Two Weekends in Loudoun: The Heart of DC's Wine Country

After last month's A Vineyard Tour of 868 Estate Vineyards with a Taste of Uncork Loudoun, I leveraged being in the area to visit two more craft beverage establishments. And as fate would come forth, the following weekend we attempted to attend the Lovettsville Oktoberfest, but chose to detour after seeing the concession lines. 

Two Twisted Posts Winery & Tavern
I was able to sample a couple wines from Two Twisted Posts at the Taste of Uncork Loudoun event. There 2022 Viognier is a fuller expression of the grape as it is whole-cluster pressed, fermented and aged sur lie for twenty months, and aged in a combination of oak treatments.  But it still retains a stone fruit and citrus core. Their 2020 Cabernet Franc is another wine where the oak treatment doesn't overwhelm the dark black and cherry juice. But after that tasting, I was ready for a palate cleanser and the beauty of this winery is that it is very close to 868 Estate and they also brew craft beer. On arrival, I immediately grabbed a pint of their Two Twisted Lager - an American lager brewed with Carolina rice and Pilsner malt.  Set aside your mass produced lager and choose this delicious alternative instead.

Mt. Defiance Cider & Distillery
I used to frequent Mt. Defiance's downtown Middleburg location often, but this was the first time visiting the Cider Barn where they have combined the cider, wine, and distilling operations. It's a spacious area, with cider and wine served in the main hall and spirits in the loft.  Plus plenty of room outdoors for both groups. Their Virginia Farmhouse Cider is a classic as the traditional dry cider shows apple and citrus fruit, tannic texture, and a little funk. Later in the afternoon we shared a flight of whiskies and favored the Mt. Defiance Smoked Virginia Whiskey.  The whiskey starts with a high corn mash bill which includes wheat and malted barley that is aged two years after distillation in used oak. The smoky flavor comes from cherry wood, alder wood, and lemon balm introduces before bottling. Nicely done. 

Hiddencroft Vineyards
The vineyard occupies part of the historic Compher family farm, a property established in 1868 in what was once known as the "German Settlement" of Loudoun County. This community later became Lovettsville - hence the popular Oktoberfest celebration. The Compher family owned and worked the land for roughly a century from 1868 until 1968 and eventually purchased by Clyde Housel and Terry Housel. They planted the first vines in 2001 followed by an official commercial opening in May 2008. Our first visit occurred shortly after this opening. A few years later  the winery expanded operations onto the adjacent historic property and moved its tasting room into a restored circa-1850 farmhouse and barn. Throughout the years, Hiddencroft has been known for long aging of reds - particularly their Chambourcin which changes complexity and looses any semblance of the jammy, highly acidic, low tannic nature of its youth. Instead Hiddencroft's aged Chambourcin shows more tannic structure, more rounded fruit, and still enough acidity to lift the finish. 

Stockyard Brewery
Both Stockyard and Cool Spring are located very close to Hiddencroft providing an easy exploration of this trio. Stockyard Brewery is a relatively new operation opening only a year ago and the family-friendly farm brewery sits on approximately 50 acres of farmland - maintaining its historic agricultural activity. The taproom barn was crafted from repurposed historic materials and includes a cornerstone carved 1893. Inside the famished will find plenty of food options plus a plethora of beer and guest wines and cider. I chose their Milo's Marzen in order to salvage Oktoberfest which paired nicely with the Brisket Cup.

Cool Spring Distillery
Since the exit for Cool Spring is literally right across from Stockyard, we couldn't pass on a visit despite the always welcome rain.  The distillery is located on the east side of Short Hill Mountains, not far from Two Twisted Posts on the western side of the mountain. They offer a wide assortment of expressions from moonshine to rum to whiskey. Their  Cool Spring Short Hill Sugar Shine is made from - obviously sugar - and is very approachable. And their Cool Spring Apple Pie unloads with those traditional Autumn flavors that we look forward to sharing with our moonshine friends. They have a unique method for creating rum, using dark molasses, honey, and Demerara brown sugar. Even at 80 proof it comes across a little hot; thus several of our party preferred the Cool Spring Spiced Rum version. I'll have to return to evaluate their Bourbon, but we did come home with a bottle of their Spiked Lemonade. This expression is made using the Short Hill Shine as a base and infusing with the lemon flesh repurposed from the lemon skins used to craft their Cool Spring Lovettcello. Cheers.

A Vineyard Tour of 868 Estate Vineyards with a Taste of Uncork Loudoun

On September 20th, I participated in an Uncork Loudoun Winery Education Day at 868 Estate Vineyards. The event provided a behind-the-scenes look at Loudoun wine country as well as a tasting through a pilot group of 13 Loudoun County wineries.  This initiative connects sommeliers and buyers directly with winemakers to explore viticultural practices and varietals with the long-term goal to place a Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown wine in every restaurant across Loudoun and surrounding counties, ultimately expanding into the Washington, DC market. 

Uncork Loudoun is a coordinated trade initiative launched by the Loudoun Wineries & Winegrowers Association (LWWA) to transform how restaurants and retailers source and sell local wine.  The program aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of Loudoun County wines across the DC region by focusing on education, unified marketing, and collaborative sales. 

The Education Day started with a glass of Iron Will Sparkling Viognier while 868 Estate tri-owner Nancy Deliso and winemaker Tim Kish gave a brief overview of the 15 year history of the winery. Then it was off the visit the production facility and walk through a portion of their 21 acres of vines. 

In normal years, 868 Estate produces approximately 4,000 cases of wine annually, but the last two years have not been normal, for Loudoun County, Virginia, or the East Coast. This was the case in 2022 and 2023 where ideal growing conditions led to a bumper crop which is helping the winery alleviate a dismal 2025 crop and a disastrous 2026 harvest.  This is a result of the April Freeze That Rewrote the 2026 Vintage where 868 is looking at a complete loss of their white grapes and 50% on their reds.  We walked alongside suffering Nebbiolo and Cabernet Franc. And if was not just vinifera vines, even the Chambourcin and Chardonel were affected. 

Within the winery production facility we sampled a couple barrel aged wines, followed by their 2023 Estate Viognier. This wine shows by the Virginia marketing authorities designate Viognier as the Commonwealth's signature grape - although because of its temperamental behavior - is not widely grown.  This wine differs from many across the area, because Kish is a strong believer in whole-cluster fermentation where the entire grape clusters, including stems, are fermented.  This provides increased aromatic and flavor complexity in addition to adding more tannins and phenolic compounds which provide more structure and aging potential.

Back in the Vintner’s Table building, we sampled more wine from 868 Estate as well as other wines from the Uncork Loudoun portfolio. One of my favorite wines of the day was the 868 Estate 2025 Rosé - a blend of Cabernet Franc and Viognier made effervescent through forced carbonation. Of their reds, the 868 Estate 2022 Merlot was very pleasant with a fruit forward character transitioning to an earthy and herbaceous finish. That's 20% Cabernet Sauvignon will do. On the other side of the spectrum I have to comment on their 868 Estate 2022 Chardonnay which was a Gold Medal Winner at the 2024 Virginia Governor's Cup awards and provides green apples and citrus with a noticeable structure and fresh acidity.

For the Uncork Loudoun portfolio, there were another couple dozen of wines available to sample, mostly from Bordeaux region grapes. Our friends at October One Vineyard contributed another Merlot in their 2021 Loudoun County Merlot. The grapes come from their estate vineyard in Bluemont and is luscious red fruit - start to finish. Iron Will provided a trio of reds with their 2021 Cabernet Franc showing velvety red fruit and a nice tannic structure. On the white side of the isle, I kept returning to the Fabbioli Cellars 2023 Something White - a palate cleansing blend of Vidal Blanc and Petit Manseng. 

I hope to see more Uncork Loudoun events throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027.  Afterward this event, I was able to visit a couple more Loudoun craft beverage establishments as well as a few more last weekend while trying to celebrate Oktoberfest. Stay tuned for more Loudoun County coverage. Cheers. 

Loudoun County Spring 2023 Barrel Tasting

In late-April, we purchased tickets to the Loudoun Wineries Association's Spring 2023 Barrel Tasting visiting five out of a possible 14 wineries in that county that participated. Our group started at Willowcroft Vineyards, the oldest winery in the county and the 8th oldest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Owner and winemaker Lew Parker purchased the property in 1979, planted grapes the following year, constructed the winery in 1983, and opened it to the public in '84. Today they grow 12 grape varieties with Albarino and Riesling being long-time favorites of ours. 

However, today's focus was on a trio of reds aging in the cellar -- all 2022 vintage and aging in different types of oak casks. We started by tasting from an American oak barrel holding the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon where the barrel is adding tannins as well as vanilla and tobacco to this light-bodied wine. A 2-year-old French oak barrel is housing the 2022 Merlot allowing the fruit to shine forth while augmenting with additional tannins. Finally, a new French oak barrel is being used to age the 2022 Petit Verdot where the full-bodied and structured wine will receive even more tannins to make this an age-worthy wine. 

We then traveled the backroads of Loudoun County to Endhardt Vineyards, a relatively new winery operating on a beautiful estate south of Purcellville. And for a new winery, owners Hannes and Sarah Endhardt have invested heavily, both in the 46-acre estate and the extensive barrel program.  They have planted five grape varieties on their 11 acres under vine: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. During the barrel tasting, we received a mini-vertical of two years of the Petit Verdot and Merlot. This allowed us to witness the transformation of each wine as it matured with the younger wines being more one-dimensional fruity and the older ones more structured. Looking forward to visiting on a day without rain and to enjoy their upcoming white Cabernet Franc. 

After lunch at Monk's BBQ in Purcellville, we headed a few miles north to one of our go-to wineries: Walsh Family Wine.  We've spent time with Nate over the years, at the old Whole Foods tastings, through his seminars at Sunset Hills, and now operating Walsh Family Wine with his wife Sarah.  The barrel tasting started on a high note with the first white wine of the day, a delicious Chenin Blanc. Just a touch of oak and substantial fruit.  We also tasted, I believe, a Merlot and a Tannat, in between conversations on racking,  blending, and viticulture in general. We finished with the very drinkable and ready Paeonian red blend - named after the town of Paeonian Springs where the grapes for this wine were sourced. This will be a highly prized release. 

We then traveled north into Hillsboro and to one of the oldest wineries in Loudoun County, Doukenie Winery. Greek for Duchess, Doukenie has a beautiful estate at the base of a short mountain range; interestingly, with Breaux Vineyards on the other side of that range.  It has been a while since I last visited; I particularly remember their A Taste of Science seminars. On this day, we tasted several wines while having a very informative discussion on brix and pH and how winemakers measure each. We also discussed different grape varieties and the benefits and difficulties of growing each. We learned how Cabernet Sauvignon is difficult to ripen in Virginia because of a lack of consistent sunshine. Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, is well suited for Virginia, but growers and winemakers have to time harvest exactly to balance the pyrazines and sugar and acidity. Honestly, I didn't document the other wines we tasted because I was so enamored with this technical conversation. It brought back the A Taste of Science seminars. Looking forward to returning to learn more about winemaking and viticulture as well as to taste these wines once bottled.

Our last stop of the tour was very close to where we started, Zephaniah Farm Vineyard -- located just south of Leesburg. The property has been a family farm since 1950, first as a  dairy farm and then as a vineyard since the early 2000s when the first grapes were planted. Winemaker Bill Hatch has been known for his Cabernet Franc and that was the focus of this day's barrel tasting. Specifically, they poured a 2021 Cabernet Franc that was resting in a 500-liter neutral Hungarian oak puncheon and the same vintage aging in a 228-liter French oak barrel.  Obviously, the version aging in the puncheon showed more fruit whereas the smaller French oak was providing more spices and tannic character.  The winery plans to combine the wine from both barrels into a third barrel, but I wish they would bottle some from just the puncheon - slightly chilled it would be a delicious summer sipper. 

Zephaniah made the barrel tasting even more interesting by giving visitors a sip of their 2022 Chelois, a French hybrid grape (Bienvenu and Roi de Noirs are its parents) created by French grape-breeder Albert Seibel in the wake of the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th century.  This is the only Chelois planted in Virginia and it shows dark fruit with limited tannins but decent acidity. It will be interesting if they decide to release it as a single varietal or as a blend. 

Loudoun History along the W&OD Railbed & The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards

Soon the weather will allow for longer bike rides along Virginia's W&OD Railbed and that means trips to its terminus at Purcellville.  A few miles away at Mile Marker 41, and at the intersection with Hamilton Station Road, is a historical marker designating the old Hamilton Station Train Depot. It reads: 

One of the oldest on the line, Hamilton's train station dates from 1870. It was not in the original plan. When the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railway (later the Washington & Old Dominion) was established in the 1840s, its owners intended to head the tracks westward along present Route 9 (Charles Town Pike), across the Blue Ridge at Keyes Gap, and on to the Ohio Valley coal country.

The railroad reached Leesburg by 1860. Construction and operations ceased during the Civil War. By the time the railroad was up and running again, ownership had changed and so had the destination. The new route through western Loudoun County was slightly to the south of the original one, heading toward Snicker's Gap and sparking the growth of towns including Hamilton, Purcellville, Round Hill, and Bluemont. Unlike the other towns, however, Hamilton grew up along the automobile turnpike (Route 7) rather than along the railroad.

Historically, Loudoun County was part of the Fairfax Proprietary which King Charles II granted to seven noblemen in 1649. During the 1720s and 30s, Quakers settled in the area and formed the settlements which eventually became known as Waterford and Hamilton (Harmony).  Soon thereafter this region was incorporated into a new designated Fairfax County and in 1757 the Virginia House of Burgesses divided Fairfax County with the western portion named Loudoun. This name was based on John Campbell, the fourth earl of Loudoun, a Scottish nobleman who served as commander-in-chief for all British armed forces in North America and governor of Virginia from 1756 to 1759. 

The Hamilton Station depot served the town of Hamilton which was originally called Harmony in the late 1700s based on an estate built by Richard Tavenner his wife Ann Hatcher.  At the turn of the century, the town became known as Hamilton Store because of a store opened by Charles Bennett Hamilton. The population increased due to the Leesburg and Snickers Gap Turnpike and in 1835, the town's name was shortened and codified when John Quincy Adams approved a post office located in Hamilton's store and the town's name was recorded as Hamilton.  

After the Civil War, a steam railroad from Alexandria passed near Hamilton along the future route of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. Fleeing the summer humidity, tourists filtered into the town, and a 1+1⁄2-mile boardwalk was built to accommodate the new foot traffic. By 1900, the Town of Hamilton was Loudoun County's second-largest town. However, this growth was short-lived as the rise of the automobile slowed tourism traffic and a fire in 1926 consumed most of the town's central businesses. Today, Hamilton is known as a residential community.

In 1910, just before the automobile swept aside the Old Dominion Railroad, a dairy barn was built that a century later would house the tasting room for The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards.  This winery was founded by the Fialdini family and two of their most enlightened decisions were to restore the dairy barn and to hire acclaimed Michael Shaps as the winemaker.  Their wines are made from grapes grown on their small estate as well as other mature Virginia vineyards such as Carter's Mountain and Mount Juliet Vineyards. Here's the review of my visit posted on Instagram: 

I'm embarrassed to confess that yesterday was my first visit to The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards. The wines were what you would expect from Michael Shaps with the 2019 Cascina ($26) -- Seyval Blanc, Traminette, & Petit Manseng -- the table's favorite. I was also impressed with their 2018 Cabernet Franc ($24) and Petit Verdot ($28) for not only salvaging the rain-soaked grapes but producing very drinkable wines with them. The 1910 era barn is very cozy during the winter months and Ryan Jewel Music has a great country voice beyond his years. We look forward to returning in the spring to lounge on their patio and enjoy more wine and the surrounding views.

A Visit and Conversation with Dry Mill Vineyards' Winemaker Karen Reed

Even though Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery is one of the closest Loudoun County wineries to the Washington Beltway, in the past few years I seemed to have traveled past it while visiting that county's wine and beer trail.  But not last weekend when we targeted Dry Mill specifically because of its proximity to DC. My remembrance was solid wines particularly their Viognier and Chardonnay and on our arrival, we started with the 2017 Virginia Viognier ($29) - as well as cups of wine augmented mulled cider. 

We finished the Viognier in their courtyard patio, braced from the winery winds by side coverings and heat lamps. The wine was as pleasant as the environment, stone fruit dominated the citrus starting with peaches then ending with lifting lemony citrus.  

Next, we turned to their off-dry Mead ($25) - quite flavorful at 1.7% RS. What was lacking was a little lift in the tail, so I blended a bottle at home with the Supreme Core Pounda Gold to see if this livens the finish. This concept is a switch-hitter in the sense that either the hard cider or mead could be the dominant partner, and in fact, each side of the plate worked well. Augmenting the cider with a little mead added body and depth whereas adding cider to the mead did add more effervescence. But my tastes indicated a 50-50 blend - where both profiles contributed equally. 

It was at that point that I learned that winemaker Karen Reed was working in the tasting room, and to my ignorance, was hired a decade ago by Dry Mill after previous engagements at White Hall Vineyards, Clos Pegase Winery in Napa, Hillsborough Vineyards - and with a Masters Degree in Viticulture from the University of Adelaide, Australia.  I duly noted to follow up with Reed concerning her background which led to an email exchange this week learning more about the winery and herself. 

In particular, she is passionate about her Merlot and the fruit sourced from Russ Mountain Vineyard in Bluemont. Reed related how that vineyard specializes in Merlot and it is some of the best in the state, "if you blind taste my Merlots with anything from the right bank of Bordeaux, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference".  Thus Merlot is the star of their cellar with the 2017 Merlot the current - and last release - as they lost the contract that year. 

Ms. Reed is also excited about her 2017 Chambourcin. She relates, "it's not a grape that I was familiar with until moving to Virginia and it's always been a bit of a conundrum to me.  Most wineries try to get a lot of tannin extraction from it, and then put a lot of new oak on the wine.  However, when I tried this technique in previous years, I always felt like I was fighting with the wine -- trying too hard.  And it always ended up having that traditional "Virginia red flavor" which you used to find in a lot of wines from the 1990s.  In 2016, I made the decision to let the wine be what it wanted to be, a food-friendly, fruit-forward, easy-drinking wine.  The result was a wine reminiscent of a Barbara d'Alba... slightly higher acid, easy to drink, goes with every meal, but still sporting some rich fruit characteristics.  I love it.

And a lesson I learned is to reach out with these conversations before the visit so that I could taste these recommended wines on that visit and not have to plan a second outing.  We did return home with the 2017 Barrel Chardonnay ($27) which owner Dean Vanhuss had recommended when he stopped by our table to thank us for visiting.  Spicy butter and vanilla are the dominant notes for this wine with layers of green apples slowly evolving as the wine warms.  And the finish engages quite a while; a nice recommendation. 

Cheers to Karen Reed and Dry Mill -- until our next visit.

Hiking with #theCompassCBF: Keys Gap and Loudoun County Wine Country

For those who are interested in a moderate hike in Loudoun County's wine country, then take Route 9 - Charles Town Pike to the West Virginia border and hike the Keys Gap section of the Appalachian Trail. You won't find spectacular views but be comforted that afterward there will be a tasty beer, wine, or cider within arm's reach. 

We started our post-hike tour heading west into Charles Town, WV where Abolitionist Ale Works awaited. The brewery has fared well enough during the outbreak to produce a lineup of 20+ interesting beers - with many brewed for the Christmas season.  These include the  Keg Nog (Bourbon Barrel Aged) Imperial Cream Ale, Wild Wit Christmas American Wild Ale, Liquid Bread Pudding American Wild Ale, Dirty Santa Beard (Cognac Barrel Aged) Stout - Imperial / Double, and the Abo Xmas Brandy Barrel-Aged Strong Ale. We brought one of each of these home as well as the Dirty Sidecar (Cognac Barrel Aged) Stout - Imperial / Double, the Apple Brandy Barrel West by Quad, the Blackberry Sage Gin Barrel Aged American Wild Ale, and the Abolitionist Ale (1 Year Barrel-Aged) Farmhouse Ale. I opened this farmhouse ale last night and the Brett provides delicious funkiness mixed with tart sour cherries and a little red wine. Expect plenty of updates on social media as we drink through these beers.

Traveling back into the Virginia, Notaviva Craft Fermentations and Bozzo Family Vineyards are the two closest east of the border. Over the years Notaviva Vineyards has expanded beyond wine -- adding beer and cider to their portfolio. I had targeted Notaviva for their "Vierzig" Blaufrankisch ($21) an estate-grown blend of 75% Blaufrankisch and 25% Cabernet Franc. This has been a winning blend in the Finger Lakes and should hold true in Virginia. I also felt I needed a lighter and more traditional craft beer after the Abolitionist visit and chose a 4-pack of their "Fröehlich" Kölsch. I opened a can on my return home and it's very well made with a slightly bready character and enough hops to liven the finish. 

Bozzo Family opened just two years ago and produces all its wines from estate fruit sans their two Petit Manseng where the grapes are sourced from a neighboring vineyard.   I left with a bottle of their Alma ($25), a wine named after their mother, and which is a dry 2018 Viognier.  I also chose one of their dueling Petit Mansengs, a rising commodity in the Virginia wine industry, and in particular the dry style. That was the Lisa & Thad SO ($25 and named after their daughter and son-in-law) and a dry 2017 Petit Manseng which was aged in steel and French oak for 18 months - the ("SO"). The other Petit Manseng is the 2018 Patricia which was fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel for about 5 months. 

Truthfully, I hadn't planned on visiting Walsh Family Wine although Nate Walsh is a prominent winemaker and provided an entertaining and educational tasting series while at Sunset Hills Vineyard. However, in a divine fashion, the Route 9 detour around Hillsboro led me straight to the winery.  Nate interacts with a wide range of grape varieties in there were Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a collection of red Bordeaux styled wines.  I chose a bottle of their 2018 Walsh Family Wine Viognier ($30) because -- it's a Virginia Viognier. 

While heading to Keys Gap and before Hillsboro I had noticed a new brewery which turned out to be the 3-month-old Harvest Gap Brewery.  There were dozens and dozens of thirsty patrons huddled in small groups throughout the spacious grounds sipping and eating from the inhouse kitchen. For my first real drink of the day, I selected a sampler and found a quiet outdoor table nearer the road.  I went with the Mad Black Cow, Nitro Milk Stout, Heavy "D" Sour Ale, Happy Pils Pilsner, and the recommended 52 Dakota West Coast DIPA. That was a very drinkable double IPA, with the mango and vanilla providing a bit of a milkshake feel without the lactose. The other three were also solid beers - ready to make Harvest Gap a destination in itself.

The final, and previously planned stop, was to Corcoran Wine & Cider where Lori Corcoran had signaled new ciders were on the horizon.  Over a bottle of a recently bottled PoPo Peach, we discussed family, cider, Loudoun wine as Blu met new friends.  Lori also let me taste the now bottled and released Corcoran Hard Cider, a fresh, tart, and effervescent cider where the apple flavors are prominent. The PoPo is easy drinking with the stone fruit providing a little depth.  With a handful of ciders, I also came took home a bottle of her 2012 Waterford ($40) - a white port-styled wine made from 100% Viognier and aged seven years in whiskey barrels. How unique. 

Open That Bottle of Virginia (or Local) Wine Night

Frank Morgan at DrinkWhatYouLike has been working overtime supporting the Virginia wine industry during the CV pandemic - primarily using his VAWineChat platform for nightly webinars featuring Virginia winemakers. Last week he suggested an Open That Bottle of Virginia Wine Night for Saturday, March 28th where consumers share on social media (using #vawinenight) a specific Virginia wine and why they selected it. A great idea borrowed from Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher's Open That Bottle Night (OTBN). And on a separate thread, Lenn Thompson and Gina Shea of The Cork Report were organizing a Drink Local Night stressing east coast and midwestern wineries -- the same concept just using the #openlocalwine hashtag.

Please participate in these campaigns, and in addition, raise a glass to toast Juanita Swedenburg, one of driving forces behind the 2005 Granholm v. Heald Supreme Court decision forcing states to allow shipping from out-of-state wineries.  "The court’s decision resolved a longstanding conflict between a state’s right to regulate the sale and use of wines and liquors, as outlined in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which ended Prohibition, and the Constitution’s commerce clause, which limits a state’s ability to erect economic barriers against goods shipped from beyond its borders" (NY Times).

The plaintiffs were a combined lawsuit from wine collector Eleanor Heald and others against Michigan and Swedenburg's (and other out-of-state winemakers) lawsuit against New York state. At the time, Swedenburg and her husband were the proprietors of Swedenburg Estate Vineyard in Middleburg, Virginia and a founding member of the Vinifera Wine Growers Association which is now the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA).  In her multiple fights leading to the Supreme Court, Swedenburg benefited from the services of the public interest law firm, Institute for Justice, to handle her cases. And "on May 16, 2005, in a 5-to-4 vote on an action brought by Mrs. Swedenburg and others, the Supreme Court overturned laws in New York and Michigan that discriminated against out-of-state wineries that wanted to ship directly to consumers’ homes" (NY Times).

Wineries across the United States are implementing special shipping rates for online purchases so please support these efforts as much as possible.  The Cork Report has a list here, including several wineries from Michigan and New York - who also profit from interstate wine sales.

And as a side note, Swedenburg Estate Vineyard is now Greenhill Winery & Vineyards, known regionally for its sparkling wine program.

Harpers Ferry Brewing - Overlooking the Potomac and Maryland Heights

On September 13th, 1862 Confederate units under Brig. Gens. Joseph B. Kershaw assaulted the lightly defended Maryland Heights, the highest mountain overlooking the strategic transportation hub of Harpers Ferry. This town was strategically significant because it was built at the point where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River with a junction of the Baltimore-Ohio Railroad. Thus Gen. Robert E. Lee sent Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson to capture the town to buttress his supplies while he marched into Maryland prior to the Battle of Antietam. Harpers Ferry was virtually indefensible as it is surrounded on all sides by higher ground. Yet the Union commander, Col. Dixon S. Miles refused to strongly fortify any of these positions and instead concentrated his forces near the town.

By mid-afternoon, the inexperienced and overmatched Union soldiers had abandoned Maryland Heights and escaped across a pontoon bridge into the town. Col. Miles, compounded his previous misjudgment and refused to press a counter-attack. With the Confederate capture of Maryland Heights as well as the Confederate positions in Loudoun Heights to the east and Bolivar Heights to the west, the fate of 12,000 Union troops were sealed. On September 15th, the largest surrender of United States forces during the Civil War took place.

Late last year Harpers Ferry Brewing opened on Loudoun Heights (the northernmost point in Loudoun County) providing generous views of Maryland Heights and for those with a keen eye, Harpers Ferry itself. The brewery is located next to the Harpers Ferry Adventure Center whose owners J.R. and Holly Heffner teamed with Old 690 Brewing Company's owners Darren and Tammi Gryniuk and Mark and Ronda Powell to launch this destination brewery. It houses a 15-barrel brewing system, a 40 tap inside bar, a 20 tap outside bar, and ample seating. Besides the views of Maryland Heights to the north and west, the east provides scenic views of the Potomac and Maryland countryside.

 And expect plenty of beer options. During our visit in late April, the brewery was pouring a dozen beers with multiple styles represented. Our flights consisted of the Tri-State Tripel, Oatmeal Stout, Baltic Porter, Wake Up Call White Stout, River Daze Berliner Weisse, and Potomac Pale Ale. The most intriguing were the Tripel, Berliner Weisse, and White Stout - the later a lactose enabled, creamy, and coffee noted brew. Use theCompass Craft Beverage Finder to guide you to these delicious beers and scenic views. Cheers.

Drinking Local with Corcoran's Wine & Cider

Jim and Lori Corcoran have been a leader in the #DrinkLocal movement in both Loudoun County and the Commonwealth of Virginia as proprietors of Corcoran Vineyards & Cider. The couple established the winery in the early years of the Loudoun Wine Renaissance as Winery #11 when they planted the vineyard in 2001 and opened their doors three years later. Later, they were at the forefront of the local craft cider and beer, augmenting Corky's Farm with both beverages.   Their menu includes cider as well as both dry and sweet wines as Lori specializes in unique dessert concoctions. The winery is open only on weekends and encourages picnickers, dogs, and children. There's plenty of outdoor space.

When visiting, Corcorans offers a separate cider or wine flight for $7 and a popular option for two is to split each flight.  The cider starts with the delicious dry hopped Hop'n'Pop which uses locally grown hops to provide an IPA like finish to this refreshing cider. Another favorite is the PoPo Peach, a juicer cider that was fortified with peach juice. Finally, try the Knot Head, a proprietary blend of seven locally grown apple varieties then aged a few months in used Bourbon barrels. Excellent.

Moving to wine, a tasting always starts with their Virginia Wine Lover favorite Apple Wine. This wine is made dry using several locally grown apple varieties and packs a wallop of flavors as the tartness and natural acidity leads to a refreshing finish. Seyval Blanc was one of the first grape varieties planted in 2001 and this wine has been on the tasting menu since. In 2011 the winery received a shipment of Riesling grapes grown in the cooler mountains of the Shenandoah Valley. Lori recently found a lost palette and the wine remains vibrant with a slight petrol aroma, but traditional Riesling flavor. Lori does specialize in Chardonnay and during my last visit they were sold out with a bottling ready to proceed this summer. As for reds, Cabernet Franc is your choice, with multiple vintages available. A vertical tasting is an excellent method to witness the history of the area's weather and geology.

The wine flight concludes with three dessert wines starting with the BlackJack where the Chambourcin base is fermented with blackberries and then blended with Petit Verdot and Merlot. The USB is also based on the estate Chambourcin but this time fortified with brandy and aged in whiskey barrels for 12 months. This a “Port-styled” wine is delicious. Finally and equally tasty is the RAZ Raspberry and Merlot blend which starts with the powerful berry flavors but finishes with soft tannins. Nicely done.

14635 Corkys Farm Lane, Waterford, VA 20197
Phone: 540-882-9073

A Quad of New #VACraftBeer For Our #VABreweryChallenge

Creative destruction resides in the NOVA craft beer market as one brewery closes several open to take its place. And we recently visited four infants in Northern Virginia.  During a previous wave of new openings Brian Reinoehl visited Bad Wolf Brewery in Manassas and felt the bug.  He and partner Michael Frizzell spent the next five years immersed in the beer industry starting with a one-barrel system and eventually selling their IT business to open Audacious Aleworks (#60). They had intended to open in the Mosiac District where Caboose Brewing will soon open their second facility but found the City of Falls Church a more cooperative environment.  They officially opened about a month ago slowly increasing their portfolio to the present 15 beers.  That means plenty of opportunities to find one you like and I did with the Westminster Bridge ESB -- feels like sitting in a British pub.  Other solid beers are the Pretentious Porter,  Kings Chance Saison, 7 Evil Exes Sour, and Conviction IPA.


Ashburn's House 6 Brewing Company (#61) was instantiated by a similar passion for craft beer this from volunteer firefighter, Rolando Rivera -- not surprisingly some years spent at Station 6.  However, Rivera took a less prolific model and opened last weekend with just four beers on tap.  And these beers are fantastic. The 4.6% El Bombero Kölsch is a light and fresh beer well suited for the cyclist venturing  off the WO&D.  The Firebreak Session IPA weighs in at a similarly low abv and packs plenty of flavor for this session beer.  The same is true for the ridiculously tolerant Off Duty English Mild (3.7%)  where the malt and caramel meld into a delicious beer. And equally so is the Smoke Eater Smoked Porter where the chocolate transitions to a rauchbier finish. Fantastic.


Our next stop, Phase 2 Brewing (#62), is a tiny brewery - a nano's nano - that pours to house brewed beers at Brew LoCo, an independent coffeehouse and homebrew shop opened in 2014 by sisters Cathy Frye and Mary Battaglia.  They normally have two or three beers surrounding their nitro coffee tap and during our visit it was the Mango Mama DIPA and Lunar Eclipse Imperial Stout.  Both weigh in at 8% and are quite interesting with the DIPA tasting like Werther's Original and the stout a nutmeg chili chocolate beer.  Quite interesting.

Our final stop, Rocket Frog Brewing Company (#63), has made a quick name around town and we visited the Sterling brewery to discover if its more than a flying frog. Twin brothers David and Richard Hartogs leveraged an affinity for Dogfish Head, a Belgium heritage, and another brother's west coast palate to create a well balanced lineup.  These dozen beers can be viewed on UnTappd and are worth a short detour off the WO&D to investigate. Start with their sours as their Warp Dive and Warp Drive w. Cherries are not over the top, just tastefully done. The Wallups Island Brown Ale and Croak at the Moon Saison are spot on regarding style but the Paper Wings Pale Ale was easily my favorite.  And for dessert finish with the Space Port Porter and he same on nitro.

And as always these breweries can be visited easily using theCompass Craft Beverage Finder. Sorry iPhone 11 iOS and iPhones 5S and greater users. Cheers.

A Beer Bloggers Guide to Loudoun County

Hosting the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference provides the opportunity to leverage media influence to further position Loudoun as a must-visit craft beer destination alongside former hosts including Asheville, San Diego and Portland, Oregon - locations that have already gained national recognition for their robust craft beer scenes,” Visit Loudoun VP of Marketing Jackie Saunders

Over the past 15 years the wine industry in Loudoun County Virginia has gained wide recognition for producing consistently high quality wine.  This process was kick started by hosting a DrinkLocalWine.com conference and Wine Bloggers Conference excursion in successive years in 2010-2011.  The Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association is expecting a similar result for their emerging craft beer industry as they host the 2018 Beer Bloggers Conference August 10th-11th to augment the LoCo Ale Trail. Again from Visit Loudoun VP of Marketing Jackie Saunders: “Loudoun is a leader in Virginia’s craft beer industry and this conference provides a platform for the LoCo Ale Trail and our 25-plus breweries to get in front of top craft beverage writers who can take the Loudoun and Virginia story to a national level.”

Photo courtesy of Vanish
Farmwoods Brewery

The county is home to 30 breweries and tasting rooms ranging from pioneers like Lost Rhino Brewing Co. to nanos like Loudoun Brewing Company and Black Walnut Brewery, with a few farm to glass breweries in between. The county believes the later are vitally important for economic development as they not only preserve open spaces from housing construction but all help spur the local agriculture economy. Attendees will visit one of these farm breweries, Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, during the Friday night Loudoun County Reception & Dinner. eight-five percent of the county's breweries will be pouring and the host brewery will be pouring a "ton of variety of great beer!" says Tommy Skelly -- Director of Marketing, Sales, and Taproom Operations. They will have over 20 beers on top covering as many styles as possible and this time of year expect am IPA and Sour heavy lineup and Skelly emphasizes that their Lime Gose has been a hit.

There are also two other breweries hosting events Lost Rhino Brewing Co. and Crooked Run Brewing Sterling.  Lost Rhino was the first post-Old Dominion Brewery in Loudoun and were pioneers in not only starting their brewery but the first in the county to adopt canning. Their Rhino Chasers Pilsner and Face Plant IPA are well distributed and popular brews. Crooked Run started as a nano brewery in downtown Leesburg (see next paragraph) and quickly gained traction for their creative recipes. As demand increased they opened a larger facility where they are hosting a pre-conference lunch and tour excursion Thursday afternoon. Just hope that the Neopolitik Milk Stout and Double Vibes Berliner Weisse hasn't kicked.

For attendees who have flexible travel plans or who are arriving or departing with extra free time, then consider a walking brewery tour of downtown Leesburg.  Park or get dropped off near Market Station where both Crooked Run Brewing and Wild Hare Cider are located adjacent to each other. This is the original location of Crooked Run where they produce small batch and experimental beers and always something interesting n tap.  For a change of pace Wild Hare offers delicious hard ciders particularly their dry-hopped Hopscotch. Heading towards the Government Center Bike TrAle Brewing is on the left of Loudoun Street incorporating a bike theme (yards from the WO&D bike trail) with a nice range of styles. Take a left on Church street to discover the hidden oasis of Black Walnut Brewery or continue up Loudoun and hang a right on King Street to sample the European portfolio of Black Hoof Brewing Company. Then take a right on Edwards Ferry then E. Market past the historical Marshal House to Loudoun Brewing Company. Patrick Steffens can only brew eight beers at a time from his 160 recipes so the lineup is always in flux. And on your return walk, munchies are available at Mom's Apple Pie Bakery.  And as always, theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will assist in your beer travels. Cheers.