Early Mountain Vineyard

Early Mountain’s patio.  Check out the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Gathering room, ballroom, dining room–your choice.

Dear Engaged Couples- It is one of the great perks of being a wedding officiant. I get to visit venues. This week, I was privileged to visit Early Mountain Vineyard, an impressive vineyard/wedding venue in Madison County, Virginia. What an expanse of hallways, meeting rooms and tasting areas! And such a wonderful décor! We are talking clusters of sleek, modern furniture arranged for easy conversation; long tables for less intimate gatherings; a spacious patio with appropriate patio tables and chairs, AND for those winter weddings, a super-large fireplace with a stone hearth high enough off the ground to allow for comfortable sitting. You WILL want to put this on your list of venues to visit.

Madison County is north of Charlottesville, a short one mile off of Route 29 on Wolftown-Hood Road. It is at some distance from Charlottesville ( a 30 minute drive) but Delores, one of several engaging, solicitous staff at Early Mountain says that the new Best Western in Ruckersville is only a short ten minute drive from the venue. Speaking of staff, when I visited Early Mountain earlier this week, I spoke with Frantz Venpre,Early Mountain’s winemaker. He is French of course, which is almost a prerequisite for excellent winemaking. He has been at Early Mountain since 2006. Previously he was the winemaker at Jefferson Vineyard.

To get to Early Mountain Vineyard from Charlottesville, take 29 north for 30 minutes. Then turn left on Wolftown-Hood Road and follow the signs for the vineyard. The address is 6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, Madison, VA. This summer the vineyard offers a “Sippin into Sunset” on Fridays from 6 – 8 p.m. You might want to check out Early Mountain then, informally, and then come back later to talk serious wedding business.

 To find out more about this wonderful site, visit www.earlymountainvineyard.com. Since a picture is worth a 1000 words, please spend a minute studying some of the pics I took while at the vineyard. Happy venue hunting! Gay Lee, Wedding Preacher

Stunning entrance to Early Mountain Vineyard!