Venue Information
Public🏡 Key Venue Details
About the owners
Rappahannock Cellars is the heart of a multi-generational family legacy that spans continents and centuries. Founded by John and Marialisa Delmare, whose Croatian ancestors began farming and fruit packing as early as 1571, the family carried their agricultural heritage from California’s Santa Cruz Mountains to the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. What began as a dream to raise a family close to the land has flourished into one of Virginia’s most admired family-run wineries. Today, two of their twelve children, Kelly and Teresa Delmare, lead the next generation of operations, continuing their parents’ dedication to craftsmanship, sustainability, and family tradition.
History of the venue
In 1998, the Delmare family established Rappahannock Cellars on the historic Glenway Farm in Huntly, Virginia, transforming a 100-acre property into a thriving estate vineyard. The move from California to Virginia’s Piedmont region was driven by a desire for community and a deep respect for the land—values that are woven into every aspect of their vineyard’s growth. Over the past 25 years, they have cultivated varietals suited to Virginia’s distinct terroir, combining old-world sensibility with new-world innovation to craft wines of balance, depth, and grace. Their estate vineyard remains the heart of production, where careful stewardship and family collaboration define every harvest.
Winemaking philosophy
At Rappahannock Cellars, sustainability is more than a philosophy—it’s a way of life. The winery is powered entirely by solar energy and employs environmentally responsible viticulture that nurtures both soil health and biodiversity. Guided by the principle that “wine is made in the vineyard,” the Delmare family tends each vine by hand, ensuring that quality begins long before the grapes reach the cellar. Their woman-led team combines precision winemaking with an ethos of respect for nature, crafting elegant wines that honor both heritage and the future of Virginia viticulture. Visitors to their welcoming tasting room are invited to share in that legacy—celebrating family, land, and the art of sustainable winemaking.
