Chateau O’Brien
In Fauquier County, off of I-66 in the village of Markham. The “Irish winery” of Virginia, as the name might imply. Established in 2005 by owner Howard O’Brien, who you can often find in the tasting room. Also very “dog-themed” from signs around the winery to bottle labels (not clear if the dogs are Irish as well…).
Wine. Among the Top 25 wineries of Northern Virginia, and the Top 100 wineries of Virginia. Chateau O’Brien rarely presents in major wine competitions, though their reputation is positive. Their 2012 Tannat Reserve won Best Red and Best of Show in a 2017 professional judging competition for Fauquier County. O’Brien was included in a CNN recommendation as a showcase of the up-and-coming Virginia wine industry. At $80 for the Tannat Reserve, prices are not for the faint of heart. There is also a surprisingly popular apple wine here.
Setting: Two stars. Deck with good views over vineyard and nearby hills and fields. Especially spectacular skyline in the Fall. Scenic old stone railway station at the bottom of drive as you come to the winery off of the interstate. If Howard is in the tasting room he is generally highly enthusiastic and a good story teller. Food available, including Irish chocolates. Note: no groups (without reservations) or kids; O’Brien fits in the category of wine and not event-focused wineries.
Stories. Civil War — Lee’s pre-invasion headquarters. Markham was the site of Lee’s Bivouac, during the climatic Gettysburg Campaign. The few houses you drive by before turning into the winery drive are where Robert E. Lee established his headquarters on the evening of 17 June 1863 as the Army of Northern Virginia marched north invade the Union States. This invasion, seeking to turn the tide of the war which was going badly for the South, ended at the Battle of Gettysburg.