Sabin Wine Journeys - the Virginia Wine Journeys Blog

September 8, 2026.   New Kent Winery in New Kent County began life as one of the anchors of a large planned community of homes and commercial space off Interstate 64 near the town of Talleysville.   The real estate partners sited the community (and the winery) along a major development corridor between Hampton Roads, Williamsburg, and Richmond.   Colonial Downs racing track is just across the highway.   They bet on expanded developments and tourist traffic and opened the winery in 2008 after investing heavily in the tasting room, the production facilities and just over 20 acres of vines.* I assume that the expansion did not happen on schedule because in 2014 the partners sold the winery and the vineyard to Joe and Jo Anna Dombroski.   The Dombroski’s have taken loving care of the place since then.   In fact, Joe told us that they were celebrating the winery’s twentieth anniversary this year.   And they remain active with the community with special ev...

September 4, 2025.   Interstate 64 runs the spine of the newest of Virginia’s   American Viticultural Areas (AVA), Virginia Peninsula.   A short distance from the Interstate, you can find several wineries to relieve the monotonous drive between Richmond and Newport News.   We have profiled all of these wineries before, with the exception of Gauthier Vineyard in Barhamsville, New Kent County.   Time to rectify that gap in coverage! We approached the winery passing a large barrel head boldly announcing the place.   Opposite this sign, three acres of Norton grapes sloped coyly under white gauze netting, installed to keep the birds away.   It was a sign that the harvest was close at hand.   A gravel drive takes you past a quiet lake and fountain, up a grade to the front of the tasting room. The tasting room building, built in 2012-13, has a wide wrap-around porch that you can follow around to a view across the lake and the vineyard.     In...

September 6, 2023.   Before the summer of 2023 was over and Labor Day was still in our rearview mirror, we decided to travel beach-ward for a change of scenery. And to satisfy this blog’s appetite for content, of course, we visited some wineries along the way.   Our first stop was at Saudé Creek Vineyards in Lanexa, New Kent County.   This was actually our first visit in what is now officially the “Virginia Peninsula American Viticultural Area” (AVA), Virginia’s newest AVA.   Aside from being our first visit to the new AVA, Saudé Creek is, by our count, the 150 th Virginia winery we have visited since we started keeping track of these things long before creating of this blog.   So, congrats to us, I guess.   Only 150+ more wineries to go… Saudé Creek sits atop a rise from where you can see the Pamunkey River over the tree tops on the north side of the peninsula.   It is an easy drive and welcome respite from the monotony of Interstate 64.   No r...