By contributing writer Dylan Moskowitz
If you’re looking for wine, food, and fun in Virginia Beach, you need to consider the local flavor. There’s plenty of things to do in Virginia Beach but none so interesting and tasteful as the local wineries that call the beach their home. While some of them listed here aren’t quite full-fledged wineries, consider all of them on your tour along the Virginia Beach vine. There’s a lot of good wine coming out of this part of Hampton Roads and it’s your duty as a wine aficionado to go out and taste it.
Topping the list of wine destinations in Virginia Beach is Pungo Ridge Winery. Pungo Ridge shares its space with the rest of rural Virginia Beach and the famous strawberry festival, and you can expect all the same rural charm and sweet flavors from it. The unique part of Pungo Ridge is their dedication to local farming. Most of their wine ingredients are grown on the five-acre estate, and all wine production is done with Virginia-grown produce. Even the honey that sweetens their product is collected from bees on-site, making this one of the most authentically self-sufficient wineries in the area. Pungo Ridge has an impressive distribution of flavors, including blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry wines, Pungo’s popular products. Unfortunately, Pungo Ridge is a highly seasonal business, like many wineries, so you’ll have to make your visit in the Summer or Fall to get a taste of their exclusive style.
This list wouldn’t be complete without Virginia Beach Winery. You can’t talk about wineries in the city without this one—literally, it’s in the name. It’s a new addition to the wine scene in Virginia Beach, but is locally owned and operated. Virginia Beach Winery does free tastings nearly every weekend of all their originally bottled styles and flavors. While the classics like moscatos and merlots are on the menu, Virginia Beach Winery branches out to the more exciting blackberry- or raspberry-based wines that the less wine-inclined are sure to enjoy. The winery is accessible to everyone with reasonable pricing and its convenient location for both public and private transit.
While not quite in Virginia Beach, a stone’s throw from the city line is Norfolk’s fantastic Mermaid Winery. Mermaid Winery is both a producing winery and a wine bar-restaurant, giving you that flexibility about how you approach your wine tasting outings in the area. They boast over 800 wines to taste, including local and from across the country. Mermaid also runs a wine club with regular tastings and several events on a weekly basis, offering discounts to club members. There’s even regular free tastings for those skeptical to spend their money. If you’re looking for a private event, be it a bridal shower or business luncheon, Mermaid Winery is more than equipped to serve the finest wines found in the Hampton Roads area.
LUBO Wine Bar and Cafe is less a proper winery as it is a wine tasting venue in Virginia Beach. A lot like Mermaid Winery, it is both a wine bar and a restaurant, but doesn’t produce any of its own, original bottles. Don’t let that dissuade you, however, because LUBO has a massive selection of whites and reds from across the globe. They’re open for lunch and dinner to fill your wine and dine needs, but the real draw are the daily specials, like wine flights on Tuesdays for just 5 dollars. Other weekly events include Sunday brunches and an open patio night, occurring rain or shine. Saturdays are for sampling at LUBO, where it’s first-come first-serve for sampling their stock all afternoon.
If you’re feeling for a relaxed atmosphere about your glass of wine, then look no further than Tinto Wine and Cheese. Tinto feels like an exclusive wine club without the pomp and circumstance. Wine comes by the bottle or glass and are paired with their tapas-style menu to keep everyone comfortable and relaxed. It has this small, intimate expression at their Virginia Beach location that meshes flawlessly with their theme nights. Tinto sells almost exclusively wines from small, family-owned wineries and pairs them with a selection of cheeses specifically picked to compliment.
By contributing writer
Dylan Moskowitz