5 Reasons to Tour & Taste Southern WV’s Wine & Spirits

West Virginia might be known for its unique Mountain Moonshine, but we’ve perfected many an alcoholic beverage.

Our top-notch wineries and distilleries churn out award-winning, unique, handcrafted drinks to suit any taste. To sample a variety, try some of our favorite Southern WV wineries and distilleries open for tastings:

• Smooth Ambler Spirits (Maxweleton, WV) Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys. Tasting Room and Gift Shop: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-5PM. Tours: Friday & Saturday at 12PM, 2PM, 4PM.
• Kirkwood Winery (Summersville, WV) 30+ wines Hours: Everyday from 9AM to 5PM. Tours are offered throughout the week.
• Isaiah Morgan Distillery (Summersville, WV) Hours: Everyday from 9AM to 5PM. Tours are offered throughout the week- Same location as Kirkwood Winery.
• Daniel Vineyards (Crab Orchard, WV) 10+ wines. Tastings & Self-Guided Tours: Tuesday- Saturday, 10AM- 4:30PM.
• Old World Libations (Union, WV) 10+ wines. Tasting Room Hours: Friday 4PM-9PM, Saturday 3PM-8PM, Sunday 1PM-6PM.
• Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider (Lewisburg, WV) 10+ ciders. Hours: Thursday & Friday 3PM-9PM, Saturday 12PM-9PM, Sunday 10AM-7PM.

Here are 5 reasons to take the tours and give them a try:

1. UNIQUE

Have you ever heard of ramp onion wine? Ginseng? Dandelion? Wild elderberry? Red currant? It all exists, and it’s all here. Not to mention the state specialty, Blackberry Wine.

2. CAREFUL CRAFTING

The attentive care the WV beverage makers pay their ingredients helps create consistently bold and perfectly blended flavors. Smooth Ambler uses local grains and only mountain water in their high-end spirits. The late Dr. Daniel of Daniel’s Vineyard has experimented with more than 114 different grape vines to fine-tune his flavor. Kirkwood Winery cultivates an impressive variety of fruits and interesting plants on-site from which to create their wines. Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider uses heritage apples to make their ciders. Not to mention that Old World Libations handpicks ingredients and teams up with local farmers and artisans to create quality wines and mead.

3. AWARD-APPLAUDED

That TLC has earned Southern WV drinks numerous recognitions:  Daniel Vineyards consistently wins not only state titles, but also national and international awards for their wines. Smooth Ambler has racked up multiple national honors, and received 2 astounding Wine Enthusiast rankings and a 95 for its Old Scout bourbon whiskey.

4. HISTORY

The Isaiah Morgan Distillery paved the way for mini-distilleries to thrive. After getting a license for the world’s smallest still in 2002, the distillery owner rallied together community leaders to change laws that didn’t allow the product to be sold on-site. Before, distillery visitors had to find a licensed retailer somewhere else if they wanted to buy any of the whiskeys.

5. ENTERTAINMENT

A tour is about more than a tasting. At Smooth Ambler, distillers will pour and explain each layer of the complex flavor to you as you sip. Daniel Vineyards sits upon an old golf course, and includes vast fields of blueberries for picking. Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider also invites outdoor lovers with a stocked pond for fishing. Kirkwood and Isaiah Morgan’s country store offers state-made crafts or foods to pair with your beverage, as well as all the tools you need to take home for and start your own hobby winery.

You can also stop in for festivals and events.

Daniel Vineyards hosts an annual Spring Wine Festival the third weekend in June, with state artisans, musicians and foods to pair with Daniel Vineyard’s wines.

Kirkwood hosts an annual Sips, Stomps, and Strings Festival the third weekend in September. For only $10, you can enjoy live bands, vendor booths, samples of all of their wines, and a taste of each of the Isaiah Morgan Distillery’s whiskeys.

Which Southern West Virginia wine or spirit is your favorite?