Pollak Vineyards is located west of Charlottesville, in Greenwood. A small-family-owned vineyard launched in 2003 with the purchase of a 98-acre farm. David Pollak, originally from Ohio, had previously worked in vineyards in Sonoma and Carneros, north of San Francisco. The tasting room opened in 2008.
Wine. One of the Top 5 wineries in Virginia. Pollak wines are going from success to success over the last half-dozen years. 2023 was the winery’s best showing to date at the state-wide Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition, coming away with five gold medals – for their 2017 Meritage, 2019 Meritage, Merlot Reserve, and Petit Verdot, and their 2021 Sauvignon Blanc. The 2021 Viognier received a bronze medal. At both the 2022 and 2023 Governor’ Cups, the Pollak 2017 Meritage was named as part of the “Governor’s Case,” the top 12 wines in Virginia according to the judges. Three other Pollak wines were also awarded gold medals at the 2022 Governor’s Cup: their 2017 Mille Fleurs, 2019 Meritage and Merlot Reserve; while their 2019 Petit Verdot and 2020 Viognier came away with silver medals. The Pollak “Smugglers” red blend, along with their Cabernet Franc Reserve, both also made the “Governor’s Cup” as one of the top 12 wines in the state in 2020. At the 2022 Finger Lakes Wine Competition, the 2019 vintage Pollak Cabernet Sauvignon was named “best in class Cabernet Sauvignon,” while their 2019 Petit Verdot also came away with a gold medal. The wine is “French style” in terms of the choices of grapes grown on the estate.
Setting. Two stars. Beautiful views over a pond, vines, fields and hills. The Crozet area is home to some of Virginia’s most scenic vineyards. On a nice day, the long wrap-around porch at the winery offers many places to sit and enjoy the view. Cheese, cured meats and baguettes are available, and outside picnics are welcome here.
Stories. Smugglers in Virginia. If you’re going to become a repeat visitor and buyer at Pollak, you’ll probably want to join their wine club. You may have to think twice though, as what you’ll be joining is the “Smugglers’ Society Wine Club.” Being associated with smugglers is not everyone’s cup of tea (but then again Pollak doesn’t offer tea). We’re told the name comes from one of the vineyard sites, and before that from a mine in Colorado founded by David Pollak’s great-grandfather. Presumably one does not have to become a smuggler to join the club. Presumably. Smuggling was once very big business here in Virginia, especially in colonial days. The British Empire’s economic philosophy of limiting what went into or was produced by its colonies created huge opportunities for those willing to evade official limitations – most notably with high-consumption items like molasses and sugar. Small coastal inlets were often very active places – the small town of Greenbackville on the Delmarva Peninsula still has a “Smugglers Way.” The practice did not disappear after the Revolution. Today, smuggling cigarettes out of state remains a very big business, due to Virginia’s relatively low 30 cent a pack cigarette tax. The practice was referred to recently as “more profitable than heroin, drugs and methamphetamines”. The leader of one $30 million cigarette smuggling ring was sentenced in June 2019 in Henrico County. So just read the fine print before you join the Smugglers Society at Pollak…