Enjoy the rich history of Virginia and the rich taste of the Virginia wines at TWABR

Seldom does one finds a place where one can sit and relax with serene nature all around him and the noise of just the air brushing past the leaves on the trees. And if amidst such a setting one can get some great wine to taste or savor then nothing can beat the experience. Well if you had been looking forward to spend some time at such a place then The Winery at Bull Run (TWABR) would be your ideal choice. It is at this place that you would find the surroundings that are filled with the aroma of the times long gone by and the times that you really long to revisit. The place has an ambiance of the mid 19^th century Virginia and is close to the 5,000 acres of historic Manassas National Battlefield Park where one of the historic battle was fought during the times of the civil war.

It is at this place that you would be introduced to some fine wine tastings of the delectable Virginia wines with a glimpse of rich Virginia heritage with wine making techniques from the Civil War Era, historical buildings & artifacts. If you are planning an outdoor wedding in Virginiaand are on a look out for a place that would offer you the most serene surroundings, vast open space along with some good music, food and of course wine then TWABR is the best option for you. The winery is available for such events and in fact is the most suitable place if you are a lover of the outdoors and love American history. 

 

The winery is owned by the Hickox family who have worked tremendously hard to make sure that every bit of the Virginia history and the richness of the Virginia Wine are synergized together to give the guests a time of their lives. No doubt their hard-work has paid and now the winery is a great success. There are some real gem of the people working here dedicated to the specific functions at the winery. As far as events such as the marriages are concerned the people who have already enjoyed the hospitality of the winery have only great things to say about it.

A blend of history, splendid wines and the great outdoors all make the TWABR one of the best places to organize your outdoor wedding in Virginia. It is the closest winery to the Washington DC and has all the trappings that one can expect from great outdoors and exquisite vineyards. Organizing a wedding at TWABR would be one of the finest things that you would be doing in your life. Each and every detail of the event would be taken care of and no doubt it would be the best wedding that you have organized or attended in your life time.

A Striking Winery in Va that offers Prize Winning Wines and Great Memories

Spend an Enjoyable Day 

To spend an enjoyable day all one needs to do is to drive less than 30 min from Washington DC and just 2 miles off Route 66. You will reach an exquisite winery in Va where you can savor some of the finest prize winning wines and go back with great memories. This is no ordinary winery. The Winery at Bull Run will take you back in time because of its authentic 1860s setting although today it is a scenic, working farm vineyard. What makes the winery charming is that it is conveniently located right next to 5000 countryside acres of the very historic Manassas National Battlefield Park. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and provides the visitor with an impressive panorama of a preserved 19th century farmland. It is here that you will enjoy wine tasting sessions of some of the finest Virginia wines even as you view the rich Virginia heritage with the winemaking techniques from the Civil War era as well as well-preserved historical buildings and rare artifacts. 

Taste Prize-winning Wines 

At the amazing winery in Va one can taste some fine wines from the winery’s growing collection. In the wine listings one will find award winning wines that include gold medal winners such as 2012 Chardonnay that was also adjudged the best of category at the 2014 Tenth Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Wine Competition. There are several other award winners too and these include the 2012 Petit Verdot, 2012 Delaney, 2012 Cabernet Franc and 2013 Petit Manseng. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected Gold Medal Winner in 2014 while the 2012 Lilly’s Viognier won the Gold Medal the same year in another wine competition. If you wish to enjoy sipping these excellent wines at exclusive rates, you can do so by joining the General’s Club which will also give you a VIP Status. 

Great Location as a Venue 

The winery in Va is also a great location as a venue for weddings, parties and meetings besides reunions, anniversaries, birthdays and graduations as well as fundraisers, seminars, client hospitality and product launches. If you want to celebrate a wedding, this is the perfect venue full of Virginian charm and country splendor for wedding showers, bridesmaid parties, bachelor parties and rehearsal parties. The wines are splendid while the winery is one of the most enchanting venues in Northern Virginia. What makes the winery special is that it is co-located with the Manassas National Battlefield Park. It is here that two of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War were fought. Visitors can explore these hallowed grounds where men of valor fought and died more than a century ago. Today the park has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Season of Celebrations Approaching Near ! Enjoy This Christmas at TWABR

Historians note the fact that several traditions related to the season of joy & happiness initiated around the Civil war era. A simple reason cited for this is that people wanted their spirits lifted and at such a time of doubt and uncertainty, Americans got a valid reason to celebrate in the form of Christmas. A number of our customs like festive foods, Christmas cards, Christmas trees and caroling date back to earlier 1850s. Its from this period only that we got many of the songs we sing on Christmas at present like "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," "Deck the Halls," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing and "Jingle Bells". 

It was during the Civil War that families set a vacant place at the dinner table for their family members who could not attend the Christmas dinner. Nowadays, same tradition is followed in military families to honor their family members who are away for the cause of serving the nation. From the bottom of our heart, we would like to salute these brave men & women who have sacrificed a lot to protect our freedom. In the year 1862, a Christmas dinner was hosted by Stonewall Jackson celebrating his last Christmas at his winter quarters. Robert E. Lee was one of the attendees at this Christmas dinner.

Later, Lee sent a letter to his beloved life following the Battle of Fredericksburg. In this letter, Lee describes war as a cruel thing that separates & destroys friends & families and takes away joy & happiness. He also prays to God on Christmas to fill better thoughts in the hearts of their nation's enemies so that they turn towards peace rather than taking the path of devastation. It was also during the 1800s that drinking mulled wine became popular as a tradition. Charles Dickens has the credit of making this drink popular as he mentioned about it in his creation "A Christmas Carol". 

When you visit TWABR, you will get to relish our version of Mulled wine. Most recipes of mulled wine include use of a red wine along with brandy or port, citrus fruits and spices like ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Honey or sugar is added normally to increase the sweet taste. For our version of Mulled wine, we use Merlot. We hope that you will visit us this Christmas to relish our tasty mulled wine. Our Virginia winery will serve as the perfect place to offer you the ideal refreshment and joy with your family & friends.

Reasons for Bringing the Nice New Look for TWABR

Yes, its true that we listen to what our loving fans & followers say about us. It was on account of several reasons that we decided to bring in some reconfigurations in our property. Firstly, we reconfigured our Adults 21+ section. After completing the process, we swapped this section with our Adults & Children section. We had to go for this as unattended children running into our driveway were at potential danger of getting injured; also this was moreover becoming a reason of worry for their parents who would try to keep an eye over their child but would forget later on account of being too busy. 

Unattended children would also climb with utter joy on our historical ruins, not knowing that it could cost them some serious injury in case they fell. Another reason behind the re-configuration was the limited amount of lawn space available in the Adults with Children area. This available lawn space would reduce more at the time when there were wedding ceremonies on Hillwood. Pretty much decided on the areas where the change was actually required, we built a new outdoor bar. Built almost to perfection, this outdoor bar features restrooms, thus eliminating the need for one to go outside to find a restroom or bar. Most importantly, this bar plays a crucial role in splitting the Adults 21+ section from the Adults with Children section. 

Overall, the major modification was the swapping of the Adults 20+ section to the property's front, at the exterior of the main patio, and placement of the Adults with Children section to the property's back portion that was at the back side of the General's Club Deck. This new configuration gave us the opportunity & space to make Civil War era winter cabins, where children will feel free to play at will. With all these modifications going along, we are now capable of using the extra lawn space on the property without confining the children and also allowing adults to have the grand view without experiencing any trouble. In addition to these modifications, we added 30 more picnic tables to our existing inventory.

So, the next time you visit our winery with your friends or family, do explore our new layout. We hope these modifications will add to your experience at the winery. During your visit, you can also enjoy the interesting vineyard tours in Virginia while relishing the best of VA wines.

A Flashback of the First-ever Bluebell Music Festival Held at TWABR

It was on May 18 when the first-ever Bluebell festival was organized at The Winery at Bull Run. It was quite a cool weather due to few rain showers that day. Amazing food & wine, entertaining music and a lot more was arranged for the visitors who took out some time to raise funds & awareness for three local charities - Manassas Battlefield Trust, Final Salute Inc., and NPLB Operation Second Chance. TWABR's owner Jon Hickox said at the occasion that he holds a special affinity for these charity groups as these have strong bondage to the battlefield and veteran's aid.

As per Hickox " I had made a pledge that I would organize a fundraising event for the purpose of benefiting three local charities before TWABR celebrated its one-year anniversary. Two causes that I specifically wanted to support were the Manassas Battlefield and local veteran's support". Besides Hickox, there were other prominent people also present at the occasion, one of them being Robert Bartlett, representing NPLB Operation Second Chance. Robert spoke openly about the efforts their charity group puts up for the rehabilitation of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. “Our noble charity aids the injured service members recover by engaging them in activities like fishing, hunting etc.,” as per Robert Bartlett. 

 

Another charity group benefiting from the event was Final Salute Inc., that helps the women veterans who don't have any home in D.C by providing them transitional housing, rent & utility assistance. As per Gail Paige, the executive director of Final Salute Inc., “Though there was a cold rain here, yet this event was a grand success. We feel immensely proud to be benefiting from the first Bluebell Music Festival, and we look positively to attend it next year too”.

Plenty of entertainment was on offer to the visitors with performances from jazz band Sonyx; R&B and pop singer Andrea Pais; Indie folk rock group “The Dreamscapes Project” and cover band Livin' the Dream. Delicious food was served by Purple Onion, Amphora and Bad to the Bone. Colonial Remodeling & Restoration, PrintFalcon.com, John Marshall Bank, Meant 2 Live Foundation, IMPACT Marketing & Events were some of the other sponsors that made the event turn out to be a huge success.

We celebrate such events and wine festivals from time to time. All you need to do is to visit our winery. You can visit our winery to take a tour of the best Virginia vineyards while sipping exotic VA wines served in beautiful glasses.

Understanding the Process Involved in Making Tasty Wines at TWABR

The winemaking process has been in existence since quite a long time. A lot of people may consider that there may have been huge advancements in the process with the passage of time. However, the truth is that the basic process has remained the same except that few modifications have come in it over the centuries. It was in the early 1600s that Virginia's first settlers made attempt to cultivate grapes. At The Winery at Bull Run, we don't follow the conventional approach to grape cultivation. 

At the initial stage of the process, we de-stem the grapes with help of a de-stemmer machine. Further, the grapes are crushed properly in our clean wine cellar. With stems removed, the fruit is kept in big size T bins to allow initiation of the fermentation process. During the fermentation process, several changes occur in the structure of the fruit. Within a few weeks time, the fruit skin as well as its seeds get separated and fall to the bottom. 

After that, we clarify the wine in a large capacity stainless steel tank and finally move the filtered wine into French Oak barrels. The wine remains in the barrel for about a year and during this period it ages considerably. When the aging process is over, we transfer the wine into suitable bottles. It simply means that the grapes harvested this year will only be made available next year for tasting. We use Merlot and Norton grapes for winemaking; lets know more about these varieties in detail. 

Merlot features a dark blue color and finds use for varietal wines. Typically medium-bodied, Merlot based wines have hints of berry, currant and plum. This excellent grape variety is quite soft and has tendency to ripe early. Its owing to this softness and early ripening ability that Merlot is extensively used for effective blending with Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cultivated in Richmond for the first time, Norton got its name from Dr. Daniel Norton, the person credited with the development of this brilliant grape variety. Features that make Norton a hot favorite for winemaking include its blue-purple color and red color juice. At TWABR, you will find our Norton to be a rich, robust wine that is prepared to impress. Besides Norton, you will find a lot of other wines to taste when you come and visit our winery. TWABR is a great winery to relish tasty wines besides being one of the prominent wedding reception venues in Virginia. So, come and have a great time at TWABR.

At TWABR, We Do Take Care of Our Fans & Followers

The Winery at Bull Run is not just about tasty & delicious Virginia wines but also about caring for the people who admire and love us. It has been the main reason why we went for re-configuring our Adults 21+ section, swapping it with the Adults and Children section. Visitors to our winery were quite nervous seeing their cute little children running into our driveway as there was high probability of a tragedy happening in such a case. Children would also climb on our historical ruins, thereby increasing the chances of falling and getting injured. 

Also, the size of lawn in the Adults and Children section was not enough, especially on the days when there were wedding ceremonies organized on Hillwood. Working on the modifications, we built a new outdoor bar with facility for restrooms. The bar will effectively split the Adults and Children section from the Adults 21+ one. Hence, there will also be no further requirement to go to a distant place to find a restroom or bar. By doing this, we have also got the space for building Civil War era winter cabins where children will have the absolute liberty to play with ease. We also added 30 picnic tables to expand our current inventory size. You can visit our winery to take a look at the modifications while enjoying our tasty wine.

The Philosophy Behind Making Award-winning Wines at TWABR

If we think over the reasons that make a winery great, there would be a number of points coming to the mind. Not just wine, but its the location, people and philosophy as well that comes into play to make a winery great. At TWABR, we are immensely proud of our closeness to the old & historic Manassas National Battlefield Park. We have also taken the highest level of care to ensure that our Civil War heritage remains preserved. You can take a look at the architecture & artifacts in our winery to know how we have done the same. 

No doubt, a great winery to a large extent about making great wines. We are proud of the fact that our Red & White wines have won awards in a number of wine competitions held across the country. One of our award-winning wine is Viognier that received "Best of Show" at the Wines of the South Competition. We have been constantly working on improving the quality of our wine offerings and offering the very best of VA wines to wine lovers. 

Its due to these reasons that we teamed up with wine expert Chris Pearmund and made him our executive wine maker. Owner of Pearmund Cellars, Chris is renowned as the key "idea guy" in the wine industry of VA. Besides teaming up with Chris, we also approached vigneron George Wilson to seek his help to establish & manage our vineyard in a better way. We have been cultivating around 3 acres of Norton grapes on our Centreville property. 

Norton is a popular grape variety that got its name from Dr. Daniel Norton who is the person behind the development of this deep blue-purple variety of grape. Norton grape has a jammy, fruit forward taste that makes it ideal for wine making. It has been rightly said that good wine is prepared in the winery but great wine actually starts in the vineyard. Hence, we also took possession of a farm near Little Washington so that we get absolute control over the cultivated fruit and ultimately over the wine produced. 

Having acquired the Little Washington property, we opened up new possibilities for elevating the standards of our winemaking and that is evident from the standards we have maintained till date. If you want to relish our tasty wines, do visit our winery during the opening hours. TWABR is not simply a winery but also one of the best wedding venues in northern VA. Moreover, you can also plan any other event of your choice by contacting TWABR's event management team.

Make your Picnic Special with Amazing Food & Wine Pairing at TWABR

Its quite easy to pair food with wine even if you don't have fair knowledge of the same. You can look into the tasting notes available on the labels of most wines for that purpose. Taking consultation from a proficient sales person present at a winery or a wine shop will help you in a better way. As far as packing food for a picnic is concerned, you may know it better that what food you like and so may pack the same accordingly. However, you may never know which wine you may get to drink at the picnic, unless you are a regular visitor at our winery. 

You need not care a bit for your next picnic as we have arranged picnic-focused food along with wine pairing guide to make things easier for you. We have divided all the wines in categories - reds, all whites, acidic whites, softer whites, and dessert/sweet wines. Merlot, Norton, Petit Verdot, and Meritage Reserve are the wines forming the Red category. Its good to pair protein based food like prosciutto, chicken, sausage, salami, and turkey with our reds. It might prove to be a protein heavy lunch for you. However, you will find that the fat in the meat complements nicely with our reds. 

Our Delaney, Pinot Gris, Petit Manseng form the acidic whites and are most suited with nuts and fruits. The wine taste is enhanced due to the acid contained in dry fruit. As for cheese, the creamier cheese & spreads will be quite suitable with the acidic whites. Our softer whites, Viognier and Chardonnay feature fruit & oak flavors and a less acidic nature. Breads, crackers and sharper cheese will pair quite well with these two. Any of our offered white wines pairs exceptionally well with hummus. The savory flavor of hummus enhances the flavors in white to a good extent. Fish, chicken dishes, and cold shrimp are some of the other protein based food pairing best with our whites. 

Our dessert & sweet wines category includes the Fort NV and Classic Blueberry. A port-like wine, Fort NV features vanilla, chocolate and dark fruit flavors. Chocolates & nuts form the best pairing with Fort. However, there are two other amazing matches for Fort that include chocolate or vanilla pudding and crunchy popcorn. The tasty flavors and creaminess of pudding bring out the best flavors in the Fort too. Similarly, our Classic Blueberry tastes best with brownies and chocolate chip cookies. You can enjoy this amazing food-wine pairing when you visit TWABR for your picnic. When you visit our winery, you can also get the opportunity to take tour of the best VA vineyards. So, come and join us at the winery.

Wine Making at TWABR is Somewhat Different From the Traditional Methods

Over the past centuries, the wine making process has not changed much. In the early 1600s, Virginia's first settlers tried cultivating grapes and followed a specific wine making process. Its only in terms of sophistication that the wine making process has changed these days, the basic process yet remains the same. As for the wine making process followed at TWABR, our grape stomping process is different from the one followed in the old days. We de-stem and then crush the grapes in our clean wine cellar. Further,we remove the stems from fruit and then place it in big size T bins. 

In these bins, the grape undergoes fermentation process and after some weeks, proper separation of skin and seeds occurs. Separated skin & seeds fall to the bottom of bin. After completion of this process, wine is clarified in a stainless steel tank and finally moved to the French Oak barrels where aging takes place. Its almost for a year that our Red wines age in the barrels. It simply means that the grapes harvested in a particular year are available for tasting the next year. When sufficient aging has occurred, the Red wine is ready for being bottled. Further, the wine is poured in attractive bottles carrying the TWABR logo. 

Merlot and Norton varieties of grape are extensively used for production of tasty wine. A wine grape used for varietal wines as well as blending, Merlot features a dark blue color. Wines made using Merlot are normally medium bodied and have hints of currant, plum and berry. Some of the most highlighted features of this grape are its softness and tendency to ripe early. Its on account of these features that Merlot is the preferred grape for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon, a later-ripening grape variety. As for Norton, this grape variety was grown for the first time in Richmond. Dr. Daniel Norton is credited with the development of this grape variety. 

Norton variety features a typical deep blue-purple color and red juice. Its naturally red juice enables making a wine that is jammy, fruit forward and has high content of anthocyanins. You will find our Norton wine to be quite rich & balanced in terms of taste & composition. Tastings are conducted on a daily basis in our nicely decorated tasting room. We charge a tasting fee of $12 that includes 9 tasty Virginia wines. Our winery is also the perfect site for arranging wine festivals in Virginia and so you have the liberty to participate in the organized festivals as per your convenience.

Going Back in Time to Know the Rich History of Norton Grape

Many people must be aware of the fact that Thomas Jefferson failed in his attempt to establish a vineyard at Monticello. However, many previous attempts from other people to plant vineyard in this new place didn’t succeed either. Virginia's wine producing history dates backs to the year 1619. In this year, Act 12 was passed by the the Virginia House of Burgesses. Under this act, each head in every household was supposed to plant ten wines and to attain the vineyard dressing experience.

After facing & recovering from a devastating period in life, Dr. Richard Norton managed to experiment in his home garden by cross-breeding a European grape vine with a wild American vine. Dr. Norton's experiment created the first grape that was able to grow successfully and also produced a tasty wine. As the news of Dr. Norton's experiment spread, people took deep interest in planting Norton grape all over the place. The extraordinary variety also bagged award at a wine competition held in Paris. 

Norton grape plantation was quite prevalent in Missouri before it got prohibited which further resulted in demolition of Norton grapes vines. In the 1990s, Dennis Horton, one of the preeminent winemakers of VA, brought Norton back from Missouri to Virginia. In an endeavor to tell the story behind Norton, we at TWABR brought the original plantings from Missouri to our property, when we opened. The people working at Monticello ate all the grapes produced at the location. 

Jefferson was told that the vines failed. However, the reason for the same is not yet clear. Quite possible that the people said so as they felt bad for consuming all the grapes or may be they produced really awful wines. Jefferson was quite similar to George Washington as he kept serving his country for a long time. Monticello is located on a large hill's top that offered him an ideal location. However, Jefferson's rootstock didn't work fine with the available soil & weather conditions. 

You will definitely like to try Norton after becoming aware of its rich history. At The Winery at Bull Run, we present to you heart-winning Norton wine that will impress you to the core. You can relish tasty wine and can also plan an event of your choice by contacting our event management team. Among the several birthday, wedding sites in VA, TWABR holds a special place due to the relaxing ambiance it offers to guests. So, you can make a booking at our winery without thinking twice.

The Story Behind TWABR's Decision to Lease VA Vineyards

At The Winery at Bull Run, our Norton vineyard is spread across 3 acres of land. When you travel up our driveway, this is one thing you will never like to miss. We produce 10 types of wine, all of which are made using different varietals. But two crucial questions that arise are that where these wines come from and what is the reason behind not growing these delicious wines at our property. You must be quite familiar with the fact that a vineyard is quite different from a winery. In vineyards, grapes are grown while in winery, wines are made and so these are two different businesses.

To maintain high quality grape, we took the decision to take both of these business lines. You may be aware of the fact that different grapes need varied growing conditions and so we took the decision to lease 7 different VA vineyards for that purpose. For choosing these vineyards, we took special care to ensure that we get the best ones only. Virginia has several old family orchards spread over the place and growing conditions for grape wines are ideal for apple and peach trees as well. So, it simply implies that a site having an old orchard will grow good vines. You can assess the vine-growing potential of a site using this fact.

As the wine industry in Virginia flourished, several growers opted for converting their orchards to vineyards. It is an overall smooth transition for the property owners as the maintenance for both is nearly the same. We chose a 1,000 acre vineyard in southwest VA. The experienced owner gives a close attention to detail to ensure maintaining a higher quality fruit.

Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains are the ideal sites in Virginia to cultivate grapes. These areas have lower humidity and higher elevations besides lower-than-average rainfall and better air flow that makes them ideal for growing grapes. Also, the soil in these areas drains quite well, that is another reason for these areas to favor excellent grape cultivation.

 If you are interested in knowing more about our vineyards and various award-winning wines, do visit TWABR. Our tasting room will provide you the ideal place to relish our exotic wines while our friendly staff will tell you everything you want to know about wines. You can come to our winery with your family and friends during the opening hours to have a great time.

TWABR Serves as an Incredible Place to Celebrate your Crucial Occasion

At The Winery at Bull Run, we are always excited about celebrating the holiday season with the best of wine, cuisines and absolute cheer. When its about celebrating private events in style, our Main Barn serves the purpose fully throughout the year. However, when its the holiday season, the same Barn becomes a welcoming place for everyone. Our elegantly decorated tasting room & lounge offers the perfect site for arranging holiday parties.

As far as planning the party is concerned, you can rest assured of getting the best assistance from our event specialists who are competent to keep the party theme as per your needs. Whether you require to arrange a casual reception or an intimate party, we ensure that the food & beverages are precisely as per your requirements and in a way that delights your guests to the max. We are popular in Northern Virginia as the preferred event organizers for a host of events. 

Besides having a good time relishing the tasty cuisines served in the party, your guests would be also able to make a selection from the delicious wines we serve them. Whether its our award winning Red wine or the White one, your guests will enjoy every sip of it. We also arrange meetings, corporate events, private wine tastings, fundraisers, weddings and wine festivals in Virginia apart from entertaining holiday parties. If you too are interested in planning your next special occasion with us, simply get in touch with our event specialists to make your reservation. 

Each of our wines is quite popular among wine lovers. You can even use our red wine to make hot mulled wines at your home. A favorite holiday tradition, mulled wine features a heavenly taste and is also easier to prepare. Its Charles Dickens who gets the honor for elevating mulled wine to a holiday drink. The wine's place got secured in culinary history after it appeared in the eminent short story "A Christmas Carol". Red wine is a major ingredient of all mulled wines.

Mulled wine taste may differ depending on the recipe used. Some recipes may involve addition of citrus fruits along with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg while others may require adding sugar or honey to make the wine sweeter in taste. Irrespective of the recipe used for mulled wine, the final prepared wine is a real treat to taste. You can have a great time relishing it or visiting our winery to taste the several wines we offer. 

For more details please visit the website : wineryatbullrun

Enjoy a Great Selection of Virginia Wines Only at TWABR

In Roman times, the middle of March marked the start of spring. You may also be surprised by the fact about Romans and their love for wines. Wine was given prime importance in the Roman diet and was available to slaves & peasants in the same way as to aristocrats. Its also said that an average Roman, whether slave, peasant, aristocrat or some other; had a daily wine intake of around 1 gallon. However, poor quality drinking water was considered responsible for such amazing Roman wine intake. 

Its also said that Romans never consumed any of their wines in full-strength. Rather they used to considerably add water to wine in order to decrease its strong sensation & alcohol content. The impact of Roman empire on viticulture was quite profound as production of wine was done throughout the empire. Roman's influence can be seen on the wine making areas existing in Italy, Portugal, France, Germany, and Spain. 

Romans were also quite skilful in creating refreshing beverages by adding several ingredients to wine. One of such beverages is Mulsum, a delicious mix of honey and white wine. You can make it easily at home by following the right procedure. Take half cup clear honey and half bottle medium-dry white wine. You can use our Dry Riesling wine for that purpose. Having arranged all the ingredients, warm the honey and then mix it with white wine. Chill the mixture in refrigerator for 24 hours and then serve accordingly. 

Our award-winning, light-bodied wine Delaney can also serve the purpose perfectly. Delaney is a semi-dry white wine that can be used for mulsum. It has won many awards at prestigious wine competitions including a gold medal at the Wines of the South Competition and a silver medal at New York International Wine Competition. You will be delighted to take sips of our Delaney besides a host of other wines that are available at our winery for daily tastings.

Live music & food is available on weekends. If you are looking for having the best wine tours in Virginia, then do consider The Winery at Bull Run for the same. We offer an exotic selection of Red wines, White wines and fruit wines that you can taste by paying a nominal charge. Our winery is also perfect to have the best vineyard tours in Virginia. We also offer the ideal site for arranging parties and events as per your convenience. So, come celebrate with us.

Revealing the Rich History of Hillwood & The Winery at Bull Run

Our location is right next to the historic Manassas National Battlefield Park due to which the visitors at our winery are attracted towards the stone ruins of Hillwood house. The foundation and chimney of Hillwood house still stand and have ideally become our link to the past. Hillwood's rich history can be traced back to 1840 when Weir family acquired the land on which the winery sits at present. At one point of time, the estate covered 513 acres land. 

Hillwood closely witnessed the first & second battles at Bull Run and surely we would be privileged to hear more about these historic battles if just the walls of Hillwood could speak. A Stone Bridge located south of Hillwood, close to Route 29, holds great historical importance. This bridge is also the source of TWABR's unique label. Built in 1825, this beautiful bridge was partially ruined in the spring of 1862 when Confederate soldiers destroyed its middle span. Later the bridge was built again, but Union soldiers ruined it again after they were defeated in the second battle of Manassas. 

This may make it seem as if Hillwood was ruined as well. However, the house survived, but post Civil War, its ownership changed a number of times. Later, Julius T. Richards became the owner of the house. Being a passionate collector of Civil War artifacts, Richards made the National Battlefield Museum containing more than 100,000 artifacts. The museum was built on Route 29, to the east of Stone Bridge. Tourism got severely affected due to World War II and so Richard considered it better to close the museum. Having closed the museum, Richards moved to Vicksburg, Miss. Later, Hillwood was again sold in 1944 and then two years later, in 1946. 

The house got severely damaged due to a fire in 1990. Not only the roof collapsed but the second floor also came down. For the next couple of decades, Hillwood sat idle. Finally, in 2008, Jon Hickox bought the remaining 21 acres and started making plans to make a winery adjacent to it. If you want to know more about Hillwood, you can visit our tasting room. We have displayed Civil War relics as well as the house photos in our winery's tasting room. TWABR is one of the best wedding venues in Virginia. Our winery's spectacular location makes it perfect for arranging entertaining parties, events and wine festivals in Virginia. You can visit our winery to have a soothing time with your friends while sipping exotic wines.

Have the Best Time of your Life while Being at TWABR

Our winery located in Centreville, Virginia, USA has become the preferred place for people to have a good time. TWABR's location makes it quite convenient for the wine lovers to visit the winery anytime during the usual opening hours. The evergreen charm of our winery pooled with our exceptional wine offerings has won the hearts of many people. Wine enthusiasts residing in Virginia and its nearby areas make a regular visit to our winery to relish the Norton, Merlot and other exotic wines suiting their taste. Its our pure commitment to bring in the finest quality wines for wine lovers to enable them experience the best of what TWABR has to offer. 

TWABR was founded in the year 2012 when a sweet dream realized into reality. Since establishment, we have continually worked towards improving the quality of our wine offerings. We also made significant additions to our existing property to boost our winery business. The unmatched variety of our offered wines is sufficient to impress wine lovers. However, we also focused on maintaining a charismatic environment at the winery to enable the visitors preserve the memories of the time they spend at TWABR. Visitors arriving at the winery can also have a great time exploring the Virginia vineyards here.

Not everything can be perfect but still our excellent wine collection has been marked perfect by many wine lovers. Besides superior wine offerings, we also focus on offering sheer entertainment to the visitors coming here. To attain this feat, we organize different events featuring performances from eminent music artists at weekends. Such heart-wining performances provoke the event participants to dance to their tunes, which is quite a memorable moment for us too. Not just wine and music, we also line up delicious food in these events that ensures the visitors that they will have a great gala time during their visit to the winery.

TWABR is also one of the major wedding venues in VA. What makes our winery so special for wedding events is its delighting charm of Virginia tradition along with its picturesque location. Whatever may be your unique needs & plans for your wedding, the event management professionals at TWABR ensure that everything is taken proper care of. From the minutest decorative detail to a major theme change, we are expert in creating the perfect setting for your wedding event. People looking to make their birthdays, anniversaries, engagement or any other event a grand one always rely on TWABR and we feel extremely proud of this fact.

Travel Back in Time to a Historic Virginia Setting at TWABR

Besides the exotic landscapes and charming people, what makes Virginia so popular ? Unquestionably, wine has to be the most highlighted attraction of this marvelous state in the US. For over four hundred years, wine making has been a constant activity in this part of the US. It has also resulted in making Virginia one of the top wine destinations in the world. 

Virginia winery has a deep and rich history associated with it. Experimental plantings of vinifera (European origin wines) through the 1960's was suffice to promote the establishment of six new wineries in the 1970's. The winery set-up figures kept on incrementing with 46 working wineries by the year 1995. By 2005, the number of wineries was more than double and summed up to 107. As for now, there are around 200 wineries in Virginia thus enabling it occupy the fifth place in the US list of places with maximum wineries. 

The Winery at Bull Run was established in the year 2012 to sustain the rich cultural heritage of Virginia wines. Located in Centreville, VA, our winery has become a popular destination for local people to enjoy exotic wines while remaining connected to the true Virginian culture. We respect the importance of tradition and so offer a completely charming atmosphere that takes you back to the mid-1800's. Our award-winning wines enable you have the best time of your life while you enjoy the majestic treat in our winery's tasting room.

TWABR is also one of the most impressive sites for winery weddings in Virginia. We not only make your wedding event an extra-special one but also ensure that the moments remain alive in the memories of your guests as well as yours for a lifetime. Besides weddings, you can consider our winery for birthdays, engagements or any other celebration you may think of. 

We have a full calender of events scheduled for the running year which is also available at the winery's website. People willing to attend the events can check out our website or can also get in touch with our event management team. Our winery has been host to some of the best wine festivals in Virginia. We have been celebrating these festive events with full zeal and also invite the local residents to participate with the same magnitude of enthusiasm. 

Right from the marvelously adorned wine tables to the natural charisma of our historic winery, everything will delight you to the core. So, are you ready to witness the grand experience of delicious wines along with Virginian hospitality ? Do visit out winery and enjoy the private events held here in a unique style. Tastings are open daily.

Make your Special Wedding Event an Extra-special One at TWABR

Wedding is one of the most crucial events in anyone's life and so it becomes quite necessary to make the event as memorable as possible. All that is required to turn your wedding ceremony into a grand event is an exotic location and an innovative theme. Thankfully, at The Winery at Bull Run, you get access to both of these. Ever since its establishment, TWABR has been one of the most preferred wedding sites in Virginia.

So, what makes TWABR really special for wedding events ? Well, our historic winery is located in Virginia's Fairfax County that is quite near to Washington DC, thus making it pretty easy to get. The winery site is absolutely marvelous to host a wedding event. Besides all this, our award winning professional event planning service enables making the event a really special one. 

The event management professionals at TWABR will assist you to the fullest in selecting the right theme for your wedding party. You can go for any of the available themes or may even add up your suggestions to make it exactly in the way you like. With the help of our winery's experienced event management professionals, you will be able to plan a 5-star event that makes a striking impression on your guests. 

Unlike other wedding venues in Virginia, TWABR offers the complete setting to make your wedding event a grand & memorable one. Whether your guests go for our offered Red wines like Norton, Merlot etc., or for the White wines like Delaney, Lily's Viognier etc., they can rest assured of discovering a new blend of joy and energy every time. 

Each of our offered wine is a total delight both in terms of its rich appearance and heavenly taste. So, your guests can come and relish our award winning wines while attending your memorable wedding. TWABR is an ideal location not just for wedding but also for any other crucial event of your life like birthday, wedding anniversary, engagement etc. 

You must know that an event booked at our winery is always uniquely spectacular & charming. Several venue areas of our historic winery offer you ample options to decide whether to conduct the ceremony inside the Barn or outside. TWABR event specialists further make it a lot easier to make the decision. For more details on how to make your event a special one, you can contact TWABR's event department Tuesday-Saturday 10 am–5 pm.

Welcome the Charming Spring Season at The Winery at Bull Run

Having enjoyed Northern Virginia’s mild winter, we made a few improvements at the winery's outdoor. With parking lot adequately expanded and a new rooftop deck built, we are all set to welcome the warmer days of spring. In Roman history, the spring beginning has an intimate connection with the Ides of March. The date March 15 is related with the assassination of Julius Ceaser. As per Romans, spring beginning is marked from the middle of march. A number of sobering facts are prevalent about the Roman wine. 

Romans made it a necessity to include wine in their daily diet and so right from slaves, peasants to aristocrats enjoyed it for free on a daily basis. As historians say, the wine consumption figure for every Roman was nearly one gallon per day. Its also supposed that such high consumption tendency was on account of the inferior quality drinking water Romans used for wines. Amazingly, they used to dilute the wine's strength by adding more and more water, which ultimately decreased the alcohol content in wine considerably. 

Romans love for wine can be realized from the fact that wine production spread throughout the empire. Their wine making techniques made a profound impact on the winemaking regions in France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Spain, making them major winemaking regions. Its also known that Romans created refreshing beverages suiting their taste by adding several ingredients into the wine. Mulsum is one such beverage that features a mixture of honey and white wine. Its quite easy to make and all you require is a bottle of medium-dry white wine and half cup clear honey. After warming the honey, mix it with white wine and then store in a refrigerator for 24 hours before it becomes ready to be served. 

You can try our award winning Delaney as it makes a fine choice for making mulsum. Featuring a delicious taste, our light-bodied Delaney is a semi-white wine that has won a gold medal in the Wines of the South Competition, besides a silver medal at the New York International Wine Competition. You can relish the same by paying a kind visit at our historic winery. Join us at the winery as the spring approaches to have a great time of your life. 

Our winery is open daily for tastings and you can even enjoy entertaining music and delicious food on Friday and Saturday nights. Besides being a spectacular site for birthdays, receptions etc., TWABR is also one of the best wedding venues in VA. So, you can plan any of your events here to make it a great one. 

For more details please visit the website : http://wineryatbullrun.com/

Going Back in the Pages of Time at The Winery at Bull Run

As we are right next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, visitors arriving at our winery can't resist trying to know more about its historic significance. Besides this historic park, ruins of Hillwood House also draw our visitor's attention. The foundation and chimney of Hillwood House are still there serving as an outdoor gathering place nowadays. There is a story linked to the history of Hillwood. 

Way back in 1840, the Hillwood land on which TWABR sits now was owned by the Weir family. In that 513 acres estate, a double-story clapboard house was built. We could have the privilege to know the happenings in Bull Run's first & second battles, just if the Hillwood walls could talk. The house was quite near to the battle field and so was witness to whatever happened at that time.

Built in 1825, a Stone Bridge located around half mile away from Hillwood is the source from where we used the idea for our winery's label. We used the image of this beautiful bridge while creating TWABR's label. In 1862, the bridge's center span was blown up by Confederate soldiers. It was rebuilt later but destroyed again by the Union soldiers when they suffered defeat in Second Manassas battle. The Hillwood House survived this course of time, but post Civil war, its ownership changed multiple times. 

Julius T. Richards, an enthusiastic Civil War artifacts collector purchased the house. He got the National Battlefield Museum, containing more than 100,000 artifacts, built to the east of Stone Bridge. Later, he closed the museum and went to Vicksburg. The Hillwood House was again sold in 1944 and then in 1946. A severe fire damaged the house in 1990, bringing down its roof and second floor. In 2008, Jon Hickox bought the left 21 acres with his plans of building the winery. To know more about Hillwood, you can visit our tasting room where we have displayed photos of Hillwood house and Civil War relics. 

Just for $8, you can also get a copy of our recently published “The Winery at Bull Run and the History of Hillwood,” that is well-written by Chuck Mauro, a local historian. You will definitely relish our tasty Northern Virginia wine on a cold winter's day when you sit and relax next to our tasting room's fireplace. Besides offering exotic wines to wine-lovers, TWABR has also ideally served the purpose of being one of the best wedding venues in Virginia. You can visit the winery for daily tastings at the time specified. 

For more details please visit the website : wineryatbullrun.com

Explore Rich Virginian History While Relishing Tasty Virginia Wine at TWABR

Whether you desire to enjoy delicious wines or want to witness exciting grape stomping, The Winery at Bull Run offers something for everyone. Step back in time to an unseen 1860 setting as you arrive at TWABR that is located about 20 miles from Washington DC, next to the Manassas National Battlefield. While overlooking the historic Manassas Battlefield, sip our offered tasty wines and experience a new delight from within. Our award-winning wines have made us proud and so has our dedicated staff. This calm winery location also offers a vast historical scope to history buffs who can have a keen observation of the Civil war artifacts here.

Our amazing winery truly serves something for everyone. Besides serving as the perfect site for organizing auspicious events like wedding ceremonies, engagements, birthday celebrations, family get-together etc., TWABR also holds repute for its organized wine festivals in Virginia. Wine lovers can have the privilege to taste our exotic wines, besides enjoying delicious cuisines served in our wine festivals. People can further entertain themselves with delighting music from various artists to have a memorable evening of their lives. Come, let's celebrate together at The Winery at Bull Run. We are open daily 11 a.m in morning till 7 p.m in the evening. 

For more details please visit the website : http://www.wineryatbullrun.com/about-us/the-people-of-twabr/