I always read Yelp reviews before visiting restaurants, salons, etc... I wish I had before I made the trip down to visit this winery. We went on a recommendation from a friend, who did warn us the owner was a bit off-putting. (We found out the hard way, that was an understatement) The owner may be the rudest, most self absorbed person I've ever met. He was condescending, rude, and almost mean. We were their early on a Saturday morning and there was no one around. (Which should have been a sign) I am assuming he is scaring guests away with his attitude. Do not waste your time stopping here! Drive by this winery and visit Barrel Oak instead. They were very welcoming and the environment was charming and picturesque. They were also quite busy and I am guessing it is due in part to their hospitable nature. read more

Where to begin with this place... We liked the wine, some better than the others, but that's expected anywhere you do a wine tasting. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. As for the price of the wines, the range is from $20 to $70 per bottle. The winery is nice, it has a spectacular view of 66 from the back patio. Didn't really care to sit there and listen to the cars and trucks go by. I can do that at home. The tasting setup is rather odd. If you go right, you pay $5 per person. If you go left, you pay $10 per person. If you want to do both tastings, you need to pay for it separately, which seemed inefficient. Wouldn't a better system be to start a tab, like at most wineries? Is this a lack of trust that Chateau O'Brien has for its customers? What is up with "Buddy"? I have no connection to Buddy, why would I want a coffee mug with Buddy on it? Everything is branded "Buddy". The Buddy branding is way overboard. Are they trying to copy Chateau Morrisette? "NO ONE UNDER 21 ALLOWED ON PROPERTY" are the signs you see as you drive up the gravel road to the parking lot. It's their winery, they can make the rules.(Do people with kids spend less money?) However, we noticed a couple employees who clearly were of college age (they were under 21). I guess the rules didn't apply to them...? Besides the "under 21" signs, there were also signs saying "DO NOT WALK IN THE VINEYARD", "DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS", "NO PETS" "no smoking", "push to open", "office", "bathroom", "pull to open"... This place sure has a lot of signs! Seems the folks at Chateau O'Brien just want you in the winery buying stuff. We like to go to wineries and stroll the vineyards with a bottle of wine and get some sun. I understand the appeal this winery has to folks from DC and Northern Virginia. Its proximity to 66 is nice, but for our time and money, we'll drive a bit further to get to the wineries without so many rules and highway noise. read more

**NOT GROUP FRIENDLY** Me and a group of friends were on a winery tour through Northern Virginia and this was our first stop. We arrived in a nice Executive Limo Van which seated 13 of us. Our bus pulled into the parking lot where two or three other cars and one other mini bus were parked (read: they were not busy). By the time we had exited the bus and walked towards the entrance, we were greeted by a mildly hostile owner. We were ordered to have our bus move to make room for other vehicles (there was plenty of room and he was not busy!). Then we were told that he did not typically accommodate large groups but he would make an exception (said with an attitude). At that point, we should have just left, but our better judgement failed to prevail. Before going any further, I would like to point out that accommodating one mini-bus of 13 people is no different than accommodating three or four cars of people, neither of which is that difficult... especially when you are as slow as this vineyard was while we were visiting. When we approached the tasting bar, the vineyard's "classic tasting" was listed as $5/person. We were charged $15/person because we were a group. Our tasting was not held in a private area, we received no special or different treatment than anyone else (in fact, a couple next to us actually received additional 'blend' tastings that we were not offered), and there were no special perks to our $15 price gouge. As for the wine, I've had $6 Trader Joe's wine that was more palatable than most of their offerings. The Northpoint wine and the Rose were ok, but not at $20/bottle. The tasting staff was friendly but short. The only nice thing about this vineyard was the interesting architecture and interior as well as the 13 year old mascot dog. I would not recommend traveling to this vineyard, you will likely be disappointed. As a side note for anyone considering we may have been problem customers: We were traveling in an executive limo van, we were well dressed, this was our 1st stop (i.e. we were not intoxicated), and our group's age range was 26-40 years old. We are all college educated professionals who were quite put off by this vineyard's unprofessional demeanor. If you insist on traveling here with any sort of group, just buy the bottles yourself and enjoy passing them around tasting away from the owner and staff. You will have a much nicer time and it will likely cost less. (and the deck area... it overlooks I66 with an average vista... nothing to write home about.) read more

Pros: The location is nice. Cons: The tasting was expensive. The service wasn't great. A bachelorette party was creating a chaotic atmosphere. Most of the wine was disappointing. The first time I tried to visit, I checked to see when they closed, got there 20 minutes before closing for a tasting, and they turned me away. They gave me the option to buy a glass, but no tasting. It wasn't so bad to be turned away. I get it, rules are rules, but it was done in a harsh way, as if I was barging in and bothering them. Summary: I won't be back. I go to wineries to enjoy interesting and unique wines and to have a relaxing time. I didn't experience either here. read more

I really wanted to give the wines of Chateau O'Brien two thumbs up but the experience I had in the tasting room really changed my view. Yes, I enjoyed the wine. However, the owner asked me after every sip if I liked it, when I said that I liked it, he followed by saying thank you. Honestly, he couldn't be more snobby. Because he has a Boston terrier named Buddy whose picture is all over the winery and on the bottles of the wine and told us that we should go out to pet him, I was curious and went out to the deck to say to Buddy, being a dog person. I went out and Buddy attacked me. I was nice enough to explain to the owner that he probably should not let customers pet Buddy. He didn't even care. After I left, I saw a man with a bloody hand walking out of the winery saying that Buddy attacked him. The owner just made the whole experience like how the salesmen treat you in a car dealership. I never wanted to go back there despite the good wines and the beautiful facility. read more

Bottom line: You'll probably love this winery as long as you have some disposable income you don't mind spending on a few bottles, or if you don't mind blowing $23 for a tasting alone with tiny pours. Pros: The wines alone are very good. They also have a lovely covered patio with a gorgeous view so you can enjoy a bottle or two with your party and have lunch. Some of the employees were friendly too. Cons: There's an air of arrogance in a few of the employees and it's outrageously expensive. I'm used to most Virginia wines being between $20-30/bottle. The majority of the reds here ranged between $50-80 and though they were good, they weren't anything warranting such an astronomical price tag IMO. We also had to pay two separate tasting fees on our credit cards in two separate rooms which was pretty inconvenient - $8 for the "Classic Collection" which consisted of all whites and $15 for the "Cellar Collection" which consisted of all the reds. The pours were also the smallest I've ever experienced anywhere (definitely not 1oz, which I'm told is the smaller standard). They do switch out your glass after each wine which, I guess is a nice touch so you feel better about spending so much. But it seemed unnecessary to me. A quick swish with water has always been enough for me. For the casual wine-drinker like me, I just didn't enjoy Chateau O'Brien very much. I know my own personal tastes as far as complexity/tannins/body/etc and can appreciate wines that differ from my tastes as well but I am not a connoisseur. Perhaps a connoisseur may enjoy and deem COB wines worthy of the high prices but in my experience, I've had better wines in Virginia at more reasonable prices. read more

On a scale from 1 to 10.. 1 being extremely poor, 10 being excellent: Wine: 6 Price of wine based on quality: 2- way to expensive for what they offer Ambience: 8 Customer Service: 5 for the wife of the owner, 1 for the owner Owner's condescending attitude and pretentiousness: 10 We will never return to this winery for the shear fact the owner lacks basic customer service skills and is very rude. It really made the entire experience memorable in a very bad way. Had the owner maybe stopped talking about himself and let us enjoy the wine, the visit maybe had been better. read more

Hidden gem. I'm a bit picky about wine, so was uncertain but can assure you - if you like big, bold reds, this is definitely worth a visit. $15 for 4 wines is a bit pricey, but totally worth it. The owner, Howard, helped us with our tasting and it didn't disappoint. They have two sides - one is the classic tasting with whites/sweets/lighter reds and then heavier reds on the other. Our friends did the lighter wines and that side was PACKED and it took quite a bit for their tasting, but the other side was empty. This is definitely NOT the place for a day of family fun nor is it pet friendly - both things I appreciate. If you go into it wanting big, bold reds and knowing what to expect, I highly doubt you will be disappointed. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Sorry Howard...first, your wines just aren't that good. Next, splitting up the white and reds and charging that much seems, well... greedy. I felt taken. The staff was mixed. The young lady in the white tasting room with long hair and glasses was personable and engaging. The gentleman in the red tasting room was a robot. There are too many other great wineries and tasting rooms in this area..... read more

We visited Chateau O'Brien and had the same experience that many people here did. Their wines were OK, but the attitude of the owner was beyond self-important. I don't need to hear about how well-traveled you are or the schools your kids attend, I'm just here to taste the wine. I volunteer at one of my favorite wineries in VA, and if we ever talked to our customers that way we wouldn't have a job! Our winery is also pet and child friendly, which I prefer. It's sad that his attitude has turned so many people away from his winery. read more

As it goes, as I was driving to WV for time off with a friend, I stumbled across Chateau O'Brien Winery. And, as I can never pass up a winery, we went to partake, even though we were in comfy casual wear. As we went in, another two couples were leaving, with several full wine bags. This looked like a promising adventure, alas, the bubble popped too soon. The place was empty of customers except for a few on the indoor patio area. It was disconcerting. My friend and I stood in front of the tasting bar for several minutes until the two staff on duty (who were three feet in front of us) acknowledged us. It was obviously they were in the middle of something, however, they could have said, "We'll be with you in a minute. Do you mind waiting?" to make us feel welcome. Instead, we felt like an inconvenient afterthought. The winery had two tasting options, although they were not offered to us. We were automatically given the $5 option and weren't told about the $10 reserve tasting until another better dressed couple came in (see, never dress down for certain wineries, they make snap judgements). The pourer's attention laser beamed on the other couple and seemed to have trouble dividing their attention between the two tastings. So, for the tasting, neither my friend or I liked either of the white options. We both liked Buddy's Bistro Red and the Rose. We bought one of each. The tannat, was full flavored port-style wine. It was not to my taste but may be to someone else's, especially for those port lovers out there. There was another red we liked but the name completely escapes me right now and since Chateau O'Brien does not give a tasting sheet, it's forgotten. On one hand, I think this winery has a lot of potential. The wines are promising, the tasting rooms are gorgeous and relaxing, and the scenery is beautiful. I suspect the owner is working to attract a certain clientele and if you don't fit the mold, you may not feel as welcome. Hopefully,we just caught them at the wrong time. read more

My wife and I along with friends have been to this winery several times. Howard puts on a great tasting as well as pairing with food and conversation. He has made special accommodations where we arranged 8 of us to come to the winery. The wines are varied and interesting and he has put a lot of thought and expertise into his crafting of the various wines. His tannat is special and he has quite a few other interesting choices. In addition, he has a fantastic rose that he makes purposefully and not as an afterthought. Great place. read more

There are a lot of VA wineries, a lot of surprisingly good ones, and of course, those that keep this state from garnering the reputation that it otherwise deserves. This belong in the latter category. I love a VA Chardonnay, probably more than I should. There's was pretty awful, no flavor... at all. So I ordered a glass of their "Reserve" Chardonnay... which if possible had negative flavor... there's a reason for reserve being put in quotations. Needless to say I won't be going back. On the pro side, its easy to get to, staff is friendly, and there's a nice atmosphere. But I would go to a tent in Roanoke if the wine was good, but not to a place where the wine is completely unimpressive. That's just me though. read more

Good wine , decent prices. Super friendly staff. View is great. Live music. No kids allowed !!

Not my favorite place to visit. Overlooks 66 and all of the tractor-trailers down below. Wine tasting to the left, wine tasting to the right. Strange. Didn't really like any of their wines. Didn't purchase any bottles so that should tell you something - especially because we like to buy by the case. Plenty of room outside for kids to run around - although there weren't any around. Nothing impressed me. Move along... read more

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I have read some of the reviews and I've always had good experience when at Chateau O'Brien. Yes, they can get busy at times and be a little on edge. Who wouldn't? I went on a Monday afternoon and had a nice experience with the wine tasting. Howard took me through a tasting of the reds which included the reserve reds. I liked the Buddy's Bistro, but the Cab Franc and the Petit Verdot were to die for. Howard is very knowledgeable and spends a lot of time with his wines, so I can see why he would brag on them. Anybody who can make their wine would be proud of their own workmanship, just like anything else that someone can make, such as a recipe for lasagna. read more

I've been here a couple of times in the past year and have never had a bad experience. This winery is one of what I consider to be the "top tier" of NoVA wineries in terms of quality - their reds are slightly more successful than their whites, but even the whites are tough to critique. Their non-reserve line of reds is as good as many other wineries' best offerings. The reserve reds are pretty incredible, but the prices asked for them are a little cheeky. The Tannat is definitely worth a taste - you won't find it in too many other American wineries, and it's a huge wine. As for the ambience, the patio offers a great view of the Shenandoah foothills, and is never overcrowded (unlike a few other wineries in the area). I guess I could see how the staff/owner could get a little curt with groups that don't call ahead or people who try to order food when they're busy. The owner is trying to cultivate a refined atmosphere (hence the no kids rule), and I guess that's a byproduct. Bottom line is this isn't a place to bring a family or a group of more than a handful of people. But it is a place to taste some of the area's best wine in a gorgeous setting. read more

By far the best wine I have had from a Virginia Winery so I can understand why they would be so crowded. Unlike other VA wineries when Chateau O'Brien claims that its a full body wine they mean it. The Malbec was my favorite but don't miss out on his Tannant either. Howard is very proud of his wine and will go on about it, so I could see how this might put some people off but he knows his stuff and isn't bragging for the sake of making his wine look good, it really is that good. I plan on bringing some friends and family here when they visit as well. Its worth the drive out from DC and I highly recommend it. read more

First, I'd like to address some of the other reviews posted here. If you are going to leave a scathing review of a business the impact is much greater for the average reader if your review contains the correct grammar and spelling. Not knowing the difference between their and there or some of the more basic grammar rules does not lend credibility to your review. If you're retarded enough to not know how to spell or write correctly, you should stick to products that don't contain alcohol. Word to the wise. On to the vineyard... We've visited Chateau O'Brien twice now. Both visits were about the wine which we found enjoyable. We ended up purchasing two cases of the Apple Dessert Wine (Chateau O'Brien Virginia Apple Wine) because we fell in love with its crisp clean taste. If fresh cut sliced apples could be instantly transformed into wine, then this is probably the closest product to that concept. We arrived both times in our chartered executive class 1973 Extended customized Ford F240 Van. There were 289 of us crammed into that 9 passenger limo. We were politely greeted in spite of my left sleeve missing a 40 carat diamond encrusted cufflink. Adjusting my monocle and top hat, we were briskly ushered into the winery for drinking and snacks. All went well. I was instantly recognized as that favorite monopoly game piece. The Rockefellers were hilarious as always, as were the DuPonts. Ah, we love being rich sophisticated snobs from DC! With our noses firmly up our collective bums, we re-entered the exclusive chartered rich people type transportation for our quick return to DC. We plan on returning often to Chateau O-Brien as soon as the "those" people get the heck off of I-66 and allow us privileged folks easy access back and forth. Toodle loo and pish posh. (And yes, the other wines were very good. Chateau O'Brien is a great place to visit if you're in the DC area and need a quick vineyard fix) read more

Wow! What an impressive winery! The owner, Howard O'brien, grows, produces and bottles ALL of his own grapes/wines. If you know anything about wine, you know that is an extraordinary feat! It limits the ability to mass produce, but extremely enhances the quality and character in the wine. The apple wine is definitely easy to drink. The Padlock Red is absolutely delicious! The meat and cheese plate was exceptional in its variety and presentation. This is a small winery, but the prices were VERY reasonable and affordable for wines solely produced in this area. Howard is knowledgeable, accessible, and very easy to talk to. His Apple wine is award winning and my husband and I were very impressed with his hospitality. No one under age 21 is allowed, so the clientele is selective to a mature audience. The view is beautiful and among the best in the area! read more

Beautiful property, very cozy, great for all seasons with areas inside and outside. Super friendly service. The wines are wonderful. They have two different tastings, $8 and $15, each tasting has 4 wines. A little pricier than other wineries in the area but worth it. I'd definitely be back. read more

Chateau O'Brien at Northpoint - Wineries Near Me - Markham, Virginia

A little bit of California in Virginia. My husband and I were celebrating our one year wedding anniversary and on our way home from a B&B in Winchester decided to spontaneously check out the closest winery, which just so happened to be Chateau O'Brien. It was the first one my Navi pulled up. The winery is high up on hill in Markham, VA right off rout 66. I wondered how good the wines were going to be when I saw that an English Bull Dog was the picture on the sign. Come to find out Buddy was the O'Brien family dog that hung out in the back of the main bar of the winery. Unfortunately Buddy passed away last year. The only reason they are getting four stars instead of five is because they are not a dog friendly winery. Beautiful copper door great you before having to make a choice in the entry of which tasting bar, right or left you would like to choose. Usually one is the classic and one reserve. We chose the reserve wine tasting. I am going to focus on one grape...TANNAT! OMG this is the first time I had ever tasted something so wonderful. When the server poured the late harvest tannat, she waited for the glass to hit our lips, my husband and I looked and each other and the biggest grin popped on our faces. She instantly said "and there's the smile" as everyone who has tried it, loves it So here is the summary of Chateau O'Brien. Bring a picnic, a board game or two, your best friends, buy a bottle or two of the TANNAT or LATE HARVEST TANNAT and enjoy your day in their beautiful covered porch overlooking the valley. The only thing that would make it more perfect is allowing me to bring my little pooch! P.S. For $25 per person you can do a private cellar tasting with Howard the owner and about eight of your closest friends! read more

One of my favorite wineries off of 66. Amazing wine, with a nice choice of tastings that you can tailor to your taste. There is one for white drinkers or if you prefer red. There reds are to die for. The views are gorgeous and they have a nice sized outdoor seating area. Huge plus is its covered seating so can plan a stop here if its raining even. The have a nice lite bite food menu. We really enjoy our stops here every time. read more

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My wife and I went to this winery a few months ago and we enjoyed several of their wines. It is a very nice facility with a lot of copper, which someone else mentioned. The facility is large with two separate tasting areas. They also have a very large deck area. For our tasting, Chef Wayne was the one who poured for us and he was very knowledgeable and friendly. We tried 7 different wines. They had the following wines: Northpoint White Northpoint Rose Virginia Chardonnay Northpoint Red Buddy's Bistro Red Virginia Limited Reserve Tannat Virginia Apple Wine We felt all of the wines were good. The two stand out wines were the Northpoint Rose and the Virginia Apple wine. We are generally red wine drinkers so we were pleasantly surprised by these two. They make a strong claim that the apple wine tastes like apple pie in a bottle. It is true. It really does taste like apple pie. What makes the whole experience is getting some wine and ordering the Irish cheese and fresh baked bread, and enjoying everything out on the deck. read more

We taste all over the US and Chateau O'Brien is our favorite place in Virginia, it's a grown up place with grown up wine. Howard may have a different attitude than most people in NoVa but he knows his stuff. Groups need call ahead but that is wine touring 101. read more

I could go on in great length how wonderful Chateau O'Brien's wines are! Rarely can I say that I am impressed by all of the offerings by a winery, but Chateau O'Brien is certainly an exception. Their standouts are their Tannat, Buddy's Bistro Red, Cabernet Franc, and their Apple Rose! They offer high end wines that are worth every penny and are for serious wine lovers. read more

We had a wonderful afternoon at Chateau O'Brien. It is very scenic, the wine is more "mature" than a lot of Virginia wine tends to be and the choices were abundant. They even have two tasting rooms depending on the type of wine you want. We had planned to go to a couple of vineyards, but were having such a nice afternoon we ended up staying longer than we expected at this one. In addition to wine, as the afternoon wore on, we also had Sangria. The food choices were also better than most winery offerings in the area and we had cheese and chocolate truffles. The truffles were so delicious; we bought chocolates to bring home in addition to our wine purchases. The only thing that would have made our visit more enjoyable would have been some music; they certainly have the space to accomodate that. We received very gracious service here and we will definitely visit again. read more

Had an amazing time at this winery did a wine tasting, bought a couple bottles, and was guided through this exquisite experience by the expertise of sommelier Marc! He truly made our experience worth the trip! Enjoy your birthday Marc! Remember us?! read more

This has to be one of the prettiest tasting rooms we've been to! It's very rustic without being cheesy or kitschy. They separate their red and white tastings. While the whites were alright, it's the reds that really were mind-blowing! They don't make many bottles, so the price point is a bit higher than most other Virginia wines. But trust that if you pay for a good bottle of any of their reds, it's worth it. I'd like to come here during the summer and enjoy their patio space. There are gorgeous views and I think bringing a picnic lunch and having a bottle of wine would be perfect! read more

This establishment tries hard as do all wineries, so don't be a critic when under age patrons are refused. Aside from potential liquor regulation, we prefer an adult atmosphere when tasting. read more

Had the worst experience in this Winery. Even though their website says they welcome VIP members and the general public, when we got there, we were told unless we were VIP club members we were not allowed to do the wine tasting. The lady who received us, not greeted us, was very rude. We have been to almost a hundred wineries across Virginia and many others in other states and we have never felt so unwelcome. We will not be visiting Chateau O'Brien ever again. read more

A few weeks before my friends Birthday we choose this winery, they have an AMAZING apple wine. We called because we were going to have 7 or 8 to see if we needed a reservation for a tasting, none needed! I arrived first, carrying a present and a bouquet of 10 happy birthday balloons. I was the first patron of the day to arrive. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the owner as he was coming in. Asking if I was celebrating anything, - sure enough a birthday, about 8 ladies, and he gave me a short history and tour, super friendly!! The place is beautiful. He recommends we sit on the patio, since our balloons and food will be a lot for the fireplace room. he's turned the heaters on a few minutes earlier, but it will warm up soon. Our party arrives, we start our tasting. We have 7 tasters and 8 in our group. A man comes over and gives us a very nasty look - "in the future when you have a large party you need to call and make a reservation, parties of 7-8 or less are fine, but large groups we need a warning about" not to mention he was giving the girl who worked there a crap time about something as well. I told him we had called a few weeks ago, then was asked who we spoke with. It doesn't matter who we spoke with YOU JUST SAID PARTIES OF 7-8 DO NOT NEED A RESERVATION!! We were a party of 7 tasters and 1 extra who did not drink. Also, it really never warmed up on the patio, under the heater it was OKAY, but we were cold if we tried to move to get more food or fill up our wine. Loved the apple wine, hated the guy with the attitude... we almost left once he yelled at us.... read more

Beautiful winery! The classic tasting was very nice an shad an opportunity to talks with the owner. I love the Cellar collection tasting but it was also the slowest tasting I've ever experienced. They had 4 wines at the Cellar collection tasting. The '08 Vintners Reserve and the '08 Limited Reserve Tannat were excellent! read more

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One of my favorite wineries in the area. Great wine, awesome view, super cozy. The owners: Howard and Deb are some of the down to earth people you will ever meet. They make you feel right at home. The Tannat is the best! If you can afford it buy a bottle or two. read more

This is one of my favorites by far. The no one under 21 policy and no pet policy may be a turnoff for some but I found it really nice to be an adult centered winery. They are a 100% own harvest winery with a beautiful vineyard and a beautiful building. We did the red tasting and it was a 4/4 for me and 3/4 for my chick. Usually we're lucky to like a third of what we try so this was a fortunate find. The wine is really fantastic a long with the food. Looking forward to a cellar tasting for sure. read more

Just left a great tasting experience with Joan. The wines were very good, especially accompanied by her detailed background info on each one. The view is breathtaking. Most enjoyable visit. read more

I used to really enjoy coming to this vineyard but came with friends who had thei sleeping 3 month old in a stroller. After bellying up to the bar with the stroller, walking around and almost paying for a tasting for 4 people we were rudely told no babies. No signs, no one mentioning when we walked in. Under 21 years old not allowed. Really? like we are going to give a 3 month old wine. Screw that! I will never go back and make it a mission moving forward to ensure none of my friends (who frequent vineyards) ever go back. Awful, awful customer service. read more

I wouldn't even give this winery a one star. The owner was rude and arrogant to me and my 84 year old Grandma. He said we could share an $8 wine tasting, only gave us one wine glass to share then charged us $16. My Grandmas family dated back to Linden VA for hundreds of years and he was a complete jerk to her. I went to Naked Mountain Winery and spent $96 there instead. When you are arrogant and have piss poor customer service that's what you get. Plus his wine was very acidic. read more

Went to Naked Mountain winery then to this place. Only one worker on a holiday weekend. The location is amazing, but didn't get a tasting after 10 min wait. She loved talking wine, but with 2 people should have been no challenge for 2 more tasting. Not good at manging tastings!! read more

If you want the real effect read the full correspondence that started on 1/31. I was responded to on 2/11 only after posting on their FB page. Just got off the phone and he was unprofessional. Very short conversation- ALL EXCUSES. Offered us 2 bottles of apple wine, I declined, he hung up---CLASSLESS.. Read reviews before you go. From: Thomas Eisert dinkeythedog@verizon.net To: howard@chateauobrien.com Sent: Tue, Feb 11, 2020 5:17 pm Subject: Fwd: RE: service complaint Howard I am sincerely sorry if your parents are ill. Everything else in your email I quite frankly do not believe . If you would have proofread it, you would have seen that you said, or maybe you meant to say, I am sorry for your experience and that you DID? meet our needs. Your statement about calling you one day before the event, actually it was two days before the event, has nothing to do with answering my concerns. You basically told me you would need to bring in extra help. This obviously did not happen because we were left to fend for ourselves. Your social media person said that you never got my email and I believe you just moved it aside. Even if your spam is on? (mine is always on) you still get the email, just check your spam folder. I'm sure you understand that as a businessman. What I expected, was possibly a partial or full refund to my Son in Law. What extra was done???? We could have sat out in the main room and received the same service as we did reserving and paying for a room. Barrell Oak saved an area for us and they do not take reservations. They had someone checking on us to make sure everything was going well and charged nothing. I guess I just expected more from a business than just your response "I am sorry for your experience and hope you return." We have visited your Winery more than any winery in the area. If you look out on FB, we have quite a few posts checking in. Please call me to discuss live. (I am available Wednesday and Thursday.) I just don't want to be lied to. You are pictured on your FB page on the 7th and 8th, so you were able to get email then? Just be honest Tom Eisert 703-498-8276 On Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Howard Obrien howard@chateauobrien.com wrote: Hello. I am sorry for your experience and that we did meet your needs. I have been dealing with to very sick parents the past few weeks out of the area so I am remotely checking e-mail but my spam was on, so I did not get your message via e-mail. I wish you would have reached out to me via phone like you did to make your reservation the day before your event. I would have responded much quicker. Once again, I am sorry for your experience and hope you will return in the future if you choose. Howard From: Thomas Eisert dinkeythedog@verizon.net Date: Friday, January 31, 2020 Subject: room rental 1/25 To: howard howard@chateauobrien.com Howard I wanted to reach out to you and tell you how disappointed we were Saturday 1/25 after paying $250 for a room that really was not needed at all. When we spoke, you made it sound as if we really might have a problem with trying to get 23 people in the same area and that was not any problem at all. We received basically no attention other than Mark Becker pointing to where the room was and that was basically it. Part of our group, 5 people, I believe, went to the front bar for a tasting and it was like pulling teeth. The bartender was not accommodating at all and stopped what she was doing, after starting the pours, to wait on customers buying bottles two to three times. We did not expect to have our own server or anything like that but we received little to no attention at all. Our folks cleaned up the room before we left and had to ask a bartender for a trash bag. You told me you normally charge up to $800 for the room and frankly I feel my son in law was basically ripped off as we received nothing extra, and in no way needed to rent the room. We also asked to light the fireplace to add some ambiance to the room but were told NO that it would get too hot. I think if it got too hot, we could have asked to turn it off. Lastly, we have always enjoyed visiting your winery and my daughter was excited also to find out we were going there as she has visited with us numerous times while being home from Va. Beach. We visited a much larger venue around 11:30 and they DID NOT take reservations but I informed them the same day I called you about us bringing a large group. When we arrived they had a spot waiting for us upstairs and checked on us multiple times to see if everything was ok and to answer any questions and provide assistance. Bottom line? You charged $250 for a room that was not needed, although led to believe we would need it, received no additional help and received very poor overall service. Your winery has always been #1 on my wife's list as she loves the winery and the apple wine but I do not think we will be visiting again or would like a response. Thomas J Eisert read more