Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards

December 19, 2025.  While it’s not by design, we visited several old Virginia wineries this year that have embarked on new chapters in their lives.  Oakencroft outside of Charlottesville is under new management with new construction and re-purposed original infrastructure (April 2025).  There was Shenandoah Vineyards in Edinburg, which began in 1976 but whose future as a working vineyard under its current owner is uncertain (July 2025).

Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards is another old Virginia winery – operating handsomely in Markham, Fauquier County, since it opened in 1982.  Former owners Bob and Phoebe Harper first planted vines in 1976 and added acreage in 1980 and 1994.  In 2010, the Harper’s retired from the wine trade and sold Naked Mountain to Randy and Meagan Morgan.  

                                                         Sketch of Naked Mountain circa 1993*

The Morgans have added to the tasting room by expanding the old tasting room and adding a wide outdoor multi-level deck and a cozy barrel room for functions and storage. They have even adopted the old winery's symbol of the red-shouldred hawk, albeit as a streamlined almost Phoenix incarnation.

Naked Mountain is minutes from Exit 18 on Interstate 66.  Careful on the driveway which is an abrupt turn onto a steep down road.  Parts of the approach tell you to blow your horn to warn on-coming traffic.  Take it slow – the view is worth it when you get there.

 

 

 

When we visited, we were able to snag the plush leather sofas that are grouped around a large stone fireplace.  We met Amanda Gorgas, the tasting room manager who offered to get the fire going.  Kim is a big fan of real wood-burning fireplaces.  We’ll have to catalog Naked Mountain was having an excellent one.  The stone hearth and the wood beams may tend to darken the tasting room.  But a warm fire can chase the damp cold from any corner.  Further, the newer side of the room – the enclosed deck - is lined with two-top tables each with a private view of the vines growing at the edge of a dense craggy forest.  After a morning of rain, the sun emerged in air as crisp as dried leaves on the gusts of a passing cold front.  

 

As it was the Holiday Season, Naked Mountain had their decorations out.  We want to mention that Amanda and staff member, Kaitlyn, were busy making cork ornaments as part of a crafts table for children.  To welcome kids (with their parents), Amanda tells us it’s not uncommon for the winery to have organized activities for the little ones – like ornament making or Christmas stocking decorating.  Most wineries don’t actively plan activities for the kids.  Outside food is also welcome at the winery even with a menu of hot and cold items.  We recommend the baked brie with apple butter, although it could have been heated more.  

We met vineyard manager and winemaker Don Oldham, Jr., who is the continuity between the Harpers and the Morgans.  Don is self-taught in the vineyard and oenological arts.  His broad face and thinning hair convey a quiet, unassuming honesty.  He is anxious share the credit of the winery’s success with his whole production team.  Don (and his team) manage around four acres of Chardonnay and an acre of Riesling at the Naked Mountain location.  They grow more Chardonnay and Petit Verdot at another vineyard around two miles away.  The winery also buys grapes from four or five local growers to make up the roughly 3,000 cases they produce each year. 

Chardonnay was the star under the Harpers, and it continues to figure prominently.  But they have added Riesling, Petit Manseng, and some other varietals to explore new directions.  This is a good winery for white wine drinkers.

Naked Mountain will seldom close the tasting room for large events.  Instead, the Barrel Room across the deck is available for groups up to about 80 people.  Think of rehearsal dinners and birthdays.  The Barrel Room is where the winery hosts member dinners that happen quarterly.  Another big draw around the Holidays are the lasagna dinners.  You will definitely need a reservation for those, but what a great meal for these cold nights. 

Naked Mountain distributes to some restaurants in the Richmond area and to the local Apple House store and restaurant.  In the Fall, you may find their pop-up tasting bars at fairs and apple orchards.

 

We thank Don and Amanda for speaking with us on our visit.  We took a standard mixed flight tasting of five set wines for $20.00.  The bottle prices at Naked Mountain are more reasonable than many Virginia wineries.

2021 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.  Part of the Naked Mountain tradition is the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.  It has a deep gold color, medium body and long acidity on a creamy finish.  We gave it a B+ and bought a bottle. 

2023 Chardonnay Riesling.  Riesling contributes a quarter of this blend with Chardonnay and that it enough to give the wine a noticeable sweetness – though it’s not a “sweet wine” by any means.  Honeysuckle and peach come through.  Light finish.  Rated a B.

2024 NM Rosé.  Bright and light with some wet stone minerality on the palate.  Strawberry and melon summer wine.  B.

2022 Petit Verdot.  With Petit Verdot making the requisite 75% of this blend, Cabernet Franc and Merlot complete the picture.  Medium to Full-bodied, managed tannins, baking spices and leather.  Nice finish.  Rated a B with a higher bottle price of $40.00.

2023 Raptor Red.  The Naked Mountain’s Bourdeaux blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Petit Verdot, and 20% Merlot.  More minerality and tannins but still medium-bodied.  I noticed more oak in this wine than others.  I gave it a B.

It was good to see an old-school Virginia winery carrying on the traditions of hospitality that brought us to the vineyards so many years ago with the added improvements in quality.

 

    *Sketch copied from Hilde Gabriel Lee and Allan E. Lee, Virginia Wine Country Revisited, Hildesigns Press (1995), p. 50.