The Shenandoah Valley is awash with spring beauty. The redbuds are showing their stuff, the grasses are greener than green and the sky across the Valley seems bluer in spring than anywhere else in the world. What a place for a road trip, and here is an ideal destination – CrossKeys Vineyards in Mt. Crawford.
Our good friend, and a sterling musician, Jimmy O, was playing a Sunday matinee at CrossKeys. He said to come over – the food is great, the scenery delightful and the wines truly remarkable. So we did.
Jimmy was entertaining and gracious, as always, and a bottle of chilled 2014 Joy White got the afternoon off to a great start. Very reasonably priced at $17.50 a bottle, Joy White is a signature offering from CrossKeys. It has a slight hint of peaches and pears, it’s refreshing but not overly sweet. We had two bottles – must have spilled some. We also tasted their Joy Red and was impressed enough to bring some home for a future occasion.
The food was also quite impressive. We ate and enjoyed Jimmy’s music and great sounds from the past in the Vineyards Bistro. Nancy had a French Dip sandwich – shaved prime rib in a red wine demi-glaze on a French baguette with Swiss cheese and garlic aioli. It was scrumptious. Executive Chef Dexter offers an impressive tapas selection including tempting dishes such as Duck Nachos, Brie Fondue, the famous CrossKeys Sampler and others. There are also garden fresh salads, burgers and other sandwiches on the menu.
The spring hours of operation in the Bistro are 11:30 am to 6:30 pm daily while the Tastings Room is open from 11 am to 7 pm daily. Tours are offered at noon, 2 pm and again at 4 pm.
Jimmy O will be doing Vineyard Vibes at CrossKeys from 2 pm till 5 pm on the following Sundays: May 24. June 21, August 30 and October 25. He will also be playing for the Wine & Tapas events on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on July 10, September 11 and November 27. Mark your calendars and put this great vineyard on your agenda for a future road trip.
CrossKeys Vineyards is conveniently located in Mt. Crawford, roughly between Massanutten Resort and Harrisonburg, and easily accessible by Interstate 81. Go to www.crosskeysvineyards.com for directions and more information.