Nassau Valley Vineyards

Family Owned Farm Winery With Estate Vineyards, A Tasting Room And Wine Shop In The Nassau Area Outside Lewes, Widely Described As Delaware'S First Farm Winery · Lewes, Delaware

Nassau Valley Vineyards is a small family winery in the farmland just west of Lewes, a few minutes off Route 1. It opened in the early 1990s, founded by Peggy Raley, who first had to help change Delaware law so that a farm could make and sell its own wine; it is widely described as Delaware's first farm winery. The estate vineyard grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Petit Verdot, and the list runs to roughly fourteen wines, from dry reds and whites to sweeter blends; confirm what is pouring. The tasting room and wine shop are open year round, and a small self-guided exhibit on the history of wine and winemaking sits inside; confirm it is open. In the warmer months a Sunday farmers' market is held on the grounds, and the winery hosts concerts and other events. Be realistic: this is coastal plain, humid and flat, and the wines are modest and pleasant rather than serious rivals to California. As a calm stop between Lewes and Rehoboth it works well. You must be 21 with ID to taste, and someone has to drive sober.

32165 Winery Way, Lewes, Delaware, 19958, United States

The tasting room and wine shop are open year round, roughly Tuesday to Sunday from late morning to late afternoon, but sources disagree on which days it closes, so confirm the current days and hours before you drive out. Hours may be shorter in the depth of winter and longer on summer weekends, and the last tasting is poured some time before closing, not at the closing hour. The winery is likely closed on major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Private events, weddings and concerts can close the tasting room or parts of the grounds, or change how tastings run on that day. The Sunday farmers' market runs roughly May to late October in the morning and is not held in winter; confirm dates. No appointment is usually needed for a standard tasting, but groups should call ahead. Everyone who tastes must be 21 or older with valid photo ID. The self-guided history exhibit follows tasting-room hours when it is open.

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