Sabin Wine Journeys

July 27, 2024.   Just west of the Route 9/Berlin Turnpike intersection in Loudoun County, you will come to the unassuming driveway for Crushed Cellars.   Try to drive slowly or you could easily pass it.   My advice is to try to arrive earlier in the day because parking is limited and this is not a vibe you want to miss.   We were greeted at the door of the winery by owner, Robert “Bob” Kalok, who began this winery in 2010 on his family farm.   To start our conversation, Bob asked me about my security clearance and whether I worked for a “three-letter agency.”   He delivered this with a wink and a squint from under tousled blond hair.   And that was how our visit went, being treated as if Kim and Bob and I shared some national secret.   Bob returned to this theme a couple of times.   There is a tangible hippie vibe at Crushed Cellars.   My Sharona played on speakers.   People come and go like Grand Central Station: tasting wine, buying eggs, buying organic beef, buying dips, and fri

July 27, 2024.   It escapes us why it has taken us so long to visit Corcoran Vineyards and Cidery outside the historic village of Waterford.   But here we are on a near ideal July morning for winery visits – warming, yes, but with low humidity for once, and a cloudless sky. Jim and Lori Corcoran first planted grapes at what was then Corky’s Farm in 2001.   They also had cattle, sheep, goats, and chicken on the property.   They incorporated their winery in 2002 and opened for business as Waterford Vineyard in 2004, becoming only the 11 th winery in Loudoun County.   Since then, they have seen ups and downs in business, and in life:   They renamed the winery “Corcoran” in 2007.   Jim was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012.   Lori took over the whole operation.   In 2019, the Virginia wine industry honored Jim with the Gordon Murchie Lifetime Achievement Award as a champion of the industry even as he continued his battle with cancer.   The press reports that Jim travels across t

July 26, 2024.   Proceeding along Route 9 – Charles Town Pike - you will find Bozzo Family Vineyards just minutes from the West Virginia line. Even though the mailing address is Purcellville, they are much closer to the Town of Hillsboro.                                                                                                    Steve Bozzo Steve and Maureen Bozzo founded the vineyards in 2013 and had their first significant harvest in 2018, the same year that they opened the tasting room.   Steve tells us they have 8 and a half acres under vine growing seven varietals.   All of the wine is from estate-grown grapes with an annual production of around 2,500 cases.   All of the Bozzo Family Vineyards white wines and two of their red wines are produced on-site.   Steve told us that since he underestimated the harvest, he has arrangements with a neighboring winery to help handle the surplus of grapes.   Eventually, he plans to build-out for more production but gave us no timeta