A few years ago—after Virginia’s exceptional 2023 growing season—I decided I was going to make a real effort to attend as many barrel tastings as possible. I signed up for tastings at Linden, 53rd, and Mountain & Vine… and then life got in the way. Between working full-time (outside of wine) and managing the many facets of Old Man Disease™ that crop up with alarming regularity, my grand plans stalled out.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love barrel tastings. Christine at Ankida Ridge sometimes shares barrel samples, Mount Alto is generous with pulls from barrel to check in on works in progress, and behind the scenes tours at the Virginia Wine Collective and Common Wealth Crush provide a glimpse of the wines soon to make their way to bottle and glasses. Those moments—when growers and makers explain the season, the weather, and the choices shaping the wine—are where wine really comes alive for me.
So when Stephen Barnard sent an email inviting me to join a planned barrel tasting at Keswick Vineyards, the answer was a definite yes. The Va Wine Friends (Kathy, Kenny, and Matt) got similar invites, so the four of us met there on a Saturday morning to be part of fun.
Stephen is a tremendous example of the collaboration and kindness that define Virginia wine at its best. He freely shares his knowledge and talents, has hosted years of thoughtful live tastings of Virginia Wines on his Facebook page, and consistently celebrates the work of other Virginia winemakers. He truly embodies the idea that we all rise together—and that ethos carried straight through this tasting.
Barrel Tasting at Keswick
Stephen and the Keswick team had set up a broad lineup of developing wines to sample, beginning with a 2025 Rosé to greet us, freshly pulled and soon to be bottled. A blend of red and white grapes, this rosé showed up fresh, easy-drinking, and charming—an ideal way to kick things off.
From there, Stephen walked us through three 2025 vintage white wines currently aging in the production facility.
Viognier
This wine is aging on the lees, which contributes proteins and glycerol that build texture and flavor. Even as someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward Viognier, I found this one floral and simple – but it’s on its way to more. This will become the Reserve Viognier for this vintage. Stephen said he really likes working with this wine, and he bottles three different ones currently.
Chardonnay
Stephen told us that Keswick intentionally steers away from the heavily buttered, oak-driven, grocery-store Chardonnay style. While I caught a hint of butter on the nose, it was light. Right now, it’s clean, bright and refreshing, with more complexity still to come. The wine is currently undergoing malolactic fermentation, which will add a soft, creamy layer.
Petit Manseng
Stephen told the group that this grape is a tough one to work with, because the goal is to leave it on the vines as long as possible for ripeness. He doesn’t want the high sugars that level of ripeness brings, as they drive alcohol up during fermentation. Their goal is a dry Petit Manseng, and despite higher alcohol, they are absolutely nailing it with this one. The sip was all tropical fruit, airy, free-spirited, high acid with no perceptible sweetness—even at 0.5% residual sugar.
We took a short break to talk about the winery’s philosophy and their wine club, which offers two bottles per month and regular opportunities for experiences like this one—an approach that clearly prioritizes member engagement. I actually really appreciated Stephen saying how important it is for him as the winemaker to interact with members and hear about their preferences for the wines and ensure the winery is aligning with their desires. More on this soon.
Red Wines: Vintage Comparison and Choices
These wines are vintage 2025 unless otherwise noted.
We began the red lineup with a Carbonic Cabernet Franc, and as someone who has been increasingly enjoying Virginia wines made with carbonic maceration, this one was right in my wheelhouse. Juicy and fruit-forward, with a little grit to it and some lingering grippy tannins, it struck a great balance. The 2024 vintage brought their first Carbonic Cab Franc and it is being released soon. Based on this sample of the 25, I will be checking it out. Watch here for updates.
Next was Block 2 Cabernet Franc. These vines were planted in 2016. This wine was light, bouncy, and juicy, and I loved it. Choosing between this and the carbonic Cab Franc was genuinely difficult. This is a little more refined, smoother around the edges, and thus a more familiar wine.
The 2024 Block 2 Cabernet Franc, by contrast, took itself much more seriously. Darker, more structured, with firmer tannins, this wine will be bottled in April. If you lean toward old-world-style, more contemplative reds, this is your wine. While this was not my favorite of the styles we sampled, I can see this appealing to a broad segment of Virginia wine drinkers.
Then came the 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon, and—oh my goodness. Super silky, with gorgeous dark fruit and a refined but unpretentious presence. There was a very pleasant, clean flow to this wine that I loved. When Cabernet Sauvignon grows well in Virginia, it’s beautiful. I bought two bottles through Keswick’s futures program without hesitation. It will be bottled in April and should age. I’m already looking forward to comparing it with the upcoming 2024 Glen Manor and some other upcoming 2023 releases.
We also tasted the newest Cabernet Sauvignon aging in new oak within a very large vessel. This one is clearly aimed at Napa Cab lovers—big oak, heavy char, and destined to show lots of structure. I got chocolate on the nose, but it was hard to read the fruit, as the oak char dominated. Stephen explained that once the 2024 vintage is bottled, this wine will move into neutral barrels, which should help integrate the oak and let the fruit show up more clearly. I’m curious to revisit this in a couple of years, because the underlying fruit is clearly well farmed. Heavy oak isn’t my style, but once it fully integrates and the fruit is back front and center, then we’re talking.
The Petit Verdot was supposed to be our last wine of the afternoon. It’s pure PV, dark and tannic. As expected, I sipped and my mouth dried right up. With some time, this will settle into a lovely fruit bomb. Stylistically, this is how I love my Petit Verdot – gorgeous purple fruits, long dry finish, purple tongue. Give me all the ink.
As a wonderful sendoff, Keri pulled and poured a few bottles of the 2024 Estate Cabernet Franc, which recently earned a gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The Estate designation means it’s a blend from all of their vineyard blocks of this grape. This may have been my favorite Cab Franc of the day—and we tasted four. Fruit-forward, fresh, and vibrant, it’s exactly the style I adore. Stephen spoke several times during the event about the importance of making wine that stands on its own without needing a food pairing. This wine may have been the best example of achieving that goal. Participants were allowed to purchase bottles ahead of full release, and I brought two home.
Time Well Spent in the Tasting Room
After the formal tasting, my little crew (minus Kathy who left for winemaker karaoke in Waynesboro) settled into the tasting room with a bottle of 2024 Touriga Nacional. This grape won’t remain at Keswick due to replanting plans, but right now it’s showing beautifully in a Nouveau-inspired style—easy, joyful, and dangerously drinkable. The three of us made quick work of that bottle.
Stephen stopped by to check in, and he brought the 2024 Viognier and 2024 Petit Manseng, both of which had shown well (double gold medals – meaning every judge had rated it gold) at the San Francisco Chronicle competition. Like the earlier sample, this Viognier avoided the weight and woodiness I often find with this variety and reject. It’s fresh, approachable, and perfect for a warm day. Likewise, the Petit Manseng was once again a rock star—dry, tropical, crisp, and exactly what I want. These are two very strong wines.
One of my favorite moments of the day perfectly captured Stephen’s approach as both winemaker and Virginia wine cheerleader. At the table next to ours, a patron sat with empty glasses after his companion went to the restroom. Stephen introduced himself, poured him a taste of the 2024 Viognier that wasn’t on the menu, and asked what he thought. He wasn’t selling—he was listening. Stephen is always in the tasting room because he genuinely wants to know how people experience the wines and understand what their customers are looking for when they come. He listened, thanked the customer, and turned back to us for a bit. I so appreciate him taking time on his Saturday to ask us what we thought.
Why Barrel Tastings Matter
When you think of wine as a living, breathing thing rather than a simple (and enjoyable) intoxicating liquid, events like these offer incredible insight. At this early stage, the wine is beginning to reveal itself, full of promise and possibility. The decisions being made now—by Stephen and his team—will shape what’s eventually bottled and enjoyed years down the road. The soon to be bottled 2024 vintage wines remaining in barrel show incredible promise and I am very excited about that Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2025 wines that have only begun their journey also show tremendous promise.
This was my second visit to Keswick, and I enjoyed the wines so much. The environment created by the team is warm, fun, and friendly and I genuinely felt like I was being allowed into the cool kids club there – there was no pretense, and a genuine desire to hear how we perceived the wines. It is dangerously convenient to my home too.
Barrel Tastings deliver with discovery and anticipation. If you haven’t visited Keswick lately, I urge you to plan your visit to check out the 2024s currently on the menu, and watch for the release of more. I am certain you’re going to find some easy drinking wines that you will want to bring home too. And keep your eyes open, that Cabernet Sauvignon is going to land and knock our socks off before we know it.
My NoVa Wine Blog 
thanks for sharing . This is great!
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