"We recently visited Early Mountain Winery to celebrate my birthday, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish.

The food was fantastic—beautifully prepared and flavorful. I started with the pan-seared rockfish minestrone, which was incredibly good. I have some sensitivities to certain seasonings and noticed a slight throat itch, so just to be safe, our amazing waitress graciously offered to bring me a different dish. I tried the roasted gold bar squash, and honestly, it blew me away. I’ve never had squash prepared that way—tender, perfectly seasoned, with just the right touch of Parmesan Reggiano. We also shared the marinated olives and cheese, and everything was fresh and well balanced.

The wine flight we tried included the Madison County Chardonnay 2022, Petit Manseng 2022, Capstone Cabernet Franc 2021, and Eluvium 2021. Each wine had something special to offer depending on your taste. I typically lean toward dry reds, but my husband and I both really loved the Petit Manseng—it had the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and acidity. We ended up getting a bottle and took the rest home to enjoy with Sunday lunch—it was just as delicious chilled the next day.

The service and hospitality were top-notch. Every staff member was warm, friendly, and genuinely welcoming—even just walking past, everyone greeted us. That attention to guests really sets the tone and shows how much they care about the experience.

The views are absolutely stunning, and next time we plan to sit outside to soak them in even more. The ambiance was perfect for a special occasion or a relaxing date day—we even brought along a couples game to enjoy while we sipped and took in the atmosphere.

Kudos to the staff, the chef, the winemakers, and management for creating such a beautiful, thoughtful experience. We’ll definitely be back soon!"

K & S Pender (The Penders)

"I visited this winery last year but wasn't able to enjoy much of the property because a private wedding was going on and it was raining.

I returned this weekend and am happy I did. It's upscale but inviting, not stuffy at all. They have a full service restaurant on site with delicious food.

I had the fusilli pasta and a red wine flight. Both were very good. The grounds are beautiful so sitting on the patio would be perfect on a nice day. All the tables outside were taken so I ate inside. The tasting room is very big and beautiful."

Fit and Grandmother

"Amazing lunch at the restaurant! We came for the wine tasting and were blown away by the delectable food (quite reasonably priced in our opinion). Every dish we tasted had an interesting and well-balanced combination of ingredients and flavors. My absolute favorite was the strawberry gazpacho which was beautifully presented (photo attached) and had a delicious mix of different textures (softness of the strawberry puree/buttermilk vs. crunchiness of the radish/cucumber). Also a special mention for the cheese plate - great to see them showcasing products from Virginia, and all three cheeses were delightful in their own way.

Other than the food, the restaurant itself is lovely and provides different seating options - airy and impeccably furnished inside, with a more casual atmosphere on the patio. We chose the latter as it has a view of the vineyards and had a very pleasant time. My only minor comment is that the service could be a little more refined for a place delivering such high quality food. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Early Mountain and highly recommend!"

Leena IB