early mountain vineyards

I had to visit this winery after seeing it on line and it didn't disappoint. On a cold winter Friday my husband and I went while we were visiting the region from Staunton.We got a fabulous seat by the peek through fire, with gorgeous views through the numerous and large surrounding windows. The interior design and the materials choices by the architect, builder, and original owners is stellar and I'd say flawless. What a great date place!A downside is that by having their own "restaurant" inside, unlike many other Virginia wineries you can't bring your own food inside — in the better weather months you can eat your own outside. I didn't know this from the website and we bought a bunch of food just before arriving there and were;t able to eat it. We didn't want to leave, so we ordered there and just took our other goods home.The food is "okay." Don't expect gourmet but neither is it unworthy. Kind of like Starbucks' "pre-made" sandwiches etc. They do make it on site, and they are awesome at sourcing a host of locally-grown and produced products, so kudos to them for that. Still, the menu is a few years behind the times and could use a more vibrant re-imagining while still being simple and affordable. Our service was more than excellent, attentive but not intrusive, and we were visited by both our wait person and managers for an extra touch.Wine tastings are on the higher-priced side, which is odd given that they are not more prominently placed in the Virginia wine pantheon. I've been to many, many Virginia tasting rooms, and it really is high priced (for Va., not for DC denizens, or those in from LA!)Still, go here for a great gathering with friends (excellent seating options), or a romantic date. Highly recommended.

We had been here before, and decided to come back for a visit. It was good enough that we decided to stop in for lunch on both days of our recent visit. The open ceiling in their great room/tasting area gives a very spacious feel. They have floor to ceiling windows in the back which affords a beautiful scenic view. We each had a lunch which waswell prepared and shared a bottle of Early Mountain Chardonnay each day. So glad we returned and look forward to our next visit.

Someone beat me to the title undewhelmed, oh well. This was our last stop on our wine outing and we were excited as this was the only one that was open till 8 on a Friday. I was excited as l heard who the owners were but this is probably the reason it seems to be run like a corporation and they closely monitor how much they can get out of a bottle. The price was $8 as well but l think we were paying more to be there than for tasting the wine as we literally got a splash in out glasses. Our server seemed to have no idea about the wines and could not even make us interested in what we were drinking. I didn't even get to talk about the wines as you know what they weren't even worth it. It definitely is not on top of my list of places to revisit.

We've visited a good number of wineries in Virginia and were excited to visit Early Mountain as admirers of the Cases. However we were sorely disappointed in our visit. The property is beautiful but prices and service have much to be desired. Tastings and food were overpriced compared with other wineries in the area. It was very crowded the afternoon we visited and simply seemed too commercial for our liking. The service was very impersonal and more interested in making a sale. Will not return.

My wife and came across this winery on a drive from our B&B. It is a stunning building with wines to match. They have plenty of seating inside and out. We didn't try any of the food but it smelled incredible. The wines were very good with the whites edging the reds on flavor.

We stopped on our way to Standardsville and it was a "family event" with Santa. Great ambiance, lots of activity and fireplaces, etc. However, the cost of the tasting was too much and we didn't even get a glass! We had a small snack with cheese and that was expensive too. Not sure we agreed with having so many children at a winery/tasting, but to each his own.

While on a weekend getaway in October we came here 3 different times. The property is beautiful, the wines are really nice and the food was good. Limited menu but just good enough to snack on while tasting. I loved how relaxed it is. You can taste at a counter or in the lounge area and they usually have some live music as well. The outdoor area with fire pits is amazing. YOU MUST GO!

For three years in a row, my best friend from high school and I rendezvous for a fall weekend in Charlottesville, VA, where we traipse from winery to winery, enjoying the country vistas, fall foliage, interesting architecture variations of the tasting rooms, the varied settings in valleys and on mountains, the different vibes -- as well as the wines! It's a great way to do something fun, while still being able to communicate and feel like you are discovering new things.So, out of the 15 or so wineries we have gone to over the last 3 years, Early Mountain (EM) is one of our top 3 (Pippin Hill #1 and Veritas #3 are the others). We went to EM after the Wash Post did an article on the amazing architecture of the tasting room and the decor. We were not disappointed at all! Wonderful seating areas, large space indoor and out, fireplace, and something we have not seen in ANY other tasting place: you can sit in your preferred area while you do a tasting -- rather than stand at the bar. This is so much nicer because they bring you the 5 tastings at one time, you can order food to enjoy with them, and you don't have to hurry through. Which brings me to the next and unreported wonder of EM: the food! It was excellent. I had a great salad and a fresh handmade hot pretzel with honey mustard to dip it in, and my friend had the most amazing exotic grilled cheese she ever had. Prices are very reasonable.Note: I think EM allows you to pack and eat your own food in the outside areas, but inside they ask you to order from their menu.There was an acoustic guitar player making nice sounds, but not too loud that you had to shout over it to be heard.We got there around noon. By the time we left at 2ish, it was quite full. Full meaning you might not get your preferred seating (as we enjoyed on a sofa by the fireplace), but not so full that you say, "I can't stand to be here with all the crowds and noise." It was still very nice even with a busy Saturday afternoon.Recommend highly and enjoy!

This is a jewel in the Madison , VA area. Beautiful building, good parking and the staff is superb.Welcoming does not begin to cover our reception, I felt like they had been waiting just for me. Wanted to stay for some food, which smelled wonderful. But had the dog in the car so didn't stay too long.There is music on Friday evenings and they have a picnic area you can take your order to and bring your dogs. There is a lovely patio.We did the wine bar tasting with trepidation because historically Virginia wines have been way to sweet for me. This was so not! The Rose was lovely! Little residual sugar and a beautiful bouquet.The others were also better than expected.But the experience was great. WE will go back there.

Took forever to get service. When the lady finally came it took forever for her to bring our drinks and then another lifetime to come take a food order. I can under stand this on a busy day, but it was kind of slow when we were there.

This is one of the prettiest tasting rooms in Virginia. They do tastings of their own wine and other wines from around the state. They also serve food and flights of wine inside or out on their veranda. The staff is excellent and the wine is good. It would be a fantastic place to have a wedding reception.

We had driven by the vineyard on multiple occasions and decided to stop in. It wasn't very busy so we got very attentive service and we enjoyed our flight. The descriptions were accurate and it is impressive that they offer flights that include other vineyards' wines. I didn't view that as anything other than a cooperative approach to promoting Central Virginia wines.

Took my wife for wine and snacks. JACKPOT!! We tried the Charcuterie plate, the Local Cheese sampler and the Soft Pretzel. They were all outstanding! Our server, Amber, was courteous and KNOWLEDGEABLE. She knew what is was; where it came from; what it pairs with... Very nice!If you haven't been, GO! If you have gone before, go AGAIN!

We were in the area and chose to go to this winery rather than several others as we wanted lunch as well as wine. Somewhat disappointed.The paninis we ordered were rather bland. My wife had the roast beef with horseradish mayo, and when ordering asked if she could get some extra sauce on the side. She was informed that all of the sandwiches are pre-made in the morning so not sure if could get extra sauce and that it would cost an extra dollar. Not a good start to our 25 min wait for our pre-made sandwiches. No horseradish bite to the sandwich, nor could I taste any Dijon on the turkey panini.Anyway, hoping to taste some wine we found they only have 4 preset flights of wine, 2 oz each glass, for $14-20 depending on which of their flights you choose. We decided to forego that as we could not see paying 3-4 times what other wineries charge and being restricted to their choice of what we could try.

You can buy wine by the glass or the bottle, get a nice lunch, or bring your own sandwich for a picnic, and just relax with long views and serene surroundings. Wine is a bit pricey, but you'll get to try things you probably wouldn't otherwise encounter.