Hiding in Plain Sight: Prelude Wines
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We build our portfolio on small lots, clean farming, and wines that read place more than posture. Prelude Wines fits. A Walsh Family Wines incubator member, Prelude Wines started lean, produced early vintages during the incubator stage, and grew in a slow, intentional, and transparent manner. Today, Charles and Megan Gandee bottle limited quantities from select Virginia sites, maintaining precise and gentle winemaking.
About Prelude Wines
Prelude Wines began with curiosity and weekend cellar work, scrubbing tanks, sorting grapes, and learning by doing. From those years of hands-on learning (2014-2017), they earned WSET certifications and, in 2023, secured a Virginia farm winery license. Today, they operate as a licensed winery, producing custom-crush wines while preparing to plant and steward their own vineyard. Prelude Wines has also expanded into a Founders Club, offering limited releases and direct shipping, while maintaining intentionally small and purposeful production. The name Prelude nods to that future and the idea that every great bottle starts long before the cork is pulled.
Fun Fact: Charles jokes that their first vines were ordered on Amazon, an apt origin story for a bootstrap project that learned fast and iterated.
The Wine - 2023 Merlot
Bronze Medal Winner at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition
Aged 18 months in French oak, about 50% new
Bottled April 2025
Sourced from Russ Mountain Vineyard
Tasting profile
Nose opens with cherry cordial, black cherry, and plum, layered with chocolate and cassis. Brambly tones lift into sweet tobacco, violet, sage, and bay. Palate is lush and velvety with dry red-fruit and blackberry character, balanced acidity, and a smooth finish that holds and invites another sip.
Why it works
Mountain site fruit gives density without heaviness.
Elevage frames fruit rather than masking it.
Balance-first approach keeps alcohol and oak in check so the glass stays fresh at the table.
Food ideas
Herb-rubbed lamb or beef. Mushroom ragù over polenta. Tomato-anchovy pasta. Aged cow’s-milk cheeses. The wine’s fruit and acidity handle fat and umami; the tannin profile plays well with herbs.
Why we selected it
Our focus is on indigenous grapes, the dedication of small-scale producers, and a hands-on approach to winemaking. This wine proudly represents Virginia, offering a subtle profile that's perfect for meals and conversation—not just for scoring points. That’s exactly what we aim for when selecting a bottle for you. And it’s an added bonus to have an award-winning wine in our portfolio, even if Charles believes it deserves an even higher medal. 😉
