Winery Wednesday- Michael Shaps Wineworks

 We didn't make it off the property for a Winery Wednesday in January. It was a good month to hunker down! But, February started giving us peeks at decent weather, and so we were ready for a little adventure. The Random Winery Generator sent us to Michael Shaps Wineworks. This winery is south of Charlottesville, and we knew exactly where, as its nearest neighbor is the Thatch Winery, a Winery Wednesday adventure on October 24, 2021. 

This is an interesting winery, owned by Mr. Shaps, but made up of three different vineyards. There are two in Virginia, Shenandoah, north of Harrisonburg near I-81, and Honah Lee Vineyard near Gordonsville.  The third is in Burgundy, France, Bouzeron Les Clous.  So, in our tastings were both Virginia wines and French ones. 

At Michael Shaps, we had a tasting. This is different from a flight. A flight is poured for you, and you take it with you to a table. A tasting, is often smaller amounts and more variety, tried with the wineseller as a guide,  telling you about the wines. The tasting had both reds and whites, so we had one tasting, with Huz drinking most of the reds, and me drinking the whites. Then we both ordered a glass of our favorite to take to a table and enjoy. 

As for the wines, my favorite was the 2020 Aligoté, a wine from Bouzeron Les Clous in Bourgogne. Aligoté is a grape varietal and was a wine favorite we enjoyed when we were there in 2018. 

Huz also liked the Aligoté, but favored the 2019 Cabernet Franc, and the 2015 L Scott, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec grapes. 

The wineseller in the tasting room was knowledgeable and friendly, and there are a few inside tables, and an outside area that was plastic tented for warmth. But the views are not spectacular, and you are sort of right in the winery area with the stainless steel vats and equipment. The nicest view is blocked by a trailer type building. So, I think this is a good place to go, taste to decide your favorites, buy some wine and go somewhere pretty to drink it. 

Like, here:

Sunset from the sleeping porch at Foxcroft Farm. 

Or, go to Micheal Shaps, taste, buy and then travel back down the driveway, and swing into Thatch for another tasting, and your picnic. 

Michael Shaps Wineworks :

Wines: **

Location/ Atmosphere: *

Food: DNT, but they do advertise cheese, bread and charcuterie.