Close

Blue Ridge Wine Region

Stretching along the spine of the mountains from Nelson and Rockbridge down through Roanoke and into Southwest Virginia, the Blue Ridge Wine Region is where Virginia wine country feels wild, elevated, and wonderfully unhurried. Here, vineyards cling to steep hillsides, tasting rooms overlook rolling valleys and river bends, and the Blue Ridge Parkway winds just minutes from many cellar doors. This is cool-climate country, with higher elevations, rocky soils, and dramatic temperature swings that help preserve freshness and aromatics in grapes. You’ll find everything from crisp sparkling wines and bright international varieties to old-world inspired reds, mountain-grown hybrids, and orchard-driven cider and mead.

The experience is as memorable as the wines: quiet country roads instead of crowds, star-filled skies after tastings, and small, family-run producers who are happy to linger over a conversation about vintages, weather, and what they’re planting next. Use this page as your launch point to explore the Blue Ridge’s wineries, vineyards, cideries, and meaderies, discover hidden tasting rooms just off the Parkway, and start planning a trip where the journey is every bit as rewarding as the glass in your hand. Whether you’re a serious collector or a casual sipper, there’s a Blue Ridge bottle waiting for you.

With more than 30 vineyards, wineries, cideries and craft-breweries across the county, each stop tells its own story — of terroir, family-run passion, and Virginia’s emerging status as a respected wine region. Whether you’re planning a dedicated wine-trail day or weaving in a stop as part of a larger road-trip, Fauquier delivers the perfect balance of ease-of-access, scenic beauty, and handcrafted wines worth stopping for.

Minimize
  • Expand/Collapse
Above Ground Winery

Above Ground Winery

Formerly 29 Vines

The Barbagallos humbly opened the doors to Above Ground Winery (formerly 29 Vines) in Summer 2011 with five wines and quickly outgrew the demand.   Cost benefit analysis proved that managing a vineyard and winery operation would be better suited in the Shenandoah Valley where the overhead costs were drastically reduced.

With the need for expansion and dedication to providing estate grown grapes, Above Ground winery moved operations to Augusta County, VA. In  October 2015, soil evaluation was conducted by Virginia Tech and the six varietal vineyard were planted in Spring 2016—Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Equipping the farm’s machine shed into the wine production facility has been the focus since Fall 2017.  In addition to general winery operations, educational seminars will be provided to those interested in starting a winery.  From funding and location, to suppliers, resources and management, attendees will be able to successfully learn the basics of being a part of the Virginia wine industry.

Print
4014
Region
  • Shenandoah Valley Region
Appellation AVAShenandoah Valley AVA
Tasting Fee$0.00
Reserve Tasting Fee$0.00
Tour Fee$0.00
First Planted4/1/2016
Vineyard Acres1
Estate Acres1
WinemakerMatt Barbagallo
Vineyard Manager Mary Beth Barbagallo
Emma Holman

Emma HolmanEmma Holman

Hi, I'm Emma, a Content and Community Manager at Virginia Wine Market. If you'd like to update or add to your winery profile here, click the 'Contact Author' button below, and your message will come straight to me. I can also help you claim your profile to self-manage.

Other posts by Emma Holman
Contact author Full biography

Full biography

Hi, I'm Emma, a native Virginian living in the great city of Richmond. I love all things wine, food, and travel. Follow me as I guide you through the best of Virginia.

x

Contact author

x

Virginia Wine Market

Terms Of UsePrivacy StatementCopyright 2025 by Wine Market Ventures
Back To Top