Our Vineyards
We believe strongly that the aspect of winegrowing most worth pursuing is the sense of place. As such, our vineyards are managed and our wine is made with methods that we believe best showcase the strengths and idiosyncrasies of our vineyards. This is an endeavor that we believe will keep us busy for a lifetime.
We farm 54 acres of winegrapes on six distinct sites – five in Loudoun County, and one in Clark County.
Scroll below for more detailed information on our vineyard sites.
BETHANY RIDGE VINEYARD
Bethany Ridge is the vineyard at which Walsh Family Wine first began production. Located high up on the Catoctin ridge just outside of Waterford, Virginia, we were drawn to the site for both its relative elevation and aspect – it sits high above its neighbors, with a primarily Southern slope – as well as to the shallow, stony, quick-draining soils. Vigor is low on this site, and wines tend to be ripe and highly textured. The intrinsic balance of the vineyard, as well as the density and intrigue of the wines, were the reason Walsh Family Wine was created. First planted in 2007, Walsh Family Wine began the expansion of the vineyard in 2017.
Location: Paeonian Springs, Virginia
Soils: a diverse selection, some granite-based and very well-drained, some silt/greenstone with more depth
Acres under vine: 25
White Varietals: Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Chenin Blanc, (and a teeny bit of Gruner Veltliner).
Red Varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tannat
North gate
The North Gate vineyard is also the location of the Walsh Family Wine tasting room. Originally planted by Mark and Vicki Fedor, who founded North Gate Vineyards, for over ten years this site laid the foundation of North Gate Vineyards and their consistently high-quality wine production. We began farming the site in 2018, with the intention of honoring the Fedors and North Gate by producing vineyard-based blends from the vineyard.
Location: Purcellville, VA
Acres under vine: 7
White Varietals: Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng
Red Varietels: Petit Verdot
Twin Notch Farm
Located just South of Bethany Ridge along the Catoctin range, Twin Notch Farm is a stony hillside site, quite steep in certain sections. Twin Notch enjoys the same general soil characteristics as Bethany Ridge, but with a bit more depth to the topsoil, less overall variation, and with some steeper slopes. Planted in partnership with JC and Nancy Dodson, the bulk of Twin Notch was planted with the intention of producing a vineyard-based red blend. There is a wonderful Bed and Breakfast located amongst the Sauv Blanc vines at Twin Notch.
Location: Paeonian Springs, VA
Soil: silt loam over granite
Acres under vine: 8
White varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng
Red varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Dutchman’s Creek
Dutchmans Creek Farm sits on a 120 acre family farm on the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River. Launched by owners Justin Palmer and Honnor Moore in 2015, the original planting was 5 acres of Bordeaux reds, and has been expanded twice since then. It was in 2019 that Dutchmans Creek Farm was brought into direct Walsh Family Wine management. Historically farmed as hay, and pasture before that, the vineyards show a balance that is surprising for relatively young vines. The decision to plant some lesser known hybrid varietals in 2022 was made in the hopes that the vineyard will continue to produce high quality wine grapes while improving it’s resiliency.
Location: Lovettsville Virginia
Soils: Predominantly Eubanks loams with some Purcellville/Tankerville complex, with greenstone parent material
Elevation: 350-450ft
Acres under vine: 9
White Varietals: Sauvignon Kretos, Cayuga Blanc, La Crescent
Red Varietals: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tannat
Russ Mountain
Russ Mountain Vineyard is situated along a southeast facing ridge in Bluemont, VA. Founded by Mitch and Betsy Russ, the vineyard has a reputation amongst the industry as producing truly stellar and unique Merlot. It has, over the years, been a provider of Merlot to a number of local wineries. In 2018, Walsh Family Wine took over management of the vineyard, and we are honored to be able to work its site and with its fruit.
Location: Bluemont, VA
Acres under vine: 3.8
Red Varietals: Merlot
Hickory Wind
Hickory Wind is the most recent addition to the Walsh Family Wine portfolio, planted over two years starting in 2018. It is the highest elevation site we manage, sitting high on the western slope of the Blue Ridge at nearly 1600ft. Owners Mark and Mary Finley did extensive site preparations before planting to prepare their rocky mountainside for vines. We have only just begun to make wine from this site, and look forward to exploring it in the years to come.
Location: Bluemont, Virginia
Elevation: 1520-1600ft
Acres under vine: 3
White Varietals: Albariño
Red Varietals: Cabernet Franc, Tannat
Weatherlea
Weatherlea Farm is a small but potent Cabernet Franc vineyard in Lovettsville, Virginia. Originally planted in 2009, the vineyard operated as an independent grower until 2018, when Walsh Family Wine took over management. A bit higher vigor than our other sites, it’s fruit nonetheless has shown a great up-front, bright fruity quality which is utilized in our rose production.
Location: Lovettsville, VA
Acres under vine: 1.5
Red Varietals: Cabernet Franc