Sabin Wine Journeys

September 4, 2025.   Interstate 64 runs the spine of the newest of Virginia’s   American Viticultural Areas (AVA), Virginia Peninsula.   A short distance from the Interstate, you can find several wineries to relieve the monotonous drive between Richmond and Newport News.   We have profiled all of these wineries before, with the exception of Gauthier Vineyard in Barhamsville, New Kent County.   Time to rectify that gap in coverage! We approached the winery passing a large barrel head boldly announcing the place.   Opposite this sign, three acres of Norton grapes sloped coyly under white gauze netting, installed to keep the birds away.   It was a sign that the harvest was close at hand.   A gravel drive takes you past a quiet lake and fountain, up a grade to the front of the tasting room. The tasting room building, built in 2012-13, has a wide wrap-around porch that you can follow around to a view across the lake and the vineyard.     In...

August 16, 2025.   Reitano Vineyards opened in June 2024 to much fanfare with local elected officials from Warren County and nearby Front Royal in attendance.   Reitano is the brainchild of Shelly Cook, who took her family cattle farm and turned it into an “extravagant vineyard.”   The name “Reitano” comes from Shelly’s grandfather who immigrated from Reitano, Sicily through Ellis Island into America.  We are in the Shenandoah AVA. Reitano has two main buildings with a third one due to open in October 2025.   Currently, the Old Springhouse serves as the tasting room and the main event space.   A pavilion allows for other large events.     The Springhouse rises two stories on exposed wood beams to a clearstory.   A long open hall runs the center of the floor.   Three sofa sitting areas branch off on either side.   The tasting bar occupies the fourth quadrant.   The space is cavernous, modern, and bright.   We saw no firepla...

August 16, 2025.   For some reason, we have neglected visiting Glen Manor Vineyards all these years.   It is not especially far away from our home – being just a little over ten miles south of the town of Front Royal in Warren County and just inside the Shenandoah AVA. Glen Manor sits on land that owner and winemaker Jeff Raymond White’s family has farmed for four generations.   The Commonwealth officially recognizes it as a “Century Farm.”   Jeff learned his trade from Jim Law on the other side of the mountains at Linden Vineyards, and after five years, Jeff established his own Hodder Hill vineyard on the western flank of the Blue Ridge.   The vineyards rise from 1,000 to 1,400 feet elevation with slopes up to 35 degrees.   Lots of granite in the porous soil.   From his original six acres of grapes, Jeff expanded the acreage to its present 19 acres with an annual production of around 2,500 cases. The winery is a small place with a big view of the vine...

August 6, 2025.   I had a long telephone conversation with the President of the Virginia Wineries Association (VWA), George Hodson.   Since 2012, George has been general manager of Veritas Vineyards and then Flying Fox Vineyards.   He relocated his family from Florida to Virginia to take over the family business and apply his business and financial acumen to this challenging industry.   George was elected to the position at VWA in 2020.   This post is a paraphrase of the conversation using my notes with backup audio recording.   I have tried as much as possible to be faithful to what was said and the tone in which it was conveyed.   We are thankful to George for his time and candor.     Photo used with permission of the subject Roger.   A couple of months ago, I asked AJ Greely her reaction to the imposition of tariffs that had just been announced against the European Union.   She felt the tariffs would be disastrous for Vir...