Ecco Adesso Vineyards

June 19, 2026.  Ecco Adesso Vineyards near the towns of Fairfield and Lexington in Rockbridge County is a pretty boutique winery housed inside a stone cottage on the bluff of a hill.  You park at some distance from the cottage and must navigate up a loose rocky drive to the tasting room.   This is a scenic approach.  But for people with mobility issues park in the area marked for additional parking or drive through the tunnel and drop-off folks at the tasting room door.   

Once in the tasting room, you can relax in the comfortable living room or the cozy library to sample the wine they have.   This used to be the private residence of the former owner.  The living room has the better view of the twenty acres under vine, but I would love to have the Library for myself.  The gas fireplace would be a good place to station yourself in the winter months.  In the summer, Adirondack chairs fan across the slope of the hill facing the vines.  Ecco is dog and family friendly.  I believe that outside food is allowed as their on-site menu is quite short.  Some media describe the main house as "castle-like" but it's way too small for that.  I think "stone cottage" is more accurate. 

 

Speaking with tasting room manager, Mary Clare Baquet, and assistant manager, Wendy Weston, we learned that this Autumn will be Ecco Adesso’s first real season for weddings and special events.  But Ecco will stay primarily a winery instead of a wedding venue.  According to Cierra Weatherly, they can host such events for 100 people or less.  Consider Ecco for smaller events like small weddings and rehearsal dinners.  They have hosted VMI and Washington and Lee events.  Their website advertises wedding packages with locations inside, both upstairs and down, and outside among the vines and in a covered pavilion.  Ecco has four Bed and Breakfast cabins around the property. 

Dr. Michael Weatherly and wife Cierra opened Ecco Adesso five years ago by after buying the land and fixtures in 2020.  Ecco Adesso has two notable partnerships.  The first is with Sassaia Vineyards (pronounced “Susyah”) in the Piedmont region of Italy.  Ecco Adesso, which means “Hear and Now” in Italian, sells Sassaia wines along with their own including Sassaia’s sparkling wines.  This partnership grew from a chance encounter into a friendship between the Weatherly’s and Enrico and Ellen de Alessandrini, alumni of nearby Washington and Lee University and owners of Sassaia, who happened to visit Ecco one day. 

The second partnership is with Williamsburg Winery, and it began from a chance encounter as well.  According to Cierra, she and Mike often frequent Williamsburg Winery for special occasions.  It’s a nice drive from their home in Virginia Beach.  After they bought Ecco Adesso, they were celebrating at Williamsburg Winery’s restaurant when they met Patrick Duffeler, the owner.  Conversation took them over dinner and brunch the next day to a shared interest in wine, agritourism, keeping the property from development, and helping the community.  Williamsburg had been up for sale and many interests were interested in developing the property, but Patrick wanted to keep the winery and vineyards.  So the Weatherly’s reached an agreement with Patrick to buy Williamsburg Winery over time at a good price.  Part of the agreement was to share Ecco grapes with Williamsburg Winery, which they continue to do.  Part of the agreement is Patrick’s mentorship and consultancy for both Williamsburg and Ecco.  Part of the agreement was that Ecco Adesso grapes would be processed at Williamsburg Winery.  Cierra stressed that this was not a custom crush arrangement, such as the vineyard had with the Jordan’s Commonwealth Crush during Ecco’s first two years.  Instead, the Weatherly’s have an ownership interest and one of their interests (Williamsburg) was making wine for the other (Ecco). This is not the tail waging the dog situation that it may first appear.

Since 2023, Mike Weatherly has been listed as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Williamsburg Winery.  And this year they completed the acquisition of Williamsburg Winery.  All is amicable between Patrick Duffeler and the Weatherly’s and Patrick continues his mentorship.  Stacey Lightfoot at Williamsburg is their winemaker.   You can find Williamsburg Winery wines for sale at Ecco next to their own label and next to Sassaia wines, too.   

So, chance encounters have led Ecco to international connections and interlocking connections with Virginia’s largest wine producer.  Williamsburg’s production of around 60,000 cases a year dwarfs Ecco’s average volume of between 3,000 and 5,000 cases.  Yet Cierra is firm in saying this will not change Ecco from a nice boutique winery with ample space for bucolic overnight stays and the Lexington area nearby.  In fact, Wine Club members get discounts on all of the labels.    

While you are at Ecco, check-out the Veterans garden that the Weatherly's have set aside where veterans and their families can learn to grow vegetables, free of charge.  Veterans interested in grape growing and wine making can also take lessons at Ecco and at Williamsburg Winery.  These efforts are part of the Vet First (https://vetfirstinc.com/) and the SkillBridge (https://www.skillbridge.mil/) initiatives.

On a more somber note, Cierra tells me Ecco Adesso’s 20 acres of vines were nearly totally destroyed in this year’s April frost. (Only the vines closest to the tasting room survived.)  They are assessing now whether to replant and what to replant.  On top of that loss, they have to contend with the current drought.  Everyone is preparing for a meager production this year.  Our thoughts are with them and with all of the Virginia growers we've spoken to who have had significant losses from the frost.

I thank Cierra for generously taking the time to clarify and correct some points.  We also thank Mary Clare and Wendy for their help with the wines during our visit.  Ecco has flights featuring Williamsburg wines and Sassaia wines, but we elected to stick with the Old World/New World tasting flight that features many of Ecco’s award winners.   

2022 Old World Chardonnay.  Round mouthfeel.  A Little lingering finish.  B+ and bought a bottle.  2025 Silver medal winner at the Governor’s Cup.

2022 New World Chardonnay.  Honeysuckle and floral.  Not as round as the Old World and more acidic. This was a Gold medal winner at the 2024 Governor’s Cup.  But Kim rated it a C.

2022 Old World Cabernet Franc.  Some heat in the back palate. Light red fruit, black pepper.  Light tannins.  This was a Gold medal winner at the 2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup.  B to B+.

2022 New World Cabernet Franc.  Some jammy notes which were off-putting and off-brand for Cabernet Franc.  This wine won a Gold medal at the 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup.  B.

Ecco Adesso’s library with its large windows and quiet appointments is the perfect place to spend some time with good wine.  Come and try it for yourself.