Hillsborough Vineyard and Brewery

August 4, 2022.  After attending the pre-harvest meeting of the Loudoun Wineries and Winegrowers Association hosted by Hillsborough Vineyard and Brewery, I decided to stay after to visit the Baki family and sample their wine.  Hillsborough Vineyard has a steep 14 acres of vines just east of the small town of Hillsboro on busy Route 9.  Note for purposes of searching and Googling that “Hillsborough,” the vineyard, is spelled differently from “Hillsboro,” the town.  Hillsboro, the town, is famous for being among other things, the birthplace of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s mother, Catherine Koener, from early German settlers in Loudoun County.  Kim and I last visited Hillsborough in the winter of 2017 and noted both the view and the wines.

The Baki family, from Turkey, purchased the vineyard property and planted the first vines in 2001.  The original tasting room, an 1830’s stone barn, opened in 2002 and was renovated in 2013.  Kerem Baki is the vintner and winemaker.  His wife, Asli Baki, manages the tasting room, the website, and wine club.  The family added a brewery in 2018 which is managed by brother, Tolga Baki, the brewmaster.  (I am not reviewing the brewery offerings here.  I will leave that to a return visit with my beer experts.  The brewery features ales, cream ales, pilsners, and IPAs.)

Mother Zeyrep Baki supplies much of the artwork for bottle labels.  I heard that the label-approving authorities may have raised some eyebrows about some of her art that shows a nipple or two.  Don’t the authorities remember that the Virginia state seal shows an exposed woman’s breast? 

Hillsborough’s eleven or twelve wine offerings are all 100% estate grown (with one exception that I’ll highlight below).  According to Kerem, they produce between 2,000 and 3,000 cases a year and they value being able to say their wines are truly wedded to the terroir.  Petit Verdot, Tannat, and Cabernet Sauvignon surround the tasting room and production facilities.  A little further North, Kerem is growing Fer Servadou, a grape that is somewhat rare in its homeland of Southwest France, and so rare here that Hillsborough probably has the largest stand of it in the United States.  Kerem’s winemaking harkens to the wines of Southwest France, anyway.  More on Fer Servadou later.

Outdoor patios afford an expansive view across the vineyards to low hills. 

 

 

Inside, there is a large fireplace for the winter.  Hillsborough does not allow outside food Friday through Sunday when their kitchen is operating, so be careful about that.  They do offer cheese boards, baguettes and other finger food.  Leashed dogs are allowed outside. Children are generally not allowed on the large stone patio.  Groups of six or more need a reservation.  Hillsborough does accept the Virginia Wine Pass for discounted tastings with bottle purchases.

While Asli kindly offered to let me taste all of their offerings, I elected to go with the current wine tasting menu that you might encounter if you visit.  Thanks to the Baki family for their hospitality.

Carnelian 2021.  This is 100% Roussanne and resembles a Sauvignon Blanc in its light crispness.  Lemon colored.  Pairs well with light meals.

Serefina 2021.  This rosé wine is 100% Tannat, yet is light and dry without the strong tannins you associate with a regular Tannat.  It has aromas of grapefruit.  Good summer, hot-weather wine.  I bought a bottle.

White Merlot 2021.  This is another rosé – this time with 100% Merlot.  A little sweet – its described as “off-dry,” and with less fruit than most rosés.  

Opal 2017.  Opal is 100% Petit Manseng and with 13.5% alcohol, has quite a bit more structure and sophistication especially on the finish.  Gives you something to think about as you chill.  I bought a bottle.

Bloodstone 2019.  Here is Hillsborough’s 100% Fer Servadou red wine.  I found it bright red in color, light in tannin and medium-bodied as you might expect of a South-of-France inspired wine, although from what I understand Fer is typically used in full-bodied concentrated perfumed wines.  It has light berry flavors and some earth as you might expect, again, from an Old World wine.  It is aged 18 months in French oak barrels.  I bought a bottle.  I understand that so little Fer Servadou is grown in the U.S. that the TTB does not consider it a commercial grape.  Therefore, the Bloodstone label cannot refer to Fer Servadou by name. 

Ruby 2017.  Fer Servadou also appears in Ruby but as a blending grape, which is normally how you encounter it in France.  Ruby 2017 is mostly Tannat, aged two-years in French oak barrels.  The Tannat-Petit Verdot combination is softened by the Fer, delivering a dry, medium-bodied wine with more tannin and fruit.

Valle Tranquilo 2020.  Let me close with the 2020 Valle Tranquilo which is not on the regular tasting menu.  For the past several years, wineries in the Loudoun Heights Wine Trail have shared resources to produce a single blend called Valle Tranquilo.  The 2020 version features grapes from eight Loudoun County wineries, each contributing 12.5 % of the juice.  Hillsborough’s Tannat is 12.5% of the blend.  Hillsborough and the other seven contributing wineries sell Valle Tranquilo from an allotment each contributor receives.  Proceeds benefit initiatives of the Loudoun Heights Agritourism Council (LHATC), including local artists that provide label art.  The final blend is quite Bordeaux-like – bold, powerful, earthy and tannic.  It is mostly Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat in the mix.  Kerem advised me that it may benefit from being laid down a year or two.  I bought a bottle of this limited release, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist opening it for long…