GRAPEVINE
MATT FITZSIMMONS
W
hile Charlottesville is usually considered the heart of Virginia wine country, Northern Virginia is rapidly catching up. Over a third of the 250 or so wineries in the state are located within an hour of the beltway, the highest number of any Virginia wine region. NOVA also recently
overtook Central Virginia as the largest grape producing region in the state. With statistics like this, you’d think the market for locally-made wine would be saturated. But year after year, the Virginia wine scene has defined expectations and grown at a brisk pace. Since 2018, over 40 Virginia wineries have opened their doors, many of them in Loudoun or Fauquier counties. Several more are expected to open in late 2021. It’s not just the number of wineries that’s growing; the size of their tasting rooms and features they provide have grown as well. Many of these new locations are designed to accommodate large crowds or provide amenities such as breweries or Airbnbs that are rarely found in other wineries. Several also boast mature vineyards, or have strong partnerships with existing businesses to source their wine.
Firefly Cellars Firefly Cellars opened at the end of May, making it (at least temporarily) Loudoun’s newest winery. Its owners are the Pierleonardi family, who already own a pest management company but were looking for a way to channel their passion for interacting with customers. So, when Hunters Run Winery along Charles Town Pike became available, they couldn’t resist the opportunity and a new business was born. Fans of Hunters Run would be shocked at the upgrades to the property. Among them were a complete refurbishment of the tasting room, landscaping to build an outdoor space, expansion of the parking lot, and the creation of a Europeanstyle cellar for special tasting events. Fortunately, the building’s coziness and charm was left intact. Perhaps the biggest change was the addition of an Airbnb, making it one of the few Loudoun wineries with this option. Although it’s only been open a few months, the Cottage is already nearly completely booked until October. GRAPEVINE > PAGE 36
Old Town Crier
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