Sunset Hills Vineyard
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