A conversation between Paul and I as we walked up to Philip Carter:
Me: It looks like a barn! Why does every winery have to look like a barn?!
Paul: Well, you ARE in Virginia.
Me: THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY ALL HAVE TO LOOK LIKE BARNS!
There was actually significantly more swearing on my part, but I do try to keep it relatively PG when I write our posts. But really. Why does every effing winery have to look like a barn? Who decided that was the Virginia aesthetic?
Anyway, I digress.
Philip Carter’s roots go back to 1762 and the first internationally recognized wine in the New World. You can read more about that history here, but the in-a-nutshell version is that colonists really wanted to produce their own wine, and Charles Carter sent a few bottles over to England for a taste test. The agriculture committee for the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture, and Commerce thought they were pretty good, especially for something produced by those ridiculous Americans, and they awarded him a gold medal for his “spirited attempt towards the accomplishment of their views, respecting wine in America.”
Honestly, it sounds kind of like a participation medal to me, which is kind of how we felt about Philip Carter’s wines. For a winery that’s been around for nine years and uses 80% estate-grown grapes (they don’t grow their own Merlot or Chambourcin), we really feel like their wines should taste more mature, but even their “heavy” reds were pretty light. We just weren’t impressed. Clearly, given their longevity and placement on grocery store shelves, they’ve found their niche. It’s just not our niche. Plus, they had small pours. Comme ci, comme ça.
Rating: Yellow (It was fine.)
Tasting: $8 for 9ish wines
Price: Pretty average – low $20s to $40
Kid Friendly: Yes
Highlights: The recommendation to visit Rappahannock Cellars next. Seriously.
Time Since Lacy Last Ate: ~5 hours
Strangers Invited to Dinner: 0
Awards 
Map 
Tasting Menu 
Tasting Menu
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