Sabin Wine Journeys

[On October 13, 2023, I had an extended conversation with Kirk Wiles at Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton.   I did not electronically record the conversation.   This post is a paraphrase of the conversation using my notes of the visit.   I have tried as much as possible to be faithful to what was said and the tone in which it was conveyed.   We are thankful to Kirk for his time and candor.] October 13, 2023.   It was a picture-perfect fall day for a conversation on the patio with Kirk Wiles.   Kirk is the CEO of Paradise Springs Winery which we profiled on this blog in December 2022.   The focus of our conversation today, however, is on Kirk’s work with the Virginia Wine Board (VWB) where he has served as a Board member since 2015 and served as chairman from 2018 to June 2023.   For your background, the Virginia Wine Board, originally formed in 1984 and reconstituted in 2004, is an arm of the Virginia government charged with managing and dist...

December 9, 2022.   On a crisp December morning, I made my way out to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, down curvy but fine roads that I know so well.   In full disclosure, Kim and I are long-time members at Paradise Springs since the wine is good and it is close to our home. Paradise Springs is the closest winery to Washington, DC, and in 2010 became the first winery to open in Fairfax County.   Its opening came after owners Jane Kinchloe and her son, Kirk Wiles, overcame a zoning challenge from the Fairfax Board of Supervisors and concerns from neighbors with heavy commercial traffic and drunk driving.   The zoning dispute was largely resolved by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority in favor VABC licensing of Paradise as a farm winery taking precedence over local zoning.   [See the Atmosphere page for further details.]   Neighbor concerns with commercial traffic on the local roads and drunk driving also appear to have been resolved in t...