History of Ingleside Vineyards   

Nearby, you will find the birthplaces of George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and James Monroe, among many other key historical spots of interest, including Ingleside Plantation. Built in 1834, it first served as a boys’ school known as Washington Academy. During the Civil War it was used as a garrison and later a courthouse. Since 1890, the Flemer family has owned and operated this grand estate encompassing more than 3,000 acres and for the first fifty years it functioned as a dairy farm.

However, in 1940 Carl Flemer Jr. had bigger plans and throughout the years the estate evolved into Ingleside Plantation Nursery and then Ingleside Vineyards after stumbling upon the fact that our location and conditions are prime for growing high quality wine grapes.

Opening in 1980, under the direction of Doug Flemer, Ingleside Vineyards is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest wineries and produces over 18 varieties of wine from estate-grown grapes. For thirty years our hand-crafted wines have won numerous awards and top honors in state, national and international wine competitions, such as the Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition, San Diego International Wine Competition, as well as the London International Wine Spirits Competition. Our winemaker, Bill Swain, has brought Ingleside wines to a new level with his passion, skill and thoughtful approach to the craft of winemaking.

Ingleside Vineyards is part of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, which is a great way to explore wineries in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay region. Ingleside is also near the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail corridor.

Visiting Ingleside

PLEASE NOTE: GPS and computer mapping may give improper directions. Please use our easy to follow Directions page for best results.

We are open daily for tours and tastings. For more information and hours of operation, please see our Tastings & Tours page.

Upcoming Events at the Winery

May 19 - "Ladies Only" Wine Class

June 23 - Rock n Roll Oldies

For a list of events at the winery, please click here. For off-site events & festivals, please click here.

Recent Awards & Recognition 

Voted "Best Winery in Eastern Virginia" in 2011 and 2012 by the readers of Virginia Wine Lover Magazine.

Voted "Favorite Virginia Winery in the Chesapeake Bay Region" in 2011 by the readers of the Official Virginia Wine Lover eNewsletter.

Winner of Gold and Silver medals in the 2012 San Diego International Wine Competition.  

To see more recent awards, please visit our Awards page.