A mother and son’s work to establish Fairfax County’s first farm winery cleared a significant hurdle Thursday when the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board gave preliminary approval on issuing a state license to Paradise Springs Winery.

Dismissing objections from neighbors and county zoning officials, the board’s hearing officer ruled that the winery’s reliance on trucking in grapes did not violate the statutory definition of a farm winery. The hearing officer also dismissed fears of several residents in nearby Noble Estates that winery traffic would raise the risk of accidents on winding roads and upset the peace and quiet of the largely rural neighborhood.

“We’re so relieved,” said winery co-owner Kirk Wiles, 27, a financial analyst with a federal contractor. “I’m going to do a little celebrating tonight.” Wiles and his mother, Jane Kincheloe Wiles, have invested more than $200,000 in the venture.

The initial decision, based on a July 21 hearing before an administrative hearing officer in Alexandria, could set up a court fight with Fairfax, which has said that the winery violates its zoning laws. Opponents have 30 days to appeal. The Wileses applied in January for an ABC license despite being told by the county that their enterprise would violate local zoning laws.

Senior assistant county attorney R. Scott Wynn, who testified against the winery on behalf of the county along with other officials, did not immediately return a call late Thursday.

Fairfax zoning officials argued that the winery’s need to truck in as much as 35 tons of grapes a year from across the state violated zoning laws and made its operation resemble a factory more than a vineyard. The county’s zoning administrator, in a decision upheld by the Board of Zoning Appeals, said that the Zoning Ordinance’s definition of “agricultural” would not permit making wine from grapes grown off-site.

But Wiles said that state law trumps the zoning code and allows farm wineries to use fruit grown off-site. The ABC hearing officer, Clara A. Williamson, agreed, saying state law says that farm wineries must use at least 51 percent of fruit grown on its property or other properties that the winery owns or leases in the commonwealth. The rest can be purchased from other Virginia vineyards.

Williamson also knocked down arguments that the winery would make nearby roads unsafe and alter the tranquil rhythms of the rural area, citing the record of similarly situated wineries in the state.

This isn’t over yet, of course. I’m guessing the next stop will be the Fairfax County Courthouse.

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Now, it seems like Fairfax County is once again moving to block the winery, now called Paradise Springs Winery, from ever opening it’s doors:

Paradise Springs Winery began as the project of a mother and son searching for ways to pay inheritance taxes on a historic farm. Its owners expect to hear any day whether the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will grant them a license to make and sell wine in Clifton, a corner of southern Fairfax filled with horse farms and sprawling five-acre lots. But even if the state grants a license, the county is likely to fight the winery, arguing that it is more of a factory than a farm and therefore inconsistent with zoning laws.

Besides rehashing frictions that exist between Richmond and Northern Virginia, the conflict demonstrates the tensions that have grown between local governments and increasingly powerful winemakers and their friends in the General Assembly

(…)

If the ABC grants Paradise Springs a license, Wynn said, the county will probably sue to stop it. And then a court might have to decide a fight over what supporters say would be a novel way to preserve open space and boost tourism and what detractors say would be a menace to neighbors’ peace of mind and motorists on its winding rural roads.

Which is just absurd considering the fact that most of Virginia’s wineries exist in exactly those types of settings and get along quite well with their neighbors, and something tells me they’d like it a lot better than what’s likely to come if the project get scuttled:

Frustrated by the county’s stance, Kirk Wiles, 27, a financial analyst for a government contractor, said it might have been easier to cut up the land into five-acre plots for McMansions. They have already spent $50,000 on legal fees, he said.

“I just think it’s so ridiculous,” he said. “It’s either going to be a winery or it’s going to have to be subdivided into lots. It’s all or nothing.”

The most absurd thing about this is that they’ve had to spend money on legal fees to get permission from the state to do what they want with their property.

Something is truly wrong in this country.

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Fairfax County could soon have its first winery.

County supervisors voted Monday to set aside a local zoning law that would have blocked the creation of the Paradise Springs Winery on a 35-acre plot in rural Clifton.

The land is zoned for agricultural use. County zoning staff said the owners wanted to bring in grapes from outside as well as grow their own, qualifying the plan as industrial use which is prohibited for the area. The county voted to draft new rules.

Good for them.

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The setting couldn’t be more splendid for a Virginia Piedmont farm winery: 35 acres of rolling hills, wood-rail fencing, an 18th-century log cabin and ancient stands of black walnuts, holly and American boxwood.

But Jane and Kirk Wiles, a mother-and-son entrepreneurial team trying to establish Fairfax County’s first winery, near the southwestern enclave of Clifton, have discovered that there’s no place for their plans in the county’s suburban zoning regulations.

(…)

[T]his fall, the Wileses received bad news from the office of the Fairfax zoning administrator: There is no provision in county regulations for a farm winery. Such a use is not allowed in the property’s zoning category, “residential-conservation,” the office said, although the category allows agricultural uses. Because of the Wileses’ intent to manufacture wine and buy grapes, in addition to growing their own, the operation could legally operate only on land zoned for industrial use, said Deputy Zoning Administrator Lorrie Kirst.

The conclusion was absurd, the Wileses argued. Farm wineries are licensed by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. They are, by definition, agricultural entities where grapes are grown and processed. A farm winery could not operate on industrially zoned land, the Wileses said.

Kirst said that Virginia law states that local land-use regulations may come into play in the location of wineries. The Wileses said that if the winery were not permitted in their zoning district, then Fairfax officials were effectively barring wineries from the county.

“They’re trying to blockade this winery,” said Chris Pearmund, a grape grower with operations in Fauquier and Prince William counties who is the Wileses’ consultant. “Fairfax is not agricultural. It does not want to be agricultural. If this winery were to open, the county is afraid that more small-parcel wineries would open, and you’ve got a Pandora’s box.”

Open the Pandora’s Box to what ?

A Fairfax that contained something other than strip malls, office buildings, and subdivisions ?

How horrible that would be.

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• Fairfax County Allows Clifton Winery To Go Forward
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• Fairfax County Continues Efforts To Block Clifton Winery
• Virginia Wineries Fight For The Right To Sell Their Wine

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Farm Bureau says the state’s wine grape crop is thriving thanks to a dry summer.

State viticulturist Tony Wolf says the crop is generally above-average in quantity. But Wolf said there is some concern for younger vineyards.

Harvest for Virginia’s wine grapes begins in mid- to late-August and runs through October.

The state ranks 8th nationally in commercial grape production and is host to 250 vineyards and nearly 130 wineries. The state’s top three wine grape varieties are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

So, you know, drink up !

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MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. (AP) — A statewide drought that damaged crops last year was a bitter pill to swallow for some farmers.

But it’s left some winemakers with the sweet taste of success.

Vineyards in Shenandoah and Rockingham counties have seen a rise in production in past years. And the drought last year, producers say, caused vines to produce smaller clusters of potent, sweet grapes, resulting in uniquely flavorful, more intense wines.

Now, growers at Virginia’s more than 100 wineries are preparing to harvest grapes once again in September and October, and are eyeing the vines for more success.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the amount of Virginia land supporting wineries increased from 2,100 acres in 2006 to 2,400 in 2007.

Sounds like there’s some sampling in my future.

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The article itself focuses primarily on Barboursville Winery, which is one of the well-known wineries in the state, but there are several wineries out there worth checking out, especially if you’ve got nothing else to do on a crisp fall weekend.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Rappahannock Cellars — One of the first wineries that Kellie and I visited, and it was pretty much a fluke. We were driving out near the Skyline Drive and saw signs for wineries and decided to check them out. I immediately became a fan of Rapphannock’s Chardonny, which we’ve purchased several times since then.
• Linden Vineyards — If you’re looking for a winery that’s off the beaten path, in a great area, and not likely to be visited by people on a wine tour, then Linden is the place to go. Located off a back road in Warren County, Linden is in the middle of some of the best scenery you’re going to find anywhere in Northern Virginia. And, since they aren’t equipped to handle bus tours, your visit is likely to be quiet and not too crowded. They offer a winery tour and barrel tastings, both of which were interesting. As for their wines, my personal favorite is the Vidal Riesling.
• Grey Ghost Vineyards — Grey Ghost is one of several Virginia wineries to have won several national and international awards for it’s wines, and it’s easy to see why. Their Chardonnay’s and Viogner’s are excellent and their red’s are quite nice as well which is, quite frankly, still rare for Virginia in my experience.

So, what are you waiting for ? Go and drink up !

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Cindey and John Tamayo tucked into their afternoon picnic of Vidal Blanc and sharp cheddar. In the distance, fledgling grapevines extended toward the surrounding mountains. Nearby, a more than 200-year-old estate sat on a hill, a 12-foot-high boxwood hedge leading from its back door to a red barn, which houses more than 600 barrels of wine.

It could be a scene from Italy or France, but the Tamayos were near Haymarket. Stressed suburbanites such as the Tamayos of Fairfax, both 44, travel in droves on Saturdays to this nook in Prince William County with similar goals: relax, drink some wine and enjoy each other’s company. They find many reasons to stay for several hours.

“First of all, very good wine,” said John Tamayo, a network planner for a telecommunications company. “Second, the ambiance. The whole look and feel, and the building. It’s the whole environment.”

Celebrating its first anniversary this weekend, the Winery at La Grange is on target to produce 7,000 cases of wine over a year, almost twice what most Virginia wineries can handle. It will beat records for first-year production and sales by a Virginia winery, thanks in great part to the landscape and the patronage of the Tamayos and other Washingtonians.

The wines, including a 2005 Meritage that won a gold ribbon at the Virginia State Fair Wine Competition in June, are produced in the red barn at La Grange. The winery’s 10 wines — five reds, four whites and a dessert wine — are sold in the gift shop within the manor house for $15 to $25 a bottle.

One of the biggest draws for commute-weary Washingtonians is the winery’s proximity to the District. Less than three miles off Interstate 66 on Antioch Road, they are able to enjoy wine without a long drive.

“It’s the whole package — having nice space, nice wine and an easy trip,” said Cinnamon Rogers, 36, as son Charlie, 4, pulled her toward the barrel room.

Not far away, her husband, Stephen Hornung, 39, played with their 2-year-old, Jake. The Alexandrians were on the way to a nearby farm to pick blackberries when they passed the winery and spotted a slide. They decided to stop on their way back and said they will probably return.

Do yourself a favor and check it out sometime.

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Nonetheless, recently, Kellie and I visited the first winery to open in Prince William County, Virginia, The Winery At La Grange, located in Haymarket.

The public portion of the winery is located in a highly-renovated late 18th century estate that, as the winery’s website shows, has a history unique to Virgina:

About two years ago, the award winning winemaker and owner of Pearmund Cellars, Chris Pearmund, contemplated the idea to build a high-end winery but this time he looked towards Prince William County where there was no winery at all. In November 2005, Chris found a piece of property that offered a unique venue. The property would support a 10-12 acre vineyard, as well as a fully-operational winery, and an opportunity to turn an existing 1790 Manor House into a unique tasting room. His cursory research into the 20-acre piece of property found that it was rich in history as it had been originally carved out of Robert “King” Carter’s Bull Run Tract in the 1600s and later became known as La Grange. The property’s ownership changed many times during the past 4 centuries. The estate’s acreage size increased and decreased during those years. Fortunately an eye-catching three-and-a-half story solid red brick Manor House built in the 1790s by George Green survived and is about to become alive again after many years of neglect.

“If I brought all of this together,” Chris (the 44-year old creative genius thought), “this can be a place where different varietal’s can grow as the soil condition is perfect, I can make new and different wines, and this historic venue would attract not only wine lovers but also history enthusiasts and tourists alike to the already rich historic Haymarket area.” Once the word got out about Chris’ idea to build the winery, Prince William County officials embraced his venture as being very good for the western part of the growing county in Northern Virginia.

Chris’ formidable reputation in making award winning wines, building, and operating the successful Pearmund Cellars coupled with his personal charisma and passion for wine, made it easy for him to capture the interest of a unique group of investors to join him in making this project come true. As a result, PWC, LLC was formally launched in December 2005 with the purchase of the property at 4970 Antioch Road, Haymarket, VA. Among the wine loving investors you will find a Corporate Chief Financial Officer, an information systems development engineer, a construction engineer, a winemaker who is versed in wine sales and marketing, a writer and history buff, and a professional webmaster to name a few. The name of the project soon became The Winery at La Grange and work began immediately to prepare for and construct the new winery building. Renovation of the manor house was immediately started as well as cleaning up the debris and overgrowth resulting from lack of care of the last owners.

The setting of the winery itself is quite pleasant. Lots of open space and picnic table areas for a wine and cheese and whatever-type gathering. And, a great view too.

La Grange has only been open for a year or so, which means that most of its wines come from vineyards in other parts of Virginia. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it will be interesting to go back in a year or two and taste the first wines from grapes actually grown in Prince William County.

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AQUEBOGUE, N.Y., July 3 — In the 35 years since vines began sprouting out of its sandy soil, the North Fork of Long Island has fought to be recognized as a bona fide wine region, and now more than a million visitors a year visit the tasting rooms at its 30 vineyards to sample award-winning merlots and cabernet francs.

But this season, small signs bearing stern messages — “No Buses,” “No Limos,” “Appointment Only” — have sprouted outside many of the wineries. There also are reports of tastings gone wild involving intoxicated visitors who have tossed back full glasses of wine without regard to nose or body until they grabbed the brass spittoon for baser purposes.

The latest additions to local lore include a story about members of an inebriated group at the Palmer Vineyards here who hopped off a hayride and began gallivanting naked through the vines. Then there were the drunken customers at the Pugliese Vineyards in Cutchogue who jumped into the shimmering lake next to the elegant outdoor tasting area. And the bachelorette parties that often culminate in tabletop dances, to the horror of nearby oenophiles sniffing or sipping the local chardonnays.

“All of a sudden it’s five deep at the bar with people knocking into each other and pushing each other out of the way to get to the tasting,” said Kristen Venasky, 27, who has been pouring for two years at Palmer. “Saturdays,” she said, “are for people who want to get sloshed.”

I’ve seen much the same thing at many of the more popular, and more easily accessible, wineries here in Virginia. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen patrons and even employees groan when a big stretch limo or tour bus pulls into the parking lot. It’s not that they don’t want the business, it just that, for the most part, most of these small wineries are not set up to handle a large group of people all at once.

More importantly, though, there’s something about wine tasting that doesn’t like a crowd. Which is why those wineries in Virginia that either don’t allow tours, or simply can’t be accessed by a tour bus because of where they are located, are usually among my favorites.

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