My Experience at Effingham Manor & Winery + Review

***Please note that this My Experience at Effingham Manor & Winery + Review will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date Virginia Wine scene. This guide was most recently updated as of May 2026.***

If you’ve ever wanted to visit a winery located on the grounds of a historic Manor, then you’re in luck! Effingham Manor & Winery is on a historic manor’s grounds – complete with a koi fish pond – that’s converted into a winery and events space producing locally-made wines all while honoring its history and heritage. Indeed, Effingham Manor & Winery is a unique spot – perfectly fit for both history nerds, wine lovers, and everyone in between. 

For more United States travel inspiration, check out my Exploring 50 States expedition page. For more Washington, DC area travel inspiration, check out my Exploring The DMV page. For a comprehensive guide on Northern Virginia Wineries, look no further than here.

My Experience at Effingham Manor & Winery + Review

Table of Contents

How To Save at Virginia Wineries (and Beyond!)

Getting There

About Effingham Manor & Winery + Plan Your Visit

My Experience

How To Save at Virginia Wineries (and Beyond!)

Want to save on wineries in Virginia (and beyond!!), including at Effingham Manor & Winery?! Download Reserve Pass and sign up for YOUR membership today!! Reserve Pass is currently the only app in the United States that is essentially a nationwide wine (and sometimes beer) tasting pass for you and a guest (see more here)! Memberships are available in monthly and annual formats. The key features of Reserve Pass are:

  • Explore – by simply downloading the Reserve Pass app, you can simply plan your wine tasting adventure within your own backyard or while on vacation.
  • Perks – as a Reserve Pass member, you get to enjoy exclusive perks while touring historical sites, strolling through vineyards, and tasting local wines.
  • Revisit – unlike just any old coupon, you can revisit any of the wineries you loved and get the same Reserve Pass deals with them time and time again.

Interested in getting your own Reserve Pass today?! Interested in trying Reserve Pass for yourself?!?! Use my discount code “ktwine40” for 40% off an annual membership today (value: $69).

For more details on Reserve Pass, look no further than here. For a comprehensive guide on Northern Virginia Wineries, look no further than here.

Getting There

Located in Nokesville, Virginia on the Western edge of Northern Virginia’s Prince William County, Effingham Manor & Winery is most easily accessible by car. There are no nearby Metro stations or public transit options if coming from Washington, DC and it is best to get there via driving. Effingham Manor & Winery is accessible via back roads (be prepared!) off of the Prince William County Parkway with close proximity to Bristow, Virginia and its many shops and restaurants nearby. However, once you arrive at Effingham Manor & Winery, you will NOT regret your visit there!

Address: 14325 Trotters Ridge Pl, Nokesville, VA 20181

About Effingham Manor & Winery + Plan Your Visit

Effingham Manor & Winery is open daily from 11am-6pm and you can reserve your table here. Please note that walk-ins are welcome, too. Due to the property’s historic nature, pets are not welcome onsite. Additionally, visitors to the winery must be 21+ only.

As previously mentioned, Effingham Manor & Winery consists of both a Manor and a winery – truly a history buff and wine lover’s paradise! While not all Sunshine and rainbows when it comes to its history, Effingham Manor & Winery truly maintains its heritage while moving forward into the 21st century (and beyond!). 

Effingham Manor was first settled by William Alexander of the powerful Alexander family (and where Alexandria, Virginia got its namesake from!) as part of a land grant from King George 1st. The manor was officially built with an operating farm by 1967. When William Alexander died in 1814, his wife and son Lawrence inherited the property, however, it was sold to pay off debts in 1828 to John Macrae. It is worth mentioning that not all history is happy as Effingham Manor, since the land was worked by slave labor until the 1860’s with up to 40 enslaved people working on the property. Upon the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation, 3 of the 4 Slave Houses were taken down, with one remaining for Sharecroppers. This historic slave house still stands and is one of only a handful in Virginia and was converted into a guest house in 1955 when the Engh family purchased and owned the manor. The Engh family upon purchasing Effingham Manor was also responsible for a lot of the renovations and upkeep of the manor, all while maintaining its legacy. In 2015, Chris Pearmund and his partners purchased Effingham Manor, with the intention of marrying the history of Virginia, and the history of Virginia Winemaking – aka amazing!!! Today, Effingham Manor has wifi, indoor plumbing, an onsite award-winning Virginia winemaker, and its grounds have been added onto what it is today: Effingham Manor & Winery. On the weekends, Effingham Manor also doubles as a tasting room, events space, reception, and dining rooms – all for visitors to enjoy as they savor a glass of wine! Learn more about Effingham Manor & Winery and its unique history here. 

Reserve your visit to Effingham Manor & Winery today here.

My Experience

Guided Wine Tasting

While at Effingham, I took part in a guided wine tasting and guided tour of the manor. I tried several of Effingham’s wines – all of which are dry wines (as someone who LOVES dry wines, I felt as if I hit the jackpot!!). As previously mentioned, Effingham has an onsite, award-winning winemaker, meaning that all wines are Virginia-made! In addition to a variety of wines, Effingham also has beers on tap from Haymarket’s Trouvalle Brewing. Highlights of my guided wine tasting at Effingham include:

  • 2022 Chardonnay (Gold Harvest Challenge) – A medium-bodied wine that’s aged in French oak barrels that offers hints of lemon curd, meringue, and lightly toasted oak. Tropical fruit and citrus flavors prevail, offering a hint of bright acidity on the finish.
  • 2023 Rose (Silver Texas International) – An off-dry rose that’s a blend of Chambourcin and Chardonnay/Chardonnel. Palate-wise, the rose offers a touch of sweet melon and citrus fruit notes balanced with a soft round mouthfeel with subtle citrus notes on the finish.
  • 2023 Celebration (Silver Virginia Wine International) – Containing 1.5% residual sugar and a blend of Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, and Petit Manseng, this white wine is 100% aged in stainless steel and offering, honeysuckle, Asian pear, dried apricot, and citrus nose that carry over to the palate.
  • 2022 Merlot (A Newly-released vintage!) – Effingham’s only varietal wine aged 14 months in American Oak Barrels, it showcases aromas of cherry, cranberry, and plum with flavors of pomegranate, tart cherry, and a hint of peppercorn which are all found on the finish.
  • 2021 Meritage (Gold Virginia Wine Invitational) – A Bordeaux-style wine aged 14 months in 100% American Oak comprised of Cabarnet Franc, Cabarnet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot and showcasing notes of black fruit and tobacco on the nose that carries throughout and onto the palate. 
  • 2021 Tannat (Best of Category and Double Gold, Harvest Challenge 95 Points) – Aged 14 months in Virginia Oak, this beautiful varietal that expresses notes of black fruit, leather, and chocolate with black fruit, cherry, and spices on the palate. 

Learn more about the wines and beer at Effingham here and here.

Guided Manor Tour

Alongside a guided wine tasting, I also enjoyed a guided Manor Tour. On this guided Manor Tour, I learned more about the history of Effingham Manor and its preservation into what it is today. From the wallpaper to the furniture to tributes to the manor’s former owners, including the Engh family with places to enjoy a glass of wine at every corner, Effingham Manor truly holds past history while honoring what it’s become. While I previously mentioned the manor’s history and story earlier in this blog post, I loved getting to enjoy its gorgeous grounds that celebrates Virginia history AND winemaking! Hence, I’ve included a little bit of a mini photo tour of the manor, which I LOVED learning about how local social groups come for book clubs, card games, and more on a regular basis at!!!

Wrap-Up

Effingham Manor & Winery blends both Virginia history and winemaking together. Indeed, it is such a gem in Virginia and truly offers unique pieces of Virginia life, history, and culture with nods to both the past and the present. Needless to say, I am 10000% excited to visit Effingham Manor & Winery again *very* soon!!

A special thank you to Reserve Pass and Effingham Manor & Winery for coordinating my visit and sponsoring today’s blog post. Without their support, The Pink Chickadee wouldn’t be where it is today!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery Review

My first-ever activity when I turned 21 was visiting local-to-me vineyards, as it was also in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. AND, vineyard visits have since become a favorite activity of mine! SO, when I got invited to check out a winery AND brewery, Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery, I could NOT say no!

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

About:

Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery was founded in 2002 and reimagined in 2020 with a mission to “blur the lines between beer and wine” through the power of innovation. Set in the heart of Northern Virginia’s Wine Country in Delaplane, Virginia and possessing several scenic views at everyyyy angle, Three Fox Vineyards also strives to give back to the community beyond its visitors. Three Fox is ALSO dog-friendly and family-friendly!

Three Fox has a variety of seating arrangements too. Whether it be within their indoors Tasting Room, outdoors Patio and Deck, or *even* in none other than their Grape Vines, there is ALWAYS an option for everyone and their preferences. One of the many many many assets that Three Fox has to offer is also seating literally over the hill to an onsite meadow and creek (!!!!!!!) with several benches where many fur legged LOVE to take a stroll by! If you want to learn more, look no further than here!

As for drinks, Three Fox has a vast wine and beer menu, as well as some boozy shakes! I opted for the white wine flight and was very impressed!!!

Getting There:

Three Fix Vineyards & Brewery is located off of Exit 23 via I-66 via an easy drive off of the highway and is easily within a day trip’s distance from Front Royal, Winchester, and Washington, DC. It is easiest to drive to Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery, as the nearest Metro station (Ashburn via the Silver Line) is a 46 minute drive away.

My Experience:

Overall, I was BLOWN away by my visit at Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery! The staff that I met, including Christina, Robin, and Molina (not sure if it’s spelled correctly!), were all EXTREMELY kind and hospitable. One of the things that stuck out to me about Three Fox’s interior design was the unique touch of bouquets across the tables. I later found out that those gorgeous bouquets were mostly the product of the staff’s *very own* gardens at their respective homes. HOW LOVELY!

Now, I was seated at an amazing location onsite … a table in the grape vines!!!! YES, the grape vines!!! HOW NEAT! Three Fox ALSO has a local third party pizza vendor onsite which I grabbed some lunch at alongside my complimentary white wine tasting. While seated in *none other than the grape vines* I enjoyed taking in ALL of the incredible vibes here at Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery, including a front seat row to watching … the cows come home (no LITERALLY!). I had never sat in a table in the grape vines and I truly felt like royalty thanks to the staff at Three Fox!

Wrap-Up:

I LOVED the family AND dog-friendly atmosphere at Three Fox and would highly recommend it to others looking for a great vineyard AND brewery to visit! Not only is Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery easily accessible off of I-66 and within an easy reach of Washington, DC, Front Royal, and Winchester, but it also boasts something for everyone of ALL ages.

A special thank you to the team at Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery for sponsoring my visit. 

Til next time, Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Barboursville Vineyards Review

A few weeks ago, my fellow Lilly Pulitzer loving friend Lorena suggested that we visit Barboursville Vineyards as a summer meet-up place, as it is a well-known and gorgeous vineyard in Orange County, Virginia. I had recently visited other Virginia vineyards Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane (read about that here), The Winery at Bull Run in Centreville (read about that both here and here), and Grace Estate Winery in Crozet (read about that here). Being that I LOVE wine and am always down to try a brand-new vineyard, I *just* knew that I had to make that our meet-up spot this summer! One of the best parts of Barboursville Vineyards is that it is approximately 2 hours away from the Washington, DC area making it a perfect day trip to getaway from the hustle and bustle in my own backyard. Read on more to see my *very own* Barboursville Vineyards review!

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

About Barboursville Vineyards:

Proudly known as “an estate of wine”, Barboursville Vineyards lays the plot of land in which former President Thomas Jefferson almost took root in constructing Monticello on. But, Jefferson’s footprint at Barboursville Vineyards is far from little: Jefferson designed a historic landmark mansion for his friend the former Virginia Governor James Barbour. The construction of this historic landmark mansion finished in 1821, only to be burned down due to a Christmas Tree fire on Christmas 1884. Today the ruins of this historic landmark mansion is known as the Barboursville Ruins and are just a few minutes’ walk through a gorgeous meadow trail from the winery and its well-known restaurant Palladio. In 1976, Gianni Zonin an Italian from the province of Veneto acquired this plantation with the expectation of making it into a vineyard that would soon be known as what it is today: Barboursville Vineyards. 2006 was the commemoration of 30 years of Barboursville Vineyards and, to this very day, the Zonin family continues to bring together purpose and passion through their work and Zonin family traditions along with maintaining the vineyard’s heritage through 8 generations. Read more on Barboursville Vineyards’s heritage here!

Getting There:

2 hours from Washington, DC, 1 hour and 15 minutes from Richmond, and 30 minutes from Charlottesville, Barboursville Vineyards is within an accessible day-trip reach to those in the Washington, DC area and other parts of Virginia. It is easiest to drive to Barboursville Vineyards, given that there are LOTS of stunning windy country roads along the way there which make you feel as if you are in a real life painting. I did drive by James Madison’s Montpelier on the way to Barboursville Vineyards and it was about 10-15 minutes away, making it a GREAT post-Montpelier refreshment before the ride home. Read more on visiting and Barboursville Vineyards here!

My Experience:

Lorena and I started our time at Barboursville Vineyards at their ultra-elegant restaurant Palladio. Palladio named after Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio from the Venetian Republic of Italy (just like the Zonin family!) is majorly elegant and gives off ALL the Italian Renaissance vibes. A win, win!!! Lorena and I enjoyed a super Italian 3-course meal at Palladio, splitting a gorgeous ricotta and radish and onion salad, mushroom and parmesan flower pasta, and then splitting a flourless chocolate cake topped with a blueberry syrup to finish. Last but not least, we had complimentary champagne (!!!!). Needless to say, our time at Palladio was very nice and we both felt as if we were on top of the world!

After we felt ON TOP OF THE WORLD (!!!!) while dining at Palladio, Lorena and I took a gorgeous meadow trail to the nearby Barboursville Ruins. The trail that we took to the Barboursville Ruins was an open meadow trail looking over gorgeous fields that lead to rolling hills and then eventually the Blue Ridge mountains. There were stunning flowers, too, within the meadows. It really felt as if I was placed into a painting!! As previously mentioned, the Barboursville Ruins pay homage to former Virginia Governor James Barbour’s home of what remains of it today since that tragic fire on Christmas 1884. The home looks like a mini Monticello! You can totally see a lot of parallels to the Barboursville Ruins and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello which I visited with Papa back in October 2021 (read on that here). Needless to say, the Barboursville Ruins showcases a home that feels very much like it belongs right where it was meant to be.

Before Lorena and I parted ways, we checked out the wine tasting room so I could purchase some bottles of wine as gifts for family members, which is adjacent to the Library 1821 which was established at Barboursville Vineyards to allow visitors “comfort and contemplative tastings throughout the year” via wine flights and charcuterie and cheese, which are changing throughout the seasons of the year. At the same time, Library 1821 serves as a home to select documents, including a letter by former President John Quincy Adams where he appointed James Barbour to his presidential cabinet as Secretary of War, original fine china owned by the Barbour family, and commendations from the vineyard’s many wines. While we didn’t go into the Library 1821 as it’s more for bigger parties and adjacent 1804 Inn Guests, I know it is something of interest for me to dine in in the future!

Wrap-Up:

Lorena and I had an INCREDIBLE time at Barboursville Vineyards!! It is always a huge blessing tto catch up with a great friend like Lorena. Not only does Barboursville Vineyards offer such extraordinary aspects of Virginia’s state history and more specifically Orange County, Virginia’s history, but it also offers a variety of tasty wines and cuisines all locally sourced in the most stunning setting. On my way home, I passed several other local wineries which truly presented me with the gift of wine that the Virginia Wine Country around Greene, Albemarle, and Orange counties of Virginia have to offer. Needless to say, I feel SO MUCH gratitude to live in such a historic and incredible city and state. My Barboursville Vineyards review was truly one for the books!

XOXO – Katie <3

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