Sabin Wine Journeys - the Virginia Wine Journeys Blog

October 25, 2025.   South Paddock Winery sits within the 300 acres of Whitehall Farm in southern Albermarle County about four miles from Scottsville.   While Whitehall Farm was established around 1780, this winery appears to have been established in 2023 by DC-based architect Carmel Greer.    The full name for the place - as reflected on their bottles - is "South Paddock Winery at Whitehall Farm and Winery."  Despite the mouthful of a name, I don’t see two wineries in this one location – just South Paddock.    To get to the winery, you drive by stables that I presume to be “North Paddock,” and indeed Whitehall Farm advertises equestrian experiences for their guests.   The South Paddock Winery building is just down the road across the open fields.    When we visited on a fall crisp Saturday afternoon, we met our server Kaitlyn, and just one other guest.   Kaitlyn was a tall willowy young lady busying herself around the win...

October 24, 2025.   Originally, our plans to visit eastern Albermarle County did not include Keswick Vineyards.   Instead, we were going to visit the Southern Living Idea House nearby.   But when Kim saw the abundance of chintz, floral curtains, throw pillows, and your grandmother’s formal furniture, passing as ideas, Kim opted out.   She is a Frank Lloyd Wright girl and digs that  aesthetic.   To fill the hole in our itinerary, we decided to return to Keswick Vineyards. When we last visited Keswick, we watched the rain come down beneath a covered porch on a slow mid-week afternoon in July 2022.   All of the seating had been moved out of doors because of COVID, leaving the old tasting room forlorn and hollow.    Since 2022, owners Cindy and Al Schornberg added an innovative new glass Pavilion tasting room that fully converts from open air Summer to cozy Winter with the flick of a switch.   It being October, the glass walls were closed ...

July 13, 2025.   The Summer of 2025 might be remembered for the fierce heat waves with short daily doses of thunder and rain.   In the foothills of the Blue Ridge where Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm sits, you have a 180˚ view of the mountains where the storms brew and brood.   Todd and Lisa Hales began growing vines here around 2018 splitting their time between Albermarle County and Virginia Beach.   They opened their quaint tasting room in October 2024.   Fallen Tree is about a half-hour northwest of Charlottesville.   It has a Crozet address, but it’s really White Hall we’re talking about.   The vineyard is just past Stinson Vineyards. We had a nice visit with Mikayla Thompson, who manages the tasting room, and her associate Carol-Linda.                                                            ...