Williamsburg Winery - A Step Back in Colonial History Aug 01 '00 (Updated Aug 10 '00)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet My husband & I toured the Williamsburg Winery in June. It is a lovely place, with a rich history of winemaking. It is located about 10 minutes from Historic Williamsburg. A Little History The 320-acre farm which houses the Williamsburg Winery is actually named Wessex Hundred. The term hundred dates back to the Colonial era & describes parcels of land sufficient to support a hundred families (regardless of actual acreage). The Twelfth Acte, passed by the House of Burgesses in 1619, stipulated that each settler must plant at least 10 vines for winemaking on his land. The farm, at this time, was about 400 acres. Winemaking did not flourish at this time; however, the land remained an active farm until it was purchased by Patrick & Peggy Duffeler in the 1980's. The Duffeler's were encouraged by the Virginia Department of Agriculture to plant vines & make wines. After much research, they started the planting of vineyards in 1985. The winery currently houses the following acreage of Vineyard: ** 13 acres of Chardonnay ** 4 acres of Seyval ** 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon ** 4 acres of Vidal ** 11 acres of Merlot The first wines were produced in 1987 & production has steadily increased over the past 13 years. The current production is in excess of 65,000 cases a year. The Current Winery & the Tour The drive up to the winery was lovely. After turning off the main road, we traveled for several minutes through the vineyards. As it was early June, the vines were just starting to bud .. lovely! I imagine the vineyard is a beautiful site in the fall. The 17th/18th Century-Style winery which now stands was built in 1988. It is beautiful. There is a large room which is used for meetings, wedding receptions & parties. Everything is decorated in 17th & 18th century style, and is quite lovely. The tour is approximately one hour, and consists of a 30 - 45 minute guided walk through the winery, followed by a tasting of 7 wines. The tour covers the following: ** Viticulture ** Harvest/crush ** History of the Winery ** Fermentation room ** Barrel Cellars ** Bottling ** Museum The tour is extremely well done. It starts with a video history of the winery, followed by a complete tour of the building. Questions are encouraged. It was fascinating to see the huge vats in which the wine is fermented, also the oak barrels that are used for certain varieties. (Oak barrels can be purchased; however, there is a waiting list.) Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer many questions about the history of the winery and about the making of the wines. Another fascinating aspect to the land is an excavation which is currently underway & has revealed much history about the area. We were able to view (look, don't touch!) many old wine bottles & other artifacts. The cost of the tour is $7, which includes a tasting of 7 wines as well as a lovely etched glass. The wines available include winemaker blends, varietals, premium varietals, reserves & speciality wines. We very much enjoyed the wines we tasted. The winery offers a nice selection of whites, reds & blushes & some lovely dessert wines. Believe me, we were feelin' happy once the tasting was complete!! Odds & Ends The museum shop sells a variety of the vineyard's wines as well as wine-type accessories. Wine prices range from $7.00 up to $24.00; with discounts on quantity purchases. And don't worry if you are vacationing - the wines are packed in sturdy cardboard wine boxes, three bottles to a box, to avoid breaking. If you prefer, shipping is available. Wines can also be purchased over the internet - visit the winery's website at www.williamsburgwineryltd.com for a virtual tour, history of the winery or to purchase wines. Gabriel Archer's Tavern, next door to the winery, serves lunch from 11 am - 4 pm Monday through Saturday, 12 - 4 pm on Sundays. Reservations are recommended for groups of 8 or more. Hours of the winery are 10 am - 5:30 pm Monday through Saturday and 12 - 5:30 on Sunday. The last guided tour starts at 5 pm. Guests under 21 may take the tour free of charge, but may not taste any wines. Enjoy your tour!

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