October One Vineyard

August 12, 2023.  Situated in downtown Leesburg, October One Vineyard is a departure from the normal Virginia farm winery.  The actual vineyard is located around 20 miles away from the tasting room.  There is no public access at the vineyard.  This reminded us of the tasting rooms separated from their vineyards that we saw in Woodinville, Washington State.  Out there this is commonplace; not so in Virginia.

Bob and Loree Rupy formed October One in 2015 and for several years sold their wine at local farmer’s markets.  October One is the couple’s wedding anniversary.  Bob was the former co-owner of Bluemont Vineyard which still exists.  October One Vineyard is nearby in Bluemont.

 

                                                                                       Loree and Bob Rupy

In 2022, they opened the tasting room and shop on busy Loudoun Street.  There is a public garage across the street where parking is free on weekends and holidays.  The shop/tasting room is small and bright and gets lots of foot traffic.  And even on a festival weekend in Leesburg, the service was not rushed and the room never seemed crowded.  Joanne did a good job of managing the place.  There is sidewalk seating outside, but we came inside for the coolness on a blistering day.  Another lure of the tasting room is that October One features other wines from select Virginia wineries on a rotating basis.  You can take a tour of the state from your seat.  The food selection is pretty basic.  We had some Havarti and flatbread that were in their original grocery packaging. 

The October One vineyard in Bluemont has some 10 acres of grapes under vine.  From this and the five different varietals growing there, the Rupy’s produce around 1,000 cases per year.  Low production has limited their participation in wine competitions as most competitions have a minimum case requirement that would cut into the wine they could make available for retail sale.  Loree says that they hope to change this profile in the future.  We certainly appreciate Loree sitting down with us on this busy day.  (Speaking of retail, you might find October One wines in grocery stores in Great Falls and Millwood, Virginia, besides the shop location.)

All of October One wine is estate-grown and, except for the Rosé, all wines are straight varietal -  no blends.  Loree told us that they also use acacia wood barrels for their Viognier offering, which probably gives the already floral Viognier a boost.   Nate Walsh of Walsh Family Wines consults in winemaking.  Doug Fabbioli has mentored the Rupy’s as he has for so many other new wine enterprises. 

Here's what we sampled on this visit:

2022 Albariño.  This is light, somewhat citrusy, not floral.  Kim found it a little sweet.  Although she initially rated it a B, we wound-up buying a bottle.  This is October One’s most popular seller.

2020 Merlot.  This is a middle-of-the-road wine.  Medium-bodied, mild tannin, light finish, with good bright fruit up-front.  Rated a B.

2020 Cabernet Franc.  This has the typical spice notes, some spikiness that lingers.  I did not find the creaminess that October One tasting notes mention.  Also rated a B.

2020 Cabernet Sauvignon.  I found the Cab Sauv the best of the offerings.  It has controlled tannin and good balance.  Fruit notes bump up mid-palate but overall less fruit, more sophistication.  I initially rated it a B, but it is more of a B+ at least.  We bought a bottle.

We had a nice respite from a hot crowded day.  Thanks to the Rupy’s.

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