Wine Enthusiast? Buy Barrel Oak Winery in Virginia for $14M

Although Virginia is slowly emerging as a wine destination (bolstered by Donald Trump's purchase of Kluge Vineyard and Estate in Charlottesville, now known as Trump Winery, five years ago), locals have always had a love affair with the region's vino.

And whoever snaps up the 8-year-old winery estate known as Barrel Oak Winery for $13.95 million will also land a loyal base of customers. Barrel Oak is located 50 miles west of Washington, DC, on 70 rolling acres in Delaplane, VA.

"They draw from a huge area. It's in a perfect location on a highly trafficked interstate," says listing agent Rick Walden of Virginia Estates. "It's easy to get there from Washington, DC. They've got a gigantic following on Facebook."

In fact, the tasting room -- perched on a hilltop with amazing views -- is so popular that on weekends it's difficult to find parking.

"You go in there and it really feels like everyone's having a great time," says Walden. Up to 1,000 guests can enjoy the dog-friendly property at a time. Wine Enthusiast ranked Barrel Oak the most family-friendly winery in the world. Weddings are a new source of additional income for a savvy buyer.

"The potential is huge," Walden says. "You can bring in $40,000 to $50,000 on a wedding. If a buyer comes along and promotes that, it's an increase to their bottom line."

Included with the property is a historic 3,500-square-foot home once owned by John Marshall, a Supreme Court justice during the 19th century. It currently serves as the owners' residence and could, says Walden, be developed into additional event space.

The owners launched Barrel Oak in 2008 and built it into the region's largest winery with a 26-acre vineyard. Most of its annual production of 11,000 cases (its 12 varietals include chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot) is sold on-site. "Now they want to move back to California where they are from," says Walden, and hopefully start a winery along the Golden State's Central Coast.