Beliveau Estate Winery is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia 12 miles from downtown Blacksburg and Virginia Tech and 25 miles from Roanoke. It was originally known as Maison Beliveau, and consists of 165 breathtaking acres. The Estate is home to Beliveau Estate Winery and an exquisite Bed and Breakfast. The B&B contains 5 unique guestrooms, and the owners are known to be extremely friendly and accommodating. They have on-site hiking trails, have held numerous beautiful weddings, and have special events periodically to showcase their wonderful culinary and wine selections.
Although the winemaker does import some grapes, the majority of their wines are produced from grapes grown on site. The manager was not available during our visit to give us a tour of the wine-making facilities, but one of the staff members did show us their bottling mechanism and explained that it measures an exact amount so that there will be enough room in the bottle for the cork, a small amount of oxygen, etc.
After our short but beautiful and interesting tour of the facility, we were taking through the tasting room and into the banquet room for our group tasting.
The tasting room was small but very welcoming and it is obvious that doing a tasting as a couple or a small group would also be fun and intimate.
While at Beliveau, my parents and I tasted ten of their wines, and had a great time talking about the different aromas and flavors, while also asking the staff many questions about how each wine was made and what would pair well with it. (My tasting sheet was scribbled all over with various notes and descriptions!)
The wines that we tasted are listed below:
Whites:
- "Afternoon Delight": This lightly oaked dry Vidal Blanc has overtones of grapefruit and vanilla. It can be enjoyed chilled or warm and pairs well with seafood. I thought that this had a tart, green apple flavor and enjoyed the subtle sweetness. When asked, the winemaker told us that this was his favorite of their white wines. $18
- "Destiny": This dry crisp Vidal Blanc is an excellent sipping wine. Serve chilled. Won the Bronze Medal. This wine is obviously non-oaked, and has a crisp, refreshing taste that makes me feel like it would be a great spring or summer wine to drink outside. It would pair well with goat cheese, red peppers and sun-dried tomato. This wine was the first type to be bottled at Beliveau Estate Winery. $16
- "Lover's Quest": A semi-sweet Vidal-Blanc - a favorite of those who like wine not too sweet and not too dry. When we swirled and sniffed this wine, the verdict was that it smelled like dirty socks... not too appetizing, and we were not expecting much from this wine. However, after tasting it, it was fruit forward and slightly sweet but not overpowering at all. I actually really enjoyed it despite its initial foul smell. This wine would pair well with soft cheeses, fruit and pesto. $15
- Silhouette: Their Cabernet Sauvignon is a cornucopia of light berry flavors topped with a spicy overtone. This wine is east-coast style, so there is less sun intensity while the grape is maturing, which makes the wine lighter than a west coast would be. It is fermented slowly and in cold temperatures to preserve the berry flavor of the grape. The wine had a distinct verry and spicy nose, and although slightly dry, it had a good flavor. $20
- "Rainbow": A full-bodied zinfandel with the peppery overtones zins are known for - delicious! This wine definitely has a slight peppery flavor, and the winemaker told us that it is very food friendly. With that being said, I did not love this wine, but would be willing to try it again with food and see if it does more for me when paired. $24
- "Sunset Sipper": The winemaker's chest bursts with pride at the release of this luscious red zinfandel. They recommended that we cup the glass to warm it before and let it open up. We actually decided to smell and taste it before, then warm it up and do it again. It was so interesting to observe how the wine changes on the nose and the palate once it opens up. The grapes for this wine came from Lodi, California, which gave it a darker color and different complexity. This wine was aged in American and French oak, and is a good wine to sip without pairing with food. I personally loved this wine and my parents bought a bottle to take home. $24
- "A Capella": 100% Landot Noir red table wine has distinct berry overtones. A wonderful sipping wine! This wine literally smelled like a smoky grape jelly, and its flavor was semi-sweet, fruit-forward and refreshing. I think it would be refreshing chilled during the summer, but tasted almost more like grape juice than wine. $16
- "Warm Glow": Semi-sweet Chambourcin rich in flavors of plum, dark cherries, almond and succulent pear. This is velvet to the palate! It also won the bronze medal. This wine has a complex nose and intense flavor. It would pair well with dark fruits, dessert, or just to drink on a cold winter night. $20
- "Summer Rose": A sweet wine of blended reds. This wine is 6% sugar, so it definitely tasted sweeter than some of the others. It is an unoaked wine with a fruity flavor, and we were told that it would pair well with fruit and light cheeses. I enjoyed this wine and its sweetness, but some of the others that I was tasting with found it overly sweet. $15
- "Serenity": This after dinner favorite is a blend of two chambourcins. Its decadent yet mellow flavor pairs fabulously with chocolate. A perfect hostess or friendship gift. The staff at Beliveau actually passed around pieces of dark chocolate and instructed us to let the piece melt in our mouth before tasting the wine. I love chocolate, so naturally I thought this pair was awesome, as well as the wine itself. It had a slight sweetness but not enough that it would be too sweet to pair with a dessert.
Beliveau Estate Winery had a wonderful atmosphere an an absolutely beautiful facility, inside and outdoors, even in early spring before the plants have started to bloom. The staff was extremely friendly, answered all of our questions with enthusiasm, and anyone could tell that they are passionate about their work at the winery. I would absolutely love to come back and visit once it is a little warmer and the views are even prettier. I would also like to try the food that they have at Beliveau for events and those who stay at the B&B. I definitely recommend this winery to others in the area and will probably be back to get more of their yummy wine soon.
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