Delfosse is located half-an-hour south of Charlottesville in the village of Faber. Established in 2000, the winery was purchased in 2016 by Mike and Adrienne Albers, originally from Langley, Virginia. Mike left his work in high tech to pursue their dream of owning a winery. Like many aspiring winemakers, they took classes at Piedmont Virginia Community College to learn the business.
Wine. One of the Top 20 wineries in Virginia. Delfosse’s wines have been really coming into their own with their last few vintages. At the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine tasting competition, Delfosse was one of the very few wineries that were awarded three gold medals – for their 2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, 2021 Screaming Hawk meritage and “Go-Go Girl” (a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot blend), with the Screaming Hawk named as the #1 wine at the tasting by the judges’ panel. The Delfosse 2017 Screaming Hawk, 2020 “Grinning Fox” (a Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot 50-50 blend), 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Grand Cru Reserve, and Deer Rock Red were all awarded silver medals at the event, while their 2021 Viognier and Cabernet Franc Reserve came away with bronze medals. The 2017 Screaming Hawk had been awarded a gold medal at the 2022 Governor’s Cup. The 2020 vintage “Go Go Girl” was awarded a gold medal at the 2022 Monticello Cup tasting competition, while the 2017 Grinning Fox received a silver medal there. Delfosse wines score for catchy names, including the “Grinning Fox” and “Hippie Chick.”
Setting. Two stars. Great views of the Blue Ridge and the vineyards. A century year old chestnut log cabin is available to be reserved if you want to keep sipping wine and enjoying the views until sunset and beyond. Delfosse is marketed also as a Corporate Event Center, so check ahead that the winery is open.
Stories. The Waltons’ Mountain Museum. If “The Waltons” wasn’t the most popular television show of the 1970s (when nightly television fare was limited to four networks), it certainly came close. Millions who grew up in the 1970s tuned in weekly to the show about the depression-era Appalachian family, to watch what would happen next in the lives of Mary-Ellen, Grandpa, and of course John-Boy. The last episode of the show ran in 1981, but the memories live on for many viewers, and can be brought to life at the Waltons Mountain Museum. The town of Schuyler, Virginia, the boyhood home of John-Boy Walton, is 10 miles southeast of Delfosse Vineyards. The “real” John-Boy was Earl Hamner, Junior, whose memories from his childhood in Schuyler were captured in the book “Spencer’s Mountain,” (which though fictionally set in Wyoming, was based on his Virginia experiences) and led to the storylines about the Walton family. Hamner both wrote the book about the Waltons, and narrated the television shows. His old High School is now home of the Walton’s Museum. The Museum houses replica rooms from the television series, including John-Boy’s bedroom, the Waltons’ kitchen and living room, and Ike Godsey’s store. The museum also has an exhibit room with models and a soapstone display and a Recipe Room.