Paul and I attended the soft opening of Firefly Cellars this past weekend. Readers may know that Firefly Cellars was once Hunter’s Run Winery. However, ownership of the property now belongs to Pete and Patty Pierleonardi and their children, Zach and Andrea Zaidi. The family has considerable business experience as owners of Pest Management Service, Inc., and now bring their expertise to Firefly Cellars.

Guests of the event were greeted warmly by the Pierleonardi family in the tasting room, and glasses of the Blanc de Blanc made from white chambourcin grapes were on hand to toast the occasion. The tasting room itself has been completely renovated and captures a rural chic theme.

Live entertainment provided relief from the haunting shrieks from Brood X cicadas, and an impressive menu of food expertly paired with each of the Firefly Cellars’ eleven wines. My favorites included the white blend Illumination paired with spinach and fontina stuffed cremini mushrooms, the fruity 2020 Chardonnay paired with the Virginia scallops and pork belly, and the Petit Verdot paired with the prime beef skewers dipped in blue cheese fondue.

Firefly Cellars also offers airbnb accommodations; in fact, newly weds were the first guests of the airbnb and present at the pre opening event. A swimming pool sweetens the pot for those who are looking for a getaway complete with refreshing swim to finish the day. For those who either opt to stay at the airbnb or wish to stop by Firefly Cellars for a tasting, a private tasting experience can be enjoyed in The Cellar, a European-style wine cellar that is kept at 55 degrees.

I admit to getting excited when I see fireflies light up the summer sky, and I could not help myself from posing in front of the Firefly Cellars’ sign.

We will be certain to return to Firefly Cellars to stay updated on new releases. However, readers may want to enjoy the current lineup of wines sooner rather than later so plan to visit once the winery opens this weekend. Remember to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!