I may have gotten completely scooped by Kathy, Matt and Kenny, who visited Noer Vineyards before it opened a few months ago, but I have been following their progress on Instagram and sampling some of their wines available now at Wegman’s. This is definitely a winery to watch. They’re growing good grapes in a really great area, they have a ton of acreage under vine already, and there are promising wines that are easy to drink and easy to get.
I first tried Noer when I picked up a bottle each of the Semillon and the Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc at my local Wegman’s. The Wine Crew had been raving about the wines they brought home from their initial visit to Noer. When I saw these I got excited and put one of each in my cart. They’re priced at a wonderful price point for the grocery store, unusually inuexpensive for Virginia Wine. I found the Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc was pleasant and refreshing while the Semillon was what I expect from that variety – it is not a grape I gravitate towards, so I didn’t expect to really enjoy this wine, but it was an easy drinker. If you enjoy this grape or a dessert style, you will like this wine.
Noer is very easy to get to from I-81, maybe about 6 miles (and two turns) from the interchange. I knew I was close as I approached and saw the unbelievable number of grapevines on the hillside. The site is simply stunning, from the unique underground winery design to the breathtaking, rolling hillsides full of vines.
The temporary tasting room is inside the production space, and it was bustling on this Sunday afternoon, with every table full, and most of the barrels (for standing by and sipping) taken. We joined the line at the counter and waited our turn.
By now I had tasted the Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc and Semillon, as well as the Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier. They had twelve wines available for tasting, so I chose a flight of three that looked most interesting to me: 2024 Merlot, 2024 Meritage, and 2025 Rosé. Kathy and Kenny actually chose the same as these were wines that weren’t available when they first visited, and they wanted to check them out.
We had just come from the Pollak Library Tasting and our palates had been stunned by 21 year old Meritage and the like. These wines were young and fresh. The Meritage had some darker, earthier elements to it and the Merlot definitely showed the clove and chocolate that the tasting notes listed. I enjoyed both wines, and would happily have a glass again, but the winner was the rosé for me. The first tasting note listed was rhubarb and I’m going admit with a guilty and goofy grin that I LOVE rhubarb pie. Weird right? But this rosé was very refreshing for a hot August day, and it had nice acid that was a great counter-balance to the depth of the library wines we had earlier.
I’m excited for Noer – they have plans for a separate tasting room and with 130 acres under vine, their production will be unbelievable, on a rare scale for Virginia. This should help keep prices down and keep a steady stream of visitors for them.
I took 2 bottles of Rosé and 2 of the Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier blend home. To me, these are some of their best wines, big and fresh and pleasant, and definitely drink now wines. Kenny mentioned there will be reserve wines coming in the future, and that is pretty exciting too. Winemakers tend to keep the best grapes for a reserve wine, and so with wines this good so young, I’m curious to see those come to market.
Noer took home 2 golds at the Virginia Governor’s Cup and 4 golds at the Shenandoah Cup. If you see Noer at your grocery store or wine retailer, I recommend grabbing a bottle. This is solid wine you will enjoy. Make the trek out to see them – the people are friendly and it’s a gorgeous site. They’re set to make a big impression.
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