Jeremy Ligon and Barrel Oak Winery

Fifteen years ago, I went to Barrel Oak for one of their bring your dog and walk the vines events. My son, our German Shepherd puppy at the time, a friend, and her new pup all came along. I loved that dogs were welcome everywhere—inside the tasting room, out where we sat to sip and snack. But the wines back then? Not my style. I remember feeling overwhelmed by too many choices, and the tasting room struck me as a little dark. After that, I didn’t go back—this was during the phase when I stuck with just two favorite wineries and never went anywhere else.

Fast forward to Sunday. Matt has been getting to know Jeremy for some time, and wrote a lot about Barrel Oak’s change in ownership and recent recognition in San Francisco. With different leaders and a new direction with farming and winemaking, there was a big shift taking place. When Matt suggested we meet up with Jeremy after visiting Linden, I was enthusiastic about seeing what was happening at Barrel Oak. After we finished our morning tasting (upcoming post…) Kathy, Kenny, Matt and I showed up at nearby Barrel Oak.

We met Jeremy in the tasting room, grabbed glasses, and took a ride around to the lab and cellar. Jeremy pulled out the wine thief (such a great name for a tool) and we started sampling. The cellar is packed with barrels—mostly neutral, so the fruit can really be the star. We tried two 2024 Chardonnays, both clean and bright, with the older barrel showing gorgeous fruit.

Then we had a 2024 Cabernet Franc from the barrel, wild-yeast fermented and resting in neutral oak. It already shows power from this drought year. We even got to check out a rare, massive barrel—pretty impressive for Virginia. Jeremy does source a little bit of fruit from Jason Murray at Arterra, and our longtime readers know I’m a huge fan. There are some exciting parallels in their approach, but they each bring a unique touch to their wines.

From here, Jeremy took us up to the manor house, which is also an airbnb on the property.  This is a gorgeous spot, and one I’d seriously stay at to re-visit Barrel Oak and a bunch of the surrounding wineries. We were stunned at the views and decided to sip wines on the porch. And man, did we ever sip.

We started with a bottled but unreleased sparkling made from Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc. This fun wine was pure watermelon with a sweet hint at the end, but not too much.

Over the course of three hours of sipping and talking we tasted:

2022 Seyval Blanc- this grape usually isn’t my style, but it was light and fun for summer.

2023 Sauvignon Blanc – this is the award winner Matt has written about. I adored this and felt like its a great example of what Virginia can do with this grape. Super drinkable and nicely crisp. This is a refreshing wine, and someone may have whispered, “This may be the best Sauvignon Blanc we’ve had today!”

2022 Stainless Steel Chardonnay – a clean and lovely wine for summer with nice apple flavors to it.

2023 Barrel Chardonnay- this wine had more cream and texture. Lots of green apple here too.  I always like stainless more because its so much brighter. For those who love layered and complex Chardonnay, you’ll enjoy this one.

2022 Petit Manseng.  For the record, I called Honeysuckle flavor first (and getting a tasting note first in this crowd is something else!). While this had no residual sugar, it left a sensation of sweet at the end of the sip, but that was an impression, not actual sugars, and this is the dry style I enjoy.

2023 Petit (formerly Peanuts) Cuvee – this was a blend of Chambourcin and Traminette, and was fun, but definitely made for the mass market.  I’d drink this when I was in college, and there’s no shame in that.

2022 Cabernet Franc-this beautiful wine presents with soft pepper flavors but not pyrazines. I found this lovely and fresh enough to drink on a summer day like this one.  I sipped more of this wine and ended up bringing one home.

2022 Meritage – this blend was led by 35% Petit Verdot (so you know im gonna love it). It also had Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a lower tannin wine that is soft and ageable.  It’s drinking great right now too.

2022 Cabernet Sauvignon – I might have poured myself a good bit more of this one, too.  This wine is not yet released but I expect it to be a big deal. Soft tannins, beautiful fruit, nice silky Virginia Cabernet flow. Jeremy decanted this one for us. You also should decant it for me.

Jeremy served us some 2023 Paradox – a sparkling norton that gave a strong essence of chocolate on the nose but strawberry on the tongue. This is a fun glass. I don’t typically drink this style, but I’d have a glass with you.

Barrel Oak served up some really great pizza for us that hit the spot, and we also had an amazing charcuterie board.

We chatted for a long time with Jeremy about his aspirations for the wines he is producing and how supportive the new owners are of this vision, providing resources to ensure the winery evolves.  Jeremy has a strong sense of the interplay of farming for the highest quality fruit and keeping cellar intervention low to let that fruit really show. While we talked, I noted that he is representative of the crop of winemakers that are making an impression in Virginia now – really understanding that the wine is made in the vineyard, and using cellar techniques to capitalize on what the growing season did in the fields.

Winners of the afternoon: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Stainless Chardonnay. All four presented with fresh, straightforward fruit on the sip and all were perfect for the seventy degree day outside. Each wine would easily pair with just about any meal.

While Barrel Oak’s original menu focused more on the mass market appeal with sweeter wines and less “serious” wines, under new ownership and Jeremy’s cellar leadership, they have greatly expanded the quality of their offerings. There truly is something for everyone here. Barrel Oak is a big property, and while we were there, there was a food truck and a lot of people enjoying the gorgeous weather outside. This is the kind of place to go with a group of friends for a carefree time with good vibes. There is a brewery for those among your friends who you haven’t converted to wine yet, and its a fun, relaxed atmosphere.   It’s right off I-66, so very easy to get to from anywhere in Northern Virginia.

I’d say Barrel Oak has really leveled up at this point. They certainly have earned their awards, and as a place to stop and enjoy, you can’t ask for more.  If you haven’t ever been, check it out, and if you haven’t been in a while, it’s time to try it again.  You won’t be disappointed. I’ll be back there because I’m going to need more Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and I cannot wait to see what else is coming.