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 40 wineries of Virginia, and the #1 winery in the Chesapeake area (along with Williamsburg Winery father south). The 2019 Petit Verdot reserve was awarded an impressive double gold medal at the prestigious 2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition, and a gold medal at the equally-prestigious San Francisco Chronicle nation-wide wine competition. 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. Several Ingleside wines were awarded silver medals at the 2023 and 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cups: in 2023, the 2019 vintage Petit Verdot, Right Bank, and Virginia Gold, along with the 2021 Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay; in 2022, the 2019 Left Bank and Right Bank (both Bordeaux-style red blends), Petit Verdot Reserve, Sangiovese, and Virginia Gold, and the 2020 Chardonnay. At the 2022 American Seaboard Winery Association competition, two Ingleside wines came away with silver medals: the 2019 Sangiovese, and 2020 Chardonnay Reserve.
- 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.