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 20 wineries in Virginia. Bluestone has come away with an impressive three gold medals at the last three Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine 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. At the 2022 Governor’s Cup, the 2017 Blue Ice (again), Cabernet Franc and Valley red were all awarded gold medals, while at the 2021 Governor’s Cup their Petit Manseng, Merlot and Chardonnay were all awarded gold medals. The 2017 Bluestone Traminette won an impressive double gold medal at the prestigious 2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition, and their 2019 vintage Estate Cabernet Franc was awarded a gold medal at the event. Multiple Bluestone wines have also been awarded silver medals at the last three Governor’s Cups – 30 in all. You’ll find a very wide range of blends and varietals here, including Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier. Blends are often imaginatively named including the “Houndstooth” and “Odd Bird” which were given bronze medals at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle wine competition.
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.