporadically placed outside. While most of the view is lovely and green, it’s somewhat marred by junk that’s just laying around outside behind the tasting room. A little clean up and landscaping would go a long way.
This is the oldest winery in Va., so it’s definitely worth the visit.

Let me start with the positive: There was no charge for the tasting and the woman who poured our tasting was very friendly. She was, however, unable to answer even some basic questions about the wines and winery. The tasting was served in lowball glasses, not wine glasses… very strange. Their blended red and blended white were both sweet… so much so that any chance of tasting something other than sugar is lost. Other than a chardonnay, the rest of their wines were fruit wines… not my cup of tea, but if you’re into fruit wines you might like them. The grounds have seen better days. The driveway leading to the property needs some work (you almost need 4WD if it has been raining; some significant holes to navigate around). The signs on the fence along the driveway stating «Pesticides, keep out!» were not a good start to the adventure. The gazebo and many of the buildings around the tasting room are well past their prime and in need of repair. With all of the other outstanding wineries within a close drive, I’d skip this one unless you like fruit wine.

I first got a chance to sample their wines at the Crozet Arts and Crafts festival in Spring ’10 and out of all the wineries they were my favorite. I’ve stopped by the actual winery twice now and I always leave happy. Their Chardonnay is impressive and their Skyline White is a great all around wine that anyone would enjoy. The Peach and Blackberry wines are great too. The place is surrounded by mountains and it has a very rustic appeal. Take 30 minutes (round trip) to drive off Route 29 and sample the oldest winery in Virginia.

Rustic and charming. Most delicious apple and peach wine I have ever tasted. Bought a bottle of the Skyline White after I had to stop myself from asking for a second glass!

We had a wonderful experience here. A small place with a few wines but well worth the trip. Great conversation with the owner!

The oldest winery open to the public in the state (open since 1973). Lots of land to spread out. Gazebo, tent for events, and mountains on all sides. This is a best-​kept secret and it’s smaller than surrounding spots like Veritas and DelFosse. The drive to the winery from Route 29 is one notch above «off roading,» so be prepared. The wines include a few unusual blends like «Tinto,» a Norton/​Chambourcin blend, and some non grape wines (blackberry, apple, peach) – all at good prices. After the hustle and bustle of a place like Veritas, this place is a nice place to «decompress!»