Sabin Wine Journeys

March 14, 2024.   Back in the winter of 2022, Kim and I with some of our companions spent a nice afternoon with the owner of 50 West Winery, Mike Canney.   We came away with a desire to visit someday the Mother winery – that is Sunset Hills Vineyard near Purcellville.   While 50 West aims at the younger clientele from its location right on Route 50 near Aldie, Sunset Hills is the more established, family-friendly farm locale.   Still, to discuss one is to discuss both as they are two sides of a single coin. Mike and Diane Canney first planted vines at Sunset Hills in 1999 on a 45-acre farm that included an 1870’s era working barn.   Sunset Hills was incorporated in 2006 and 50 West came along in 2017, both owned by the Canney’s.   Most of the grapes come from two farms in the Shenandoah, but more on them in a bit.   In July 2022, the Canney’s sold all of these properties to Chris and Katie Key.   We wanted to visit Sunset Hills under the new owners and chose a day when the sun promis

January 26, 2024.   Days like this day don’t normally come around until June: high clouds, blue sky and warm breezes.   We came to Endhardt Vineyards along the North Fork and Lincoln Roads, Loudoun County, still wet and puddled from the left-over from early morning rains.   Johannes (Hannes) and Sarah Endhardt have built their winery among the steep hills south of the town of Lincoln (address is Purcellville).   Hannes, a German dual citizen, learned to appreciate wine from his father a wine aficionado in Bavaria who favored Italian and Austrian wines.   The tasting room is by the shores of a pond with a great vine-covered hill rising behind it.     We spent a pleasant afternoon with General Manager, Jason Deaver, an accomplished chef in his own right.   We appreciate his hospitality. All 46 acres of the property are under a conservation easement.   In 2019 they planted 11 acres of vines growing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.   They recentl