Those of us who call Northern Virginia home know that it is home to some excellent wine. It’s kind of a hidden secret, really - the Commonwealth certainly isn’t the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of American wine hotspots. Certainly the climate and soil of Virginia make growing grapes a challenge. History tells us that Thomas Jefferson spent decades trying fruitlessly (pun intended) to cultivate grapes for wine at Monticello, never turning out even a single bottle. Since then, generations of winemakers have patiently worked at the art of making Virginia’s resources work for them. And today, we have the delicious wine to celebrate their hard work.
Today, Virginia boasts over 250 wineries. A whopping one hundred of those are located in Northern Virginia. USA Today recently profiled NoVA’s viticulture and wineries, shedding light on some real treasures. They spoke with Annette Boyd, director of the Virginia Wine Board. Boyd recommends that those looking to partake of the region’s wine tradition do so at leisure, taking time to soak in every stop. “Do two to three wineries a day,” she says. “A lot of the things that make those visits so special are being able to stop and smell the flowers and savor the wines.”
The USA Today piece featured a few distinctive Northern Virginia wineries. One was 868 Estate Vineyard in Loudoun County, which is named for the property’s elevation. The vineyard stands out with its restaurant, Grandale Vintner’s Table, which serves gourmet fare. Among the varietals grown at 868 are merlot, cabernet franc, and chardonnay.
Then there’s the Winery at Bull Run, whose two vineyards (the other is Rock Mill Vineyard in Little Washington, about 40 miles away) produce Norton grapes, viognier (named Virginia’s official grape in 2011), cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, merlot, chambourcin, chardonnay and traminette grapes. As the name suggests, the winery was the site of the first battle of Bull Run during the Civil War, as well as the second one as well. The winery has a Civil War museum on site with relics from the battles.
In Fairfax County, Paradise Springs Winery also is in touch with its history. On the property is an 1800s log cabin, which was renovated in 1955 by Howard Richter. Richter is best known as a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. There’s also an old red barn relocated from its former home in downtown Fairfax that houses the tasting and music spaces.
These are just some of the fantastic wineries and vineyards in Northern Virginia. If you are new to the region’s wine culture, dive in! You’re in for a treat.
