Located on Chatham Road in Machipongo on the southern end of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, some 50 miles south of Chincoteague. This rural, 20-acre family-run vineyard is owned by Jon Wehner, son of a northern Virginia winemaker. Jon, his wife Mills and their three children manage the property. The winery was built in 2005. Wines are bottled under the Church Street label, named for the stream that flows next to the farm. The land here on the Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay has been a working farm since 1640.
Wines. Tier II. A limited range of grapes that thrive in this environment. Red wines include an excellent Cabernet Franc and Merlot, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are used for the Vintners’ Blend, a Bordeaux-style blend, and the main white offering is a Chardonnay – made separately into oaked and steel-fermented styles. Wine production ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 cases a year, and Chatham’s grapes are high enough quality that some are also sold to other wineries. Chatham occasionally produces a red late harvest dessert wine.
Setting. A good place to sip wine while feeling the maritime breezes of the Chesapeake, and enjoy the end of a day on the Eastern Shore. The tasting room doubles as a storage facility, with stacks and racks and tanks and barrels of Chatham’s harvest. Lots of outdoor space on grass to enjoy the atmosphere, so bring blankets or chairs. Cheese trays available in summer. Service at Chatham consistently gets good reviews. One recurring issues in the early Fall can be fly season. The winery hosts special events in normal times, including kayak tours. The facility may be rented out for events and weddings. Future plans for Chatham also include adapting a nearby 1890s farmhouse as a larger Tasting Room.
Stories. Natural Virginia: Virginia’ Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a 70-mile peninsula off Virginia’s coast, surrounded by the waters of Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for great seafood, quaint small town, quiet hiking trails and long stretches of beach, and especially its wild horses. The Virginia Eastern Shore is an extension of the Delmarva Peninsula, whose northern sections form part of Delaware and Maryland respectively. The terrain is overall very flat, ranging from sea level to just 50 feet above sea level, with temperate summers, and a long chain of barrier islands. Agriculture has long been an economic mainstay alongside fishing, with cotton, soybeans and vegetables, as well as large-scale chicken farming. Although Chatham is presently the only working winery, there are other vineyards on the shore, selling their grapes to winemakers elsewhere in the state. Tourism developed in the 20th century and continues to grow in importance. Almost 80,000 acres are protected as parks or refuges. Beachgoers can choose from several public beaches, including Cape Charles, Kiptopeke State Park, Tangier Island, Savage Neck Dunes, and Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge. Birders flock to the Eastern Shore as one of the best places to catch a glimpse of migrating species, or just a wide variety of shorebirds; the southern tip of the Shore is a birding hotspot along the Atlantic Flyway. Fishing, boating, kayaking are all popular as well as hiking. The star attraction tends to be at the northern end, close to the Maryland line, where one finds the islands of Chincoteague and Assateague. Chincoteague, filled with bed and breakfasts and popular for its beaches, is best known for its annual wild pony roundup in the Fall, with the ponies coming from nearby Assateague. NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is also nearby. So there are a great many things to do on the Virginia Eastern Shore, and a glass of wine at Chatham is a good way to end the day.