Windham Winery

Sunday was the perfect day in Northern Virginia to go wine tasting. It was sunny and warm, and the standard humidity was gone. We made our way to Windham in beautiful Loudoun County’s rolling wine valley in Hillsboro, VA and tried their excellent wines.

Windham touts the fact that most of their wines earn awards, but then again, many Northern Virginia wines win awards. The climate in northern VA is comparable to France and the Napa Valley, and as such, the wines are rated among the best in the world. And Windham does have some excellent wines.

All of the white wines are among the very best in the region. The Chardonnay has a rich buttery taste from its oak aging. Most surprising was the Riesling. I am used to Rieslings being sweet and used as dessert wines, however, Windham’s Riesling was a dry, refreshing wine that had a slight peach flavor. Their very best, in my opinion is the new wine called Doukenie. It is a blended white with a hint of apple, rose petals and a spicy finish.

The reds were very good and smoother than many in the region. The wine that stood out the most was the new Rasberry Merlot. Windham tossed some rasberries into oak aged Merlot and came up with a smoky, slightly sweet, fruity Merlot that could be used as a dessert wine.

I purchased a bottle of the Doukenie and the Rasberry Merlot. They have an online store at this site, but if you get a chance to visit their beautiful grounds and enjoy a picnic lunch on the back patio overlooking the duck pond.