Best WV wines & spirits for every palate
Let your personal palate lead you to the best WV wines & spirits for your tastes.
Most wineries make a wide selection of styles, from deep, earthy reds to sippable sweets. Even the moonshine distilleries and spirits stops whip up a little something for every preference.
There are more standouts than we could list, but here are a few suggestions about where to get started, depending on your favorite flavor profile:
Sweet sippers
West Virginia is usually known for its sweeter wines, because the climate helps concentrate the fruit sugars. And we say fruit, not grapes, because our vintners (and distillers, too) think beyond the vine, drawing inspiration from our rich forests and farms.
If you’re looking for your basic fruity-sweet sips, try these:
- Sweet options from West-Whitehill Winery– This winery’s sweet selection racks up gold medals. Try the beloved raspberry royale or mountain spice holiday dessert wine.
- Sweet options from Chestnut Ridge Winery– Start with unique fruit selections like pomegranate, but be sure to finish with the unique cinnamony-peach Gewurztraminer.
For a more hyper-concentrated sugar surge, pick up these bottles:
- Ice wine from Lambert’s Vintage Winery– Take your sweet tooth straight to the ice wines, squeezed from frozen grapes. The ice means all the natural sugars, but with less juice so the sweetness is more concentrated.
- Mountain Dragon Mazery– Skip the grapes and go straight for the honey wine! The bees have already done the work to focus the sweetness in these sips.
Dry drinkers
If bone-dry drinks blossom your taste buds, here are some sure bets:
- Red options from Batton Hollow– Every bottle form Batton Hollow is created with fine dining in mind. These traditional international styles are perfect pairings for an upscale meal.
- Hawk Knob Cidery– Surprised to see cider in this list? Hawk Knob’s naturally-made dry ciders are hearty and crisp, but not sugary like the ones you usually see in stores.
- Smooth Ambler– Enjoy the bold taste of distilled spirits, but without the bite. These smooth-sipping artisan drinks are handcrafted grain-to-glass with award-winning craftsmanship.
Adventurous palates
Seeking something a little unusual? Start here:
- Specialty wines at Kirkwood Winery– There’s no more experimental bunch than the Kirkwood crew. Wild wines include dandelion, elderberry, rhubarb and ginseng!
- Paw paw moonshine at Appalachian Distillery– Get a rare taste of America’s forgotten fruit! The paw paw is tropical tasting— think banana-apple-mango. And it makes some amazing moonshine!
Of course, there are plenty more to choose from for every taste!
Where in West Virginia will your wine palate lead you?
This post was last updated on December 9, 2024