Winemaking philosophy
“I learned my love of wine early. Being raised in England I was allowed a sip of wine on special family occasions. I loved it when my Dad developed a new brew and we all got to taste it and weigh in. With Brads family background of farming, my love of wine and living in Virginia it seemed a natural gravitation toward growing a vineyard and winery.
We chose our property in part for its beauty, nestled in the valley surrounded by mountains, but mostly for the ideal soil. The French use the term, goût de terroir, meaning the taste of the soil of a particular region. Matching the right grape to the right soil is the essential first step to making fine wine.
As a new winemaker I initially chose to follow in the French winemaking ideology. I felt they had been making fine wine for a very long time, plus their cool climate is more in line with the Virginia climate. A couple of years later, in France, while on a tour of wineries, a French winemaker encouraged me to branch out and experiment. He reminded me winemaking was an art and as such it was important to following my own vision.
Although I have, and will continue, to make my Chardonnay and other varietals after the French style. I have had great fun working with new varietals and blends and produced some wonderful wines. With that in mind recently I planted 100 damson plum trees. Once they are mature, I am going to see if I can make Damson plum wine as good as my Dad did!”
Theresa Robertson, Winemaker & Owner
THE STARTING POINT OF QUALITY WINE IS WITH QUALITY GRAPES
We started this endeavor with a heritage of farming in our family and some personal experience in orchard production. We felt the growing of grapes in Virginia, although challenging, was within our area of experience and one in which we could achieve great results. We believe this idea has been validated by our production of some of the highest quality grapes in Northern Virginia and in our award winning wines. Read about our winemaking and vineyard philosophies on this website.
Please come sit and drink some wine while you enjoy the views overlooking our vineyard. Ask us about our vines, or come out for a walking tour to see what we’re growing and what we do every day. We love to talk about what we love!