gadino cellars is an italian family affair | virginia wineries

Gadino Cellars sits on an assuming gravel road near a school and a smattering of personal homes. The first view of the cellars is of an attached garage. There's a car parked in it and an assortment of the kinds of tools and household items that are commonplace in any suburban home garage. The gravel road veered to the right as we neared the garage, and a small parking area opened up in front of us. As Zander navigated into a spot, an unexpected sight came into focus: the soft curves of the Blue Ridge Mountains framed a baby blue sky so clear I thought I might be able to see into the clouds themselves. Grape vines stretched for acres back to a wooded forest, and a well-manicured lawn led the way to the front doors of Gadino Cellars - a family-run, local Washington, Virginia winery that doesn't show its entire hand at once.

Married couple Derek and Stephanie - who goes by Steph - own Gadino Cellars, but running the winery is a whole family affair. Steph brings the Italian influence to Gadino, a family name. Bill Gadino and Aleta Saccuta Gadino developed an interest in wine as children, when their Italian grandparents instilled in them the cultural tradition of home wine-making for family events. With extraordinary foresight, Bill bought 15 acres of land in Rappahannock County, Virginia, an area he believed would one day emerge as a leader in the Virginia wine industry. He began planting grape vines in 1990, bestowing some of the Gadino vines the superlative of oldest vines in Virginia. Bill and Aleta founded Gadino Cellars in 2004 and passed on the torch to Derek and Stephanie when they showed an interest in continuing the family business.

When I tweeted that I planned to stop by Gadino for a tasting last Friday, Derek quickly responded, introducing himself and welcoming my visit. In the tasting room, Zander and I were greeted by a variety of unique, hanging flags depicting medieval Italian coats of arms. A wooden "amore" sign adorns a fireplace in the corner, and a long, arcing bar invites visitors to step closer. Derek and Steph greeted us warmly, told us the family story, and made us feel right at home.

Finally, we got serious about the main purpose for our visit: the wines. Steph takes charge of the tasting flights, and her current picks are perfect for the summer: they range from crisp, light, and refreshing, to medium-bodied reds promising robust, nuanced futures with age. Here's what's on the current flight:

• 2011 Chardonnay: a complex, full-bodied Chardonnay aged in oak. It's not buttery or overly oak-flavored; citrus flavors dance on the palette, and the finish is creamy. 
• 2012 Luminoso: An off-dry Petit Mensang and Vidal Blanc blend with 1% residual sugar. This would pair well with spicy dishes. Zander enjoyed it.
• 2011 Sunset: dubbed a "picnic style wine," it's a total patio pounder with 2% residual sugar. It enjoys fangirl status. 
• 2011 Moonrise: A rosé style wine with very little residual sugar- this is my kind summer wine. It's dry with strong aromas of strawberry. 
• 2011 Cabernet Franc Riserva: Cab Franc is a popular varietal grown in Virginia, but it occasionally is too full-bodied or pepper-heavy for my taste. Gadino's version is medium-bodied with notes of blackberries and a soft peppery finish. It's a "mouth-dry" wine with tannins, and it's a red I'd drink with or without food. 
• 2010 Nebbiolo: The star of the show, this Italian varietal boasts cherry on the nose and is dying to be aged. At $33 a bottle, it's Gadino's most expensive offering on the flight, but it's well worth buying one... or an entire case and opening it in a few years. 
• 2010 Imagine: Things are all in the family at Gadino, including this wine, named to celebrate the family's first grandchild's young imagination. It's the sweetest wine of the bunch with an oak finish. As Steph suggested, it would pair well with a dark chocolate-covered strawberry but isn't quite a dessert wine. 
• 2011 Viognier: Not on the flight, Gadino's first-prize winning Viognier is what drinking wine is all about. It is crisp, dry, full of tropical flavors on the palace, and has a slightly spicy finish. I go nuts for a dry Viognier, and this is the best I've ever had. 

It seems like every time Zander and I visit a new winery lately, it jumps to the top of our "we have to get back there again soon" list, but this one - really, really we will be back soon. The family behind Gadino Cellars knows wine and loves it, and it shows in every single inch of this stunning, made-with-love winery. 

if you go...

Gadino Cellars  

tasting: $6/person, including signature wine glass

2 regulation sized bocce courts are open for guest enjoyment

the tasting room and entire winery is dog-friendly, but keep your Theo on a leash

wine list with descriptions

 connect with Gadino on twitter like i did