Sabin Wine Journeys

January 26, 2024.   What a difference a week makes.   Seven days ago, the temperature had been suppressed below 20 degrees for days and piles of snow blanketed the landscape with a sense of permanence.   But we emerged more each following day from the Polar Vortex so that by the Friday when we set out to the wineries it was in the upper seventies and the snow beaten back to tiny resistant enclaves of shade.   To celebrate leaving our cocoon, we drove out to Good Spirit Winery near Round Hill in Loudoun County.   Good Spirit is just one turn off of the scenic Snickersville Turnpike, less than a mile from the cross-roads that is the community of Airmount.   Disabled parking is a quick jog to the right on the winery driveway.   There is a fairly steep path from the main parking to the wrap-around porch that leads to the tasting room.   The porch is made of stones that resemble light Emperador marble. Good Spirit is the retirement project of Mike and Luanne Gutermuth who bought the 42

February 6, 2022. Kim and I took advantage of the first non-freezing, non-snowing or raining day in weeks to travel out to a new winery in Round Hill, Loudoun County: Williams Gap.   Approaching Williams Gap, you are surprised by how it rises from the adjacent housing development to present a winding road through acres of vineyards.   Since the early 2000’s owner John Sexton has been growing grapes for sale to other wineries.   He now has 35 acres of grapes under vine, growing ten varietals in those 35 acres.   In 2019, they decided to go into wine production as well. The tasting room sits mid-way on a hill surrounded by vines.   The winery does not permit outside food.   Reservations are advised to the comfy chairs and sofas in front of the fireplace.   Even in the winter, there appears to be much landscaping going on, with lakes and terraces being built into the hillsides.   Following our usual M.O., Kim tasted two white wines, and I tasted three red wines on offer.   Based on