Southwest Mountains Vineyards
Southwest Mountains Vineyards is set along the Virginia foothills of the Southwest Mountain Range in Keswick, Virginia, just 15 minutes from downtown Charlottesville on a historical farm of around 800 acres that was part of the original Meriwether Lewis land grant. Known for its idyllic scenery and pastoral landscape, Keswick is a beautiful and integral part of Virginia’s Monticello AVA and has been recognized as the Wine Region of the Year in Wine Enthusiast’s 2023 Wine Star Awards adding Monticello to the elite group of wine destinations like Sonoma, Willamette, Rioja, and Italy.
With a new Tasting Room and state-of-the art production facility now open to the public, our mission is to highlight this extraordinary terroir and craft the finest of Virginia wines.
Join us at the start of your Virginia wine tour and learn what makes this region’s wine so extraordinary. Here, every glass tells a story, and every meal is a celebration! Rain or shine, regardless of the season you visit, we are here to welcome you. Experience the wine at our table and bring it home to yours.
2300 Whipper In Lane
Keswick, VA 22943
tel: (434) 212-3244
email: info@smvwines.com
website: smv.wines.com
Jodi Mills - General Manager
Jill Lloyd - Tasting Room Manager
Winemaking Philosophy:
We are thrilled to have Boela as head winemaker and have another South African winemaking POV represented in this area! Boela is very involved in the vineyard and likes to get to know the terroir and climate intimately to extract and showcase the best it has to offer through his wines with low intervention. His main goal right now is to familiarize himself with Virginia, our vineyards and maximizing what we have.
He is really happy with the reds from 2023 and is looking forward to getting our first red produced in our own facility in bottle next year. The focus of red blends that SMV have produced in the past was more on drinkability: fruit forward, gentle use of oak and approachable tannins, and we will definitely produce a red blend in that style from the 2023 harvest. We also have really interesting components in the barrel from the 2023 harvest and we are seriously considering a new blend with more intensity and structure that will benefit from aging. He has learned that there is great vintage variation in Virginia, and these variations will dictate the style of our blends to a large extent. This is in line with our philosophy of expressing the vineyard in the bottle, which includes soil, sites as well as vintage.
Wines Typically Available: (Include seasonals as well):
Petit Verdot, Chardonnay Reserve, Viognier, Red Blend, White Blend, Petit Manseng, Cab Franc Gruner, Rose, Petit Verdot, Petit Verdot Reserve
Hours:
Thursday, Sunday and Monday 11am – 5pm
Friday and Saturday 11am – 6pm
Event Policies:
*Groups are limited to parties of 8 unless a part of a Tasting Reservation or a class.
*No large tours buses or groups of more than 8.
SMV is currently not planning to be an event venue.
Food Available: All Second Floor Tasting Room reservations will have tableside service and you will have the opportunity to order SMV wines and seasonal culinary delights from our menu prepared by Winery Chef Gregory Lewis. We will have a variety of Gluten free and vegetarian options.
Guests on our first floor, outdoor patios and lawn may purchase a variety of delicious snacks including cheeses, meats, baguettes, sparkling waters, ice cream sandwiches, nuts, chips and more from our “Grab and Go” self-service payment kiosk located in the nucleus of our first floor. We will have a variety of Gluten free and vegetarian options.
*Only food and beverages purchased at Southwest Mountains Vineyards is permitted at the winery.
Pet Policy: *Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome on our first-floor outdoor patios and lawn areas only.
*Please cleanup after your pet, pet stations with a trash can are provided. Thank you!
*All dogs must be leashed at all times during your visit.
*Water bowls are also available outside at the winery, let’s keep our furry friends hydrated.
*Please ask one of our winery crew for a special treat for your canine while visiting.
Kid-friendly: *All children must be accompanied by you at all times and are not permitted to roam freely.
*No children under the age of 21 are permitted at the Tasting Bars.