offers ‘a good, red wine, sweet sangria, music, entertainment and culture’
Photos and story by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Zoll Vineyards is more than a winery.
It’s where friends meet for paint night and a class of chardonnay, where sweethearts learn to make sushi while having a glass of Riesling, where singles play games over a hard cider, and folks enjoy music and a dessert sampler with a glass of sangria.
“We’re using this building for the reason it was intended for, for gathering while being food and beverage focused,” said owner and general manager Frank Zoll.
Celebrating its one-year anniversary in November, Zoll Vineyards is a farm-to-table winery in Dutton on the border of Gloucester and Mathews counties. According to Frank, the front yard of the winery is in one county and the rear acres in another. In the former Hopesville Boys Ranch, the winery sits on 11 acres with five acres farmed.
With over 9,800 square feet, the building offers The Great Room function facility, which seats over 200, and a tasting room that accommodates 40.
The place was abuzz with activity a few weeks ago on a Thursday evening date night, where 20 patrons joined Chef Justin Oller in The Great Room where they learned to make sushi.
Frank split his time between The Great Room and the tasting room, where about 12 people were having appetizers and desserts with their wine. It was a hectic evening.
Business seemed good, even with the recent COVID-19 restrictions of mask-wearing and social distancing, which was happening in both spaces.
“The larger events, like the live music, aren’t quite as popular with the way the things are now,” said lead bartender Tabitha Roach. “With the smaller, more personal, hands-on events, people really come out.”
Roach was busy refilling glasses as the couples—some on dates, some only friends out for an evening of fun—followed Chef Oller’s instructions. Chef Oller, a former student of Frank’s, has been with the winery since February. He and Frank create farm-to-fork offerings, including salads, cheeses, paninis and desserts. The menu changes frequently, depending on the produce in season, said Tabitha.
“We’ve found what people want is a good, red wine, sweet sangria, music, entertainment and culture,” said Frank. “And that’s what we’re trying to give them.”
Along with the vineyard, Frank and staff grow fresh produce on site including herbs, peppers, tomatoes, lettuces and cucumbers for their popular sweet and spicy pickles.
“We’re trying to offer more than most [wineries],” said Frank. “Food makes us unique. So do the events we offer.”
Frank is a chef with 28 years experience, who along with managing the vineyard teaches at the Culinary Institute of Virginia in Newport News. He came to the Middle Peninsula to be closer to family by way of Massachusetts, where he operated Zoll Cellars Winery out of his basement. He established Zoll Cellars in 2009 and produced about 1,000 cases of wine a year. He produced about 70,000 bottles in six years but has set his sights on producing about 36,000 bottles in a year at Zoll Vineyards.
“What we’ve done here is the same things I did at Zoll Cellars, offer things like food and live music,” said Frank.
He started looking for property for Zoll Vineyards in December 2016 and 11 months later acquired the former boys home. It took almost two years of licensing, permits and upgrades before he opened the winery on November 11, 2019. It is the only winery in the Middle Peninsula.
“And we still have work to do,” he said, pointing out some painting projects in The Great Room, which he offers for use for receptions, parties and events.
The 2,000-square-foot tasting room with a rustic, wine country vibe, is decorated in light woods and metals. It sits directly in front of the kitchen, where Frank and Chef Oller create such tempting treats as chocolate peanut butter cheesecake cannolis, chocolate covered strawberries, white chocolate strawberry fudge, chocolate s’mores bars and a drunken fruit salad of watermelon, berries, apples and oranges swimming in sangria.
All of the desserts, along with his salads, paninis and cheese offerings, have a suggested wine, sangria or hard cider pairing.
According to Frank’s aunt and tasting room server Regina Schwartz, the winery can hardly keep the sangrias in stock. The Blueberry Lavender Rose is a customer favorite among the four sangrias, which include Hibiscus Watermelon White, Pineapple Sangria Lemonade and Sex in the Vineyard.
Zoll’s wine list includes a dry riesling, chardonnay, dry rose’, cabernet franc and a mariners blend. The vineyard’s hard ciders, Lil Tart and Getting Saucy, are also made from grapes. Two meads, Blueberry Pie and Pumpkin Pie, are made from honey.
The vineyard, which includes grapes from Frank’s vines in Massachusetts, won’t be ready to harvest until next year. For now, Frank buys grapes from vineyards in eastern Virginia, including those in the Northern Neck.
The staff at Zoll features new hire, Autumn Howe, who joined the team just a few weeks ago as the head winer maker and vineyard manager.
Although she’s a mere 23 years old, she brings three years experience as an assistant wine maker at 21 Brix Winery in New York. She recently returned from studying the wine-making art in New Zealand and grew up working at her grandparents vineyard near Lake Eerie.
Zoll is a family operation with Frank’s father, brother, nephews, son, aunt and sister-in-law all filling roles.
Zoll Vineyards
9744 Dutton Road
Dutton, VA 23050
857-498-1668
Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
Upcoming events at the vineyard
80’s Murder Mystery
August 29: 5:30-8 p.m.
$35
Date Night: Pasta Making Class
September 10: 6-8 p.m.
Music — Paige Melton
September 13: 4-7 p.m.
Free
Wine Tasting Murder Mystery
October 3: 5-8 p.m.
$50
The Zoll Ball — Halloween Masquerade
October 31: 5-8 p.m.
$35
