Mid-Summer at Magnolia Vineyards & Winery

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As the hot, sticky, way-too-rainy summer of 2018 rolled along here in Virginia, I recently had the pleasure of an early-afternoon photo session with Magnolia Vineyards and Winery. My daughter and I visited this winery for the first time nearly a year ago, and not taking the opportunity to "Escape the Madness" (their fitting slogan for their quiet, secluded property) for another year was an inexcusable oversight on my part. Magnolia Vineyards sits just thirteen miles from White Avens Photography. Hop on Route 211 West in Warrenton and head to tiny Amissville in Rappahannock county; turn left off of 211 onto Viewtown Road, and another 2.9 miles will get you to Glenn and Tina Marchione's beautiful vineyard.

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Glenn and Tina bought this land on which to plant their dream ten years ago in May of 2008 while they were living in Ashburn, Virginia and working high stress jobs in the IT field. After a trip to Italy and after visiting more than a hundred wineries in Virginia, they decided that becoming winemakers was a "retirement" plan worth shooting for. To prepare for such an undertaking, Glenn and Tina took classes with Doug Fabbioli, owner of Fabbioli Cellars in Lucketts, Virginia, and Jim Law of Linden Vineyards. Over time Mr. Fabbioli became a consultant to Glenn and Tina and was invaluable in their efforts to get this new venture up and running. He helped them find the perfect property, gave advice on what to plant, and helped them make their first two vintages at his winery in 2011 and 2012. Their first plantings on their new property were planted in 2009 using three acres out of the twenty-five that they initially owned; in 2011 they were able to plant a fourth acre. By 2013 they purchased an additional twenty-five acres which made planting on another three acres by the spring of 2014 possible. With their farmhouse and customized garage – customized for use as a winery – completed in August of 2013, they were able to start making the wine on their Magnolia property using home winemaking equipment before being able to acquire better, more efficient equipment to get the job done. They opened their tasting room in the basement of their home that August and offered their 2011-2013 vintages. Now, as this September is on the horizon, they have broken ground for their separate farm building, which will be used for the production area and tasting room; Glenn and Tina hope to have this building completed and ready for use by the spring of 2019.

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"One of the things we like to tell people is that we're doing this 'the old fashioned way,'" says Tina. "One step at a time and conservatively. We planted the grapes first to make sure we could do it, and then made the wine elsewhere so as not to make a huge investment in big equipment right away. We wanted to make sure we could make good wine, and learn from a veteran such as Doug Fabbioli." For Glenn and Tina, building the house and using their basement as a "temporary" tasting room made sense, and they avoided the investment of building another structure until they felt that success was a realistic possibility. "Now that we have some success – people like us, they like our atmosphere, and they like our wine – we are moving to that final step of the new building."

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While I can honestly says that all of Magnolia's wines are wonderful, I definitely have a favorite red and white that I highly recommend trying. The 2016 Hawkins Run Red is their signature Bordeaux-style blend. This wine is named for the stream that flows nearby. It is a fruity wine, heavy on the black cherry, with a hint of leather that leads to a taste of vanilla and a light smokiness to finish it off. I have poured this wine to enjoy with a roast on a Sunday afternoon, but it is also one that I enjoy having a glass of all by itself as a day is winding down. For a white wine, Magnolia's 2015 Black Walnut White is unlike any other white wine I have tasted. Named for the black walnut tree that will stand next to their new tasting room, this wine is fruity with a hint of apricot. It is crisp and just sweet enough, with a taste of citrus and honey and a clean finish of honeydew melon.

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The black walnut tree at the site where ground has recently been broken for the new tasting

room and production area.

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Check out magnoliavineyards.com and read all about Glenn and Tina's story and everything that Magnolia Vineyards has to offer. If you are after great wines, a beautiful, peaceful setting, and a visit with Maggie, the sweetest winery dog you could possibly hope to meet, head down the 211 Scenic Vino Wine Trail and make an afternoon stop at Magnolia Vineyards and Winery!