DuCard Vineyards Harvest Dinner

I had the chance to join DuCard Vineyards for their annual Farm To Table Harvest Dinner. Here’s the recap!

It has been a minute since I had ventured up to DuCard Vineyards – 11 years to be specific! The owner, Scott, emailed me recently and called me out on my absence and extended an invitation to their annual Farm To Table Harvest Dinner. I was happy to attend and catch up with all that DuCard has going on!

Scott and me in 2015

And our 2026 reunion!

DuCard Vineyards is about an hour north of Charlottesville, nestled in a gorgeous valley with mountains on all sides at the edge of Shenandoah National Park. It’s close to the popular hikes Old Rag and White Oak Canyon, so if you’re heading to tackle one of those, this is the perfect spot to rest and relax afterwards.

DuCard opened to the public in 2010 and has been growing grapes since 2004. Not all of the vineyards in the area both grow their own grapes and make wine on site, but DuCard does both.

Known in the region for its sustainability and philanthropy, the staff feels like family. Everyone is so friendly, and they truly care about those who walk through the door for the first time and the community of neighbors in Madison County. Their list of sustainability efforts is long and impressive.

Farm To Table Harvest Dinner

The Annual Harvest Dinner benefits the Madison County Fair and the 4-H Stockman’s Club. Members of the 4-H Club served our dinner, and the event raised over $3,000 from ticket sales and a silent auction.

Ingredients for the dinner, which was prepared by local caterer Kendall Rider of Rider #4, came from local farms, orchards, and gardens including 5 Riders Farm, William’s Orchard, Papa Weaver’s Pork, Kristin’s Cakes, Kite’s Country Ham, Heritage Homestead A2A2 Cheeses and South Mountain Creamery.

I started the event with a glass of Rosé, which was included in the ticket. The Rosé was great!

We were seated in the open-air pavilion, and this made for the perfect setting for a massive thunderstorm to cool the air down!

Appetizers included mini ham biscuits and my favorite summertime food: pimento cheese!

There was a competition to see whether biscuits with mayonnaise or butter were the crowd favorite. I preferred the mayo, but butter won by a landslide!

The Menu

We were served buffet-style by the 4-H club, and I enjoyed the chicken and all three sides. The classic cheesy squash casserole was my top pick! I also bought a glass of the 2023 Cabernet Franc, which I loved.

We heard remarks from the Chair of the Madison County Fair, Essie Berry, and closed out the auction.

And ended the evening with a scrumptious Peach Poke Cake with fresh whipped cream!

Thanks to Scott and DuCard for including me <3 The next time you’re heading north toward Madison County, plan a visit! They offer guided flights, charcuterie boards, and lots of special events, like live music on the weekends. Picnics and dogs are welcome, and hiking attire is common.