Bluestone Vineyard
Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, off of Interstate 81 exit 240. Curt and Jackie Hartman opened Bluestone in 2011, after several years of growing vines on the property. Advice was provided by the wine production center at Virginia Tech. This is one of several wineries contributing to the growing popularity of the relatively new Shenandoah viticultural area. “Bluestone” is a type of limestone in the soil here.
Wine. One of the Top 50 wineries in Virginia. The Bluestone 2022 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded a gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle nation-wide wine competition in 2025, and their 2022 Viognier and non-vintage Beau white blend were awarded gold medals at the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle competition. At the annual state-wide Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition, Bluestone’s 2023 vintage Houndstooth, a Bordeaux-style blend came away with a gold medal in 2025, while their 2019 Meritage and 2021 Cabernet Franc were awarded gold medals in 2024. Bluestone came away with an impressive three gold medals at the 2023, 2022 and 2021 Governor’s Cup competitions. At the 2023 Governor’s Cup, their 2017 “Blue Ice” dessert wine (made from frozen Traminette grapes) and Petit Verdot and 2019 “Steep Face” were awarded gold medals. You’ll find a very wide range of blends and varietals (and quality) here, including Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier.
Setting. One star. As with most of the Shenandoah, the views in the Valley are spectacular, with rolling hills and country roads. The basement tasting area itself is not one of the most impressive.
Stories. Natural Chimneys Park. This state park is a 10-minute drive from Bluestone Vineyard. Natural Chimneys is a rock formation in Augusta County, along the North River near the town of Mt Solon. The striking and well-known formation includes seven “chimneys,” ranging from 60 to 120 feet in height. They were once called the “Cyclopean Towers,” and one could imagine one-eyed giants building the structures. The columns or “chimneys” were in fact formed not by giants, but from limestone some 500 million years ago, when the Shenandoah Valley was the floor of a great inland sea. Natural Chimneys State Park has a campground, pool and hiking trails.