Williamsburg Winery Wine Club: “When I’m homesick for Europe, I go to the Winery” - The Williamsburg Winery

Williamsburg Winery Wine Club: “When I’m homesick for Europe, I go to the Winery”


The Williamsburg Winery’s most intimate connection with customers is through its Wine Club, which provides members with the ultimate experience in world-class wine and food. Meet Doris H. Elliott, a native of Kaiserslautern, Germany, who feels as if she’s in Europe when she visits Wessex Hundred.

Joining the Club: When Elliott used to fly in from Arizona to visit to her sister and brother-in-law, they would visit the Williamsburg Winery for lunch at the Gabriel Archer Tavern. “Then we moved here and my daughter, Kirsten, and I started going to wine tastings almost every week,” she says. That prompted Elliott to join the Club.

Just like home: “I love the wines because they remind me of Europe. I love the environment because it’s so friendly and genuine. What I really like is that Patrick Duffeler and Francoise are so personable and approachable. It feels like a second family. My first experience with Patrick was at a small function, a wine tasting. He came downstairs to the tasting room, detected my accent and right from that moment, he started speaking German to me. That made it so special for me. I love this winery so much. It reminds me of Germany.”

Speaking of warmth: During a dinner at Wessex Hall, Elliott was drawn to the open hearth fireplaces at both ends of the winery’s largest venue. One German and one French motto is above each fireplace, inscribed in gold calligraphy. The west end motto written in German translates to “Freedom, honor, loyalty and farther.” “The history in there is amazing,” Elliott says.

Favorite spot: “I like the 1619 Pavilion. They really thought it through because they can have families downstairs, and upstairs is adults only. Not a lot of wineries would think about that. That’s thoughtful. Every time I go up there, I can look over the vineyards and it’s so peaceful. You can sit there and have a glass of wine or a flight or a bottle, enjoy your drink, look over the vineyards, and you forget all of your problems. It’s a different world. A lot of times, I feel like I’m in Europe.”

A night at Wedmore Place: Elliott stayed there with Kirsten for a recent staycation. “It reminds me of Old Europe. For somebody like me, when I’m homesick for Europe, I go to the Winery.”

Favorite wines: “My all-time favorite is the Adagio; it’s just a celebrative wine. I use it for special occasions. It’s a very elegant wine. I love Beef Wellington with that. I love the Traminette. The Williamsburg Winery convinced me Chardonnays are good wines. I especially like the Acte 12.”

Memorable: “What really stands out is you meet all kinds of people from all kind of walks of life who are part of the Wine Club. When you go to the Winery, you meet doctors. You meet steel workers and truck drivers. I’ve made some great friendships with people who I have met at the Winery. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. That is something you don’t see often.”

Celebrating Virginia’s newest AVA: “The Williamsburg Winery has their own AVA; that’s awesome. I bought several bottles of wines, and (recently) I had 17 people come to my house and I introduced them to the AVA. I made a full, 7-course menu with seafood and German food. Everybody loved it. It was all Williamsburg wines.”

A room of its own: Elliott has a wine room in her home. “The whole room is Williamsburg Winery stuff on the walls.”

Find out information on how to join the Williamsburg Winery Wine Club online or call the Wine Club team at 757-229-0999, ext. 144.


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