Sunshine Ridge Winery, Gainesville

The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm

Gainesville, VA  May 23, 2021, June 19, 2021.

Kim and I first visited the new Sunshine Ridge Winery in Gainesville on a blistering hot day in May.  Sunshine Ridge opened in March, and we wish them the best.  Even with the heat, there was a breeze because the winery is situated on the shore of Lake Manassas.  In the fall, the facing lakeshore will be glorious with Fall foliage.  Imagine a nice glass of wine in front of the fire place.  Sunshine Ridge is a partnership of several families, according to Tom and Maria who are part owners.  According to Virginia corporation records, Sunshine Ridge is affiliated with the Winery at Bull Run (Fictitious Name Registration, June 17, 2020).  We understand from Chris Pearmund of Pearmund Cellars that he also has an interest.   Different family members run different aspects of the place.  The only grapes that appeared to be growing was a small stand of Petit Verdot but in time other varietals are planned. 

I took a tasting flight of Red wines.  All were on the fruity side, including the Meritage, which was noticeably more complex than the rest.  I later tried the Sunshine Ridge Meritage against a Meritage we had at Effingham and against a my “house wine,” a Right Bank Bordeaux Superior.  The Sunshine Ridge Meritage has quite some room for improvement.  I found the Norton offering a little foxy and the Cab Franc a little light.  Kim tried the Chardonnay.  The tasting notes claimed that the Chard was aged in 50% French oak, giving the wine a creamy texture.  Kim did not sense this creaminess in particular, although she found it a good Chard.

We returned to Sunshine Ridge in June with friends for a wider perspective on the offerings.  We observed that both the 2019 Chardonnay and the 2019 Pinot Gris are labeled as “American,” by which I take it that they are not made from mostly Virginia grapes.  Those are not Virginia wines.  The Cabernet Franc and the Meritage are labeled as “Virginia.”  Carol Anne, who had the Pinot Gris, agreed with the tasting notes for the most part except that she did not get the “wet stone” aroma on the nose.  Otherwise, she felt the Pinot was tangy and good drinking.  Steve and Don visited the brew pub.  Don favored “Ty One On” a German style lager but later switched to Steve’s choice, “Sunshine Pale Ale,” which was  a little lighter and fruitier.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Linden Vineyards

Image
May 25, 2024.   Hello Readers!   It has been a while since we last posted.   We have been doing some traveling out of state, but we’re back!   We used a warm morning on the Memorial Day weekend to revisit one of the great Virginia wineries with some friends – Linden Vineyards - which is a few minutes south of the crossroads that constitute the town of Linden in western Fauquier County.   During our visit we spoke with owner and founder, Jim Law, and his son-in law, Alex Wilde, who poured for us.   Thanks to both of them for their time.   Much has been written about Linden over the years, and much by Jim Law himself.   A native of Ohio, Jim got a start in agriculture in the 1970’s when he served as an agricultural volunteer with the Peace Corps in Africa.   He loved working with fruit crops and on returning to the States, with wine and growing grapes.   His first experiences in the grape field came in Indiana but there was no mark...
Read more

Endhardt Vineyards

Image
January 26, 2024.   Days like this day don’t normally come around until June: high clouds, blue sky and warm breezes.   We came to Endhardt Vineyards along the North Fork and Lincoln Roads, Loudoun County, still wet and puddled from the left-over from early morning rains.   Johannes (Hannes) and Sarah Endhardt have built their winery among the steep hills south of the town of Lincoln (address is Purcellville).   Hannes, a German dual citizen, learned to appreciate wine from his father a wine aficionado in Bavaria who favored Italian and Austrian wines.   The tasting room is by the shores of a pond with a great vine-covered hill rising behind it.     We spent a pleasant afternoon with General Manager, Jason Deaver, an accomplished chef in his own right.   We appreciate his hospitality. All 46 acres of the property are under a conservation easement.   In 2019 they planted 11 acres of vines growing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot...
Read more

Sunset Hills Vineyard

Image
March 14, 2024.   Back in the winter of 2022, Kim and I with some of our companions spent a nice afternoon with the owner of 50 West Winery, Mike Canney.   We came away with a desire to visit someday the Mother winery – that is Sunset Hills Vineyard near Purcellville.   While 50 West aims at the younger clientele from its location right on Route 50 near Aldie, Sunset Hills is the more established, family-friendly farm locale.   Still, to discuss one is to discuss both as they are two sides of a single coin. Mike and Diane Canney first planted vines at Sunset Hills in 1999 on a 45-acre farm that included an 1870’s era working barn.   Sunset Hills was incorporated in 2006 and 50 West came along in 2017, both owned by the Canney’s.   Most of the grapes come from two farms in the Shenandoah, but more on them in a bit.   In July 2022, the Canney’s sold all of these properties to Chris and Katie Key.   We wanted to visit Sunset Hills under the new own...
Read more