Glen Manor Vineyards

Really terrific experience. Delicious wines, beautiful grounds and friendly staff. Jorge led our tasting and he was very knowledgeable and friendly, inviting us to picnic outside the tasting room with a bottle of wine. Next time we visit, that’s exactly what we’ll do. Definitely a must-​visit on any Virginia wine trip.

GMV is a textbook example of how great vineyard management results in amazing wines. Out of about 100 wineries, they crack my top 5, both for wine and hospitably. A great stop just a few minutes from the entrance to Shenandoah park.
The husband/​wife owners are Kelly (who runs the tasting room) and Jeff (the wine maker). Kelly is super friendly and will regale you with the story of the family’s 100 year history with the farm. Last time she literally ran down the road to return a credit card someone left behind. I’ve never met Jeff because he’s always working the vines; it’s a shame, because I’d love to hear about his time working at Jim Law’s vineyard at Lindon. That’s right — the wine maker spent 13 years working with Jim, so he knows his stuff.
The reds: mostly Bordeaux styles, with different blends favoring different grapes. Everything was really good to excellent, and had a great nose. I LOVE the Cab Sav heavy 2012 Hodder Hill; excellent dark fruit palate. The 2012 Vin Rouge had a slight cherry flavor. But the best nose was the 2012 Cab Franc, which actually was a little fruity. This time around they were out of my favorite, the Merlot/​Cab Franc heavy T Ruth.
The whites: this time they only had a Sav Blanc and a Rose. They previously served one of my favorite Petit Mansengs anywhere but were sold out! As a red drinker I typically don’t shed a tear over a lack of whites, but this was one I had been looking forward to.
I usually don’t bore people with geekiness about grape vines, but this place deserves special treatment. They have one of the best vineyard locations I’ve ever seen, right on the steep slopes of the Shenandoah. In fact, you can see the vineyard from Skyline drive! Many vines are over 20 years old, but the youngest are still 6 or 7 years. While they grow 14.5 acres, they drop about half their fruit to improve quality.
GMV is a place for wine lovers who enjoy relaxing with a glass and enjoying the scenery. Since they don’t allow groups of more than 6 people, you always get personal attention. But if you find something you like, get it — with small batches, it will likely be gone soon enough.

My husband and I have visited many wineries in Virginia and California. I think this is one of the best. The owners obviously put a lot of themselves into the craft. Kelly provided a lot of information about their wines and the history of their vineyard. As a chef, she helped identify what would go with each of the wines. The wines were excellent; all of them. And did I mention that she made the fantastic bread served with the tastings? Far superior to dry crackers! I highly recommend.

Nothing more needs to be said than, an amazing winery and vineyard. It is worth your time if you are remotely close.

There are few pleasure in life that rivals the calm of enjoying a good glass of wine with the magestic rolling hills of Skyline Drive acting as your backdrop. My visit to Glen Manor Vineyard was just that. This family run vineyard offered a traditional approach to wine making that makes the wine they produce sublime. There is a sense of pride, rightfully so, in the selection they offer, and I particularly enjoy the down to earth way in which they introduce them. I enjoyed their Vin Rouge (2013) and Petit Manseng (2014). It grabs the palate and captures your imagination with the variety of food and occasion you can pair them with. For a novice who is learning about good wine, Glen Manor offers great choices without breaking the budget. I highly recommended it, and I look forward to returning in the near future.

Gorgeous views coupled with unique wines and a friendly atmosphere. Small, intimate tasting room. Beautiful grounds with outdoor seating. The owners are complete gems. Will go back in a heartbeat.

Probably my favorite Virginia Winery. Small place (no groups larger than six), but the view here is stellar — and that’s coming from someone who grew up in the Blue Ridge, so I’m not taken back with just any old mountain vista. Good wines made by the farm’s owner. All grapes used in his wines are grown on site. Excellent place to go chill with a few friends and enjoy some of the best wine around.

While out doing some vineyard visits we decided to give this one a try, since we heard good things from friends about it… Oh Boy we were glad we did!
From the moment we pulled into the driveway we could tell it was special and not like many of the other wineries who don’t put as much care and attention into their grounds. They have a beautiful entry way, driveway and the landscaping is incredible! Not sure if Kelly (her and her hubby own/​run the place) does all the landscaping on her own, but she was doing some on the day we went. And even though she had other things going on, she spent a ton of time chatting with all the guests and explaining the entire history of the vineyard and her husband’s family’s ownership of the land and how the wines got their names.
She also went into explaining how they all spend time each day protecting the grapes on the vines in various ways to ensure the best possible grape to turn into wine. That care and devotion to a perfect product extends into the wines they sell.
They only had four available on the day we went and we instantly loved two of them. Prices are slightly more than other vineyards, but not too much higher and when you hear the entire story, you quickly understand why and are glad to help support this beautiful, local VA vineyard!
The grounds are GORGOUES with views up the hills of their 200+ acres of land you can see up to the vineyards, on the sides of big hills, all the way up to Skyline Drive at the top of the mountain, which looks incredible from below!
They offer plenty of outdoor seating, all with views facing these beautiful hills and they also have some limited indoor seating as well as a nice sized bar to hang out, sip and enjoy the conversation.
Instead of crackers, Kelly makes INCREDIBLE homemade focaccia everyday which is cut into bite-​sized pieces and put into bowls for the customers to clear their palates in between sips. The bread alone tastes INCREDIBLE! We were happy that she decided to share the recipe. She could and should sell this stuff!
We look forward to coming back and bringing friends for another round! Maybe once the leaves start changing!

This small boutique winery needs to be on every serious wine enthusiasts list. Super friendly. Charming scenic quiet lounging and drinking areas. Great wine ethic of striving for s clean. Natural vintage. –no additives. Worth the drive up Brownstown road.

One of my favorite things to do in the early fall is explore a winery/​vineyard. GMV is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon. We arrived around noon on a Saturday in early September and were greeted right away by the owner’s wife who we were also fortunate enough to have give us our tastings. It was very informative without being pretentious or over the top science-​y. We also learned about the a history of the family farm. I appreciate the fact that it is family run and you can tell there is a tremendous amount of love and labor that the owner, Jeff, puts into the business. (He gets up at 3 am in the winter months and 2 am summer months and is out there for 12 hours.)
The tasting room itself is very small and intimate; no groups larger than six are permitted. We were the only ones there when we first got there but by the time we left around 4 pm it was packed. Following our tasting, which included 5 wines/​$ 7 per person, we opted for a bottle of the Morales Rose. I loved the wife’s comment about this wine: «You can enjoy it with something sweet, something savory, or with nothing at all.» Sold. We enjoyed it outside at one of the high top tables on the covered porch attached to the tasting room. There are also a bunch of Adirondack chairs on the grass outside with a canopy overtop. Glen Manor has one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen at a winery in VA. It was a (summer/​fall) Saturday well spent.

Fabulous way to spend an afternoon. Enjoyed a few hours with my husband sipping on a bottle of 2013 Petit Manseng. We were fortunate enough to have the owners wife give us our tastings. Including a history of the family farm. This is a wonderful gem of a place and although we went on to tour two other wineries. Fox Manor and Linden Vineyards. In my opinion Glen Manor Vineyard was by far the best.

I have been thinking about the view all week. A beautiful vineyard amidst the rolling hills and beneath the grandeur of Virginia’s Skyline Drive. The family owned vineyard produces some of Virginia’s best. In 2012, Gov. Bob McDonnell awarded Glen Manor’s Hodder Hill the Virginia Governor’s Cup. Also delightful are the T. Ruth and the Petit Manseng. I particularly like that this is a winery that caters to small groups (no larger than six). It really adds to the intimate atmosphere, and it is refreshing not to have limousines full of drunks slobbering around. Guests are welcome to bring outside food in to have a picnic beneath the mountain. The owners are friendly and sociable, and most importantly, knowledgeable. I will surely be back soon.

Nice family run vineyard. Good wine. enjoyable tasting. Beautiful views. They need more shade or umbrellas over tables for guests.

Being a case club member means I can buy their Petit Verdot single varietal. It is, by far, the single most important benefit I can imagine as a long-​time fan of Glen Manor’s wines.
Anywho, about the latest wines: All of their wines are exquisite and lovingly crafted, with a subtle, almost understated complexity and vitality that stays in your memory for a long time. Without waxing hopelessly poetic, the highlights in the current tastings are the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (which remains something of a protean mystery as to whether it is closer to a New Zealand or Sancerre style), the 2010 Hodder Hill (besting a lot of Left Bank Bourdeaux wines at the same price point but being a lot more ‘approachable’ thanks to the hot Virginia climate), and the 2012 T. Ruth (a Merlot-​dominant blend with plush, silky tannins and generous red fruit) that has won me over despite my general distaste for Merlot and Merlot blends.
The 2010 Petit Verdot comes out moody and dark on the nose of stewed black fruits and leather, but has a certain fruit-​forward undertone and underlying swirl of fruit flavors, heat, and supple tannins that can only be described in textures such as ‘deep,’ ‘dense,’ and ‘ponderous.‘
The wines run out quick. Go out, bring a picnic, enjoy the scenery, and buy a case of these bottled memories of good years past before they sell out.

Oh it’s gorgeous here. You know you’re going somewhere beautiful just by the drive up. The wine tasting list was very short only 4 – 5 wines for $ 10 tasting, just compared to other wineries that are $ 10 for 8 wine tastings and there’s no food served, but that’s all I could complain about.
The views are spectacular, the land has been in their family since the early 1900s so it’s nice history to know about. The outside seating is perfect. It makes a romantic day trip beyond perfect. We went for our 3^rd year wedding anniversary & it was romantic, peaceful & perfect ! We will be going back for sure.

For a winery in the Shehandoah Valley, this place is probably as good as it gets. My friends and I went in late Match and even then the views of Skyline Drive were by far the best we saw that day. There are scattered groups of tables and chairs outside of the main building to sit and enjoy the wine and view – bring some snacks, go on a nice day, and this is perfect.
We were served a wine tasting by the wife of the farmer, and she was very knowledgable about their wines. Learning how the grapes are grown and about the history of the farm really added to the experience. After the tasting, we decided to get a bottle of the Hodder Hill, sit outside, and enjoy everything. The Hodder Hill has nice earthy tones and was quite drinkable. Definitely one of my favorites I had that day.
Two or three more of their wines should be available in mid April, so that would be a great time to revisit!

This weekend we were rather sad to learn that the Skyline drive (with all the wineries) was closed due to the government shutdown (thanks republicans!) and we decided to drive around to see if we could find an open winery. We were lucky enough that we found Glen Manor and they were GREAT! The people were super nice and treated us very well. The grounds were beautiful and the wines were wonderful! I wish they had a greater selection of wines, but in any case everything we tasted was very good! Even better, we were able to sit down under the sun with a very nice breeze and enjoy their wine with some focaccia that they provided as well. They were great, the place was beautiful and I hope we get to go back! I highly recommend it!

While the wine tasting fee here doesn’t include a free wine glass and there are fewer wines to taste, the overall quality is significantly higher. The wines are fabulous. And the staff do a great job of giving you personal attention and really explaining each wine and the process.
Additionally, the property is gorgeous. It’s large and sits in a little valley with a beautiful view of the mountains, just below Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. There’s several little wooden rocking chairs around the property where you can sit, enjoy a superb glass of wine, and take in the view.
Overall, despite technically getting less for our money, we really got more for it. This winery was a very pleasant experience.

Glen Manor was the first winery we stopped into on our inaugural foray into the Shenandoah wine country on a crisp Saturday afternoon. The place was packed; there wasn’t even a smidgen of a spot at the tasting bar. Folks all glanced back around at us when we walked in and made an effort to crowd together, but we weren’t in a hurry so stayed back in the open area. The owners (a husband-​wife team), both staffing the tastings with some help, looked up smiling, said they’d be with us in a just a minute, and seconds later the wife appeared with two very generous pours (to make up for us having to stand without a table for two seconds, apparently) of the first wine on the list.
We hardly had time to nurse our first tasting when we were ushered up to bar after some other folks had moseyed outdoors. The husband was very laid-​back but sociable, happy to talk about his land and winemaking. The farm has been in the family for years and years, the vines in the ground since … the mid 90s? His wife is the chef of the family and prepares some bread (crumbs) for you to munch on in between tastings. While we were there, I recall being offered about 4 – 5 wines for $ 7.
We purchased two glasses of sauv blanc to enjoy outside while chatting — though next time I think we’ll get a half bottle. More economical. The outdoor area is splendid. Numerous Adirondack chairs are set up on the the slightly sloping land facing Skyline drive. Bring a picnic if you’ve got time. As with the other spots in the area we chose to visit, this winery keeps it intimate by asking that large groups go elsewhere.
We left with a bottle of rose and sauv blanc. Very reasonable prices.

Just wonderful, all around. We went here as part of our first wedding anniversary celebration, sat and drank some delicious wine (we opted to not do tasting and just got a half-​bottle to share) and enjoyed the gorgeous serene scenery. We saw two black bears in the distance at the top of the vineyard near Skyline Drive and listened to a chorus of birds in the grasses around us. The staff greeted us with smiles, including a friendly labrador dog who came over to say hello to us.
Bring a picnic and a book to read, buy a bottle of wine, and just unwind here. They do NOT allow tour buses or large groups to come here, which is very much an added bonus and keeps it quiet and personal.