Burnley Vineyards
October 27, 2023. We began the last day of our current trip by driving up Route 20 again and stopping at Burnley Vineyards in Barboursville. This is one of the oldest Virginia vineyards. Founded by C.J. Reeder in 1976 as a part-time operation with three acres of vinifera grapes, Burnley initially sold its grapes to other Virginia wineries. In 1984, the Reeder Family – C.J. and his wife Pat, son Lee, the winemaker, and Lee’s wife, Dawn – shifted to making their own wines. The vineyard has grown from the first three acres to 26 acres under vine today. The approach to Burnley is up a shady gravel drive. Oak and field maple leaves blanketed the property with a light Autumn tan as wine production and tastings happen in a dark brown mansard-roofed building dug into a small wooded hillside. (Note: parking for handicapped is up that hillside between the trees. The ramp is in the back of the facility.) Reading the classic survey of Virginia wineries in the 1990’s by