Monroe Bay Winery
June 23, 2024. The unexpected heat of late June continued through Sunday and our visit to Monroe Bay Winery in Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County. The winery is next door to the recently established James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum and in fact sits on part of the old Monroe family land. The winery is also minutes from the town of Colonial Beach, home of the second largest sand beach in the state (after Virginia Beach itself). Monroe Bay Winery is mostly a wedding and special events venue. It features a 3,000 square foot “Strawbale Barn,” which is built ingeniously of straw bales encased in siding. Colored glass walls have been made from the butt-end of empty blue and green wine bottles. The barn can accommodate up to 200 people. From the barn, the land slopes gently to a pond. Chairs were still set-up for a wedding that happened the previous afternoon. There may have been some vines visible across the pond. The wines sport a heron on the label, probably