Savor the Rich Flavors of Central Virginia

Local distilleries and food manufacturers in Central Virginia deliver high quality products worthy of your taste buds.

By Bill Lewis on November 2, 2023

Virginia Distillery

Going to work every day is a celebration of good taste for entrepreneurs in Central Virginia’s food and beverage industry, which includes distillers happy to pour you an adult beverage or serve a delicious homemade bite to eat. 

Those entrepreneurs are the owners of businesses like Virginia Distillery Co. in Nelson County, maker of an award-winning American single-malt whiskey, and Virginia Foothills Distillery & Co. in Orange County, a new distillery whose initial offerings will include bourbon, gin and vodka.

Also based in the region, Herbert’s Wine Jelly in Fluvanna County produces a variety of delicious products infused with the flavor of local wines. 

Virginia Distillery

Central Virginia Distilleries Deliver Satisfaction

Central Virginia is the perfect spot for distilling American single-malt whiskey, which like Scotch, is made from 100% malted barley. The climate in the Blue Ridge Mountains is ideal for making whiskey, and the industry has a long and storied history, says Gareth Moore, CEO of Virginia Distillery Co. 

“Central Virginia has a history of alcohol businesses, both legal and illegal. The area is attractive [because it’s easy to] find a staff, people who’ve worked in the industry before,” Moore says. 

Gareth Moore is the son of the late Dr. George G. Moore, an Irishman who came to the U.S. in the 1970s seeking new opportunities and launched the distillery in 2011. 

The distillery employs 40 people, about half on-site, who distill and bottle the product and provide tours for visitors. Tourists can observe the whiskey being distilled in polished copper stills crafted in northern Scotland and enjoy a sample in the visitor’s center. 

Virginia Foothills Distillery & Co. is the creation of distillers Col. Charles “Chuck” Reinhold, his wife, Christen Reinhold, and restaurateurs Craig and Donna Hartman. Chuck Reinhold serves in the U.S. Army Reserves and spent the last 24 years in the Virginia Army National Guard and the Regular Army. He participated in multiple mobilizations. 

“With the knowledge that Orange County, Virginia, is rich in culture, hospitality and education, the team lends their expertise gleaned from the finest distilling traditions from around the world to bring an equally world-class spirits distillery, with a nod to the distilling traditions of the Virginia Foothills. Our eyes are set on providing excellent distilled spirits,” Reinhold says. 

The Flavors of Virginia 

“Speaking of distilled spirits, we have been working with a distillery in Kentucky to produce our bourbon while we get established in Barboursville, Virginia,” Reinhold says. “We will offer unique cocktails in our tasting room, tours, special merch and other programs designed to bring an authentic, hands-on experience to enthusiasts,” Reinhold says. 

The distillery is expected to open in 2023, says Reinhold. For now, the Hartmans have opened the Exchange Café at the distillery, located at 5359 Spotswood Trail in Barboursville. They also own the nationally lauded Barbeque Exchange in Gordonsville. 

“Celebrating local produce and Virginia wine and honoring the food you choose to put on your table is at the heart of what they do,” Reinhold says. 

Based in Fluvanna County, Herbert’s Wine Jelly celebrates the flavor of Virginia wines while supporting mental health awareness and providing employment opportunities to people who have been incarcerated. The family business also introduced Beyond the Fence, a program for artisans to showcase their products for sale. 

Herbert’s Wine Jelly lets customers enjoy the flavor of wine with any meal. Products include jelly, specialty peanut butters, spices, and cocoa mixes for hot and cold drinks, as well as infused salts and pepper. 

“We are excited to say that we have very creative ways to use our products, so our products have done extremely well. With any tasting opportunity, customers find the powerful, upfront, fruit flavors of the products followed by the backend flavor of the wine. They are nonalcoholic through a proprietary method, as only a limited amount of the alcohol is removed in the cooking process,” says owner Carolyn Herbert.