Byrd Cellars: A small but mighty winery in Goochland, VA
My Experience:
I went to visit Byrd Cellars the first Friday in March, before COVID-19 hit the U.S and the stay at home orders began. At the time, they were already doing preventative measures by using disposable cups for the wine tastings, the tasting room attendants wore gloves, and a giant bottle of hand sanitizer was available for customers to use right on the bar.
Jerry did my tasting, and I loved how friendly and knowledgeable he was. Not only did he know so much about each wine and why the winemaker decided to make each wine, but you could also tell how much fun he was having talking about it. It was really one of the best wine tastings I’ve had, not only because the wine was delicious, but also because of all the fun tidbits Jerry had about the wines!
Jerry and I after a very fun wine tasting!
A little bit about their story:
During my visit, I had the chance to interview some members of the family who own Byrd Cellars. Kathy and Chris were gracious hosts, friendly as can be, and truly showed me that you can do everything you set your mind to if you’re passionate about it.
Kathy started Byrd Cellars with her husband Bruce who is the winemaker. The couple used to live in Florida where Kathy worked as a nurse, and Bruce was an engineer for GE. Wine appreciation had always been a part of their lives.
They decided to leave Florida to be close to their family and first grandchild. With the pending change in scenery, they also decided to undergo a lifestyle change and incorporate their love for wine further into their lives. And so, after considering many locations in Virginia and Maryland, Byrd Cellars was born nested in Goochland county.
Bruce and Kathy are motivated people who decided they wanted to be involved in every aspect of their wine adventure. I also met Chris, Bruce and Kathy’s son, who inherited the same handiness and curiosity of his parents, and wears many hats around the vineyard. The three are proud to be able to say that they truly did it all themselves (with the occasional help from other family members and friends): from planting the first seeds and tending to their vines, harvesting, making the wines in small batches, bottling it, selling at festivals, and even building and decorating their tasting room. It’s all truly been a family endeavor with a “all hands on deck” approach.
I think that’s one of the most special things (and differentiators) of Byrd Cellars. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into every wine, and every corner of their tasting room. Everyone who works with the family is extremely passionate about what they do, and because of that, they’ve truly been able to foster a wonderful community of supporters and fans.
It is not every day that you come across a small batch, family owned winery who has 1,6000+ wine club members! The passion for what they do, and the quality of their product speaks for itself.
Advice from the owners:
My favorite and most enlightening part of the interview with Kathy and Chris was when I asked them “How did you guys learn about all these things?”
Their response was:
"Read wine for dummies, look it up online…If your heart is in it, you can do it!”
Good to know:
I’m linking their wine list page here. As Jerry told me during the tasting, the great thing about Byrd Cellars is that they make their wines with everyone else in mind, not just for themselves. The result is a diverse wine list with a little something for everyone, while also having a creative twist!
On my visit I purchased the Apple Wine, Creekside Chardonnay (my favorite from them), and the Norton Reserve (my boyfriend’s absolute favorite wine ever)!
A couple weeks later we came back for curbside pick-up and got the Norton Reserve again, the Vin Rose, and their White Sangria!
I also want to link here their wine club page, which is FREE TO JOIN! I actually just signed up for it myself, because I’m that much of a fan!
Another thing I loved learning about Byrd Cellars is that they’re very environmentally conscious. They encourage their customers to bring their used bottles back to them on their next visit and give back 50 cents per bottle returned!
Goochland is becoming quite the hot spot for wineries and breweries in the Richmond area. Next time you’re driving through, stop by Byrd Cellars!
During COVID-19 they’re doing curbside pick-up, you can place your order on their website: www.byrdcellars.com.
Byrd Cellars is not going to be “small” for much longer! They’re in the process of building a new, bigger tasting room which is just about a mile away from their current space, right next to their vineyard. It’s going to be awesome, I can’t wait to see it!
Cheers!