Ingleside Vineyard
- One of Virginia’ oldest (OK, so 1980 qualifies as old here, just don’t make this comment to anyone from Burgundy) and largest wineries. Located in the Northern Neck, relatively close to the Washington DC area. The Flemer family has owned the property since 1890, operating it first as a farm for several decades before making wine grapes the center of the operation.
- Wine. Among the Top 100 wineries of Virginia, and the #1 winery in the Chesapeake area (along with Williamsburg Winery father south). Ingleside’s October Harvest was awarded an impressive double gold medal at the prestigious 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Their 2022 vintage Chardonnay and Petit Verdot were awarded gold medals at the also prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition of 2024. While Ingleside’s offerings have fared less well at the 2024 and 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine tasting competitions, coming away with 15 silver medals but no gold, Ingleside’s 2021 and 2020 vintage Albariño both were awarded gold medals at the 2023 and 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine competitions. At the 2024 American Seaboard Winery Association competition, Ingleside’s 2021 vintage Petit Verdot came away with a gold medal. The winery has a very wide range of offerings, some higher quality than others, so choose what to have according to your tastes.
- Setting: Pleasant setting with the vines around. Very popular in the area and can get fairly crowded. No mountains, unlike wineries in much of the state. Offer a chocolate and wine pairing.
- Stories: One star. Founding Fathers and Early Presidents. The birthplaces of George Washington and James Monroe, first and fifth Presidents of the United States, are nearby, each about a ten-minute drive from Ingleside. Washington was born in 1732 on a tobacco plantation founded in 1652 by his great-grandfather, called “Wakefield,” now George Washington Birthplace National Monument. The site is off Pope’s Creek Road in the township of Colonial Beach, on the banks of the Potomac River. The nearby Bridges Creek cemetery has the graves of some 30 Washington family members. Bald eagles roost nearby, appropriately. Washington lived there until the 1750s, when he moved to Mount Vernon. One can also visit nearby Blenheim Organic Gardens, on land still owned by the Washington family since before the Revolutionary War. James Monroe was born in 1758, also in present-day Colonial Beach township, at a site now named Monroe Hall. His family were also planters. Monroe lived here until 1774, when he left to attend the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, and then to join the Revolutionary Army in 1776. He became President in 1817 and served two terms. He is best remembered for the Monroe Doctrine, which signaled the coming end of the long era of European colonialism in the Americas. The country was enlarged during his Presidency by the purchase of Florida from Spain, and the accession of several states to the Union: Maine, Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. One unique thing Washington and Monroe had in common is that they are the only two to ever be elected President after running unopposed – difficult to image today.