General's Ridge Vineyard & Winery

This has to be one of my top wineries in the area if not my number 1 winery. The owner and his wife are so friendly and nice and they make it a point to mingle with all their customers. Very professional owners and the staff is so nice. They also own 2 homes on the property that you can rent out. They're cheaper then most hotels which is crazy. The 2 homes are situated on their property and you'll see them on the way in to the tasting room. The highlight of my tasting was the sparkling wine. It's almost like a champagne but it's made in VA so it can't be called champagne and the best part is... you don't get headaches the next day from drinking too much of it. WINNING! The merlot was also very good. If you're ever wine tasting in the area be sure to come here and I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

General's Ridge (named in honor of its retired 2-Star Marine Corps owner) is one of the larger vineyards in the area. The tasting room isn't fancy-smancy, but if you're a day tripper to the Northern Neck you shouldn't care. They also jokingly call themselves a B&B, except it's a "Bottle & Breakfast", since they give you wine instead of feeding you breakfast!Their 33 acres has a wide assortment of varietals, although they only produce maybe 2500 cases/year. The rest goes to any number of other vineyards. So if you're drinking a nice Pinot Grigio somewhere, ask where the grapes came from, because they may well come from here. Mike Shaps is their wine maker, which is a point in their favor. They are also 100% estate, so two points in their favor.Almost all the reds here (and generally in this area) trended towards light bodied, aided & abetted by the use of neutral French Oak barrels. While that isn't my preference, I didn't mind it.What I tried:GRV While (Traminette): One of the few Traminettes I've seen east of the Shenandoah. I like this grape so no complaints here.2015 Viognier: OK2015 Petit Manseng: Pretty nice; I was tempted to get a glass except it was late in the day. Made in a dry style (the way I like it).Sparkling Semper Fi (Chardonnay sparkling): I generally don't drink sparklings but I think theirs was good.GRV Rose: Strawberry notes, but not overly sweetGeneral's Nightcap: Desert wine, too sweet for meGRV Red Blend (Merlot, Cab Franc, Chambourcin): Light, fruity, and their suggestion it be served chilled sounds good. A red for white drinkers.2013 Merlot: Also light, and has the capacity to be served chilled2013 Cab Franc: Yet another light red, and unusual in that it didn't have the distinctive pepperiness of other Virginia Cab Francs 2014 Petit Verdot: This one did have some pepperiness, but I'd say was still on the light sideGenerals Last Call port style: Made with Chambourcin & brandy. I liked it, but I have plenty of ports at home so I deferred on a bottle.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Tastings allow you to try more wines then most other places. Bottles are also very affordable, they could probably double the price and still do very well. Definitely my favorite in the Northern Neck

Boy, am I glad we "accidentally" found General's Ridge Vineyard! It was on a whim that my friends and I decided to take a leisurely drive on a beautiful but slightly chilly Sunday afternoon through the Northern Neck. We really had no intention or plan other than we circled two wineries in the area, and should we stumble upon them, we would stop in for a tasting.Our first choice was closed, so we decided to back-track and wound up spending an amazing two+ hours chatting and tasting their delicious wines (seriously, I liked all of them, and usually my palate is more picky), served with a smile, peppered with sly wit, from our lovely sommelier (and if you're reading this review, my apologies for forgetting your name) -- a tall, blonde who was extremely knowledgeable about the wines, their notes, pairings, etc.We chose to share a bottle of the Cab Franc on the sunny patio, paired with the spinach and artichoke dip. Both were delicious. We decided to purchase three bottles (the Cab Franc, the Rose, and the Merlot which was on special), joined the wine club, and went on our merry way, as unfortunately for us the closing hour was fast-approaching.As for the vineyard itself, it's quite beautiful. The main manor is available for rentals for special events, as is the condo above the carriage house. While the actual tasting room is tastefully decorated, it's not over the top as many of them are.Being a new member of the wine club at General's Ridge, I look forward to the many private events and parties, and I cannot wait to come back! Cheers! :)

This place I would go again with some friends. It is even good for weddings or a night or two away if you want to rent one of the b n b. The employees were very nice. If you sign up as a name we you can to come and do tastings for free on special events that they have. We purchased 4 wine bottles from them.

We stopped at this vineyard once we discovered the Chesapeake Wine Trail. The vineyard itself is very picturesque and even has a B&B on premises - that's short for Bed & Bottle. The wine tasting here is a little more expensive $10 per person but you get to taste quite a few wines. It looks like they have several award winning wines. Unfortunately, most of the ones I tasted just didn't have much substance in my view. Maybe they are better with food? On the fence about it.

My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place while we were vacationing on the Northern Neck some time ago. We're from upstate New York, and as such, we are quite accustomed to the Finger Lakes wineries and the pomp and circumstance that goes with visiting a winery. All of that was thrown to the wind with a visit to General's Ridge. The wines were all tasty, but what stood out to us was the demeanor of the vineyard owner. He welcomed us in and chatted freely while we drank--about everything from baseball to his ex-wife--and when we had finished, he packaged up both of our wine glasses and sent on our way with a hearty goodbye. We still use those glasses to this day and remember the winery fondly. My girlfriend still likes to remind me of what the owner said to me upon refusing the red wine samples: "In the navy we have a term for men like you . . . we say that he wasn't all he could be.' That's you, man."

Great winery a little off the beaten path. You drive in through charming vineyard backdrop and past guest house. Good wines, dog-friendly tasting room (who isn't these days??), and friendly staff.

If I could give them more stars I would. I am a wine club member and the service is always awesome. Many of their wines are fabulous too. We love the Semper Fii, rose, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and several others. Always have weekend entertainment, and their app food choices are great. Highly recommend! (Full disclosure I'm a little buzzed leaving their but would rave regardless )

Super friendly staff and nice year-round tasting room. Lots of tables for four and six; all high tops. Dogs welcomed indoors. Live music on the Saturday afternoon when we were there. The wine flight consists of six options - your choice - for $14. Long pours in tasting glasses. The cab franc was, to my mind, their best. A lot of sweet options for those who prefer that type of wine.