We visited the controversial, award-winning Trump Winery in Charlottesville— here's what it's like

Hollis Johnson

This week, in a press conference addressing violent white-nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, President Donald Trump brought up a surprising topic: his winery.

"I know a lot about Charlottesville," he said. "It's a great place that has been badly hurt over the last couple days. I own one of the largest wineries in the United States. It is in Charlottesville."

Trump Winery, which is run by the president's son Eric, has received backlash following some of Trump's controversial political stances and actions. In February, there was a movement backed by a local chapter of the National Organization for Women to boycott Wegmans for selling Trump wine at Virginia locations.

According to a legal disclaimer on its website, Trump Winery is "a registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their affiliates."

While on a recent trip to Charlottesville, we decided to pay Trump Winery a visit.

Considering our lackluster experience at Trump Grill, our expectations weren't too high when we visited. But, we went in with an open mind. Here's what we found. 

The Trump Winery — originally the Kluge Winery, which was bought by Trump in 2011 — is located in the rolling green hills outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, minutes from another more historical presidential estate, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

The tasting room sits off a winding country road in the midst of the winery's many rolling acres. Like many of the area's plentiful vineyards, it's a popular tourist destination and hosts many weddings.

As we walked in, we noticed a familiar plaque from the American Academy of Hospitality Science. The award plaques also adorn the walls of other Trump properties — the head of the organization, Joseph Cinque, is a longtime Trump acquaintance. Sometimes described as a "small-time mobster," Cinque has previously been convicted of possessing stolen property.

Source: Chicago Tribune