Tag: Gray Ghost Vineyards

Gray Ghost Vineyards Celebrates 30 Years

/ Warren and Paul / Leave a comment

Gray Ghost Vineyards opened on July 9, 1994. The only wine they had to pour on that first day was Vidal Blanc. They have been producing award winning wines ever since.

Gray Ghost Vineyards celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday and Paul and I were 
privileged to be the honored guests of the day. I delivered a short speech during the opening reception of this memorable occasion. You can read the speech here. During the opening reception Al Kellert, Amy Payette and Donna Comer from the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors spoke.

After the opening reception guests were treated to a taste of the 2023 Vidal Blanc. This wine was chosen because it was the first wine they poured when they opened 30 years ago. Its tropical notes hit all the right marks on a very warm afternoon. It was a delicious way to begin celebrating Gray Ghost.

As part of the special day, guests could taste the current line up of wines including the new 2022 Ranger Reserve. Guests could also enjoy a library tasting of the 2005 Merlot, the 2013 Petit Verdot, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Paul really enjoyed the 2005 Merlot and the 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Guests were also treated to a sneak peek tasting of the 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Al Kellert personally poured the wine and discussed it’s evolution. What a treat! There was live music and “Talk of the Mountain”, a favorite food truck noted for its fabulous crab cakes, was also at the event to offer its famous seafood menu. I enjoyed a crab cake with a glass of the 2021 Reserve Chardonnay. Paul had the Reserve Chardonnay with chicken nuggets. Yes, chicken nuggets.

We were truly honored to be part of this unforgettable celebration at Gray Ghost Vineyards. As we look forward to the winery’s continued success in producing its award-winning wines, we encourage you to plan a visit to Gray Ghost Vineyards to sample its current releases. When you do, don’t forget to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Celebrating Spring With Virginia Wines!

/ Warren / 1 Comment

Winter is slowly losing its seasonal grip as spring flowers begin to bloom in the area. We recently treated ourselves to a long weekend visiting Virginia wineries while taking in the beauty of spring flora!

Our scenic trek through Virginia landscapes allowed us to take in lovely cherry trees, blooming Bradford pears (not my favorite but they do herald spring in their own way), and dazzling bulbs that included daffodils. We brought along sliced deli meats and cheeses to enjoy a tasting and lunch at Gray Ghost Vineyards, a favorite winery of ours. The newly released 2021 Riesling announced spring in all its glory—aromas of white blossoms were followed by stone fruit flavors on the palate suggested a perfect pairing with ham or shellfish. We opted to enjoy lunch with my favorite 2018 Reserve Chardonnay with its pear notes and fuller mouth feel. A warm breeze and fluttering birds joined us for wine and snacks.

Quievremont Vineyard and Winery was next on our tasting agenda, and we were glad that we included this winery on our weekend trip. It had been quite a while since our last tasting at Quievremont Vineyard and Winery, and winemaker Karl Selzer treated us to a wonderful tasting experience. The 2019 Q Table Red reminded us that we needed a lighter-bodied red wine on the rack that can be enjoyed either on its own or with simple fare. This blend included Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but light aging in neutral oak barrels made for a fruity quaffer. The 2019 Vin de Maison was more complex, and this blend included Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Aged for a year in both American and French oak barrels, this one exhibited notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and plums. Oakier nuances suggested a pairing with a beef dish sided with roasted veggies. Watch out for a release of a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon; although quite young, it presented blackberry and cherry notes along with a whiff of licorice. Aged in 100% French oak barrels, we look forward to tasting this one again once it is released. Our outdoor tasting allowed us to take in mountain views decorated with trees waiting to burst with a splash of fresh green leaves as temperatures warm.

We always look forward to dinner at Claires at the Depot whenever we stay in Warrenton, and we nursed a glass of the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay from Gray Ghost Vineyards while gazing upon a sunset layered with tones of pink, periwinkle and cobalt.

Our final winery tasting included a self-guided flight at Pearmund Cellars. My favorite is always the Old Vines Chardonnay, and the 2017 vintage did not disappoint me. I enjoyed the lush aromas of grilled pineapple and pear, and its rich palate finished with a generous kiss of oak. Our outdoor tasting proved to be a chillier experience since the sun decided to take a nap that day; however, a sturdier breeze toyed with wind chimes to provide music for our tasting experience.

We encourage readers to plan their own spring outing to these and other Virginia wineries. Of course, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

October Is Virginia Wine Month

/ Paul / 1 Comment

Happy Virginia Wine Month!

We started Virginia wine month with a harvesting experience at Gray Ghost Vineyards. Besides COVID 2020, we have harvested grapes at Gray Ghost for 15 (Paul) and 20 (Warren) years. It’s always great fun! We usually harvest the chardonnay grapes but this year we decided to harvest the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Here are some pictures from the day.

Al Kellert, the winemaker and owner, starts off the day with a lesson on how to harvest grapes.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were gorgeous this year!
Here Warren is showing us how to snip the vine and capture those beautiful grapes.

We had a great time filling up the yellow bins with grapes.

What a great way to start off Virginia Wine Month. Please catch up with our social media to see what we are pouring and enjoying throughout the month. Are you planning on visiting any Virginia wineries this month? If so, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Gray Ghost Vineyards

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Warren’s parents are visiting us from New Orleans for Mother’s Day. Today we took them to Gray Ghost Vineyards for a tasting and to enjoy some lunch.

We were lucky to have Amy Payette conduct our tasting. Since our last visit the 2020 Riesling was released. And this Mother’s Day weekend they are releasing the 2020 Gewürztraminer. We were able to taste both during our tasting. We noted tropical fruit and bright citrus flavors from the 2020 Riesling. It’s perfect for some spicy foods. The 2020 Gewürztraminer presented tropical notes and some spice with a touch of sweetness on the end. But it must be noted that this is fruit sweet and not sugar sweet. This one would also pair well with spicy foods or by itself!


Just when you thought there weren’t many decent reds coming from the 2018 vintage, Gray Ghost presents their 2018 Petit Verdot. This Petit Verdot has a beautiful color and notes of plum, blackberry and currants with accessible tannins. This one quickly became our favorite red of the day. After our lunch we enjoyed a glass of the Petit Verdot with some dark chocolate for dessert.

If you haven’t been to Gray Ghost lately, it’s time visit them again. Be sure to taste the wines mentioned here. And when you do visit them, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Romantic Rosé

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On a recent Saturday we met some friends at Gray Ghost Vineyards to catch up, do a tasting and enjoy some lunch.

Marketing director Amy Payette conducted our tasting. We worked through all the whites and reds but were most interested in tasting the new Romantic Rosé. This is the first time winemaker Al Kellert has produced a rosé for Gray Ghost. We learned the rosé is made from three different red grapes. It’s a secret which red grapes make up the blend though. We tasted the rosé and were instantly excited to see it is a dry rosé. We love dry rosés. We noted strawberry and raspberry notes with an overall fruity palate. We know this will pair nicely with cheeses, light fair or sandwiches for lunch.

After our tasting we decided to enjoy some rosé with our lunch items. We were socially distancing from other guests at Gray Ghost while we enjoyed our lunch. It was a warm afternoon but the rosé made it cooler. Before leaving we secured a few bottles of the rosé plus some other favorites. Plan a trip to Gray Ghost Vineyards soon to get your own bottle of the new Romantic Rosé. You’ll be glad you did. When you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Oh, check out the video that Gray Ghost posted about the new Romantic Rosé and an update on the vineyards.

Virginia Wine Time Begins Phase 1

/ Warren / 2 Comments

Yes, Paul and I are behind by one phase, but we are beginning to venture out. We do appreciate Nancy Bauer’s regular updates on wineries and their practices as things begin to open up a bit more. True to our last post, we have gone to wineries that offer either reservations only and/or open on weekdays. We were eager to get back on the wine trail even if on a limited basis.

Our first venture was to Linden in late May. Easy to reserve outdoor seating here, and we could not have picked a lovelier day to visit the winery. We enjoyed a bottle of the 2016 Claret with our picnic snacks included mortadella, Virginia ham, olives, and fresh berries. Our table was located in a prime spot on the crush pad, and we were entertained by barn swallows that flitted about the property. Jim Law stopped by for a chat, and he was very excited about the upcoming release of the 2018 Chardonnay Village; in fact, guests at Linden were treated to a sneak pour of this easy-sipper.

Gray Ghost Vinyeards was our destination on a weekday excursion to Amissville. We were treated to the aromas of vines in bloom, and we secured an outdoor table that allowed us to appreciate the immaculate vineyards. A tasting was available at Gray Ghost so we were able to catch up on new releases that included the crisp 2019 Seyval Blanc. Our picnic basket included smoked turkey, brie, almonds, and melon, and the wine of choice was the 2016 Chardonnay Reserve.

A trip to Breaux Vineyards last week was our final winery visit, and we reserved a table for outdoor seating on a weekday. Again—-easy process. No tastings at Breaux but a full range of wines by the bottle were available to enjoy while dining outdoors. Chèvre and manchego cheeses came along for lunch along with rosemary crackers and herbed turkey slices. Our selection of the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve done in a Fume style proved to be the perfect pairing for yet another afternoon of gorgeous weather and vineyard views. Paul was also able to catch up on collecting membership wines that included the 2015 Nebbiolo; Breaux Vineyards is well known for its success with that variety, so we look forward to appreciating this one after a rest on the wine rack.

We will probably stay in our own Phase 1 for a bit longer. However, we can attest to the caution taken by the wineries that we have visited. Wine associates wore face coverings, tables were distanced, and other customers were respectful of protocols. For those who wish to be extra cautious, wineries that are open during the weekdays might be the way to go since this is a way to avoid crowds. Whatever reopening phase in which readers find themselves, consider a visit to the wineries mentioned in this post. Please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

25th Anniversary

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On Saturday I attended the 25th Anniversary celebration at Gray Ghost Vineyards. Twenty five years ago on July 9th Al and Cheryl Kellert opened the doors to Gray Ghost Vineyards. They were only tasting one wine on that day, a Vidal.

The day began with an opening reception. Amy Payette, Virginia House of Delegates from the 18th district Michael Webert, Richard Leahy and Al Kellert all spoke during the reception.

Following the reception there were events that took place all day. You could enjoy a tasting of their current release of wines (even the limited release 2017 Merlot). The wine library was open tasting four vintages of library wines. The barrel room was also open for tasting of the 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (first time a reserve barrel as been opened!). There was also beautiful music in the barrel room from harpist Tess Miller. If that wasn’t enough, you could also take a vineyard tour, winery tour and enjoy live music around the grounds at Gray Ghost. And if you got hungry Talk of the Mountain Seafood was on hand to fill that hunger.

It was an amazing day. The events continued again on Sunday. We have been part of the Gray Ghost family for many years. We want to congratulate them on reaching their 25th year. We know they will continue on into the future with great success. And we of course will continue to visit Gray Ghost, help in harvesting and enjoying their wines for years to come. Congratulations Gray Ghost!

Before I left, I bought a case of the limited release 2017 Merlot. If you haven’t been to Gray Ghost Vineyards, it’s one winery in Virginia that you must visit. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Early Release!

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On Saturday we went to Gray Ghost Vineyards to do a tasting and pick up a few cases of wine. Of course we enjoyed all the wines on the tasting, especially the reserve chardonnay.

Winemaker Al Kellert conducted out tasting so of course we learned more about the wines than usual. Al also informed us that the 2018 Cabernet Franc would be released next weekend on Father’s Day weekend. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to return to Gray Ghost next weekend so Al let us secretly buy a bottle of the 2018 Cabernet Franc before the release next weekend!

We decided to bring the bottle of 2018 Cabernet Franc to dinner at our friends’ house. We had steaks and burgers on the grill…delicious of course. We decided to open the Cab Franc to see how it paired with the burgers. Al’s 2018 Cabernet Franc was perfect with the burgers! It’s a classic Virginia cab franc. It’s a light bodied, smooth wine with notes of cherry , vanilla, and black pepper. We thoroughly enjoyed this cab franc.

Of course we’ll return to Gray Ghost in the near future to secure some more bottles of 2018 Cabernet Franc. If you happen to visit, be sure to try the 2018 cab franc and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!