Happy hours are great, but something about a weekday wine tasting suggests both sophistication and time to, well, stop and smell the wine. We’ve rounded up the top wine tasting spots throughout Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Williamsburg. We’ve even highlighted the popular weekly events as well as everyday tasting options so you can sip as you please.
Monday
PRESS Wine Bar & PRESS 626 Wine Bar
2301 Red Tide Rd., Virginia Beach
626 W. Olney Rd., Norfolk
Calling all Ghent and Shore Drive ladies: stop in PRESS Wine Bar for half-priced entrees, $3 wines, $4 cosmos and $6 sangrias every Monday night starting at 5 p.m.
Tuesday
LUBO Wine Bar & Cafe
1658 Pleasure House Rd., Virginia Beach
Head on over to the LUBO Wine Bar for Tuesday Tastes. Sip on seasonal bottles, new arrivals or wine flights for just $5 every Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Looking for a wine and dine deal? LUBO also offers a $38 dinner complete with a bottle of wine and your choice of two entrees or two signature pizzas every Wednesday from 5–9 p.m.
Wednesday
Sonoma Wine Bar and Bistro
189 Central Park Ave., Virginia Beach
Ring in Wine Wednesday at the recently refurbished Sonoma Wine Bar and Bistro in Town Center Virginia Beach. Enjoy half-priced bottles every Wednesday starting at 4 p.m.
PRESS Wine Bar & PRESS 626 Wine Bar
2301 Red Tide Rd., Virginia Beach
626 W. Olney Rd., Norfolk
Enjoy 25 percent off all wine bottles all night long at both PRESS locations.
Thursday
Varia
100 E. Main St., Norfolk
The modern trattoria and elegant wine bar introduces the Art of Wine, a weekly tasting event hosted by in-house sommelier Bethany Morris. Tasters can explore, learn and celebrate a variety of blends for free every Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Complimentary small bites are also available for $15.
Virginia Beach Winery
152 Newtown Rd. #108, Virginia Beach
Located just blocks from the heavily traveled I-264 is the humble tasting room of Virginia Beach Winery. Their selection of household reds, whites and funky fruit flavors like Beach Blackberry, Revolutionary Raspberry and Spiced Apple are all available for tastings.
Complimentary tastings are offered every Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. as well as Friday, 4:30 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Bay Local Eatery
927 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach
2917 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach
Thursday night is Ladies Night at the famed Bay Local Eatery. Enjoy bottomless bubbles for just $1 per flute at both the Shore Drive and Laskin Road locations. Happy hour specials begin at 5 p.m. and live music kicks off at 8 p.m.
PRESS Wine Bar
2301 Red Tide Rd., Virginia Beach
Let PRESS Wine Bar’s in-house sommelier lead you through a complimentary wine tasting by the beach. Tastings are held every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Aldo’s Ristorante
1860 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach
This tasting is held every third Thursday of the month from 5 to 7 p.m. For just $15, enjoy samplings from nearly a dozen bottles handpicked by Aldo’s sommeliers as well as a smattering of light hors d’oeuvres.
Friday
Mermaid Winery
330 W. 22nd St., Norfolk
4401 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach
Cheers to the weekend and enjoy a free wine tasting every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Mermaid Winery. The open-to-the-public tastings are hosted in both the Shore Drive and Ghent tasting rooms and feature Mermaid’s exclusive line of reds, whites, sparklings and fruit-forward bottles.
Yiannis Wine Shop
401 N. Great Neck Rd. #123, Virginia Beach
Taste your way through some of the world’s most notable wine regions during Yiannis’ free weekly tastings. New varietals are available for tasting every Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Branches Tasting Room
2125 Starmount Pkwy., Suite 105, Chesapeake
Imbibe complimentary pours of local wines and international blends at Branches Tasting Room every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Small bites and handcrafted lunch specials are available for purchase as well.
Grape and Gourmet
4000 Virginia Beach Blvd., Suite 180, Virginia Beach
Enjoy free tastings of wine and craft beer at this beloved bottle shop every Friday from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Everyday Tastings
Cork & Company
244 Granby St., Suite A, Norfolk
A short walk from MacArthur Center is the clean-lined Cork & Company, formerly known as Corkscrew Wine Bar. Enjoy glasses of wine from the bar’s 16 taps or ask to open a bottle of your choosing. Cork & Company is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Cheese Shop
401 Duke of Gloucester St., Williamsburg
The wine selection at Merchants Square spans the globe. Taste from nine rotating taps in the wine cellar, including a red and white wine of the day. The Cheese Shop is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
733 Lynnhaven Mall Loop, Virginia Beach
New to Lynnhaven Mall is the Illinois-based Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. Stop by their Napa-style tasting room for samplings from three, eight-glass tastings. Enjoy a variety or sweet tasting for $8 or pours from Cooper’s Hawk’s Lux line for $12.
The tasting room at Cooper’s Hawk is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Williamsburg Winery Tasting Room & Wine Bar
427 Duke of Gloucester St., Williamsburg
The wine options are endless at The Williamsburg Winery’s newest tasting room in Merchants Square. Imbibe by the glass or bottle or sample one of six, four-glass flights including a Virginia sparkling flight, all white flight, all red flight, Wessex Hundred Flight, Reserve flight and cider flight.
Tasting room hours are Monday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Silver Hand Meadery
224 Monticello Ave., Suite C, Williamsburg
Slowly infiltrating Coastal Virginia’s wine scene are meads, also known as honey wines. At Williamsburg’s Silver Hand Meadery, enjoy a free mead tasting or $6 honey sampling in the tasting room. The 40-minutes reserve tastings require reservations.
Silver Hand Meadery is open Monday through Thursday, noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
Bella Monte Restaurant & Enoteca
1201 Laskin Rd., Suite 100, Virginia Beach
To the right of Bella Monte’s elegant dining room is an intimately lit enoteca brimming with luscious wines from the world’s most prominent wine makers. Simply load your tasting card with cash and insert it into one of Bella Monte’s many wine repositories for a small tasting or full glass.
Tinto Wine & Cheese
640 Hilltop West, Virginia Beach
Wine and cheese pairings, merlot by the glass or bubbly by the bottle are available seven nights at week at Tinto Wine & Cheese.
Closing hours are Monday through Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.
Grace Silipigni
Grace Silipigni is an elementary school Spanish immersion teacher based in Virginia Beach and a regular contributor to Coastal Virginia Magazine, covering a wide range of topics such as health and wellness, education and learning, food and drink, happenings and events, travel and getaways and more.
