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Sharp Rock Vineyards

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April 17, 2026.   The bumblebees and wasps buzzed lazily around the porch of Sharp Rock Vineyards where it was 90 degrees in the shade.   It felt like summer except for the lack of good old Virginia humidity.   Yet on a day of clear skies at the tail end of a heat wave owner Jimm East could fear for his crops because not four days from that afternoon, weather was predicted to bring a strong frost against his vines.*   Such is the weather in Virginia. Jimm East, a native of Cleveland and an an athlete at Chapel Hill, opened Sharp Rock Vineyards, or Sharp Rock Vineyards and Cottages as it’s now called, in the western edge of Rappahannock Country near the town of Sperryville.   He and wife Kathy renovated the 1790’s farm house and the 1850’s carriage house for their residence and for the wine tasting room and production plant.   That was 1998.   Since then, children have been born and raised, and the next generation is here, but neither children nor gra...
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Southern Revere Farm Brewery and Winery

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April 16, 2026.   From the name and from the offerings, it should be clear that Southern Revere is a brewery first and a winery second.   It is one of the first Virginia farm breweries to serve wine; and other fermented products.   But the focus seems to be on the suds. Southern Revere is another establishment close to Interstate 64 corridor, in Louisa about 25 minutes east of Charlottesville.   It is part of Louisa County’s Fermentation Farm Trail that covers the county’s wineries, breweries and cideries.   The Grime Family (Jason and Sheridan) and the Spencer Family (Dave and Paula) first started planting their three acres of vines in 2018 and opened for business in 2021.   Paula and Sheridan kept their day jobs for the insurance while Jason and Dave retired from their jobs to work the winery-brewery business.   The winery is located on Jack Jouett Road, named after the man who rode to warn Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and the rest of the...
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Grayhaven Winery

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April 16, 2026.   It’s surprising, perhaps, to find a man of the world operating a vineyard and winery in Goochland County, halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville.   But Gum Springs is where Grayhaven Winery has been operating since 1978 and where you will find owner and manager Deon Abrams, a certified man of the world.   He’s not especially a boisterous man but his long craggy face and a shock of light hair tells of having seen many places and lived many lives before Gum Springs.   They tell of growing up in Johannesburg, being conscripted into the South African Defense Force, leaving home for Egypt, and Israel, and England, and finally New York City, of being a mover in the culture of “outsider art” from his gallery in Chelsea.       And in New York, Deon met his wife Max Peple, whose family founded and operated Grayhaven Winery.   Deon and Max returned to Grayhaven in 2001 to take over winery operations from founders Chuck and Lyn Peple....
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Trump Winery

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April 15, 2026.   Well, ladies and gentlemen, we now come to a review of our visit to the Trump Winery southeast of Charlottesville in Albemarle County.   A number of our friends asked why we’d visit here considering the recent activities of the winery’s namesake.   The short answer is that we have a goal of visiting every Virginia winery.   The longer answer is that wine should not be a divisive thing separating us into tribal camps; it should bring people together in happy society.   Let’s take off our tribal hats and enjoy the vine. Trump Winery announces itself in symbols even before you arrive.   About a quarter mile from the entrance to Trump’s estate, heading south on Carter Mountain Road, you will begin to drive along the nearly 4,000 American flags waving from the fenceline that marks the border of the Trump property.   This is quite a sight as the crest of each hill on the winding country road brings a new array of flags into view.   I...
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8 Chains North Winery

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March 14, 2026.     One of the many wineries along the Route 9 Corridor in Loudoun County, 8 Chains North is not blessed with a beautiful and inviting entrance.   From the parking lot, you actually enter the tasting room through the backdoor on the backside of a long low-hung Dutch-roofed barn.      But 8 Chains is about as close to Route 9 as you can get and its convenience rewards people who stay for a time to relax on the front porch that runs the length of the barn on the side facing rolling vineyards.   This is where you were meant to sit. The interior of the main tasting room, though recently refreshed, remains small, utilitarian, and a little dark.   Some comfy sofas form a seating area by a fake fireplace.   I seem to remember this from our visit many years ago when 8 Chains was owned by founder Ben Renshaw.   I understand that Ben has moved to West Virginia but still makes the wine here for new owners, Cissi and Edz (Edgars) Stu...
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