GreenHill Winery and Vineyards
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Greenhill Winery & Vineyards was an established winery purchased by David Greenhill who enjoyed the picturesque views of the property. The winery offers estate-grown still wines and a sparkling wine.
Visitors to Greenhill Winery & Vineyards will find themselves driving amid vineyards before arriving at the tasting room. At the time of our visit, the outside of the tasting room with a bright red door reminded us of a one-room school house. Inside the idea of the schoolhouse connection is enhanced by the right-angled tasting counter area that has black chalkboards at the top and on the sides. A patio with seating is adjacent to the right side of the tasting room. A well-maintained curved brick walkway leads to the red door and extends to the patio.
Driving past the tasting room to the Greenhill Winery & Vineyards mansion, we met Rebekah Pizana, who discussed the Greenhill Winery & Vineyards and its future endeavors. As the winery grows, production will expand and a new winery production facility and tasting room will be added.
Greenhill Winery & Vineyards was purchased in 2013 by David Greenhill who is involved in the satellite communications industry. David enjoys wine and when the winery became available for purchase, he was impressed with the views of the property and purchased it.
David’s goal for the Greenhill Winery & Vineyards is to make the finest wines in Virginia. He is interested in pushing a high end wine experience that will include an extensive tour of the vineyards and winery.
While visiting Greenhill Winery & Vineyards we discovered a stone mansion, which is available for wine club members and special events. The mansion dates back to 1672. Additions to the building were added 50 years later. On the day of our visit one cozy but elegant room was setup for a special wine tasting. Another room is set aside for wine tastings at a white counter with seats similar to tractor seats. This small room included a fireplace with a white mantel.
The vineyards consist of 19 acres on the property with another vineyard in Naked Valley in Amherst County. Planted grape varieties include: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chambourcin. At the time of our September visit, the grapes were netted in the vineyards to protect them from birds.
Greenhill Winery
The consulting winemaker, Sébastien Marquet, is from France. Sébastien also works for other wineries around the world. At Greenhill Winery, Sebastian uses all French oak barrels including neutral and new oak. In 2014 the winery produced 3,500 cases and expects to produce 5,000 cases in 2015.
The Wines of Greenhill Winery
We tasted several wines beginning with the Blanc de Blancs. This sparkling wine was produced with Chardonnay in stainless steel. The Blanc de Blancs offered multiple columns of beads forming a circumference mousse. The wine had notes of apple and pear.
Chardonnay 2013 spent 11 months in French oak sur lie. This wine was produced with grapes from the property and the Amherst vineyard. It was a dark yellow colored wine. The aroma offered notes of pear and caramel. The taste was smooth with apple, pear and vanilla notes. The finish was crisp with fruit, vanilla and caramel. Chardonnay 2014 was a blend of fruit from both vineyards. The wine was made in stainless steel and French oak. The yellow colored wine offered notes of apple, citrus and a hint of vanilla. The crisp finish was fruity yielding to vanilla.
Superstition 2013 was produced with 80 percent Mourvèdre and 20 percent Tannat. The wine was a translucent dark red with a dark pink hue color. The aroma was of dark fruits and spice. The taste offered notes of blackberries. It was medium to full-bodied with mild tannins. The finish was crisp with fruit yielding to spices, notably cinnamon. Superstition NV was a blend of Tannat, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It was a translucent ruby colored wine with aroma notes of dark fruits and spice. The taste was of blackberries, blueberries and cinnamon. The finish was medium to full-bodied with mild tannins. Ontology 2014 Naked Valley Vineyard was a translucent ruby colored wine. The wine had notes of black cherries and cinnamon. The wine was medium to full-bodied with mild tannins. The crisp finish was fruity yielding to spice. Philosophy 2012 was a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This was a translucent dark ruby colored wine. The aroma was of dark fruits. The taste had notes of cherries, blackberries and cinnamon. The wine was full-bodied with bold tannins. The crisp finish offered notes that reminded one of a marriage of fruit and spice.
Visitors to Greenhill Winery & Vineyards will discover the current tasting room offers tastings at a wine counter, seated tastings inside and outside of the building. Visitors will enjoy the bucolic countryside views.
Greenhill Winery & Vineyards
23595 Winery Lane
Middleburg, Virginia 20117
GPS: N38º 58.219’ W77º 42.266’
Article written October 2015
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