A good-sized winery and event center located in the New River Valley, on Eakin Farm Road 12 miles north of Blacksburg. Joyce and Yvan Beliveau opened a Bed & Breakfast on their 165-acre estate in 2007, planted vines in 2009, and opened Beliveau Estates Winery in 2012. A brewery has been added since 2019. As of late 2022, the winery and event center was for sale for an asking price of $6.5 million.
Wine. One of Virginia’s Top 50 wineries. Two Beliveau Farm wines, the 2017 vintage Soul Singer (a Chambourcin), and 2019 Syrah were awarded gold medals at the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine competition. Several other Beliveau wines have been awarded silver medals at recent Governor’s Cup competitions. In 2023, the 2021 “Crazy Professor” and “Warm Glow” were awarded silver medals. In 2022, the “Summer Rose”, and 2019 vintage “Discovery” and “Portal” won silver medals, and at the 2021 Governor’s Cup competition, the Warm Glow, 2017 vintage “Transformation”, “Pristine”, Merlot Estate Reserve, and “Fireside Chat” were awarded silvers. Bronze medals were given at the 2023 Governor’s Cup to the 2020 Destiny, and 2021 Pristine and Sandy Ridge. Wine identification requires some explanation as the names do not make it easy. Mystique is a Chardonnay, Pristine a Chardonel, Reflection a Traminette, Fireside Chat a Cab Franc, Trailblazer a Merlot, and Soul Singer a Chambourcin, among others. Multiple dessert wines.
Setting. Two stars. Sizeable estate and event venue. There is a porch from which to enjoy scenic views of the Beliveau’s pond and the hills. Pizza, cheese board and snacks available. There are hiking trails, and the Inn, the Manor House at Beliveau Farm, has five guest rooms if you want to make it an overnight wine experience.
Stories. The Virginia Lavender Festival. When Beliveau Farms planted their grapevines in 2009, their lavender already had a four-year head start. Joyce Beliveau has had a longtime passion for lavender, and they decided just having lavender on their farm was not enough. In 2008 the Beliveaus organized their first Lavender Festival, a now annual and highly anticipated event in Southwest Virginia. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, and most easily pictured in Provence. It belongs to the Lamiaceae, or mint family, and comes in many sizes, foliage colors and flower colors. There are over 450 lavender varieties and cultivars gardeners to choose from. Growing lavender can be a challenge in Virginia, where clay soils and humidity bear little resemblance to the rocky land and dry sunshine typical of its native Mediterranean, but it can be done with planning and preparation. Advantages include that maintenance of established lavender is average, it has few pest or disease problems, and does not interest Virginia’s plentiful deer. Besides producing beautiful, fragrant flowers, lavender can be dried in bunches or used to make various products by extracting essential oils or using dried blossoms. Virginia now boasts several lavender farms in different parts of the state. The Lavender Festival at Beliveau Farm in late June is timed to feature the farm at its most fragrant. The combination of Virginia wine and the soothing fragrance of lavender might make you feel as though you’re in the south of France. There are lavender products for sale and to eat, and demonstrations on using lavender for a variety of purposes. In addition to lavender products and lavender-inspired food for sale, the weekend’s activities include wine tastings, lavender lectures, beer from local brewers, harp and jazz music and more.