People are sometimes curious about why wine tastings at Dodon are by appointment and are seated.
The short answer is that during our wine journeys, the tastings we have most enjoyed are the “slow” ones, the ones at which we engage in a deep discussion of the “hows and whys” behind the wines with a member of the winery’s team.
Wine represents the people who plant, grow, and make it, as well as the people who serve it and join you at the table. The sheer magnitude of the endeavor of growing wine requires a community of dedicated people. Wine reflects not only the life cycle of its vintage, each with its own story of frost, rain, hail, heat waves, drought, and at least in the mid-Atlantic, hurricanes, but also the next life cycle which takes it from fermentation to barrel and then bottle aging.
Our preferred way to enjoy wine is around the dinner table, with thoughtfully prepared food and a large group of family and friends.
The vineyards and the winery at Dodon are an extension of our home, and so when guests visit, we see it as an occasion. We sit down together at a table, ask questions, share stories, and enjoy the wine together.
Dodon's Collectors Tasting begins at 3 pm with an aperitif in the tasting room where we explain how we blend classical farming practices with modern technology to create a diverse, yet balanced ecosystem, and dive into Dodon's history. We then enjoy a seated tasting of the three Collectors wines paired with local cheese and charcuterie. Dungannon 2014 and Oronoco 2014 together with their white wine counterpart, Drum Point 2016, make up Dodon’s tête de cuvée. These are the wines we blend first, from the best barrels, and only in the best vintages. A guided walk through the vineyard is available to those who wish to do so.
Our shorter, Introductory tour and tasting begins at 1 pm and includes a discussion of Dodon's history, farming and winemaking philosophy. This tour concludes with a seated tasting of Dodon Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and South Slope and a discussion of Dodon's terroir.
We would be delighted to welcome you to Dodon and to offer you a “slow” tasting that includes a conversation about the “hows and whys” behind our wines. But most importantly, we look forward to sitting around the table and getting to know you.