Hang in there – it’s almost the weekend. It will soon be time to relax in Virginia’s countryside while sipping something tasty. But if your weekends are more about childcare than wine tasting, there’s still hope! Several of Northern Virginia’s wineries welcome children and even dogs. Let your little ones run around while you take a much deserved break in the sunshine.
Modern Reston will profile some of our local wineries, and first on our list is family-friendly Three Fox Vineyards.
Three Fox Vineyards sits on 50 acres of rolling hills in Delaplane, Virginia. You can wander these fields all day and keep finding fun things to do and quirky hidden sculptures.
Owners Holli and John Todhunter say that the landscape of Delaplane reminds them of the scenery they loved in their travels through Italy. This similar terrain led them to produce Italian varietals like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Grigio. They also grow Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Viognier, and offer additional wines sourced by other local growers. If you like a sweeter wine, try their Gatto Bianco white blend. I particularly enjoy their crisp Pinot Grigio with a picnic lunch on their hillside.
The main area for visitors offers indoor and outdoor tasting areas. Picnic tables are dotted along the hillside and between the rows of growing grapevines. If you arrive early enough in the day, you’ll find the fields empty enough to let your dog romp around in the sunshine.
At the highest point of the winery sits the Table in the Sky. If you don’t mind the climb, grab this table! It offers a spectacular view of the winery and surrounding areas. As an added benefit, the walk up the hill will burn enough calories to help you rationalize the wine and cheese consumption. Your kids will love running up the hill, and maybe even rolling down it. This table is available only on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early if you want to claim it.
Another fun option is to sit at one of the picnic tables among the vines. It will feel like your own private room, surrounded by grapes.
After your wine tasting and picnic, you’ll probably need to take a break between wine bottles. Check out the games that are available throughout the winery. Kids and adults will enjoy the bocce and cornhole in the main tasting areas, or you can bring a frisbee and head down to the Meadow.
The Meadow is an open picnic area at the bottom of a hill. It’s a quieter area of the winery, which gives your family a chance to stretch out and run around. Check in at the tasting room at the entrance, purchase a couple bottles, and then wander down the trail to Meadow.
It’s quite a hike to get down and up the hill, but if you need assistance (or just a wine refill!), you can call the Three Fox Wine Mobile. Someone will drive down the hill in a golf cart and help you with whatever you need. Nice touch!
My favorite spot in the winery is a picnic table in the shade at the bottom of the meadow. A quiet stream runs along the bottom of the hill, and I like to sit among the trees and watch kids and dogs splash in the water. My young son loves to bring a bucket and shovel and dig along the banks of the stream.
If you’re looking for something to do in Virginia’s magnificent fall weather, grab a wine glass, some sunscreen, and a picnic lunch, and enjoy the outdoors with your whole family. Or find a hammock by the stream with your date, and snuggle the afternoon away.
Three Fox Vineyards is located about 50 minutes west of Reston at 10100 Three Fox Lane, Delaplane, Virginia.
Have you been to Three Fox Vineyards? What other wineries do you recommend that we cover?