Stinson Vineyards.

Overview

Stinson Vineyards sits at 4744 Sugar Hollow Road, several miles up a winding country road that ends near the entrance to the Moormans River basin and Shenandoah National Park. It is one of the more isolated wineries in the Crozet orbit, and the drive out is part of the appeal, past the orchards and farms of the western county, with the Blue Ridge looming directly above the vineyard.

The operation is a father-and-daughter partnership between Scott Stinson and his daughter Rachel Stinson Vrooman. Scott is the proprietor; Rachel is the winemaker. They opened the tasting room in the early 2010s and have built one of the more thoughtful small wine programs in the Monticello AVA.

The "garagiste" approach

Stinson describes its style as garagiste, a French wine term for small, hands-on producers working in unconventional spaces, often literally a garage. The idea is small lots, careful intervention, and styles that lean toward the European vinicultural tradition rather than the bigger, riper Virginia commercial profile.

In practice that means smaller production runs than the bigger Crozet wineries, more experimentation, and a wine list that rewards a careful tasting. Recent releases have included:

• Sauvignon Blanc, clean, citrus-driven, the warm-weather house pour.
• Petit Manseng, late-harvest sweet wine that keeps Stinson on serious wine lists.
• Tannat, the dry red that the Monticello AVA has slowly been making a name for; Rachel's version is structured and food-friendly.
• Imperialis, Stinson's port-style fortified Tannat, the bottle to take to a holiday dinner.
• Rosé and seasonal blends that rotate through the year.

The bottles are sold at the property and through limited regional distribution. Production is small enough that a strong vintage will sell out by the following spring; the Stinsons are usually pouring last year's wine alongside a few back-vintage bottles in the tasting room.

The tasting room and the Inn

The tasting room is small, French country in feel, and sits inside the original property building. Wines are poured by the staff or by Scott and Rachel themselves on slower afternoons. Tastings are typically a flight of four or five wines for a flat fee; bottles by the glass at the bar; bottles to take home.

The bigger story, for visitors planning to stay, is The Inn at Stinson Vineyards, a four-bedroom bed and breakfast on the property. The Inn is run separately at innatstinsonvineyards.com, and the rooms book up months ahead during peak weekends. Wine-country travelers who want to do Crozet and the Monticello AVA properly tend to book a couple of nights here, walk the vineyard in the morning, and use the Inn as a base for the rest of the trail.

Tailgate Thursdays and the calendar

Stinson runs Tailgate Thursdays through the summer, a casual concert series with a local band on the lawn, food, and wine by the glass. The crowd is a mix of regulars from Crozet and Charlottesville and overnight Inn guests. Easy social evenings, no cover charge, family-friendly until late. Confirm dates on stinsonvineyards.com before driving out.

In the fall, Stinson runs Sunday live music sessions through September and October. In winter, the tasting room shifts to lower-key weekend hours, and the Inn handles most of the property's traffic.

The vineyard hosts smaller weddings and private events, but unlike King Family or Veritas, weddings are not the central business, Stinson's emphasis is on wine and overnight guests rather than scaling event volume.

Visiting

Address: 4744 Sugar Hollow Road, Crozet, VA 22932. Phone (434) 823-7300.

Hours: typically Thursday through Sunday during the regular season, with Sunday afternoon as the busiest tasting time. Always check the website before going, Sugar Hollow is far enough out that you don't want to find a closed door.

Drive: about 20 minutes from The Square in Crozet. The road follows the Moormans River up toward Sugar Hollow Reservoir; cell service drops out near the property. GPS is reliable, but expect a slow last mile on a winding two-lane road.

Pairings nearby: Mountfair Vineyards, White Hall Vineyards, and the Sugar Hollow Reservoir trailhead are all within a few miles. A summer afternoon at Stinson + a hike to the Blue Hole swimming spot is one of the better Sugar Hollow itineraries the area offers.

Why it matters

Stinson is a quiet anchor of the Monticello AVA's small-producer side. Many Virginia wineries are scaled to wedding volumes and bus tours, Stinson is intentionally not. The wines are made on terms that fit a family of two principals doing the work themselves, which is rarer than it sounds and almost always tastes like something.

For Crozet visitors who want to understand what wine country looks like *up the hollow*, past the bigger valley wineries, toward the National Park, Stinson is the property to spend an afternoon at. It is the wine end of a Crozet day that started in town, ran through King Family or Pro Re Nata, and ends with a stop at a smaller place where the people pouring know exactly what they made and why.

Bring an overnight bag if you can. The Inn is the point of the trip if you have the time to do it slowly.

More winery in Crozet

Winery

Grace Estate Winery

50+ acres. Two 2026 Governor's Cup Gold Medals. Live music + food truck Fridays 6–9 PM.

Winery

King Family Vineyards

Estate-grown wines. 2023 Governor's Cup winner. Sunday polo matches Memorial Day–October. Hosts Crozet July 4 fireworks since 2024.

Winery

White Hall Vineyards

Established 1992. 48 acres at 800 ft. Wide varietal range; weddings.

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