Sabin Wine Journeys - the Virginia Wine Journeys Blog

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...

March 14, 2026.   The northernmost winery in Loudoun County is Clyde and Terry Housel’s Hiddencroft Vineyards near Lovettsville, a winery that takes you through their old barn’s corn crib into a lawn filled with flowers in the growing season.   The flowers are a butterfly habitat that fronts an old farmhouse retooled as the tasting room. We had the good fortune of speaking with owner Clyde Housel for an extended period during a quiet time at the winery.     He is as posterchild for the outdoors life – with his tousled white hair, trim beard, professorial glasses.   You might notice his enormous hands from years of pruning and working around the winery.   He has himself renovated most of the old farm buildings on the site which are now used for special intimate events and celebrations.   Hiddencroft, however, does not do large events like weddings.   The big barn they use to host barrel tastings and library tastings, but there is no heat or w...

March 13, 2026.   We continued north on the Harpers Ferry Road to Two Twisted Posts Winery.   Even though it has a Purcellville address, and we’re still in Loudoun County, its actually closer to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia.   According to their website, owner Theresa Robertson was born at a tavern in Colchester England called “Thomas Great-Two Twisted Posts.”*   Later they discovered a seal from the old tavern in Virginia and decided to name the winery after the old tavern.                                                                             The Story of Two Twisted Posts Two Twisted Posts started its vineyard in 2008 with the couple Brad Robertson managing the vineyard and Theresa handling the wine making duties.   Lawn and vines surround the centerpiece big ...

March 13, 2026.   We continue our short project of returning to some nearby wineries that we visited in the pre-Blog days.   In the case of 868 Estate Vineyards north of Hillsboro in Loudoun County, that visit was ten years ago, and I didn’t record any reactions at the time.   The vineyard name borrows from the highest peak on the property at 868 feet above sea level between Short Hill and the Blue Ridge.   Three couples bought the property that was part of the Grandale Farm in 2012.   We had the pleasure of meeting two of the owners: Chris Charron and Nancy Deliso.   Our information comes from them and Teresa who managed the tasting room.    (Interesting note that Linkedin lists Chris as the winery's "chief sampler.")                                                                 ...