Winery Visit- Potomac Point Winery

On April 2nd, I visited Potomac Point Winery with my mom, dad and grandma. Although I had been to Potomac Point before, I had never participated in a tasting or touring of the facility. It was a much different experience for me this time.

Potomac Point, Stafford, Virginia

Potomac Point is tucked away in Stafford, Virginia. This 7 acre property includes a tasting room, a dining room, a ballroom, and wine-making facilities. Of the 7 acres, four are covered in vines. On the four acres, there are five different grapes grown: Merlot, Viognier, Petite Verdot, Norton and Petite Menseng. The entire wine making process is done on site-- from grape growing to bottling. 

I got the chance to go on a tour of the wine making facility, do a wine tasting and have lunch here. 

The grape varietals are each labeled in the vineyard with a sign. 

After the grapes are grown in the vineyard, they are then taken to the underground facility. The facility is about 15 feet underground and stays at a temperature between 57-62 degrees, keeping the wine very cool. When the grapes are first taken into the facility they are put in the de-stemmer machine. After that they are then put in the bladder machine and crushed down to produce the grape juice. 

This is a picture of the de-stemmer and the bladder machine. The de-stemmer is the machine that has the ladder-like conveyer belt and the bladder machine is on the left. 

Once the grapes are crushed with the bladder, they are pumped over with a hose to either the oak barrels or the stainless steel barrels. The oak barrels give the wine more flavor while the stainless steel ones do not. Some of the stainless steel barrels are kept open at the top for a little while to let oxygen in. Although oxygen can be bad for the wine in large doses, a small amount of oxygen can add richness and body to the wine. 

As this picture shows, the wooden barrels are on the left and the stainless steel barrels are on the right. The stainless steal barrels are only left open a little bit for the wed wines. 

After the wines are done in the large stainless steel and large oak barrels, they are then moved to the smaller oak barrels to be stored before being bottled. About 200 barrels can be stored in the barrel room at any one time. Potomac Point has 2 types of oak barrels-French and American. French barrels cost about $1100 and American cost about $500. They last around 4-7 years. They also have bourbon barrels that are used to age port but can only be used once. 

This is a picture of one wall of the barrel room. Because the winery isn't in harvest season, there aren't as many barrels in the barrel room currently.

After the winemaker feels the wine is aged perfectly, it is taken outside to be bottled. A mobile bottling company comes to help bottle the wines. After the wines are bottled, they are put in cases and stored on wooden palettes. The storage room for the cases holds anywhere from 7,000-20,000 wines at any given time. 

This is a picture of the storage room. The wine is put in cases and stored on wooden palettes in order to keep the wine off of the cold floor. 

Before I took a tour of the wine making facilities, I participated in the Winery's "Classic Tasting." Here's what I thought: 

Chardonnay, 2015

Winery Review: Delicate fruit and Melon aromas creating an elegant complexity. The initial taste is clean and bright with a crisp zesty lemon finish. Pairs well with shellfish, flounder and salmon; poultry, mild cheese and cream dips.

Personal Review: This wine has a slight peer aroma and definitely smells like grape. This wine was very fresh. 

Custom Label White, 2015

Winery Review: Wild flowers, mandarin oranges, honeydew, peach and lime zest will touch your palette, following the fruit and citrus. A clean acidity and soft  sweet finish. Pairs well with flounder, salmon, poultry, mild cheese and cream dips. 

Personal Review: This wine has a apricot/melony smell and was not strong on the palette. It doesn't have a long lasting flavor and is pretty dull. 

Norton, 2015

Winery Review: Flavors of cherries, currant, and plums with nuances of cocoa and sweet spice. Bright acidity with medium body and lingering finish which makes it a perfect wine when serving a wide range of hors d'oeuvres and salads. Pairs well with salmon, pork, veal and mild cheese. 

Personal Review: This wine definitely smelled like cherries, plums but also slightly ashy. The wine tasted slightly ashy as well. The taste didn't linger long. 

Abbinato, 2015

Winery Review: Intense aromas of cherries, rose petals and dried herbs with hints of sweet tobacco. Medium bodied wine  with silky tannins and a clean refreshing finish. Pairs well with tomato sauce, poultry, and game. 

Personal Review: This wine smells like red fruit. It was not strong on the palette, but was strong in the throat. 

Coyote Cave, 2015

Winery Review: Tart cherry, black cherry and plum. Lively acidity drives the flavors, while fine tannins give support. Fresh with full mid palette, lingering finish of berry and mineral. Pairs well with lamb, duck, game, beef, and strong cheese. 

Personal Review: This wine smells like red fruits and is much sweeter than most of the red wines I've tasted. It was very strong in the throat. 

La Belle Vie Rosé, 2015

Winery Review: This thirst quenching Rosé offers aromas and flavors of pomegranate and cherry mixed with nutty nots. Juicy and mouthwatering, this wine finishes clean with refreshing acidity. Pairs well with spicy foods, salmon, poultry, mild cheese and cream dips. 

Personal Review: I can definitely smell the pomegranate in this wine. It was very dull with no lingering taste. This wine was light bodied and definitely tasted like a mix between a red and white. It wasn't super flavorful at all. 

La Belle Vie White, 2015

Winery Review: Our most popular white here at PPW is semi-sweet and holds a combination of tropical fruit flavors with hints of honeysuckle and orange peels. The wine is crisp, ending with a lovely refreshing finish. Pairs well with spicy foods, fruity desserts, mild cheese and cream dips. 

Personal Review: This wine smells sweet like pear and honeysuckle. It was very refreshing and was I could feel it in the palette. I definitely like this wine the best. 

Dolce Rubus, 2015

Winery Review: Sinfully decadent! There is a clear raspberry aroma to invite you in. For those that were ready for a sweeter style red, this is your wine. A splash of raspberry to this medium-bodied blend has offered the perfect balance of fruit, berry and wine. Enjoy with a piece of dark chocolate. 

Personal Review: This wine smells like raspberry and tastes really good with the chocolate that they gave us. After I ate the chocolate and then drank another sip of wine, it tasted like chocolate covered pomegranate. 

Rabelos Port, 2014

Winery Review: Aromas and flavors of intense bourbon character. Toasty notes accented with vanilla and coconut layers of macerated cherries, black currant, and plums. A full bodied after dinner wine with well integrated tannins. Pairs well with chocolate. 

Personal Review: This wine smelled very sweet like a dessert wine. The woman told me that this was a good wine for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mom didn't want to try this wine from the beginning. 

I finished my tour with a nice lunch with my mom, dad and grandma. My tasting guide, Allie was great and was very well educated about the wine and the vineyard. My tour guide Andy told me all of the ins and outs of the facility. It was a great day for wine tasting and I really enjoyed it. 

Mom and grandma enjoying a nice lunch,