Sabin Wine Journeys - the Virginia Wine Journeys Blog

January 16, 2026.   To begin our winery tours for 2026, we are continuing an informal project started last month to return to some near-by wineries that we have not written about for this blog.   This allows us to take some short trips in the doldrums of the winter while catching up on developments at local wine places. We’ll start with Bluemont Vineyard in western Loudoun County near the town of Bluemont.   Passing the brewery and the bakery on the valley floor, you ascend vertiginous but well-maintained roads to the winery and tasting room at 951 feet of elevation.   Bluemont sits in the first ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, looking like an eagle’s nest from the valley below.   While we have been to higher elevations to taste wine (I think the highest was Stone Mountain at 1,700 feet), there are few with such a panoramic unobstructed view.   On a winter’s day, you can see little squares and rectangles of dormant farms in yellow stubble and sage green...

  Stone Mountain Vineyards   July 5, 2021 Stone Mountain Vineyards is perched on top of a mountain (Wyatt Mountain?) near the hamlet of Dyke, hard by Brokeback Mountain Road -believe it or not. This is one of the highest wineries in the State. To get here, you must traverse a single lane gravel mountain road with treacherous sheer drops on one side and wheel-eating ruts on the other.   On our ascent, descending traffic had to back up the mountain to allow us to pass, the road was so narrow in places.   Word of advice: Don’t use your GPS or WAZE to get here; those are unreliable in this area.   Better get directions from a local, like we did from Ellen Moss.   After that driving stress, the view from 1,700 feet is spectacular across the valley to Piney Mountain and the Southwestern Mountains in the distance.   We strongly advise having a glass of wine to celebrate your arrival.   The view is worth the trip.    Jim and Deanna Gephart ...