Barren Ridge Vineyards

June 25, 2023.  We continued our tour of the Southern Shenandoah Valley on Sunday with a stop at Barren Ridge Vineyards just outside of Fishersville.  This is near Staunton, a short toot east of Trucker’s Paradise.   The view to the east is of the Blue Ridge Mountains, arrayed like rows of shark's teeth, one row after another, worn down like some ancient wizened shark.                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Barren Ridge property is in its 4th Generation of ownership by the Higgs Family.  The apple orchard originally purchased in 1934 gave way to a vineyard and winery that opened in 2008, the first winery in Augusta County.  Apple crates are still used to display wines in the tasting room.  Today, John and Shelby Higgs own and operate the vineyard and winery.  Their son, Robert, is involved for the future.  While we didn’t meet the Higgs, we were pleased to meet our server, Cary, who is a big fan of old movies.  Not only did he know who Lana Turner was (inside joke), but was enthusiastic about The 39 Steps and Sabotage.  A man after my own heart.

When the Higgs started the winery, Michael Shaps helped with winemaking here.  No more.  Jessi Gatewood has taken over as the winemaker, and the wine is made on site.  Barren Ridge has 12 acres of grapes under vine with another ten acres in Mt. Crawford near Harrisonburg.  These vines produce all Barren Ridge’s wines - 100% Estate.  At one point, its Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Touriga wines were not estate.  We understand from Cary that the Sauvignon Blanc and Cab Sauv are no longer offered and even the Touriga is now grown 100% on site.  They produce around 4,500 cases a year, all Shenandoah Valley AVA, of course.

Barren Ridge sits atop the crest of a hill looking west across its vineyards and the valley between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains.  While we were there, a rain squall rolled quickly up the valley causing the band to scurry inside. 

The torrents brought everyone off the sun deck and that is how we met our new friend, Mark.  Mark was preparing to go on 300-mile bicycle trip from Harrisonburg to Lenore, North Carolina, to visit his daughter and her family.  This man was indeed very fit even if he was our age.  He works for the Harrisonburg school district and also helps to coach the Harrisonburg Turks, a Valley League summer baseball team.  Through weird happenstance, we spent most of the afternoon with Mark.  So, with the rain coming down, our outside food welcome, we were able to enjoy the music from the trio, Otra Vez, out of Charlottesville.  Their mix of tangos, waltzes, partitas, and original tunes was a refreshing change from the country-fried stuff you often hear at wineries.  Check out: www.otravezmusic.com   I strongly recommend them.  More on winery music in a planned later post…

Barren Ridge can host fairly large weddings and private events.  There is a “Wedding Patch” among the vineyards, and the upper floor of the winery building features an elegant reception hall. 

Without further ado, let’s get to our reactions to the wines:

2022 Vidal Blanc, Estate.  Kim rated this a B+.  She noted the peach and citrus flavors.  The 13.5% ABV gets balanced by the high acidity.  We bought a bottle.

2021 Chardonay, Estate.  Kim rated this chardonnay a B-.  It is medium body, floral and a bit creamy.  You might want to consider pairing it with creamy foods.   The 13% ABV may account for the fuller
mouthfeel.

2020 Cabernet Franc, Estate.  I rate this Cab Franc a B+.  It is nicely balanced, medium bodied wine with the characteristic spice and some bramble and smoke in the mix.  Only 12% ABV.

2020 Touriga, Estate.  Barren Ridge is one of a handful of Virginia vineyards to grow Touriga Nacional, the famous Portuguese foundational grape for Port.  ("tor-ree-guh nah-see-un-nal")  Some winemakers do produce a Port-style wine with it (e.g., Horton Vineyards), and some make table wine, like Barren Ridge.  [I note that Barren Ridge’s Port-style wine uses 100% Chambourcin.]  The grape’s resistance to heat may encourage expansion in our hot and humid growing seasons.  I rated the wine a B+.  I found it medium bodied, with lighter red cherry fruit than the Merlot, fewer legs but a longer finish.  High tannins as you’d expect from a Touriga, but overall not as powerful a wine as the grape’s reputation.  12.5% ABV.  I bought a bottle as this is still somewhat experimental and is hard to grow.

2020 Merlot, Estate.  The Merlot is light-to-medium bodied with subdued fruit.  Not too complex.  I’d rate it a B.  12%+ ABV.

2018 Meritage, Estate.  Another B rating from me.  The Meritage is a blend of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  It has good fruit forward, almost appely. 

A good winery and beautifully situated.

Location: Fishersville, VA, USA

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