Located off of Route 22 in Keswick, 25 minutes east of Charlottesville. Southwest Mountains Vineyards is a new large Virginia winery opened in Keswick since September 2023. Virginians Paul and Diane Manning are the founders, and have lived in the area since 1996. Diane loves horses, horse breeding and the fox hunt. The team behind the winery has been cultivating vinifera grapevines on the property since 2016, with 72 acres planted across three separate vineyards. Winemaker Boela Gerber is formerly of Groot Constantia—the oldest wine estate in South Africa—where he worked for over twenty years.
Wines. This new winery is already one of the 40 best wineries in Virginia, thanks in part to South African winemaker Boela Gerber. Southwest Mountains came away with two gold medals at both the 2024 and 2025 state-wide Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide wine competitions. Their 2021 vintage Petit Verdot and 2023 Petit Manseng were awarded gold medals at the 2025 Governor’s Cup, while their 2021 Cabernet Franc and Petit Manseng were awarded gold medals at the 2024 Governor’s Cup. Four other offerings, a Cabernet Franc, a Viognier, a Chardonnay and a Gruner Veltliner, received silver medals at the 2025 event.
Setting. One star. The expansive tasting room and state-of-the-art production facility were finished in the summer of 2023. In the tasting room, wood tables top wine barrel bases, and picture windows with gorgeous views of the Southwest Mountains that the vineyard is named for. The equestrian décor reflects the owner’s passion for horses and fox hunting. There is a wide menu supervised by chef Gregory Lewis.