The sips and views of Chiswell Farm and Winery
Looking for a refined, daytime outing experience for adults? Look no further than Chiswell Farm and Winery, the latest winery to grace Virginia’s wine country, right outside Charlottesville. They opened November 2021, but they’re not newbies to the wine world. The Chiles family has been growing grapes in Virginia since the 1990s, and are familiar suppliers to some of the most prestigious wineries in the state. They also own and operate these familiar spots: Carter Mountain Orchard, Spring Valley Orchard, and Chiles Peach Orchard.
When the right property appeared, they knew they wanted to take their experience growing grapes to the next level. I had the opportunity to chat with Cynthia Chiles, who’s the mastermind behind Chiswell’s daily operations. The winery sits on a huge Jeffersonian estate in Greenwood, VA, with gorgeous panoramic views and a beautifully renovated historic manor house. The house had been recently renovated by a family to be their vacation house prior to being sold. The Chiles have embraced that quality, and readjusted the home to be a winery space with various tasting rooms, each with its own unique theme and character.
During my visit I had the chance to sample Chiswell’s Estate Flight which included: a chardonnay, two (very different) petit mansengs, a rose, and a cabernet sauvignon. All of these wines were amazing as expected since they’re expert grape growers partnering with amazing winemakers (Michael Shaps of Michael Shaps Wineworks and Matthieu Finot from King Family Vineyards).
2020 Chiswell Chardonnay: Their chardonnay was my fiancé’s favorite of the day! It gracefully straddles the two major camps of chardonnay: lusciously buttery and crisp Chablis-style. You get a hint of both and they work well together.
2020 Chiswell Petit Manseng: Okay y’all, wow. I’ve never had a Petit Manseng like this. Off dry, not sweet like dessert?? Yes, sir. And the results are fantastic, I highly recommend y’all give it a try when you visit. It reminded me of a Gewürztraminer with tropical fruit flavors. Again, a must try!
2020 Chiswell Rosé: This was my favorite of the day, and I might need to put this one on my favorites list. Made by the Crosé king himself, this rose is delicate, bright and crisp, as the best off-dry rosés should be. The color is a beautiful pale salmon pink, with big floral bouquet aromas paired with fresh strawberries and grapefruit notes on the palate.
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon: The cabernet sauvignon is lovely. It’s blended with a little bit of Merlot and Tannat, to brighten a little bit and make it less tannic and more fruit forward. I got delicious notes of toffee, vanilla, plum, blackberries and cherries. This is their only red until fall of 2022, but it holds its own, and fits perfectly in their lineup!
2019 Petit Manseng: this is the very first wine they made, and it’s the base wine for the wine slushies served at Carter Mountain Orchard! This is their sweet petit manseng I absolutely loved the balance of this Petit manseng. It had all the delicious tropical fruit flavors you’d expect, combined with a little floral, and honey notes, but perfectly balanced with high alcohol levels to give it freshness and brightness, especially when chilled.
“We want to provide good quality, approachable wines. We want our neighbors to be proud of us, and we want to be good neighbors as well.” -Cynthia Chiles
I left with a bottle of their rosé and chardonnay, and cannot wait for my next visit. This is a big year for them as spring/summer will mark their first busy season, and when fall arrives they’ll be introducing a Merlot, and a Cabernet Franc, which I cannot wait to try! There also have started to have some really fun events, so make sure to check out their website for fun experiences coming up.
Yes, the wines were amazing, the views were amazing, but what truly impressed me about the experience at Chiswell was the intentionality behind every single element. From the shape and size selection of the wine glasses to the décor, to the hand-crafted wood trays, to the outdoor seating arrangement perfectly (aligned with the previously mentioned amazing views), Chiswell will be an experience to remember!
Note: The winery is for adults 21 and over, but if you’re looking for a family friendly experience, you can just head down the street to Peach Orchard where they’re now selling Chiswell wines.