Sabin Wine Journeys

What’s Been Going On.   Well, 2022 is coming to end, dear readers.   In this, my first year of retirement, I thoroughly enjoyed driving around the Commonwealth with Kim, meeting winery owners, growers, wine makers, and staff.   Much is going on in the state – lots of experimentation with varietals and blends to see what works best in the unique climate that is Virginia.   For example, we applaud Justin Montifalco’s work with Rkatsiteli and Saperavi blends, Adam McTaggart’s work with Carménère at Casanel, and Kerem Baki’s work with Fer Servadou at Hillsborough Vineyards. We began the year by interviewing Annette Boyd of the Virginia Wine Marketing Office.   She offered many useful perspectives on the state of the industry and anticipated publication of the Virginia Wine Vision Statement which happened in March.   We hope to start off 2023 by visiting with Annette again.   We spent some time in Loudoun County this year and made the acquaintance wit...

December 21, 2022.   Our last winery review for 2022 will be Old House Vineyards in Culpeper.   We first visited Old House in Springtime years ago.   Back then, wine tastings happened in the 1890’s renovated farmhouse along a bar that could serve maybe five people.   I don’t recall the wine so much as meeting a group of fresh young girls in their bright prom dresses out to have their formal photos taken down by the pond.   As Neruda said: “Wine stirs the spring, joy grows like a plant.”   Our next visit came years later during an oppressively hot Summer afternoon.   By then Old House was serving mainly from a large outside bar.   But the heat made you feel as if you and your glass would melt into the grass.   Even wines that are perfect for Summer heat were of no avail that day.   This, our third trip, came on the Winter Solstice during a clear and crisp interval between two Arctic blasts.   Old House rotates its serving venues ...

December 9, 2022.   On a crisp December morning, I made my way out to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, down curvy but fine roads that I know so well.   In full disclosure, Kim and I are long-time members at Paradise Springs since the wine is good and it is close to our home. Paradise Springs is the closest winery to Washington, DC, and in 2010 became the first winery to open in Fairfax County.   Its opening came after owners Jane Kinchloe and her son, Kirk Wiles, overcame a zoning challenge from the Fairfax Board of Supervisors and concerns from neighbors with heavy commercial traffic and drunk driving.   The zoning dispute was largely resolved by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority in favor VABC licensing of Paradise as a farm winery taking precedence over local zoning.   [See the Atmosphere page for further details.]   Neighbor concerns with commercial traffic on the local roads and drunk driving also appear to have been resolved in t...