aspen dale winery at the barn

My wife, eldest daughter and myself made Aspen Dale our third and final stop of a three winery afternoon tour this past Saturday. The tasting area is in an old bank barn, and it is truly unique in atmosphere, quaint and cozy as well as just welcoming to all. Comfortable seating at high top tables or around the fireplace. The fee for tasting is very reasonable at $6.50 each and for a little extra you can do a food pairing which we all three enjoyed. Afterwards, my wife and daughter enjoyed a glass each of Sarah's Chapeau, while I had a glass of Sangria. We had brought our own food which was welcome on the property. We truly had a very enjoyable time and plan on bringing more family and friends on the next visit.

We were a bit hesitant when walking up to door. It looked very rustic. Inside was very comfy. The wine was OK. I did d not excite my pallate, but that is a personal opinion.

The tasting room is literally a barn, which was kind of cool. Lots of space for gathering and sitting. Wines were so-so, but it was worth the visit.

Our small group stopped by here as the setting appealed to us. It is a beautiful rustic winery. We had good service during our wine tasting and enjoyed the pairings. Unfortunately, the meat and cheese pairings were way better than the wine. We did really enjoy the Merlot as it is on the lighter side. The pheasant sausage pairing was AMAZING! We had lunch and enjoyed the scenery outside. We would be willing to give this winery a second chance.

My wife and I had a nice relaxing time at Aspen Dale. It wasn't crowded. There was no pressure to have a tasting. Everyone was courteous, helpful and well...nice. We like nice. First we wandered around the grounds looking at the miniature horses and goats. We ran nto the owner who told us the history of this particular strain of miniature horses. Unlike ponies, the miniature horses have proportional strength and were bred to be used in the mines of western and West Virginia. We then enjoyed a tasting from Theresa and it was interesting with the food bite pairings. We bought a sausage to take home. We bought a sangria to drink there along with a food plate and another fresh from the oven bagette with olive oil. Then we sat and listened to Laurence McKenna play guitar and sing. Very relaxing and.. did I already say... nice. We will definitely stop in again when we are in the area.

So straight up in terms of wine, I did not enjoy their offerings very much. However, I am always a fan of wineries that go out of their way to improve your wine tasting experience. This winery makes up small snack plates with various small things to pair with the wines as they move down the list. Definitely makes for a fun time and can certainly help sell people on wines that they are on the fence about. Nice setting, good staff, and worth a visit!

The setting is perfect if you're looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle. After 2 separate visits however I'm still not sold on the wines entirely. The staff is accommodating, you can make reservations for tastings with groups and they will pair food with it for a unique experience. Every visit is definitely easy. The inside area is nice, I've only really sat outside, perhaps there during the winter it's super cozy? There are not that many bathroom facilities, most likely you will have to wait. It is a tad hidden when you drive in, parking immediately to the left gets full, parking to the right in the grass behind the fence is easy with an SUV. I won't go here again for the wines, but perhaps for scenery and pictures.

I loved the very laid back feel of this property especially with the very friendly animals. The wine tasting was also delicious with every wine being paired with a food that complimented it beautifully. Our server was also very pleasant. Can't wait to go back!

The wooden cabin, the petting animals, and the pond lets you know you're in the country. The wines are good, but with the heat the Sangria was simply awesome. It is a great hideout to spend some time with good company.

Visited Sunday of Labor Day weekend; when we first arrived around 3:30, the tasting bars were crowded. There are 2 bars in the barn, which should help manage crowds better. There is a small separate area off from the main room, that looks to be available for larger parties and may be reserved. There was live music- Matthew Mills is good. We bought the Islington for $32, and got 2 glasses so we could just drink and sip and listen to music. Like most Virginia wine, it is overpriced for the quality, but at the equivalent of $7 / glass, I guess it is a better deal than buying a glass of good wine at a restaurant. The place emptied out after a storm blew thru that temporarily cut power- just a 10 minutes outage. It was quieter and more relaxing after that.I also like that the turn off 55 is an easy one- no steep driveway, or narrow lanes.

We visited on a Monday for a wine tasting. There was very little traffic on a drizzling day. The place was absolutely beautiful. They had pairings to go with the tasting which was a first! Maggie was very knowledgeable, patient, and nice. She really took time to answer our questions! The sangria was the best! We took a bottle home! We were able to walk on their grounds and view their farm animals. The only negative thing was their bathrooms. They definitely exceeded our expectations!

The three young people serving the wine were that -- three young people. The son of the owners gave me the impression that he was bored out of his mind and couldn't have been more unsocial. Where's the passion for what you do? He didn't know where the oak came from?? Regarding the tasting plates . . . look carefully at each piece. They tried to serve me a moldy piece of cheese and, at first, tried to deny it was moldy. Geesch . . . this place has so much potential. Husband found a wine he liked but not me . . . I'm afraid to say that I was totally turned off.

I went to this winery for the first time on my birthday and it was such an enjoyable day! The owner's were very friendly and welcoming... we stayed until closing and even though we were the last customers left they didn't make us feel like they wanted us to leave. The girl who did our tastings was very sweet. A great plus to this winery is the provide food with their tastings, something that I haven't experienced at any of the other wineries I have traveled to outside of Italy. The grounds are landscaped so lovely. We enjoyed visiting with the friendly goats and precious miniature horses. This is a good place for animal lovers. We also brought along my 2 month old who was welcomed warmly by the owners. I saw other families with small children and babies there as well. All in all a welcoming, happy place! We are going to return soon with our dog.

Aspen Dale has a charming tasting room set in a 200 year old barn and it's on the grounds of a farm -- complete with horses and chickens. One of the nicest touches provided is the little plate of "pairings" for their wines. Little bites of cheese, dried fruit, sausage, etc really enhanced the flavors of the wine.They also poured their Sangria -- we bought 3 glasses of it and headed to garden so the dogs could watch the ponies while we relaxed. It was a very nice experience.

The wine tasting was superb, well-organized and complemented by the tasting plate. After tasting we bought a glass of wine, some to-die-for bread and dipping oil, and sat outside in the lovely glow of the sunset watching the birds and horses in the barnyard area. We each ended up buying at least one bottle of wine. Prices were reasonable and the two ladies working were more than happy to visit with us about the area, how the wine is made, and the general area. I will certainly come back. The inside has some comfy-looking couches around a large fireplace - looks so inviting for a cold fall or winter afternoon.