DuCard Vineyards hosts company retreats, corporate off-sites, club meetings, rehearsal dinners, weddings and private parties for up to 100 guests. Groups choose between a covered pavilion, an outdoor tent, the indoor Shenandoah Room and deck or patio areas. The winery is in Etlan, Madison County, Virginia, at the eastern edge of Shenandoah National Park.
Seminars and company events
The winery sells private and corporate events, and lists company retreats and off-sites among them. The Shenandoah Room, for 30 to 40 guests, suits a leadership team or a board that wants a working session away from the office, followed by a tasting. A larger group of up to 100 can gather in the pavilion or the tent for a lunch, a talk or an end-of-day reception. An event coordinator helps set up the space, choose the wines and line up vendors. Wine pairing staff can guide a group through the estate's wines as part of the program.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are part of the offer, along with rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and vow renewals. The pavilion and the tent each take up to 100 guests, so a ceremony and a reception can use two different settings on the same day. Each wedding couple receives a personalized bottle of DuCard LOVE wine, and extra bottles can be ordered as favors for the wedding party. The winery is open all year, which allows events in every season, with indoor space as a fallback when the weather turns.
Rooms and capacities
The Pavilion takes up to 100 guests and is covered. The outdoor tent also takes up to 100. The Shenandoah Room, indoors, takes 30 to 40 guests. Deck and patio areas, including a stream-side deck, have capacities that vary with the layout. The winery also has a back lawn and an indoor tasting room used for daily visitors. Photos on the site show long dining tables outdoors, round tables in a room with a stone fireplace and a long table in a room lined with wine barrels.
Catering
Organisers can choose from the winery's list of local caterers and vendors or bring their own. Wine comes from the estate's own range.
History and setting
DuCard has grown grapes on the property since 2004 and opened to the public in 2010. It was founded by Scott Elliff. The winery was named Virginia's Greenest Winery when it opened in 2010 and again in 2015, and its Sipping for Saplings program funded the planting of 2,000 trees. An EV charging station is available to guests. The estate sits close to Old Rag Mountain and White Oak Canyon, two well-known hikes, which gives a retreat group an easy outdoor option before or after the event.
Getting there
The address is 40 Gibson Hollow Lane, Etlan, Virginia. The winery is in the countryside of Madison County, and guests arrive by car or by chartered shuttle. Washington, DC and Charlottesville are both within driving distance for a day event.
