Ox-Eye Vineyards
Ox-Eye’s tasting room is in downtown Staunton, in the Shenandoah Valley, in an old coal-weighing room. The winery dates back to 2011, though owners John and Susan Kiers were selling grapes from their vineyard in Swoope (7 miles to the West of Staunton) to other wineries for some time before that.
Wine. Tier II. Ox-Eye has some unusual grapes for Virginia: Chenin Blanc, Saperavi (in a blend), and German varietals, including Lemberger (more often known as Blaufrankisch) and Riesling, along with more widespread varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. Wines are 100% estate-grown.
Setting. The downtown setting provides convenience if you are visiting wonderful Stanton, though at the cost of the quality of views that one gets where tasting rooms are in the vineyards themselves.
Setting. The downtown setting provides convenience if you are visiting wonderful Stanton, though at the cost of the quality of views that one gets where tasting rooms are in the vineyards themselves.
Stories. Staunton: capital of politics. One of Virginia’s beautiful towns, Staunton was first settled in 1732. Staunton is not usually thought of as at the center of state politics, but the town did serve as the capital of Virginia in June of 1781 when legislators fled from both Richmond and Charlottesville to avoid the British Army. Staunton is also not thought of as at the center of national politics, either, but it is the birthplace of a major United States President, Woodrow Wilson. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library is located in Staunton, in “the Manse,” Wilson’s birthplace which was built in 1846 (though his Presidential papers are at Princeton University). And Staunton may also not be thought of as the center of political thought, but you can hear some of the deepest ideas about politics here at the American Shakespeare Center. The Center presents the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries year-round in a remarkable setting, the world’s only authentic replica of the Blackfriars Theater in London, where several of the Bard’s plays had their premieres.