Sabin Wine Journeys

May 25, 2024.   Hello Readers!   It has been a while since we last posted.   We have been doing some traveling out of state, but we’re back!   We used a warm morning on the Memorial Day weekend to revisit one of the great Virginia wineries with some friends – Linden Vineyards - which is a few minutes south of the crossroads that constitute the town of Linden in western Fauquier County.   During our visit we spoke with owner and founder, Jim Law, and his son-in law, Alex Wilde, who poured for us.   Thanks to both of them for their time.   Much has been written about Linden over the years, and much by Jim Law himself.   A native of Ohio, Jim got a start in agriculture in the 1970’s when he served as an agricultural volunteer with the Peace Corps in Africa.   He loved working with fruit crops and on returning to the States, with wine and growing grapes.   His first experiences in the grape field came in Indiana but there was no mark...

February 23, 2024.   We had one more stop on our Friday travels: a drive through the country about a half an hour from Septenary to Knight’s Gambit Vineyard in a very rural part of Charlottesville.   The name “Knight’s Gambit” comes from a short story by William Faulkner that was well-loved by his daughter Jill Faulkner Summers.   Mr. Faulkner lived nearby the property that Jill and her husband bought in the 1970’s.   Their son, Paul Summers, William Faulkner’s grandson, planted grapes on the property in 2003 and, with partner Maggie Duensing, opened the winery in 2016.                                                                    ...

February 23, 2024.   About twenty minutes from downtown Charlottesville, along Route 250 in Western Albemarle County, near Greenwood, you would do yourself a favor by visiting Septenary – the Winery at Seven Oaks Farm.   The winery sits inside part of the Seven Oaks national historic site where original owner, the Reverend Samuel Black, had a tavern whose patrons included Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame.   I doubt those gents drank as fine a wine as we had on the day of our visit.   In case you were asking, a hurricane in the 1950’s brought down six of the original seven oaks.   Only the one they call “Thomas Jefferson” is still standing.  The physical space at Septenary is impressive.   A white manse with long verandas looks out to the vineyards on rolling hills.   Low clouds in the hollows were signaling the arrival of rain later in the day.   Most seating is outside on a covered portico or around a calming p...