The story below is from our March/April 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Well Hung Vineyard is far more than just a witty name – the award-winning wines and imaginative seasonal menus are a great draw, too.
John Park
When Anthony Herring decided to buy into Virginia’s wine landscape, he assumed he was buying a quirky trademark name he could turn into a tasting room experience. Little did he know he was diving headlong into the ever-exciting, ever-turbulent waters of restaurant ownership.
In 2016, Amy Steers and Kathy Rash, prior creators and owners of Well Hung Vineyard, were ready to pass on their witty and attention-grabbing brand. Herring, an entrepreneur and multiple business owner, bought the trademark and kept it in his back pocket for several years while life churned and he thought through how to best realize Well Hung as a business. Finally, he hired a retired Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agent and heard the last thing he wanted to hear: You have to own a restaurant.
“I never wanted to own a restaurant in my entire life,” says Herring and chuckles. “I never did.”
And yet, Herring went searching. He found a location in the small, picturesque town of Gordonsville, Virginia, near Charlottesville where Herring resides. He opened his first Well Hung Vineyard restaurant on August 22, 2019. It did well. Then, within months of opening, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Herring shuttered the restaurant for the next two months and went to work. He hired Chef Rob Szydlowski to help highlight Well Hung wines through elevating the food-wine experience. When Herring re-opened with Szydlowski at the culinary helm, Well Hung Vineyard’s success exploded. So much so, that in February of 2022, Herring was able to open his second restaurant in Roanoke. He is slated to open his third location in Charleston, South Carolina early in 2022.
“I have opened three restaurants in the last two-and-a-half years during this pandemic. We are very humbled, and thankful, and grateful. And it has not been easy,” says Herring, who also owns a healthcare consulting business, another industry heavily impacted by the continuing effects of COVID-19.
Yet, Herring considers himself incredibly fortunate to have a restaurant model that has thrived despite all the obstacles. He credits his team who works for him and the generous support of Roanokers who have been instrumental in propelling Well Hung into near-overnight success.
“Roanokers are such genuine and good people,” says Herring. “People come into the restaurant. They laugh and joke, but they are skeptical. Then they try our food and wine and they are surprised by the quality.”
Case in point: Well Hung Vineyard carries 12 wine varietals. Of these, five have won medals in the last three months. Additionally, every wine Herring has submitted for competition has won a medal.
There are some misnomers surrounding Well Hung Vineyard. First, Herring doesn’t own a vineyard. Second, Well Hung Vineyard, while based in Virginia, does not use only Virginia wines. In fact, the vast majority of juice that becomes Well Hung wines Herring sources from Washington, Oregon and California. However, once the wine is produced, given a playful name and quirky label, it’s all Well Hung from there.
“We’re an oxymoron. We tow the line on crude. When you walk in, you don’t expect that kind of experience with the [Well Hung] name,” says Herring. “But, I’m really proud of the ambiance of our Roanoke location. We want people to enjoy their experience, have a laugh at our name, have a good time and come back again.”
Critical to elevating the experience at Well Hung Vineyard is the food. Herring gives full and well-placed credit to Chef Szydlowski. According to Herring, Szydlowski takes an incredibly creative and dynamic approach to his menu creations. He is also passionate about excellence. The two friends work closely on the menu for each Well Hung location, shaping their offerings to the unique culture and the local foods of the place.
Herring says Roanoke’s food scene is eclectic, as are the tastes of Roanokers. Herring and Szydlowski work hard to create menus that will both please Roanokers and showcase Well Hung Vineyard’s wine varietals. This is no small task. Well Hung offers three different menus: brunch, lunch and dinner. They also change their menu seasonally and offer themed menus for special occasions and holidays: Roanoke’s Restaurant Week, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, to name a few.
Szydlowski’s imaginative style is evident throughout Well Hung Vineyard’s menus. For example, their brunch menu includes strawberry waffle bites, homemade Fruity Pebble sugar donuts and prosciutto waffle Benny. Their Portobello “Fries” is the perfect appetizer gracing all their menus. It’s just the right combination of flavors and textures to whet one’s appetite. It also plays well with lots of wine varietals and offers diners some anticipation for the next dish. The same can be said for many of Well Hung’s appetizers. My personal favorites include the bacon, apple and brie crostini and the Highlander hummus.
Well Hung’s ever-changing menus do an excellent job of meeting customers’ desires for seasonal foods. For wine lovers, the seasonal changes generate continued excitement for visiting. There are always new avenues for experiencing a favorite wine. Or, discovering a new wine varietal all together.
I have visited Well Hung Vineyard under both their fall and wintertime menus. The first time there, I ordered the Crimson Crush flight. This was the perfect introduction to Well Hung’s collection of reds. It offered me an opportunity to play with pairing wines to my food selections. I also discovered the versatility of Well Hung’s menu. Foods I might normally pair with Well Hung’s Viognier Reserve or Pop Your Cork, their award winning, 100% Virginia Chardonnay, I found also paired well with their soft spoken Under the Table Red or their bold Red Tryst.
On my second visit to Well Hung, I ordered wine by the glass. I started with Under the Table Red, a versatile red blend that pairs beautifully with their Star City Flatbread Pizza and Portobello “Fries.” It was also a great transition wine for my dinner selection, the sirloin steak, a cold weather, comfort food choice. This was served with mashed, redskin garlic potatoes, seared asparagus and topped with onion straws. For this dish I selected the Petite Verdot Reserve. It proved to be an excellent pairing. It also paired well with husband’s dinner, the fried chicken, also served with potatoes and asparagus and topped with béchamel cheese sauce pulling the entire dish into a wonderful meld of flavors.
With its quirky name and high-quality dining experience I’ve no doubt Well Hung Vineyard will enjoy a long and happy life in Roanoke. We may have rightly raised our eyebrows at first. But in the end, we are a generous-minded bunch (yes, goofy pun intended).
“In the beginning, those first couple weeks, most people were upset because of our name,” says Herring. “They thought it was crude and an insult. But they came and found out [Well Hung] is actually a decent restaurant with decent wine, and all the sudden, no one is complaining anymore.”
402 South Jefferson Street
Roanoke, VA 24011
540-655-4900
Monday – Thursday: 11am–9pm
Friday: 11am–10pm
Saturday: 12–10pm
Sunday: 10am–8pm
The story above is from our March/April 2022. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!