The Winery at Bull Run

Reviews 3

LA

Laura Press

For brides considering this venue: DONT! Ill be straightforward as to why I stand by my words: 1. There was no transparency. While emailing the events director (there is only 1 so I do not need to name that person) I asked for the price to hold my ceremony and reception for a specific date. I was given a range from $2,400-$7,900, which is a very broad range. 2. When trying to set up a visit, each date I requested I got an "our winery is closed" from the director. According to their website, they were definitely open. This person later indicated that he was going to be out of the office. Okay, if you are out of the office, then just say, you are out of the office. This person was barely reluctant to schedule an appointment, only to the effect of excessively saying they were only coming in to meet with me and my fiance. 3. This person gave me a phone number to let them know I arrived, however it only accepts text, which is fine. I was also informed not to ask any of the staff to let this person know when I arrived, which seemed a little odd, as some of the staff did ask if they could provide any assistance to me. It would be greatly appreciated if a response was sent back. Instead we had to wait, only to end up asking a staff where we could find this person and to our surprise, they were schmoozing with some people. Im sorry, but if you are going to make a fuss about coming in on your day off, we dont want to waste your time, so be courteous and dont waste ours. 4. Ive checked out quite a few venues and not one has ever asked what my overall budget was for my wedding. This person was persistent and making us extremely uncomfortable, especially since we were not offered a private place to chat, but in the main tasting room surrounded by the general public. 5. Once it was disclosed that our proposed wedding date (in mid-November) would be at the very top of the price range, we were disappointed. We really wished we were told this ahead of time, as it took over an hours drive, each way, to visit this place. We thanked this person for their time and left. 6. The director emailed me a few days later asking what our thoughts were. I responded saying it was out of our budget and wish they had been more transparent from the start. I was then emailed back with an argumentative response, with this person copying/pasting the price range they provided early on in the process. Are you serious? This is not a way to win my business as this is unprofessional. So with the lack of transparency, professionalism, a knack for being argumentative, pushy, and flat out rude, I advise any future bride to consider carefully. There are other vineyards in the area that spell things out in black and white for you, provide a higher value, and want to ensure you have a special day once your wedding arrives.

AL

Alice Wang

The closest winery to D.C., the Winery at Bull Runs best feature is its sprawling, scenic grounds. Its located just off Lee Highway (Route 29) and you drive down a long gravel road before you see the winery. Theres a vineyard on the left across from the parking lot, where they grow the grapes for the Norton wine. The tasting room is pretty spacious. Vintage barnwood and oak beams create lofty ceilings and a comfortable atmosphere. There are three separate tasting counters which is smart for minimizing crowds at one particular spot. In the middle, there are some tables and chairs for folks to drink and snack. There are even a few couches in one corner to lounge in. They displayed artifacts and relics from the Civil War found on the property such as muskets found on the grounds, which I thought was really neat and added a historical component to the winery that doesnt exist in other wineries. Theres a porch outside the tasting room with tables and chairs (including rocking chairs), as well as a small stage for musicians to sing and play songs. The setup outside is the real kicker. They have designated areas for adults 21+ and those with children which I think is very clever. Surrounded by wooden fences, both areas have wooden benches to sit and enjoy some wine and soak up the sun. On the adults 21+ section, you can see the ruins of the original Entwisle House and its been converted as a patio area and also used as the platform for wedding ceremonies. The outdoor seating area is very open and lovely. Folks drank wine, chatted, and even played cornhole. When I went, there was a BBQ station and theyll have other restaurants and caterers to offer food during the summer, so you can get other chow besides cheese and meats. Now for the tastings, its $10 for nine wines, $12 if you want to keep their etched wine glass. All of the tasting wines are available for $9 a glass. Plenty of both red and white wine to try, such as their 2011 Merlot, 2011 Meritage Reserve, 2012 Petit Verdot, 2012 Pinot Gris, 2011 Chardonnay, 2012 Delaney, etc. Dessert/fruit wines - Classic Blueberry and Fort - are available by the glass or by bottle. Whether you like light, sweet whites or complex reds, theres a wine for everyone to try. I came here with a group and after the tasting was over, we got bottles of the 2011 Meritage, 2012 Pinot Gris, and 2012 Delaney to drink outside. When you buy bottles to drink at the winery, theyll give it to you on ice in a metal pail. The winery is rife with history and provides a beautiful view of preserved farmland from the 19th century. It adjoins over 5,000 countryside acres of the historic Manassas Battlefield. So not only are you able to sample some award-winning Virginia wines, youre also getting a view into Virginia history.

JE

Jeffrey scales

We were married at TWABR in March 2013 and it was a amazing experience from start to finish! The staff event coordinators had an initial consultation with us explaining all the options and prices. The prices vary greatly depending on the season, day, space (if you want to rent the entire winery or just part) and open bar or cash bar. The price includes tables/chairs (nice dark wood ones), plenty of parking and their whole staff. The many options are great if you are on a budget like we were. The winery is as involved (or not) in your event as you want and they were very responsive to all my phone calls and emails (OK brides can get freaked out sometimes). We also had a walk through a week before the event with TWABR staff, our DJ, caterer and photographer to make sure everyone was on the same page. Make sure you delegate who will be keeping the flow (winery staff, DJ, wedding planner). The day went without a hitch and we didnt have or need a wedding planner. We did not rent the entire winery just the outside for our ceremony, side covered patio for our cocktail hour (which has heating torches-perfect for winter) and the barrel room for our reception. Some of our guests arrived early and enjoyed a wine tasting and letting kids run around outside before the ceremony started. We were married on the ruins/deck outside and as promised exactly on time all winery guests were out of sight and everything was set up. We timed the ceremony for 45 min before sunset which gave us the perfect opportunity for light, sunset and night pictures during the cocktail hour. Just about anywhere you go in and around the winery makes perfect pictures. By the time of the reception our guests were the only ones there because the winery had closed and we had the whole staff to ourselves. In the barrel room our DJ did up-lighting in our color and it really made it look amazing! We did cash bar and the winery set up a little bar off to the side and our guests purchased wine by the glass or a bottle for the table. Another plus is our out of town guests stayed at the Hyatt Place Chantilly because they have a free shuttle to TWABR and its close to the airport (Just call the hotel and set it up with the manager). If I could do it again I wouldnt change a thing. TWABR was very transparent and responsive the whole process and we feel like we are part of their family. Its a great place to go and remember our wedding and create new memories.

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