Pearmund Cellars

I’ve been to quite a few wineries in Northern VA and this one is in my top two (if not my favorite). All of their wines are fantastic, the folks are incredibly friendly, the atmosphere is super laid back (and beautiful!). We’ve taken friends on tours of NoVA wine country and they’ve also remarked that Pearmund had the best wines.
We like to bring our dogs (allowed outside only, on leash) who always manage to make friends — with both the people here and the resident wine dog.
Favorites: dry riesling, riesling, petit manseng, cab sav, ameritage, ameritage reserve, and traminette (so…nearly everything).

Upon our second visit to the winery we definitely found the wines to be less appealing than before. The previous time, Pearmund was our last stop so I believe we were a little tipsy. Still a good price for the amount of tastings and we got to experience their vertical tastings. Three wines, each wine was ’11, ’12 and ’13. Then a bonus kicker at the end. This was a neat experience to taste multiple years of the same blend. Still have mixed feelings about this place but the staff is always nice. We will still be returning.
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This is one of my favorite wineries to attend. It is very easy to get to and their lawn is perfect for my kids to let loose some energy. The tastings are $ 10 and you typically try 8 – 10 wines. I enjoy both the whites and reds though my favorite are the petite manseng and petite Verdot. I have had two different people do my tastings and both are very good at it. They are knowledgeable, polite and keep the tasting moving at a good pace. The reason I only gave it four stars was because they don’t allow outside food. It wouldn’t be at big of deal if weren’t for the fact the food they do offer (standard winery fare) is so expensive. Another reason I only gave it four stars and because of this one woman who works there. Every time I’ve gone in there and had to interact with her I’ve left feeling slighted. She’s rude, rushes me and fought me recently on giving me a bucket of ice for my white. I unfortunately do not know her name. She’s always on the computer with a ton of papers every time I’ve been here.
If you’re looking for a relaxing winery with or without your kids this is a great place. The wine is great, the location is great and the prices are affordable ($ 25 a bottle).

It is one of the VA wineries that feature good line up of the red wines. We like the Ameritage blends. There are a small patio and outdoor wine tasting counter.
They also offer barrel making with dedication plaques. On Friday, you can pretend a wine maker for a day and pay $ 100 for the «experience».

I’ve been to a couple wineries and i can honestly say this was by far one of the best ones. I loved every wine on the tastings. I’ll be coming back here for more. My favorite whites were petit manseng, old vine chardonnay, Riesling. They were all good. I can’t just pick one. My favorite Reds were the Merlot which is always my favorite, Cabernet franc — I think my most favorite, Armitage and syrah. The tasting made it hard to pick favorites because they were all good. Normally, I only have a couple favorite but I didn’t expect to like almost all of the wines here.
Ill def be coming back for more. And tug! Best wine dog, is the most friendliest dog. The whole atmosphere here is amazing and I can’t wait to come back

We visited Pearmund this past Tuesday and probably won’t be back. Nothing horrible happened but we didn’t particular care for the wines and the man who did our tasting was not very personable. We were one of the only customers in there — you would think you would chat a little bit, but we were barely told about the wines before he went off and did something else (sometimes taking a while to get back to pour the next tasting!) The only upside was that they had a cute winery dog who we pet a lot!

Great example of Virginia wines! Nice selection of whites and reds. Consistent with other higher end wineries in Virgina.

best winery we’ve been to besides Philip Carter. Great buttery chardonnay, complex petit verdot and Bordeaux style reds. We got a great q&a with winemaker and owner as part of Virginia Wine Camp tour

One of the most consistently good wineries I know. Been there a bunch of times; sometimes I love most of the tasting menu, sometimes I only like a few. This particular review is only for my last tasting.
Service: 5 stars. My server must have been a wine-​apprentice since he knew the wines back-​and-​forth. He also washed my glass out with wine before changing to the desert-​styles (this is the way you are supposed to do it but so few wineries do). And I absolutely love their dog; extra points for him.
Wine: This time around it was 3.5 for me, although previous visits were better. But I will say they are one of the few places which have Whites that I enjoy more often than not.
Facilities: 4 stars. Relative to other locations it’s not a big place. The U-​shaped bar is pretty big, but can get crowded. There isn’t a whole lot of space inside either.
Also a special shout-​out to whomever designed the tasting menu. I appreciate how they list the particular vineyard the grapes came from for each respective wine. Very cool idea.
Whites: Really liked the 2013 Reisling, which had peach notes; why can’t more people grow this grape? The 2012 Viognier was decent; it didn’t have the strong nose I’d had elsewhere, and came off with an unusual amount of creaminess. I didn’t like the 2012 Old Vine chard, but then again I always hate buttery chards.
Reds: For some reason I wasn’t a big fan of many of the 2012 reds. I’m tempted to say that this time around I liked the whites as much as the reds, but that would just too weird. Many had a leathery taste which I wasn’t a fan of. The exception was the 2012 Cab Franc Reserve, which still had that taste of leather but was mostly on the smooth side. The 2012 Merlot was OK.
Desert: I really liked the 2011 Reserve Harvest Traminette; favorite of the bunch.
And make sure you pet Tug, the beautiful dog on the way in. He sorta just sprawls in front of the doorway. Given the dozens of people coming in every day, I can guarantee he has one of the most scratched bellies of any pooch you’ve ever met.

Enjoyed the tasting, beautiful location and good wines. Never been a Riesling drinker but the off-​dry was great and the Chard was very nice as well.

Amazing wines! Really had a hard time choosing. Recommend the 2012 Ameritage Reserve.

I have been coming to Pearmund Cellars for years. I have had good experiences with Pearmund until today.
I came today for a barrel tasting and I liked some of the wines and was prepared to buy the futures and was on the fence about buying both the 2013 Reserve Cab Franc and the 2011 Old Vine Chardonnay. While at the tasting bar. Chris Pearmund gave me some cheese and told me to ask Tammy, who was taking care of me, to put some bread in the oven for me. I had a date tonight and did not want to have either the bread or cheese that evening. I asked Chris if I could have a raincheck and he said no. He told me that he meant it as a practical joke to Tammy. He was going to put a snake in the oven for her to see.
It’s terrible to use customers that way. If Chris want to be juvenile and play practical jokes on his employees, he shouldn’t use paying customers to do his dirty work, especially when he promises a customer something and doesn’t deliver. This cost Pearmund about $ 300 in sales.
I will never come back to Pearmund Cellars. Not There are too many wineries in VA and a lot of them care more about their customer than Mr Pearmund. As I said, I’ve been visiting his winery for years, but his experience has left a bad taste in my mouth.

Perfect stop if you are looking for a vineyard that is located not to far out of town, with great outdoor seating, and delicious wine.
The crowds can get big here, so if you are coming during peak hours on a Saturday come with your patience. However, it is wel worth the wieght. They have a nice variety of wines that are very well developed in body and flavor. My favorite was their old vine chardonnay. It has a great subtle favor of butter which I like in a chardonnay.
I highly recommend staying awhile, sitting outside and enjoy a glass of wine with some meats and cheese.
Staff was very nice and are able to successful handle the large crowds at the tasting bar whilr stilll giving you the individual attention.
Will definitely be returning to this vineyard many times to come.

Lovely. A friend and I escaped from DC on a recent Saturday, and this place is only about an hour away (without traffic.)
Their tasting includes 10 wines, including a good selection of Virginia whites, reds, and dessert wines. My preference is for dry reds, and their Petit Verdot was impeccable– like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The 2011 Ameritage was also decadent.
If you’re looking for a unique wine, Virginia wineries really do offer a separate experience, distinct from California wineries and with flavors all their own. The grounds at this place were also beautiful to stroll around, and the drive onto the property is stunning, as you drive right through the grapes.
I also hear they may offer grilled cheese sandwiches soon… I’ll be back.

This was a welcome surprise! The owner spoke to us about the process of creating the wine, gave us a taste of cabernet grapes, and showed us the crushing. Afterward, the manager walked us through a tasting of a variety of wines and showed us the barrel room. We paired the wine with Dubliner cheese and crackers. We enjoyed the wine so much that we bought a bottle of cabernet and are considering joining their «Barre Club».
At all times there is a view of the beautiful vineyard.
If you’re in NOVA and are looking for a winery, there is no comparison.

My experience with Pearmund reps throughout the years have proved that they’re all pretty friendly. Their wines tend to run on the sweet side. The 2012 viognier surprisingly won me over more than their reds, since I found the 2011 cabernet franc and ameritage to be slightly disappointing. Tasting fee of $ 10 to pick from reds or whites, without souvenir glassware. Our wine educator didn’t object to our sharing tastes amongst ourselves, and ensured that the voters for white wine didn’t feel left out when the red drinkers sampled one more wine than their set. Friendly demeanor from the lady who rang us up as well. Bathroom was clean, and there was seating available inside and on the partially-​covered patio. Pretty views in the adjacent vineyard towards the barn, some cornhole to the side, and a few local vendors featured in the shop. Cajun crab dip was reasonably tasty for the price point. Next time: sangria and salted caramel cheesecake.

In what appears to be an unprecedented move, I actually volunteered to be the designated driver on a day trip out to the vineyards in Virginia.
This managed to shock and confuse some friends. «But wait», they asked, «don’t you want to drink too?» Normally, the answer is yes, but when it comes to Virginia wines usually my response is «no, just no». I have been burned before. Learned my lesson.
I don’t even know too much about wines, I just know what I like, and it has been the norm at other tastings in the area that only 1 out of every 5 wines was palatable, but when it came to Pearmund Cellars that was my one tasting of the day that I allowed myself and I was glad I did.
Here are some of the wines we went through:
2013 Petit Manseng
Dry, white citrus wine. Definitely a summer wine.
2013 Riesling
Lighter less syrupy wine. LOVE THIS ONE. I bought a bottle at $ 25.
2011 Viognier
A strong white «with subtle hints of of tropical fruits, citrus and honeysuckle».
2011 Old Vine Chardonnay
I am not a chardonnay fan due to the oak flavors but this one was buttery and tasted like apples.
The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. It is super dog friendly. Throughout the day of visiting wineries this was by far my favorite. Down to earth people, they didn’t care the dog was outside. I had spent other parts of my day being told to put my dog in the car (Bull Run Winery[I strongly dislike you]) while their employee’s dogs ran around, so I was bit nervous coming here.
At the end of the tasting, we bought a bottle of Viognier and enjoyed them with mini picnic (they sell a good crab dip) outside. This winery also has some spectacular scenery. Lia’s M’s review is pretty accurate in that it does indeed transport you to Napa or Sonoma. Fields of grape vines, large grassy areas, a cute barn. This is the place to take some cute pictures. They also have lots of games for kids to play, and cornhole for the larger drunker kids.
Additionally the long driveway here is out of Indiana Jones. Prepare for some unpaved roads and bouncy action. If you have a sports car, beware. If you have an SUV, hit the gas and have fun!

Pearmund Cellars instantly transports you to Sonoma or Napa. The tasting room is divided into the tasting counter on one side and tables and a register on the other; it’s not huge, but it’s not tiny, either. But what you really want to do here is bring a picnic and buy a bottle of wine. That way you can sit outside and overlook their beautiful vineyard while you sip away the cares of the world. We did a bottle of the viognier, which we all liked from the tasting. They let you re-​taste a wine or two so you can be sure, which is nice.
Pearmund is dog and people friendly, as all staff we encountered were happy and outgoing. No pretentiousness here. Parking lot and entrance is a bit treacherous; I’d actually not bring my older, four-​door sedan there, so I’ll need to bribe someone with an SUV when I return.

If you happen to stop by Pearmund before the rest of the crowds, you will have a great experience. If you get there when it is crowded (which anymore feels like nearly always) you will have to wait for a space at the tasting bar, in the line to the bathroom, and in line for the register. So please bring your patience with you. There is not a lot of space, so I think they staff accordingly, but be prepared, this place gets very busy and the waits can be fairly long.
I can’t say I don’t understand though, their wines are fantastic!
Their Chardonnay is one of my favorites in VA, and I love all their reds.
If you can secure a spot on it, the porch is a great place to sip wine and enjoy the views. If not, plan on bringing a blanket and grabbing a spot on their lawn.
Another great touch: in the winter they will sometimes even have homemade chili or soup available for purchase.

Great Place, very friendly and the wine was some of the better in the area. They had a good variety of whites and reds and the grounds here are very cool. I was a little sad to hear they did not grow everything on site themselves, but you would not know y tasting the wines.