Hague Winery
by
K. L. Sullivan
Summary: Hague Winery located in Hague, Virginia will open in May 2009. Look for events and wines produced at Hague Winery. Those who like history will enjoy visiting the winery built on Buena Vista that dates back to 1835.
We had the opportunity to visit with Steve Madey, owner of Hague Winery, and he expressed his enthusiasm for this dream. He has focused on owning a winery since before he planted the current vineyards. For several years, he had access to the Library of Congress and researched wineries and vineyards. As he became more involved with learning about vineyards and wineries, he took classes with Jim Law of Linden Vineyards in Virginia as well as classes at UC Davis in California.
Steve and Cynthia Madey purchased the property of Buena Vista in 2000. The property included a two-story house, cottage, tenant house and barn dating back to 1835. He was the first to own the property outside of the original family.
Steve researched the history of the property which had remained in the family for 11 generations before the Madeys bought it. The research showed that the original owner, Colonel Brown, grew peaches here after the “War of Northern Aggression” frequently referred to as the Civil War. The peaches grew well here. Steve knew that grapes and peaches have the same basic temperature needs and this was an indication that he could successfully establish vineyards on the property.
In 2005 and 2006, the Madeys planted five acres of Cabernet Franc, Chardonel, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Muscat. In the future, they will add four more acres of grapes. The grape varieties have not been decided yet as he wants to discover what grows best and what his consumers enjoy. By 2007, with the help of Lucie Morton as a vineyard consultant, the vineyards were producing quality fruit that other wineries purchased. Steve believed that was a good sign and he should start his own winery.
Currently, the barn is under renovation to be the tasting room and by May 2009 should be open for visitors. When Hague Winery opens the wines available will include Chardonel, Rosé and Cabernet Franc. The tasting room will be located on the ground level of the barn. A second level will later be used for events.
The wine is aging in barrels and soon will be bottled. In 2009, Hague Winery will produce about 800 cases. Steve hopes to grow to 2000 cases in the future. He plans to sell all of his wine from the tasting room.
The current plan for the bottle labels is an image of the front vestibule of the house with the grape variety mentioned on the label. This is an interesting room. On each side of the vestibule a series of windows from floor to ceiling frame the deck. The two lower windows can be raised creating a doorway to the deck.
We look forward to a return visit when Hague Winery is open, tasting wines and enjoying the views of vineyards amongst the countryside.
The Hague Winery
8268 Cople Highway
Hague, VA 22469
GPS: N 38° 04.309’ W 76° 39.348’
Visit these Virginia wineries that partner with Wine Trail Traveler.
